Tag Futebol

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة اليد رجال بالنادي الأهلي، لخوض مباراة قوية أمام جامعة سيدني، في مستهل مشواره ببطولة كأس العالم للأندية لكرة اليد.

وتقام البطولة على صالة نادي النادي بالعاصمة الإدارية الجديدة، تحت شعار “مصر تستقبل العالم من القارات للعاصمة الإدارية الجديدة”.

ويتواجد فريق كرة اليد بالنادي الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية من البطولة، والتي تضم اندية فيزبريم المجري وسيدني الأسترالي.

طالع أيضاً.. وصول الأهلي والزمالك إلى العاصمة الإدارية للمشاركة في بطولة العالم للأندية لكرة اليد

وتشهد بطولة كأس العالم للأندية مشاركة نخبة من نجوم كرة اليد على المستوى العالمي، يتقدمهم نجوم مصر مع فيزبريم المجري الرباعي علي زين ويحيى الدرع وأحمد عادل وأحمد هشام “دودو”، ومع برشلونة نجم منتخب مصر سيف الدرع.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مواجهات نصف النهائي وتحديد المراكز يوم الثلاثاء 30 سبتمبر، بينما سيلعب دور النهائي ومباراة الميدالية البرونزية يوم الخميس 2 أكتوبر. موعد مباراة الأهلي وجامعة سيدني في كأس العالم لكرة اليد

تقام المباراة اليوم الجمعة في تمام الساعة الثامنة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي وجامعة سيدني اليوم

تنقل المباراة عبر قناة أون سبورت 1. معلق مباراة الأهلي وجامعة سيدني اليوم

يتولى خالد خيري مهمة التعليق على المباراة.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

With Nicolas Kuhn already on his way to Como, Celtic are reportedly set to announce the departure of another player in a double departure for Brendan Rodgers.

Como reach agreement to sign Kuhn

After less than two years at the club, Kuhn is reportedly set to swap Celtic for the chance to play for Cesc Fabregas’ rising Como side in Serie A. The Bhoys will receive around £16.5m for the winger’s signature, making an instant profit of £13.5m from their initial deal, but now face the hefty task of finding a replacement for their star man.

Kuhn’s departure should fund some hefty incomings of their own, but replacing him will be an incredibly tough task. Just last season, the German enjoyed his best campaign yet with as many as 21 goals to his name in all competitions to go alongside his 15 assists. Just how Celtic replace 36 goal involvements is the big question.

It’s the type of problem they faced last summer when tasked with replacing Matt O’Riley and that’s when Kuhn stepped up. This time around, however, the Bhoys may need to turn towards the transfer market to solve their problems.

The next Engels: Celtic plot record-breaking move for "complete midfielder"

As Brendan Rodgers seeks to bolster his midfield options, the Hoops have reportedly entered the race to sign another Arne Engels for Celtic.

By
Ben Gray

Jul 4, 2025

On that front, Rodgers has already welcomed the talented Benjamin Nygren as well as the likes of Kieran Tierney, who has returned from Arsenal, Ross Doohan and Callum Osmand.

Incomings should take centre stage in the coming weeks, but another exit looks set to be on the cards before Celtic get the chance to welcome further fresh faces of their own.

Hannover 96 set to sign Nawrocki

As reported by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Hannover 96 have reached an agreement to sign Maik Nawrocki in a loan deal with an option to buy from Celtic. Reportedly a “done deal”, the Bhoys are set to announce the defender’s departure.

Whilst Nawrocki has often struggled for game time in Scotland in the last two years, that hasn’t stopped Rodgers from handing his centre-back some words of encouragement.

The Celtic boss told reporters when asked about Nawrocki and Auston Trusty after his side thrashed Aberdeen 5-1 back in May: “It was awkward for Auston in the first half, because he was blinded a wee bit with the sun on that side. But I thought those two were strong. Defended well, goalkeeper was assured, two full-backs, excellent. It was very pleasing.”

A player who never showed his true potential at Celtic Park, Nawrocki now has the chance to take the 2. Bundesliga by storm.

West Indies score their highest total in a men’s T20 World Cup match as they finished the group stage with a perfect record

S Sudarshanan18-Jun-2024

Nicholas Pooran acknowledges the crowd after his blistering 98•AFP/Getty Images

It’s been a World Cup for the bowlers, but Nicholas Pooran set the tone early for a dominant batting display from West Indies as they thrashed Afghanistan to finish the group stage with a perfect record. He tore into Azmatullah Omarzai in the powerplay, who leaked a world record 36 runs in an over. And that was a blow Afghanistan never quite recovered from.Pooran’s 98 off just 53 balls helped West Indies to 218 for 5, which was 104 too many for Afghanistan in the last group match of the T20 World Cup 2024. The result had little bearing on the Super Eight seedings that were pre-decided with both teams already cementing their spots. Afghanistan were blown away in the chase to be dismissed for 114, with all the five bowlers the hosts used sharing the spoils.It was the highest total for West Indies in men’s T20 World Cups, and Pooran, who hit eight sixes in his stay, surpassed Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for them in T20Is.Edgy Charles sets the toneHe has a stand named after him at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, and Johnson Charles did not disappoint. He had two ducks and a 44 heading into the game, and understandably, was tentative at the start of his innings. Yet he started with a flurry of fours, mostly via outside edges – beating short third to either side in the second over and then getting one over point in the third.Related

Pooran bursts on to the T20 World Cup, pedal to the metal

Pooran goes on rampage as Omarzai bowls joint most expensive over in T20Is

Anything with pace, he confidently dealt with. However, Naveen-ul-Haq’s change of pace was too much to contend with, and he chipped one to cover after a duel that saw a dropped chance.Powerful Pooran raises decibelsTwo balls were all Pooran needed to get his eyes in on a belter of a pitch in Gros Islet. He signaled his arrival with a record 36-run over against Azmatullah Omarzai, in which he hit three sixes and two fours, including one off a no-ball. Afghanistan generally turn to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for control in the powerplay. But with him out injured, Rashid Khan had to bring himself on in the powerplay for the first time this T20 World Cup. He was welcomed with a couple of fours as West Indies finished the powerplay on 92 for 1, the highest score in the first six overs in men’s T20 World Cups.Afghanistan rein West Indies in in the middle oversAt 85 for 1 in five overs, West Indies looked set to bring back a template we were so used to in IPL 2024 – scores around and over 250. But Rashid and his spin-twin Noor Ahmad used the slight purchase from the surface to tie the batters down. Both varied the legbreak and googly, and also the lengths to keep the batters guessing. The bounce from the surface also came to their aid. As a result, only one four and three sixes – two of them by Shai Hope against Mohammad Nabi – came in the middle phase (overs 7 to 16), where West Indies scored only 66 and lost two wickets.Deserving Pooran misses out on tonThe 17th over almost woke up the sleeping giant Pooran, who got his first four since the powerplay when Gulbadin Naib misfielded one at sweeper cover. He then tore into Rashid, who had figures of 0 for 21 heading into his last over, in the 18th. Pooran stayed deep in the crease and often cleared his front leg in a bid to convert the good length deliveries that Rashid generally bowls.Pooran’s leg side was the longer boundary, and Rashid bowling full only helped his cause. He struck three sixes and a four in the over to take 24 off it, decisively turning the tide in the hosts’ favour. He couldn’t do much damage to Naib, who bowled a couple of superb overs for two wickets, using the slower ones to trick the batters. When Pooran clobbered back-to-back sixes in the last over off Naveen, he looked primed to get to a century, only to be denied by a direct throw from Omarzai from deep cover.Obed McCoy’s three-for dented Afghanistan’s progress•ICC/Getty Images

Afghanistan no match in the chaseComing into the match, Afghanistan’s middle order (Nos. 3 to 6) averaged a mere 19.71 with the openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran doing the heavy-lifting in the big wins against New Zealand and Uganda. Gurbaz fell early trying to take on powerplay enforcer Akeal Hosein, exposing the Afghanistan middle order in a tall chase.Ibrahim managed to punish an erring Alzarri Joseph, hitting him for one four and two sixes in the first six overs. He also managed to get a few away from Hosein but could not keep down a languid flick off Obed McCoy – brought in for Romario Shepherd, who was home for the birth of his second child – to deep backward square leg.Playing his first match in this T20 World Cup, McCoy then dismissed Najibullah Zadran a couple of balls later before knocking Nabi over to reduce Afghanistan to 63 for 5 inside the tenth over. Omarzai managed to strike a few lusty blows but Hosein, Gudakesh Motie and Andre Russell never let them get away.As a result, West Indies registered their second-biggest win in T20 World Cups (by runs) and head into the Super Eight stage with a clean slate, as if to say, “talk now!”

Manchester United supporters are wise enough not to get too carried away by any new signing, not least after over a decade of pain with regard to recruitment, with high-profile deals having repeatedly gone south in recent times.

That said, even after a season that saw the Red Devils finish trophyless amid their worst-ever Premier League campaign, the club’s pulling power remains, with Wolverhampton Wanderers star, Matheus Cunha on his way to Old Trafford.

Plucking a player from Molineux may not appear too much of an achievement, although this is a man who just ended the season with 15 Premier League goals, having notably courted interest from Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in January.

After frequently looking abroad for new additions – particularly during the Erik ten Hag tenure – it is promising that the INEOS regime are now targeting players within the top-flight, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also under consideration.

As Ruben Amorim has hinted, however, there is certainly no blank cheque this summer, with such deals likely needing to be funded by departures. Alejandro Garnacho, according to the latest reports, looks set to be one of them, although is that the right call?

Why Man Utd must keep Alejandro Garnacho

Not for the first time in his United career, Garnacho has publicly voiced his frustration regarding his situation at the club, having memorably liked a tweet criticising Ten Hag’s handling of him in the past, before more recently hitting out at his lack of game time during the Europa League final defeat last week.

Seemingly not helped by those around him – with his brother also foolishly calling out Amorim for throwing the Argentina international “under the bus” – the 20-year-old is doing himself no favours. The manager’s decision to send him on his way this summer thus appears no surprise.

That said, there has been enough evidence to suggest that this is a player whom the former Sporting CP boss should be looking to encourage, rather than exile, with Garnacho having fought his way back after being left out of the December Manchester Derby.

A run of 18 starts in a row heading into the Bilbao showpiece illustrated that growing faith, with Garnacho arguably making a bigger impact in the final than the man who had replaced him, Mason Mount, after swiftly drawing a save from Guglielmo Vicario after entering the fray.

With his 21 goals and assists in all competitions placing him ahead of Amad Diallo in that regard, it remains a head-scratching decision to force the former Atletico Madrid ace toward the exit door, even if the need to meet PSR regulations remains.

If a suitable, eye-catching offer does arrive, perhaps United and INEOS would be correct to contemplate a sale. No player in the current squad appears to be untouchable, following such a disastrous season.

Even so, there should surely be other marketable assets to prioritise with regard to outgoings, with Rasmus Hojlund among them.

The latest on Rasmus Hojlund's future

Last week’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur saw United toil amid what was a particularly limp attacking performance, with Hojlund coming closest to getting on the scoresheet, only to see his goalbound header cleared off the line by Micky van de Ven.

The luckless striker then fired a blank against Aston Villa on the Premier League’s final day, rounding off a season that has ended with just ten goals to his name in all competitions, including just four in the top-flight.

For United’s leading number nine, such a return simply isn’t up to scratch, with reports having unsurprisingly suggested that a move to Serie A could be on the cards for the ex-Atalanta starlet.

That may be an admission of defeat for the £64m man, although interested clubs may be keen to take a chance on a player who has shown glimpses in a United shirt, not least with his five goals in last season’s Champions League group stage run.

There is a view that these past two years have merely been a bump in the road. Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as a “monster in the making” back in 2023, with reports in Italy outlining that Inter have made him their ‘dream’ target.

‘Big Six’ – No.9 stats in 24/25 (all comps)
Club – Player	Games	Goals	Assists
Arsenal – Gabriel Jesus	27	7	2
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson*	34	13	5
Liverpool – Darwin Nunez	47	7	7
Manchester City – Erling Haaland	44	31	4
Manchester United – Rasmus Hojlund	52	10	4
Spurs – Richarlison	24	5	2
*there is no No.9 at Chelsea
Stats via Transfermarkt

Indeed, there is said to be ‘total agreement’ at San Siro regarding a move for the Dane, with his time at Old Trafford said to be seen as ‘just an accident along the way’ to him eventually shining. That faith has been represented in a four-year contract offer from the Champions League finalists.

While no fee has been mooted for Hojlund, whom the Serie A side could look to initially sign on loan, CIES Football Observatory deem him to potentially be worth as much as €93m (£78m) – thus placing him ahead of the £62.5m Cunha.

That may seem ludicrous considering his United woes, although it’s worth remembering that this is a player whom Paris Saint-Germain were desperate to sign in 2023, after scoring ten goals in Italy.

He hasn’t become a poor centre-forward overnight, yet he simply doesn’t appear the right fit for the Red Devils. A sale for a sizeable fee would be best for all parties this summer – particularly if it could help to keep Garnacho on board instead.

Not Bruno: Man Utd selling £70m ace would be their biggest error in 17 years

Man Utd could be set for their biggest transfer mistake since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson…

By
Robbie Walls

May 28, 2025

The Women’s FA Cup has just as much magic as its male equivalent, with the finale’s place at the end of the domestic calendar handing two teams the opportunity to finish the campaign on a high in front of a large capacity crowd.

That has only been heightened by the welcome rise in prominence within the women’s game of late, with the FA Cup final being held at Wembley Stadium since 2015.

While the national stadium has typically only been half full for such occasions in the past, the 2023 final between Chelsea and Manchester United saw over 77,000 witness the Blues secure a third straight triumph through Sam Kerr’s winner.

Large crowds like these are now the norm for showpiece women’s events, particularly at Wembley, with the FA Cup final and England internationals well in the habit of bringing in spectators en masse.

The 2024 final was further evidence of this, with United’s win over Tottenham Hotspur again drawing in over 75,000 supporters.

But who are the most successful clubs in the FA Cup’s history? Here is a look at the history of the competition and a detailed look at the most recent finals.

Women's FA Cup history timeline

1970: Following the lifting of a ban on women’s football, which had stood for nearly 50 years, the first FA Cup tournament is held by the Women’s Football Association (WFA). The National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace hosts the first final in 1971, won by Southampton Women’s FC.

1993: The Football Association takes administrative control of the competition, along with the rest of women’s football in England.

2015: The final is held at Wembley Stadium for the first time, as 30,000 spectators see Chelsea defeat Notts County 1-0.

2023: A world-record crowd attends a domestic cup final, nearly 12 months on from the Euro 2022 final at a sold-out Wembley.

2024/25 Women's FA Cup

The 2024/25 FA Cup takes place on Sunday, 18th May, one day after the men’s event. This year’s women’s final is between Chelsea and Manchester United, in what is a repeat of the 2023 final.

Chelsea are going for a treble after being crowned as unbeaten champions and having won the League Cup back in March, while holders United are defending their FA Cup crown, which was won through their 4-0 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in May 2024.

It has been an exceptional first year in charge for Sonia Bompastor since replacing Emma Hayes, with the Blues’ only defeats this term coming in the Champions League to Manchester City and Barcelona.

Manchester United are looking to end the season on a high after having to settle for third following their 4-3 defeat to Arsenal on the final day of the WSL season.

Women’s FA Cup past winners

18 different clubs have won the Women’s FA Cup, with Arsenal being the record winners, having won it 14 times.

Southampton Women’s FC is the next-most successful club, winning eight times, most recently in 1981.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s record is only bettered by Doncaster Belles, who appeared in 11 out of 12 finals between 1983 and 1994, winning six times. However, the Blues can draw level with them in 2025.

Club

Times won

Last won

Arsenal

14

2016

Southampton Women’s FC

8

1981

Doncaster Belles

6

1994

Chelsea

5

2023

Manchester City

3

2020

Charlton Athletic

3

2005

Everton

2

2010

Fulham

2

2003

Millwall Lionesses

2

1997

Manchester United

1

2024

Birmingham City

1

2012

Norwich City

1

1986

AFC Wimbledon Women

1

1985 (as Friends of Fulham)

Howbury Grange

1

1984

Lowestoft Ladies

1

1982

St Helens

1

1980

Queen’s Park Rangers

1

1977

Fodens

1

1974

Previous FA Cup finals 12th May 2024: Manchester United 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United sealed their first FA Cup triumph against first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur in 2024 in a comprehensive victory at Wembley.

Ella Toone got the ball rolling just before the end of the first period, with her long-range rocket adding to her catalogue of big-game goals.

The second half saw Spurs tire and crumble under the wave of United attacks, with Rachel Williams’ header and Lucia Garcia’s double seeing the Red Devils run out deserved winners.

Beth England came closest for the runners-up when her header smashed the bar, but there could be no complaints about the final result as United claimed their first major trophy.

14th May 2023: Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United

Chelsea secured a league and cup double in 2023 after battling to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. Marc Skinner’s side had most of the better chances, particularly in the first half when they had a goal ruled out for offside in the opening minute and forced Ann-Katrin Berger into a number of important saves.

Sam Kerr turned home Pernille Harder’s pinpoint cross in the second half, to which the Red Devils had no reply.

15th May 2022: Chelsea 3-2 Manchester City (aet)

The Blues edged a five-goal thriller against United’s closest rivals in 2022. Sam Kerr nodded Chelsea ahead before Lauren Hemp equalised just before half-time.

Erin Cuthbert’s screamer restored the Blues’ lead and had looked set to be the match-winner until Hayley Raso’s fine finish forced extra time.

Both sides had chances in the extra period, but Kerr took the crucial one in the 99th minute, with her deflected strike handing Chelsea another FA Cup.

5th December 2021: Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea

Postponed due to the pandemic, the 2021 finale took place nearly seven months later than usual. The date chosen for the final came a century after the FA’s ban on women’s football in 1921.

It was Chelsea who once again emerged victorious, as opponents Arsenal came up against an inspired Kerr, who scored twice after Fran Kirby’s early opener to seal a comfortable victory.

1st November 2020: Everton 1-3 Manchester City (aet)

Played in front of no fans during the pandemic-affected 2020/21 campaign, Man City won their third FA Cup in four seasons with an extra-time victory over Everton, who were in the first final in six years.

The 50th Women’s FA Cup final saw Sam Mewis’ header put Gareth Taylor’s team in front, before Valerie Gauvin’s equaliser from a corner took the sides to extra time.

Georgia Stanway’s poked finish left City with one hand on the cup, and she laid the ball on a plate for Janine Beckie to finally put the game to bed and secure a second successive cup triumph.

Chelsea are chasing Champions League qualification, looking to return to the competition after spending the past two seasons away from the top level. However, currently sitting sixth in the Premier League, it looks like the Blues will have to string together some big wins at the back end of the campaign to have any chance of finishing inside the top five.

Enzo Maresca’s side started out as one of the best attacking sides in the league, scoring for fun with big wins such as a 6-2 win against Wolves and a 4-2 win against Brighton.

But it looks like Chelsea may lean on their defensive qualities at the back end of this season, having only conceded three goals in their last five Premier League games, keeping three clean sheets.

The Blues are conceding 10.8 shots per game; only Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are conceding fewer. That being said, Chelsea have conceded 49.54 xG this campaign, leaving them 12th for this metric, proving there is still plenty of improvement to be made at the defensive end of the pitch.

Chelsea's readying bid for a new defender

According to reports from Spain, Chelsea have made Barcelona defender, Jules Kounde, a key part of their summer plans to shore up their defensive unit this summer and are willing to break the bank with an €80m (£68m) offer.

Transfer Focus

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

The reports suggest the Blues are keen to add a versatile defender who can play not only as a central defender, but also as a hybrid fullback when needed.

Kounde would also offer much-needed experience to the Chelsea defence, something hugely lacking since Thiago Silva’s departure.

Kounde has made 50 appearances for the Spanish giants already this season, scoring three goals, providing eight assists and totalling 4,171 minutes played, proving to be an essential part of Hansi Flick’s success.

Why Chelsea could be targeting the next Azpilicueta

It could be argued that Kounde has the ability to become Chelsea’s next Cesar Azpilicueta, having played in Spain and having the versatility to play multiple positions in the defensive line.

Azpilicueta – who began his career at Osasuna, before joining Marseille – has gone down as a Chelsea legend, making 508 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals, providing 51 assists and totalling 42,256 minutes played following his arrival in 2012.

Goals + Assists

0.20

0.16

Progressive Carries

1.53

2.03

Progressive Passes

5.00

5.77

Pass Completion %

86.5%

83.1%

Key Passes

1.03

0.62

Shot-Creating Actions

1.81

1.93

Tackles

1.88

2.07

Blocks

1.31

1.57

Interceptions

0.76

1.13

Ball Recoveries

3.72

4.75

Aerial Duels Won

1.08

1.90

When comparing the underlying metrics of Kounde and Azpilicueta in the 2021/22 season, you can see how the hybrid fullbacks are similar, both having the ability to play at right-back or as a centre-back, but also ranking closely in many important metrics.

Ex-Barcelona boss, Xavi, labelled Kounde “one of the best defenders in the world” back in 2024, praising his individual quality in the Champions League against PSG to stop Kylian Mbappe. This 1v1 defending, recovery pace and willingness to battle makes the Frenchman an extremely effective wide defender.

Chelsea currently have good options on the right side of their defence, with Reece James, Malo Gusto and Josh Acheampong coming through the ranks.

But with Trevoh Chalobah likely to leave the club in the summer, it wouldn’t hurt the Blues to acquire a player of Kounde’s quality, who can add much-needed experience to the back line going forward under Maresca.

Shades of Hazard: Chelsea plotting move to sign £39m-rated "entertainer"

Chelsea are looking to add to their depth in attack

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 16, 2025

Where would we, and specifically New Zealand cricket, be minus his contributions?

Andrew Fidel Fernando03-Mar-2024In a parallel universe Kane Williamson never seriously takes up cricket. It is only one of several sports he tries, as is ordinary for a kid growing up in sleepy coastal Tauranga.In this universe, he doesn’t work at his batting long enough to show precocious talent. He and his father, Brett, do not spend countless hours in the nets near his house putting the building blocks of a compact and effortless technique together. He doesn’t glide into age-group teams as the youngest player by several years. Doesn’t find himself in senior sides at the age of 16. Doesn’t have stellar first-class seasons late in his teens. There’s no debut for New Zealand two days after turning 20.Here, the various spots Williamson occupies in first-class sides, and eventually the national team, are taken up by your run-of-the-mill New Zealand domestic performers at the time. We could take names, but if you followed New Zealand through this spell you’d only be too familiar with the type. They can survive some swing and are okay on the front foot for a while.Related

• Is Kane Williamson's high home average due to easier batting conditions in New Zealand?

• Williamson dead bats Taylor's comments on Wagner – 'I don't think anybody is forced to retire'

• Sears called up for O'Rourke, Conway to miss start of IPL due to thumb surgery

• Kane is able (2016)

• How Williamson looks at big moments and takes their power away

But bouncers with a bit of heat? No thanks, we don’t like that stuff here.Big-turning spin? Uh, sorry, what now?These batters will look good for a 30 here, scratch out a 40 there, get out in single figures too often, and eventually be jettisoned for the next player on a domestic hot streak, who brings roughly the same skill set to the park. We’ll call this genre of batters NotWilliamson.Perhaps the real Williamson is off at university, studying computer science or marketing. He’s not around in Hobart in 2011 to hit an important 34 off 48. On a rampantly grassy track, Ross Taylor needed his partner to take the heat off him while he batted for 169 balls to put together a 56 that was the centrepiece of New Zealand’s second innings.In our universe New Zealand went on to sneak a famous seven-run win, which was the single flowering tree in the otherwise drought-ridden nightmarescape of their Test fortunes at the time. Would NotWilliamson have been capable of that vital cameo late on day two? Not likely.Imagine there’s no debut: what would New Zealand cricket have looked like today without that 20-year-old who made a maiden hundred in his first Test?•Associated PressThat home summer, Williamson is not there to produce his first great act of defiance. South Africa are in the middle of their rampaging away streak – Dale Steyn slinging meteors, early-career Vernon Philander swallowing top orders whole, Morne Morkel raining down skyscraper bounce. New Zealand must bat out more than 80 overs on the final day at the Basin Reserve to avoid a 2-0 series defeat. But NotWilliamson does not have the technique to survive the storm of bouncers, is not wired to let South Africa’s verbal daggers fly harmlessly by, does not have the youthful spunk to blow bubblegum bubbles as he puts away the occasional bad ball, is incapable of hitting a 228-ball, match-saving 102 not out.You see where this is going, right?Later in 2012, New Zealand are in Sri Lanka, having bombed in five Tests on the bounce. Taylor has been told he is being dumped as captain, and sets his will on proving a point. But at the P Sara Oval he doesn’t have Williamson to forge a 262-run stand with – a partnership that would become the foundation of a win that preserves a sliver of his dignity.Between 2013 and the end of 2015, when new captain, Brendon McCullum, and coach, Mike Hesson, set the team off on an inspired new direction, it is beyond them to conjure up a batter who would hit ten Test hundreds and average 61.91 through the period, nor one who personifies their new team ethos before they’d ever conceived of it.Williamson is not so much a “nice guy” as a guy to whom it would not occur to be anything other than he is, which is nice. New Zealand, now desperate to fight perceptions they are prima donnas, want to be restrained in victory and defeat. Williamson doesn’t so much have a poker face so much as a poker personality.There are the more tangible things. The McCullum and Hesson of the parallel universe also don’t have Williamson’s 113 in a Test against India in Auckland (which in our universe New Zealand win by 40 runs). They don’t have the second-innings 161 not out that would set up a 53-run victory in Bridgetown.In Sharjah they don’t have the 192 off 244 that helps set up a victory they may not get to without that contribution. At the Basin Reserve they absolutely would lose to Sri Lanka without Williamson’s game-breaking 242 not out, and at the Gabba later in 2015 they do not have Williamson making 140 and 59 and Australians sitting back and remarking, “Uff, this is a serious player.”Far and away New Zealand’s best batter, Williamson has also been the side’s most successful captain ever•Getty ImagesYou begin to wonder what shape New Zealand’s cricket takes in this alternative reality. You question how high they would really rise through the course of the 2010s.Tim Southee and Trent Boult still swing the new ball deliciously, but without the runs Williamson produces at a rate that far outstrips any New Zealand batter before, how often do they take matches deep? Neil Wagner has become the second-innings sledgehammer that breaks batting orders open as New Zealand pursue wins. Minus Williamson’s runs, how much road does he have on which to make his furious charges?And without the roaring success of McCullum’s proto-Bazball as captain of the New Zealand team, does BazballTM ever seriously see the light of day? McCullum was such an exhilarating presence in the dressing room, his players “willing to run through a wall for him”, as one put it. This is fine, but broken walls don’t tend to help teams win matches. Runs, though…Runs, by the way, that come relentlessly, save for when New Zealand’s Test schedule dries up for months at a time, as it does repeatedly during Williamson’s career. On his own account there are no extended dips in form, no long injury layoffs. There is his 53 and 104 not out after Bangladesh pile on 595 for 8 at the Basin, 89 and 139 to clinch the series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, the match high-score of 89 on a wildly seaming pitch against Jasprit Bumrah and Co, a glorious 132 following-on to set up that incredible one-run win against England, and the small matter of him scoring more than any other batter in the World Test Championship final he led his team to victory in.Cast a close eye over this career and quickly it becomes clear that the leading predictor of New Zealand’s chances of victory in Tests is whether Williamson prospers. It becomes difficult to avoid the conclusion that while McCullum, Taylor, Southee, Boult and Wagner have all played major roles in their team’s transformation into their country’s greatest ever team, it is Williamson who has most bent New Zealand’s arc towards excellence. In wins, he averages 81.61. No other batter has contributed anywhere near as many runs to New Zealand victories, nor done it at close to this average.In fact, only Don Bradman in the history of Test cricket has ever been better in victories. Among his contemporaries (as the subject is Williamson, you could never call them rivals) Steve Smith averages 67.93 in wins, Joe Root is about six runs behind Smith, and Babar Azam and Virat Kohli are lower down still. In temperament Williamson sets himself apart further. Where the others have developed on-field affectations – Smith’s quirks, for example, or Kohli’s intensity – to transport minds and bodily molecules into the reaches of greatness, Williamson tends to bat like it is as plain a thing to him as breathing. A glide back into the crease, a drifting up on to tiptoes, a serene push into space in the covers.Even in the earliest days of his career, he was expected to become his nation’s greatest ever batter. Smith, Root, Kohli and Babar Azam have all had their travails; public interrogations, tears, outbursts, oustings, recriminations. Williamson has floated to 100 Tests as if carried on a breeze.Along the way he has surpassed even those early predictions. He is so peerless as a New Zealand batter, the only conversation now is whether he or Richard Hadlee is their greatest cricketer. Hadlee still wins, perhaps, because he was even more peerless, and excelled in a team less studded with other greats. But the New Zealand of the 1980s also never scaled the peaks New Zealand of the last 12 years have planted their flag upon.Maybe in the parallel universe a 33-year-old Williamson is managing a software- solutions outfit. Or totting up whale numbers in the southern Tasman Sea as a marine biologist. Such is the quiet joy he takes in all the little things – the running off the field to taste a birthday cake spectators have produced for him during a practice match near Colombo, or joking with journalists ahead of a press conference prior to a big game – you suspect he would be as fulfilled in any of those careers as he has been piling up runs.The New Zealand team, though, would not have charted their route to such glory. In fact, it is possible they would have been a shadow.Cricket has been lucky to have him in our reality.

The 16 teams will be split into two separate eight-team tournaments in Al Amerat

Peter Della Penna17-Feb-2022Shorter tournament lengthAt one time, the ICC was contemplating scrapping the global qualifier altogether partly for cost-cutting reasons. After getting some pushback from some leading Associates, the global qualifier has remained. But whereas in the past it ran for anywhere from two and a half to three weeks, the new edition of the event will run for one week. Despite having expanded this stage of the qualifier from 14 to 16 teams, splitting it into two sites with just eight teams at each site and rejigging the format to reduce the event length to seven days means saving at least USD 250,000 just on hotel room nights alone, not to mention a host of other daily operational expenses.From a competitive standpoint, the shorter format has a two-fold effect. Some teams in the past struggled to field their best 14-man squad because certain teams ran into situations where their players could not take three weeks off of work for an entire year, let alone in one chunk for an ICC tournament. This was especially true for some of the busier Associates who may not have enough games to justify full-time contracts, but still too many during a calendar year to breach the threshold of exhausting annual leave from the day jobs of their amateur playing squad.The other issue was that teams featuring players who are not full-time professionals (and even some of the teams who were full professional) often racked up plenty of injuries when their bodies were pushed to the max by a format that tried to squeeze as many games as possible into a relatively tight window. One edition of the qualifier, in 2012, saw teams play seven group matches in eight days. Eventual champions Ireland played 11 matches in 12 days, including a double-header on the day of the tournament final.All of that is a thing of the past. Teams will play a maximum of five matches in seven days, with two off days scheduled. Whereas the tournament lasted anywhere from 51 to 72 matches in the past, each eight-team split qualifier will contain 20 total matches. It means the players won’t have to wipe out their annual leave from work, and they also won’t be leaving the event with their bodies wiped out from exhaustion.Fewer games means less margin for errorNamibia was a team that benefitted from the lengthy group stage in the 2019 global qualifier. After getting thrashed by Netherlands and Papua New Guinea to open up a group stage that included six matches, they then went on a roll winning four straight and taking that into the knockouts where they defeated Oman to clinch a spot in the T20 World Cup.Oman similarly benefitted from the knockout stage format that was in place in 2019 which offered a second chance to teams who finished second or third in their group by having a repechage elimination playoff against a fourth-place group finisher, which in 2019 was Hong Kong. That second-chance match became a winner take all contest to claim the last remaining berth for the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the winners of each seven-team group – Ireland and Papua New Guinea – clinched automatic berths in the T20 World Cup.Netherland won the 2019-20 global qualifiers•Peter Della PennaAll of those incentives for finishing high in the round-robin stage are now completely gone. Each of the two eight-team global qualifiers – one will also take place in Zimbabwe in July – are now divided into two groups of four. Each team will play three group games, compared to six group matches from 2019, and the top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals.There is no longer an automatic berth in the T20 World Cup for finishing first in your group. Instead, the two group leaders will play the second-place team in the opposite group in a straight shootout, which means no repechage second-chance playoff match. The winner of each semi-final clinches a spot in the T20 World Cup. It means there could be a scenario where a team goes 3-0 in group play but loses their semi-final and misses out on the T20 World Cup. All teams will still play a final playoff match which will be for seeding and ranking purposes only as the two semi-final winners will face off in the tournament final and the two losing semi-finalists will play a consolation third-place playoff.How they got here? In the case of Ireland and Oman, they have arrived at the global qualifier by virtue of having been at the opening round of the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup but fall back into the qualifier after failing to progress to the Super 12s.Nepal, who missed out on the global qualifier in 2019 after failing to make it out of Asia Regional qualifying, have been granted a spot this time around based on the ICC’s T20I rankings, as have UAE, who were part of the global qualifier in 2019.Canada advanced as the runner-up in the Americas regional qualifier (behind USA) which took place last November in Antigua. Bahrain advanced as the winner of the Asia regional qualifier held last October in Qatar. Germany advanced as the runner-up at the Europe regional qualifier (behind Jersey) which was also held in October. Ironically all three of those regional qualifiers were held at the same time that the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup was being played in the UAE.Philippines’ presence in Oman, hailing from the East Asia-Pacific region, came about in slightly unusual circumstances. The EAP regional events have traditionally been dominated throughout the last two decades by Papua New Guinea, but PNG’s maiden appearance at the T20 World Cup last year meant that they would not have to return to take part in the first steps of regional qualifying for the 2022 T20 World Cup. That opened the door for a second team from the EAP region to advance to one of the two eight-team global qualifiers (PNG will be competing at the eight-team Zimbabwe qualifier in July).An eight-team EAP Regional Qualifier was scheduled to take place last October but wound up being canceled due to Covid-19 logistical problems. As a result, Philippines advanced as the highest-ranked team from the region, a ranking which was primarily based on their performance from the 2019 EAP qualifier in which they finished second behind PNG thanks to a 10-run win over Vanuatu in a rain-reduced five-over shootout, as well as securing a point from a match against PNG which was washed out that crucially put them one point above Vanuatu instead of level on points. Philippines enter the tournament as the lowest-ranked side (46th) to have ever reached this stage of the T20 World Cup qualifying process.

The Sydney Sixers allrounder is having fun playing cricket again, just 12 months after the lowest point of her professional career

Andrew McGlashan24-Nov-2022Ash Gardner has gone from a career low to a career high in the space of 12 months. The allrounder was named player of the tournament for this season’s WBBL after a previous campaign where she had lost all enjoyment for the game.Gardner, who signed a new three-year deal with Sydney Sixers on Thursday, has scored 339 runs with a strike-rate 153.39 and collected 23 wickets in their dominant regular season where they secured a record 11 wins to book a direct place in Saturday’s final. It is a stark contrast, both from a personal and team perspective, to last season where Sixers finished bottom for the first time with just four wins while Gardner made 197 runs and claimed just seven wickets.Related

• Fire burned for Erin, but perspective most important

• 'Sore loser' Healy eager for WBBL glory

Sixers were consigned to the road throughout the 2021 campaign under varying restrictions due to ongoing Covid-19 border closures and Gardner has admitted she found it very difficult while the wider Sixers outfit also struggled to lift themselves.”Being able to reflect on last year, it was probably one of the lowest points of my career, not only on the field but off the field as well, I just wasn’t happy,” she said. “I wasn’t enjoying my cricket and that’s probably what led to my downfall last year. Not being able to go home, see friends and family for over three months, was pretty challenging and it kind of showed with the cricket I was putting out there. It wasn’t up to scratch.”Now, 12 months later, I’m in such a better spot. Really enjoying my cricket and that also comes down to the personnel in this side. It’s been a fantastic change and that comes from the top, Lottie [new coach Charlotte Edwards] has been fantastic at that, making sure people have smiles on their faces.”The arrival of Edwards, the former England captain, along with new overseas players Suzie Bates and Sophie Ecclestone has been a catalyst to Sixers’ huge turnaround in fortunes. However, a feature of the season has been the spread of performances in the squad: four players have passed 300 runs (while Erin Burns has made 294) and five bowlers have taken 10 or more wickets.Sydney Sixers are in the WBBL final this year, after finishing bottom last year•Getty Images”On the field she [Edwards] was a fantastic player herself so she’s got some really good insights. But off the field she makes sure to get around to every single person whether they are playing or not just to make sure they are still enjoying themselves,” Gardner said. “Because ultimately if teams aren’t enjoying themselves throughout these tournaments that’s when you seem to be at your lowest. That was probably us last year, we just weren’t having fun playing cricket. On the flipside this year we are all enjoying each other’s company and that’s been what’s helped.”Known throughout her career as someone who can clear the fence, it has been Gardner’s success with the ball that has given her most satisfaction this season and an unexpected role as a bowler in the power surge which was implemented in WBBL for the first time.”The consistency is the area of my game I’ve probably lacked in the past,” she said. “More so with the ball, taking wickets consistently is something I haven’t been able to do and ultimately have confidence in my bowling. In the past I was probably lacking that consistency of knowing what I wanted to bowl over and over again. Now I’m a lot more mature. Feel like my game has gone to another level which is really exciting.”To be honest I never thought I’d be an option for the surge but I’ve been lucky enough to take a couple of wickets – I’ve also been hit for a few runs – but that’s the beauty…with a four-over powerplay and the surge. I know as a batter it’s a fantastic thing to able to employ, but also as a bowler you feel like you are in the game. Batters feel like they have to try and target you so that’s when you tend to take wickets.”Shortly after the WBBL season finishes on Saturday, Gardner will move into Australia duty for the first time since the Commonwealth Games as they head on the T20 tour of India. They will be under the captaincy of Sixers team-mate Alyssa Healy while Tahlia McGrath will be her understudy.Gardner is widely considered a captaincy candidate for the future but believes she already has a leadership role in the team even without a title.”Yes, they’ve got the captaincy and vice-captaincy next to their name but there’s so many leaders in that side,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to be playing there for over five years so feel as though I’m a leader, I don’t necessarily need to have the captaincy or vice-captaincy next to main name but still feel I can use my voice and raise opinions where needed.”

There is a two-day match in Canberra next weekend but Ben Stokes indicated Test squad members were unlikely to feature

Matt Roller23-Nov-20252:13

Stokes defends attacking approach after batting collapse

England are unlikely to send any of the players involved in their eight-wicket thrashing in Perth to Canberra for next week’s pink-ball tour match, a decision which former captain Michael Vaughan has described as “amateurish”.The speed of Australia’s win in a chaotic first Ashes Test has left England with 11 days before the start of the second, day-night Test in Brisbane on December 4. There is a two-day, pink-ball match scheduled between a Prime Minister’s XI and an England XI on November 29, but England Lions have long been scheduled to fulfil that fixture rather than the main touring party.Related

England decline opportunity for pink-ball practice in Lions fixture

McCullum backs Crawley; calls on England to show greater 'conviction'

Konstas named in Prime Minister's XI to face England

McCullum backs England's team ethic to bounce back from chastening loss

A generational flaying takes its place in England's Ashes lore

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said after the first Test that England would consider sending some players to Canberra. “I haven’t even thought about it just yet, to be honest, because I planned on us being a little bit longer than two days,” he told the BBC’s . “We’ll let the dust settle tonight and then we’ll have a good think about it tomorrow.”But Ben Stokes, their captain, suggested that England will stick to their guns and head straight to Brisbane on November 26 to prepare for the second Test at the Gabba. “That’s how it was done a long time ago,” he replied, when asked if his side should look to play another competitive match in the aftermath of their heavy defeat.”We prepare incredibly well,” Stokes said. “We work incredibly hard every single day that we get the opportunity to work on our game, and that’s what we’ll keep on doing because we believe and we trust in our process.England folded twice in Perth but it’s currently unlikely any of the batters will play in Canberra•Getty Images

“If the results don’t go the way in our favour, that’s not going to differ from that (sic) because, hand on heart, we know that we put every little bit or ounce of ourselves into our training, and we know and believe that this is the best way for this team to operate.”Alastair Cook, England’s leading run-scorer in their most recent series win in Australia in 2010-11, urged them to reconsider. “In this situation, I would want to go and play in the pink-ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, not just leave it to the Lions players,” he wrote in his column.”It can be an uncomfortable decision as you are opening yourself up to failing again, but putting yourself under pressure can have long-term benefits. However much you practise in the nets, you cannot replicate the feeling of time in the middle.”Vaughan, the top-scorer in the 2002-03 Ashes, went even harder, suggesting that England should go into the tour match at full strength – including fielding the fast bowlers that played in Perth. “It’s amateurish if they don’t go and play now,” he said. “What harm is playing two days of cricket with a pink ball under lights?”They’ve played two days of cricket. They’ve been out in the field for, what, 70 [67.3] overs? Look, they’re professional cricketers. I can’t be so old-school to suggest that by playing cricket, you might get a little bit better… My method would be, you’ve got a pink-ball, two-day game: you go and grab it, go and take it. Play those two days, and make sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance.”It’s not being old-school to suggest that a pink ball is different to a red ball. Playing under the lights is different. Australia have won pretty much every pink-ball game in Australia: they’ve lost once. I’m not too old-school to suggest that they should play in that game… I’d like to know why they wouldn’t.”England released three unused members of their Test squad – Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks and Matthew Potts – to play for the Lions in their ongoing tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Lilac Hill from the second day of the first Test, and may take a similar approach for the PM’s XI fixture.The PM’s XI will be captained by Peter Handscomb and features three other players with Test match experience in top-order batters Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney, and veteran seamer Peter Siddle.