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Craig Overton likely to share new ball with Woakes after Robinson left out of 12-man squad

Cameron Ponsonby06-Mar-2022Chris Woakes has spoken of his excitement about being given another chance in an England shirt after fearing he may have been dropped in the wake of their disastrous Ashes series.Woakes is set to share the new ball in the first Test in Antigua, starting on Tuesday, with Somerset’s Craig Overton after Ollie Robinson, who suffered a back spasm in the warm-up match last week and did not train on Sunday, was left out of the 12-man squad.”[Robinson has] had a great start to his Test career so naturally he’ll be a big miss,” Woakes said. “At the same time, it gives people opportunities. This tour is not just solely about opportunities, we’re trying to win games of cricket, but at the same time it does give that chance to someone to potentially make their Test debut or who’s been waiting in the wings for quite a while, and show that they can do it at this level.”

England 12 for first Test

Joe Root (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Speaking after training at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, where England are due to commence their three-Test series against the West Indies, Woakes insisted that he expected a tough start to Operation Red-Ball Reset as the tourists look to embrace a new mentality.”By no means is this going to be an easy Test series for us,” he said. “We haven’t won a lot of Test matches here in the last 50 or 60 years from what I’ve heard so it’s not by any means going to be a walkover.”I think it’s more of a mindset, really. In Australia, we maybe got into a place where people were thinking more internally, thinking on personal levels rather than thinking fully about the bigger picture and about how to win games of cricket as a team.”We’re trying to focus on that in particular, the last week or so we’ve tried to focus on how we can get better at doing things as a unit rather than individually. Naturally it’s a game that produces individual performances but we still need to be better as a collective, we can’t just rely on certain individuals to always step up and put their hand up. We need to do it as a group and that’s something we’ve tried to focus on in the 10 days we’ve been here.”Woakes was one of many to endure a poor Ashes series, taking just six wickets in three matches at an average of 55.33. His performance furthered concerns about his contrasting home and away records, which has seen him average 22.63 from 25 matches with the ball in England, but 52.38 from 17 matches away. With a mass overhaul planned, Woakes worried that his time may have been up.”Yeah, definitely. Pretty much everyone would have been bar maybe a few. It would have been silly not to. [I’m] delighted to be here, to be backed and have another opportunity to have a crack at it. I’d have liked Australia to go better but obviously it didn’t.”It’s clear my away record isn’t as good as my home record, but I don’t prepare in any different way. I look at conditions and try to figure out how best to perform on any given surface. I’ve never played a Test in the Caribbean so I’m excited about the challenge of that. It is a Dukes ball here so I’m hoping it might suit me a little better.”Related

• Full proves foolish as Chris Woakes feels the new-ball strain

• Robinson 'needs to be fitter' to survive at Test level, says Lewis

• Roach targets England frailties after omission of Anderson, Broad

• Stokes vows to dig deeper after 'letting myself down' in the Ashes

• England learn little as Reifer blunts new-look seam attack

Far from being dropped, Woakes has instead been a main beneficiary of interim managing director Andrew Strauss’s comments ahead of the series that these matches represent a chance for, “some of the bowlers that have been playing in the team to play either a slightly different role or more of a senior leadership role”.For Woakes, his role is both slightly different and more senior. In the absence of James Anderson and Broad, Woakes will take the new ball – something he has only done for England in 13 of his 42 Test matches. He will also be the de facto attack leader, with Overton expected to play his seventh Test in Robinson’s absence and England banking on Mark Wood’s availability after illness for extra pace; the uncapped Saqib Mahmood is the other seam-bowling option in the 12.”It’s something that I’m excited about,” Woakes said, “it’s not like I’m putting any more pressure on myself, I think we’ve spoken a lot over the last ten or so days and something I took away from Australia is making sure you don’t take playing for England for granted.”We worked so incredibly hard to get to this point, to become an England player and to get to this environment. You know it’s easily taken away from you. It’s making sure that every game is really important to you, you’re wearing the Three Lions and you give the best of yourself every time you step out there.”

Bruno Fernandes may have handed Manchester United an untimely injury headache ahead of their eagerly-anticipated Premier League clash with Arsenal.

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• Portuguese playmaker forced off against Everton
• Sat on the bench with ice strapped to his ankle
• Amorim's side due at the Emirates on Wednesday

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils are due at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday for a top-flight showdown with their old adversaries. United head into that game buoyed by back-to-back wins under new boss Ruben Amorim over Bodo/Glimt and Everton.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal, meanwhile, are looking to piece together another title challenge – they sit second in the table, but nine points back on leaders Liverpool. There will be all to play for when Amorim takes his troops to north London.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United will hope to have club captain Fernandes at their disposal, but saw him forced from the field just past the hour mark in a crushing 4-0 victory over Everton. The Portuguese did walk around the Old Trafford pitch and salute the home support at the final whistle, but spent time on the bench with an ice pack strapped to his left ankle.

• WHAT NEXT?

  The severity of that ailment remains unclear, with the Red Devils set to give their skipper as long as possible to prove his fitness. Fernandes rarely misses games for United, with only one previously being sat out through injury, and he has made 253 appearances across his five years in England.

The batter did not field in Canberra and both teams have an eye on the upcoming World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2022Australia may take a cautious approach with Beth Mooney in the second ODI but they are in no mood to let up on England despite the Ashes having been retained.For those involved in the 2017-18 series there are memories of how England were able to fight back to level the contest at 8-8, something Australia are determined not to let happen again.”We didn’t finish off as well as we would’ve liked,” Rachael Haynes said of 2017. “We played some good cricket but we just opened the door and it felt like we allowed them to finish pretty strongly, I guess walk away feeling like they drew the series. From our point of view we want to make sure that we win.”However, they are unlikely to take a risk with a key player as the departure date for the World Cup approaches. Mooney, who has returned to action remarkably quickly after a fractured jaw, did not field in Canberra due to some quad tightness after her 73 had anchored Australia to what proved a match-winning 205 on a tricky surface.Related

• Beth Mooney, Darcie Brown the heroes as Australia retain the Ashes

• Heather Knight – 'We haven't had that killer instinct to get over the line'

• Megan Schutt laughs off England's 'ironic' pressure comments

The squad departs for New Zealand two days after the Ashes concludes, and will undergo 10 days hard quarantine which adds to the complexity for anyone who is carrying an injury into the tournament.”I wouldn’t be surprised if our staff took a little bit of a conservative approach with Moons just given how crucial she is to our line-up,” Haynes said. “I don’t think they’ve selected the team yet but I wouldn’t be surprised if she was rested just to make sure she’s raring to go with what’s ahead.”If Mooney does sit out it could open the door for a return for either Annabel Sutherland or Nicola Carey unless they call in someone from outside the Ashes squad.Although both teams have insisted their focus has remained firmly on the Ashes, Haynes would not be surprised if a few different combinations are tried out. The two teams face each other in their opening World Cup match on March 5.”It’s sort of a bit of a tricky time because you want to make sure you’re peaking at the right moment,” Haynes said. “You don’t want to peak too early and then all of a sudden you get to a World Cup and run out of gas.”It might even be interesting to see how both teams approach these last couple of games. Whether there’s a bit of cat and mouse in terms of how they mix up their attacks or lineups in general in teams. It could be something that each opposition does.”After the first ODI, England captain Heather Knight conceded her team had not seized the chances that had come their way but they are determined to leave their mark on the series.”We feel like we’ve played some good cricket on this tour so far but it’s about getting over the line and we haven’t quite been able to do that which is frustrating,” Anya Shrubsole said. “There’s still a chance to level up the Ashes if we win the next two games…It’s not what we came to do, we came to win the Ashes but there’s still a huge amount to play for in this series and with the World Cup around the corner.”After the England A portion of the tour concluded in Canberra, Lauren Bell, Georgia Elwiss, Eve Jones and Emma Lamb have stayed with the England squad for the final two ODIs. The World Cup squad will be announced on February 9.

Manchester United have now tabled a new offer for one of their summer transfer targets, according to an update from journalist Christian Falk.

Man Utd chasing Ugarte & others

This has been an exciting summer at Old Trafford so far, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe making his presence felt by bringing in Dan Ashworth as sporting director and signing Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro.

Another strong rumoured target for United is Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte as the club look to bring in a younger alternative to Casemiro, who may potentially still have something to offer, but looked a long way past his best last season.

Ugarte is far from the only transfer target for Ratcliffe and INEOS, with Dani Olmo a player who United are believed to be pushing to sign. The attacking midfielder excelled for Spain at Euro 2024 while registering five goal contributions (three goals and two assists), and his good form could earn him a move to a huge club this summer.

It also looks as though United are looking towards the future, with some reports suggesting that they are looking to snap up highly rated Arsenal attacker Chido Obi Martin.

Man Utd table new offer for "leader"

According to Falk on X, Manchester United have made a new €35m (£29.4m) offer for Matthijs de Ligt, but Bayern Munich are still demanding far more for the centre-back:

This is clearly a development in the De Ligt saga, with the Dutchman having previously held talks with Erik ten Hag, but frustratingly from a United perspective, it doesn't look as though Bayern are going to budge in their valuation of the player.

While Yoro has already been brought in from Lille, it is encouraging to see that the Red Devils want more centre-back reinforcements, following lots of issues there of late, whether it be through injuries or players no longer playing at their best. Only Lisandro Martinez has represented a genuinely strong option in the past year or two, but even he has had his fitness issues.

If United could snap up De Ligt on top of Yoro, it could be the latest statement signing by Ratcliffe, with the Dutchman considered a generational defensive talent as a youngster, as well as being hailed by Didi Hamann, who said:

"It comes as a surprise that Bayern would let De Ligt go and I'm not surprised that somebody is happy to pay that fee. He's been brilliant and what I like about him, he's a leader."

Man Utd struck gold on "fabulous" star who's worth even more than Ugarte

Manchester United really have reaped the rewards of giving this star a chance to shine.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 22, 2024

It is easy to forget that the £259,000-a-week De Ligt is still only 24, and while he hasn't necessarily become the world star many expected by now, there could still be so much more to come from him.

Team also fined 20% of match fee for the offence

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2022India have been docked a point on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table for falling short of their required over rate during the Centurion Test against South Africa. They were deemed to be one over short of their target, after allowing for unavoidable delays. As per ICC rules, teams lose one point for each over they are short.The players were also fined 20% of their match fee. The sanctions were imposed by match referee Andy Pycroft. The umpires for the Test, Marais Erasmus, Adrian Holdstock, Allahudien Paleker and Bongani Jele, had levelled the charge and India captain Virat Kohli accepted the offence and sanction, so there was no formal hearing.India had also lost two WTC points in August 2021 for maintaining a slow over rate in the Nottingham Test. Losing points over over-rate offences could prove costly in the run to the WTC final, which will be in 2023.Australia had a taste of this in the inaugural WTC cycle, which ran from 2019-21 – they were docked four points for a slow over rate during the 2020 Melbourne Test against India, and eventually just missed out on making the final, with India and eventual champions New Zealand going through.The WTC finalists are decided by percentage of points won, and based on that criteria Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan currently sit above India on the 2021-23 table.The change in the points system from actual points won to the percentage of points won was forced by the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused various series to be postponed or cancelled, meaning participating teams would not all play an equal number of matches during the WTC cycle.

South Africa appeared clueless after Kallis left the field today and the allrounder’s absence is something the team needs to plan for in the near future when he finally retires

Firdose Moonda at Adelaide Oval22-Nov-2012When Mark Boucher was thought to be nearing the end of his career and the South African domestic landscape was scanned there seemed to be no other wicketkeeper in sight. Even though some of them where good enough, Boucher’s stature and legacy loomed so large, it was as though nobody could fill the space he would leave behind.The same can be said of Jacques Kallis. Retirement is not in the allrounders’ immediate plans. He hopes to play until at least the 2015 World Cup and for as long as he can contribute, which on current form appears to be endlessly, but it will have to come. Avoiding it is impossible because it serves up a reminder regularly: Kallis has been injured on each of South Africa’s three away tours this year.Boucher can also testify that things don’t always go according to plan and South Africa would do well to heed that warning because they don’t have one for life after Kallis. As the most complete “two-in-one-cricketer,” as Gary Kirsten has called him, Kallis actually does need to be replaced by two other players when he is unavailable. When he suffered a stiff neck in Wellington and could not play in the match, JP Duminy replaced him with the bat and Marchant de Lange was brought in as cover with the ball. That threw out South Africa’s team balance and they had to leave out Imran Tahir.His absence in the field today was also marked. South Africa’s bowling effort turned around when Kallis was brought on at first change. They went from conceding more than four runs an over to Australia’s openers to creating serious damage in the space of 16 balls, 12 of them bowled by Kallis.Both his yorkers resulted in wickets, a sign to the rest of the attack that a fuller length would not go unrewarded. When he left the field, the South African effort sagged visibly. It may have been the panic at losing another player mid-match whose role with the ball was being relied on, but the bowlers were consistently too short. The only tactic that remained was them trying to bounce Michael Clarke, but every other strategy seemed to have left them.Gary Kirsten wearily admitted that was the case. “When we did bowl a fuller length, we were more of a factor. We might have bowled a bit short early on and they left well. But someone like David Warner, we could have made him play more and I thought that Rory [Kleinveldt], when he got fuller, bowled really well,” he said.After the lunch break, perhaps when the news had been conveyed that Kallis would be taken for a scan and was unlikely to make another appearance on the day, South Africa completely lost it. In the ten overs following the interval, they leaked 100 runs as Warner and Clarke pounced. Imran Tahir was the guiltiest party as he continually offered up full tosses and had minimal impact.On a pitch that will only really offer Tahir something later on, he would not have been expected to get much turn. But it also would not have been expected that he would be so expensive. His 21 overs cost 159 runs the most by anyone who has bowled more than 20 overs in Tests. Kirsten was sympathetic without being harsh on his legspinners’ predicament. “He didn’t play the last Test so he was hoping to make an impact,” he said. “I don’t think it’s easy for a guy like that who is trying to find some form and trying to exploit everything.”Neither Morne Morkel nor Kleinveldt are senior players and when even Dale Steyn had to leave the field, Graeme Smith could have used a strategic partner to consult. Kallis is that person. None of the team apart from him has played a Test in Adelaide before and although that may not count for much in an age where information can be sourced, a quiet word from the stalwart here and there would have probably been appreciated.Kallis is more involved in team leadership these days. He is part of the think tank and the discussions that happen on the field and his vast knowledge is always of assistance. An intangible like that speaks volumes for what Kallis offers that cannot be explained by numbers.It should also serve as a wake-up call to South Africa about what they will be without. A player like Kallis can never be replaced instantaneously. From an experience perspective, South Africa have the likes of Smith, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Steyn to lean on. From an abilities one, they need to begin the search for someone who can develop into an all-round Test player.Of the players on the circuit now, those whose batting is almost as good as their bowling or vice versa are few. Chris Morris could become a player in the Kallis mould with time. Others include Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren although one needs to do serious work on his bowling and the other may be running out of time.A few spinning options have emerged like Jon-Jon Smuts but a genuine allrounder, the kind that once seemed to be coming off a conveyer belt in South Africa, is starkly lacking. Vacuums are too easily filled with things that should not be there and it is about time for South African cricket to realise that Kallis will leave one behind. As much as they value him now, they do not want to be in a situation where they value him more in absentia and the breeding grounds must be combed for someone who can step up.

Arsenal are now really looking at signing a £323,000-per-week former Man City star, who worked with manager Mikel Arteta during their time together at the Etihad Stadium.

Edu and Arteta targeting new forward for Arsenal before deadline day

Much has been made of Arsenal's talks to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, which have now been ongoing for a fortnight, as sporting director Edu Gaspar and the wider Gunners recruitment team attempt to sign an outfielder.

"Special" Arsenal player agrees to leave as West Ham chase quick deal

They want it done this week.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 18, 2024

So far, Arsenal have sealed a £27 million permanent deal for goalkeeper David Raya, and that has come as their only official signing of the summer. That is something Arteta and co will be very eager to change in the next few weeks, as reports suggest they wish to strengthen in multiple areas.

Edu is believed to be after another goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward as Arsenal target four key additions before deadline day on August 30. Widespread reports claim Arsenal could sign a new striker or winger for Arteta's attack, and a few interesting names have been linked.

Arteta personally wants to sign Nico Williams as his number one transfer preference, while it's been reported that Arsenal chiefs believe they can seal a deal for Wolves winger Pedro Neto at around £50 million.

Meanwhile, Arteta is also said to be keen on a striking partner for Kai Havertz, which prompted a very public transfer chase to sign RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko earlier in the window.

The Slovenia international had a proposal on the table from Arsenal, as well as Chelsea and Man United, but he instead chose to remain at Leipzig and pen a contract extension.

It could be they opt for a winger over a striker, with there being many twists and turns still to be had. A very interesting new name Arsenal are now being linked with is former Man City star and Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

Arsenal really looking at signing Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich

According to journalist Steve Kay, speaking on KS1TV (via TBR), Arsenal are now really looking at signing Sane from Bayern, who they see as a potential option on that side, as they chase alternatives to Bukayo Saka.

The £323,000-per-week star's contract expires next summer as things stand, so he could be available for a fairly attainable fee, but the big sticking point could well be the Germany international's salary.

“There seems to be a pattern emerging here looking at people’s ages, and there’s another one at a similar age who I’ve heard today,” Kay said.

“You have his picture up there, Leroy Sane. Yeah, very early days on this one, but he’s a player people have mentioned throughout this window and the last window.

“I never had anyone of note say anything to me, but today I heard that Arsenal are really looking at him as an option on that side.”

GOAL takes a look at the biggest storylines to follow among Americans abroad, led by USMNT stars in Juventus vs AC Milan

AC Milan vs. Juventus is always a massive game. This iteration, at least from an U.S. men's national team perspective, feels even bigger. It will feature an in-form Christian Pulisic, who at times has kept struggling manager Paulo Fonseca in a job this season, square off against Tim Weah and Weston McKennie. Neither side is playing particularly scintillating football, with Milan at seventh and Juventus at sixth, but a strong showing from Milan could see them force themselves back into the race for a Champions League spot.

The isn't the only big story for USMNT players abroad. Tanner Tessmann enjoyed an excellent international break for the USMNT, and is quickly becoming a favorite of Mauricio Pochettino. His minutes at Lyon have been inconsistent, but his strong performances for the U.S. during the international break could provide momentum in his club form and push him into the starting XI soon. It would also seem to be an important week for Brenden Aaronson, who was limited to a brief cameo against Jamaica. He could do with a good run out.

Ricardo Pepi, whose name has cropped up in transfer talk of late, will also look to impress off the bench. The same goes for the likes of Mark McKenzie and Antonee Robinson. It should all make for interesting watching. GOAL US looks ahead at some of the biggest storylines to follow among Americans Abroad this weekend.

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  Pulisic, Pulisic and more Pulisic

  Pulisic is not a Ballon d'Or contender. But he is, arguably, the best winger in Serie A at the minute. He is, perhaps, the only reason that the oft-maligned Fonseca is still in the job, such is the impact of his big game heroics. That only continued for the USMNT over the most recent international break. Pulisic set up the U.S.'s only goal of the first leg against Jamaica, scored twice in the second, and was instrumental throughout. He is, at this point, playing the best football of his career.

  He will need to continue that trend on Saturday. Milan hosts Juventus in what will certainly be an early test of its ability to fight for a Champions League spot. They come into the game six points behind Thiago Motta's side, but with a game in hand. Three points could go a long way towards turning their season around. If that happens, it will be on the back of another Puli masterclass.

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  Can Weston McKennie and Tim Weah spoil the party?

  And on the other side lies a far more organized Juventus unit, but one that struggles on attack. Motta hasn't really gotten a tune out of his side going forward, but the are fiercely disciplined, and haven't lost yet (although they do have six draws.) Their seven goals conceded is the best in the league, and while they possess plenty of attacking talent, this isn't quite a fluid thing yet.

  Ironically, though, two Americans have brought some of the sorely lacking attacking thrust. McKennie is up to his usual tricks in central midfield, putting out fires everywhere while also providing some quality in the final third – something he has proven with a couple of timely assists. Weah, too, has popped with four important Serie A goals. Juve are looking for difference makers in attack. The two Americans might just be able to step up.

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  Brenden Aaronson to find form?

  Aaronson was largely unfortunate to go down with the flu just before the first leg of the Nations League tie. And although he recovered in time to play a part in the return fixture, the attacking midfielder really could have done with using the opportunity to impress the manager. He did, admittedly, offer some interesting attacking ideas off the bench in St. Louis. But a full start might have been far more valuable.

  READ MORE: Aaronson: "I'm not just a runner"

  Still, he seems to have recovered enough to play. And for Leeds, he could be vital once again. Manager Daniel Farke heaped praised on Aaronson in a recent press conference, hailing the American's resilience to fight for his spot in the side after an unsuccessful Union Berlin loan last year. And deservedly so. Leeds are in third, two points back of first place, and well in contention for automatic promotion. A good showing against mid-table Swansea this weekend, and friendly results elsewhere, could see them go top.

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  What to do about Ricardo Pepi?

  Something has to be made clear here: Pepi, in all likelihood, is unlikely to be a Liverpool player – despite recent rumors. If he cannot get into the PSV side after playing the best football of his career, a Premier League move would seem unlikely. What he has shown, in recent weeks, though, is that he can really be an impact striker. With six goals in just over 400 minutes for PSV, and two more for the USMNT this break, Pepi has silenced some doubters here.

  Luuk de Jong, a stalwart in PSV's front line, suddenly sees his spot under threat. All Pepi has to do is keep scoring – which hasn't been a problem in recent weeks. Another clinical performance, whether starting or off the bench, would do a long way to giving PSV manager Peter Bosz an excellent problem to have.

The defending champions are bottom of the table but have recently found some form

AAP05-Nov-2021India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana is full of praise for the leadership of teenager Hannah Darlington, having relished a chance to learn more about Indigenous culture during her WBBL stint.Darlington, aged 19, was named skipper of WBBL defending champions the Sydney Thunder after border closures and a newborn baby prompted the withdrawal of veteran Rachael Haynes.The Thunder dropped the opening four games of their title defence. They have since posted wins over Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, setting up a crunch clash with Brisbane Heat at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. Darlington was a picture of composure and positivity throughout the poor start, according to Mandhana.”That’s the key thing as a leader that you don’t let the pressure or anything show on your face,” Mandhana told AAP. “She was really good throughout those four matches, just kept focusing on the positives and she had a major role to play in it [the turnaround].”She looks pretty relaxed and calm for her age. She’s doing an amazing job to lead a team at her age. She’s quite approachable, that’s the best thing about her and that’s what you want as a captain.”Darlington made her international debut during the recent multi-format series, becoming just the third Indigenous woman to play cricket for Australia. The Kamilaroi woman was part of an Indigenous team that visited England in 2018, retracing the steps of the 1868 Aboriginal tour.Smriti Mandhana comes out to bat•Getty Images

Darlington’s appointment as the youngest ever WBBL captain came at the Thunder’s customary shirt presentation on the banks of the River Derwent, where traditional owners performed a smoking ceremony.Darlington and team-mate Anika Learoyd, a Gumbaynggirr woman, spoke from the heart while starting conversations about Indigenous culture with new team-mates like Mandhana.”It’s amazing to learn more about the culture…hear their stories and learn more about them,” Mandhana said. “Especially for those of us not from Australia. Within the team, we discuss the culture and the land where we are going to play.”Mandhana, who celebrated a record-breaking Test ton earlier this season, has posted two half-centuries from her past three WBBL games. She has represented India on 150 occasions, with her first match against Australia coming at Adelaide Oval in 2016. The 25-year-old is thrilled to return to the venue that also triggers memories of “watching Virat score a lot of runs”.”It’s a good wicket to bat on,” Mandhana said. “I’m excited. We didn’t start this tournament the way we wanted to but there were positive signs. Hopefully we continue this momentum, we can’t afford to lose many other matches.”The WBBL continues on Saturday with three games, including a showdown between the second-placed Heat and table-topping Melbourne Renegades at Karen Rolton Oval.

Carl Robinson has explained how Atlanta United stunned Lionel Messi’s “dream team”, with Inter Miami sent crashing out of the MLS Cup play-offs.

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• Herons claimed Supporters' Shield
• Unable to deliver another trophy for Messi
• Attention now turning to 2025 campaign

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons entered the post-season in America considered by many to be favourites for ultimate glory. They posted a new single-season record for points earned in 2024, earning them a historic first Supporters’ Shield.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  David Beckham’s Florida-based franchise were, however, to suffer a shock defeat to Atlanta in their three-game series. Messi was among the goals in those fixtures, but the most decorated player of all-time was unable to add another trophy to his collection.

• WHAT ROBINSON SAID

  Atlanta assistant Robinson has told of downing Messi and Co: “You look at the level of players they have and they’ve built a dream team. They finished the regular season with 74 points which is the best ever for an MLS team and we snuck into the play-offs in ninth.

  “It’s like the old FA Cup in the quarter-finals or semi-finals, it’s 11 against 11, we had a three-game series against them, we lost the first game 2-1 at their place and beat them at home in front of 70,000 in Atlanta and then we went down to their place again and beat them 3-2. So over the course of a three-legged series I think we deserved it because we managed to beat the best team in the league twice.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Robinson added on containing the threat that Inter Miami’s collection of former Barcelona superstars pose: “The relationship that Messi has with Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and [Sergio] Busquets is crazy. Alba can be running down the left and Messi can be stood inside the centre circle and instead of crossing it he reverses it back into Messi’s feet.

  “You have to be aware of every moment those four players are on the ball because the link-ups that they have with each other is incredible. You had to be in control of the game when you didn’t have the ball and that was a big focus that we went into the game with and fortunately I think it worked.”