Tag Futebol

South East Stars seamer involved with senior team for first time as injury cover

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2024

Ryana MacDonald-Gay bowls for South East Stars•Getty Images

England have handed a first senior call-up to South East Stars seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay for their ODI series with New Zealand, ahead of the first match at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.MacDonald-Gay, 20, has represented England Under-19s and England A and is currently the second-leading wicket-taker in this season’s Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy, with 12 at 11.75 and a best of 5 for 31 from four matches.She has been added as cover due to what head coach Jon Lewis described as “a couple of niggles” in the 14-player group, and will join up with the team in Durham on Tuesday.”Ryana has been a standout bowler in domestic 50-over cricket and had a good 50-over tour of New Zealand with our England A team,” Lewis said. “We have brought her in at this point as we have a couple of niggles in the squad. We have been really impressed with her skill level and accuracy.”She is an exciting young talent and we look forward to having her in the squad.”MacDonald-Gay made her Kent debut as a 15-year-old in 2019 and has also represented Oval Invincibles in the Women’s Hundred. She took six wickets in two 50-over appearances and five in two T20s on the England A tour of New Zealand in March.

Nottingham Forest are now in talks to sign a “superb” AC Milan midfielder, but the Italian giants want £21 million for his signature, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest chasing multiple transfer targets

The Reds have already agreed a deal worth £33 million that will see them sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from Brazilian side Botafogo, two of whom scored in their side’s FIFA Club World Cup opener on Sunday.

But the Premier League side don’t want to stop there, as they look to continue their rise in the top flight as well as compete in the UEFA Conference League next season.

Nottingham Forest make bid to sign £34m "goalscorer" alongside Igor Jesus

Chris Wood could have some serious competition at the City Ground.

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 15, 2025

Forest will be hoping Chris Wood can continue his fine form into next season, and while they are adding Jesus to their forward line options, the Reds are also looking to sign another striker. According to a report from Africa Foot, Forest have now placed a bid to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford. Nuno Santo’s side have accelerated their transfer efforts, and they are now ready to meet Brentford’s demands, which is around the £34 million mark.

It’s also been reported that Newcastle United have once again made contact with the Reds over signing Anthony Elanga.

The Magpies wanted the Sweden international 12 months ago, and that interest has not disappeared. So, given the uncertainty surrounding Elanga, Forest are assessing a move for Man City’s Oscar Bobb.

The City youngster could be made available for a loan this summer, and he may be seen as a good replacement for Elanga.

Nottingham Forest in talks with AC Milan

But Bobb is not their only option when it comes to replacing Elanga, as according to TEAMtalk, Forest have now held talks with AC Milan winger Alexis Saelemaekers over a possible transfer to the City Ground.

The report claims that the Reds have been in contact with Saelemaekers’ representatives for over a year now, and they now consider the winger as a strong transfer target this summer.

However, there is somewhat of a sticking point when it comes to his transfer valuation, as Forest value the player at around the £17 million mark, but AC Milan are looking more for £21 million, meaning there is a £4 million gap as it stands.

Meanwhile, new Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri has yet to make a decision on the player’s future, as he wants to assess everyone in pre-season.

The 25-year-old, who has been dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, spent last season on loan at Roma. The Belgium international played 23 Serie A games, scoring seven goals and providing five assists in the process. His move to Roma came after he played 30 games for Milan in Serie A during the 2023/24 season.

Apps

23

Starts

18

Goals

7

xG

2.49

Goals per game

0.3

Chance conversion

28%

Assists

3

Touches per game

48.0

Key passes per game

1.1

Saelemaekers is under contract until 2027 at Milan, so if Allegri does decide the player isn’t in his plans, then he will likely be sold this summer, which is good news for Forest. They will of course hope his arrival at the City Ground would see him compete alongside Elanga for a starting spot, not be a replacement for the Swedish sensation.

Newcastle United are charging towards a place in the Champions League next campaign and could now land an exciting import to strengthen once the summer window opens.

Newcastle look to firm up summer window approach

Eddie Howe will be feeling optimistic ahead of the summer window after leading his side to a crucial triumph over Chelsea last weekend that has put them on the brink of securing a return to Europe’s premier competition.

Arsenal and Everton await in their final two Premier League matches, paving the way for what could potentially be a statement few months if they can push Champions League football over the line.

The North East has become a place for talent to thrive in recent seasons and Newcastle want Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo to be their next star signing if they can manage to prize him away from West London. On the same token, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott could arrive at St James’ Park, adding a threat from the engine room alongside carrying the carrot that he would be a homegrown asset that would aid their squad registration dilemma for European competitions.

Aboubacar Maiga is deemed as one for the future by Newcastle, though it illustrates how committed they are to bringing in young talent and giving them the space to blossom into stars of the future.

Newcastle planning formal approach to bring "special" £50m star to Tyneside

The Magpies are looking to take advantage…

BySean Markus Clifford May 12, 2025

Speculation is beginning to hit fever pitch and that is only likely to increase between now and the end of the campaign. There is real excitement at what Newcastle can achieve moving forward, generated in no small part due to PIF’s financial gravitas. Now, the Magpies are reportedly pursuing an international star who may be on the move this summer.

Newcastle United still firmly in Douglas Luiz hunt

According to reports in Italy via Sport Witness, Newcastle United have started taking initial steps to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz and won’t have the caveat of Sandro Tonali heading the other way as they look poised for Champions League qualification.

The outlet claim there is a chance the Magpies could agree an advantageous deal for the Brazil international, who could join on a loan basis if circumstances align, having originally been nominated as the player heading the other way if Juve managed to secure Tonali.

Douglas Luiz vs Sandro Tonali – how do both players compare?

Douglas Luiz

Pass accuracy

90.5%

Accurate long balls

25

Chances created

15

Tackles won

66.7%

Successful dribbles

11

Sandro Tonali

Pass accuracy

85.8%

Accurate long balls

47

Chances created

22

Tackles won

62.5%

Successful dribbles

19

Earning roughly £135,000 per week at Juventus, Luiz has made 25 appearances this campaign as they look to secure Champions League qualification. Manchester United and Nottingham Forest will provide competition for the former Aston Villa man. However, Newcastle appear to hold a strong hand in the race for his signature and see him as someone who can add bite in midfield.

Still, it remains to be seen whether they will push a deal over the line as transfer speculation begins to heat up across the board.

While the Premier League season has rather petered out for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, the future remains bright for a football club that is still very much on the rise.

Of course, they will be disappointed at the way they fell behind Liverpool in the race for the title but their remarkable 3-0 win over Real Madrid last week sent a message around the continent that the Gunners are a mighty fine team, even when they aren’t at full strength.

Last week, Declan Rice’s free-kick heroics ensured that Arteta’s men head to the Bernabeu this week in pole position to seal a semi-final spot.

However, they managed to do so without Kai Havertz and Gabriel, only making the achievement even more incredible.

That result was one of the greatest the Emirates has ever been and new sporting director, Andrea Berta, certainly needs to build on that over the summer. It could have been just the message his various transfer targets needed.

Arsenal's summer transfer plans

The biggest priority for Berta this summer will be strengthening the forward line.

Alexander Isak is the dream acquisition but reportedly valued at somewhere around £150m, it makes any deal pretty impossible to complete.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

As a result, Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres could be the player they turn to with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting a few weeks ago that he is the leading target.

However, they may also strengthen in midfield with Ornstein providing the latest on their pursuit of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi over the weekend.

Speaking on the Athletic podcast, he admitted that Arsenal are “expecting” to sign the Spanish midfielder in the summer, having done a lot of work on a possible transfer.

A move could cost in the region of £51m, the release clause in Zubimendi’s contract at La Real.

How Zubimendi would fit into Arsenal's midfield

At the end of the season, Thomas Partey and Jorginho’s contracts will expire, hence Arsenal’s desire to sign a new midfielder.

Jorginho – now just a bit-part of the side – won’t be a huge miss on the field but it’s safe to say the Gunners may miss Partey a little bit more.

He’s proven his worth, particularly in recent weeks, delivering a stand-out performance against Real Madrid last Tuesday and scoring against Brentford on Saturday evening.

During that thrilling win over Carlo Ancelotti’s side, no midfielder completed their passes at a more successful rate than Partey’s 93.8%. Furthermore, only William Saliba on both sides completed more carries.

Partey vs Real Madrid

Metric

#

Match rank

Passes completed

62

2nd

Pass success %

93.8%

3rd

Passes into final 3rd

5

3rd

Attempted take-ons

3

3rd

Carries

48

2nd

Tackles won

3

3rd

Stats via FBRef.

That said, in Zubimendi, they won’t be signing a replacement for Partey. He only ranks in the top 57% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries.

Instead, they would be replacing Jorginho’s role as a tempo-setter and conductor of play. Zubimendi ranks among the best 7% of midfielders in Europe for touches in the defensive penalty area and the top 16% for tackles in the attacking third, indicating that he likes to come short towards the defence but also that he likes to press high up.

As a result, this transfer is likely to mean that Rice’s days as an out-and-out holding midfield player are numbered. While that may have looked like a bad thing at the start of the season, the idea of placing Zubimendi alongside the club’s record signing is a salivating one.

Indeed, Rice has done a lot of his best work in the no.8 role this season, playing further forward and impacting games in the final third.

His attacking traits are improving all the time and that has been abundantly clear over the last week. Those two free-kicks against Madrid were a sign that his ball striking would be put to good use in a more advanced role while the way he galivanted forward for Partey’s goal against Brentford summed up why Arteta is keen to use him further forward.

Rice broke quickly from a Bees corner, beating one man and then surging into the opposition half like a racehorse, devastatingly darting towards goal and then playing the ball at exactly the right time.

That type of line-breaking carry would rarely be seen if he was playing in a holding role but the arrival of Zubimendi would give Rice the license he truly needs to establish himself as one of the game’s most elite midfielders.

Related 100% duels won, 94% passing: Arsenal star is now as undroppable as Rice

Arsenal failed to overcome Brentford on Saturday evening.

Posts 2 ByMatt Dawson Apr 13, 2025

The crowd went wild as the fast bowler gave full vent to his emotions during a thrilling burst of reverse-swing

Alagappan Muthu27-Jan-20241:11

Manjrekar: Bumrah the best bowler on view today

Jasprit Bumrah is almost on the floor.He doesn’t always do emotion, furthering speculation that underneath his skin is metal and gears. But there is a pattern to when he erupts.It happened against Pakistan when India went 17 overs without a wicket. He came in and co-opted the laws of nature to encourage a batting collapse.Related

Root: Having a committed mindset key to playing the reverse sweep

Live Report – India vs England, 1st Test, Hyderabad

Ollie Pope sweeps England out of deep trouble

It happened against Australia when, defending 240, he took out Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith in back-to-back overs.And it happens again in Hyderabad when England are bashing India’s spinners to exclusively one region of the park with reverse sweep after reverse sweep.Any time India are under pressure, he seems to feel it the most, and it unlocks something inside of him. Something dangerous. Something glorious.It begins when he raps Ben Duckett on the pads and both the umpire and his own captain can’t see that an lbw decision is there for the taking. When the HawkEye projection shows the ball hitting the stumps, Bumrah bangs the turf with both his hands.Ben Duckett loses his off stump to a Bumrah special•BCCIIn his mind, England should be two down. So he simply wills it to happen.Four balls after the reprieve – in which interval he was hit for two fours – Bumrah runs in with that strange, stuttering, singular approach to the crease. Even without being as good as he is, that bowling action alone has inspired kids all over the world. There’s one somewhere in Australia who could probably pass for him, which if he keeps it up, increases his chances of being called into the nets once or twice. Because this.But the thing is he is good. Perhaps in contention to be among the very best there ever have been. Because those are the guys that the team turns to when it’s tough out there. Those are the guys that seem to take the pitch out of the equation. Those are the guys that do the things that turn a match on its head. They’re main character to the max.So Bumrah vs Duckett, then. Around the wicket. Bang on a good length. Shiny side on the inside. Seam bolt upright. Reverse swing. Clean bowled.Usually the smiting comes from up above, not from 22 yards away.India, until that time and then after it, struggled for answers as Bazball finally took centre stage. R Ashwin and Axar Patel were prevented from bowling their best deliveries as Duckett kept reverse-sweeping them.In the first innings, England were drowning in good-length balls: India’s spinners bowled 206 of them, off which England scored only 98 runs while losing six wickets. In the first session of day three, they got 50 good-length balls from India’s spinners and swatted them away for 55 runs.In the end, India’s spinners had to keep going away from the ball that was likely to cause the most damage and go fuller to try and sneak under the bat swing or shorter to secure the top edge. When they did that, England could opt for low-risk ways of keeping the score ticking. They had won the tactical battle.Other bowling teams might have to grit their teeth and keep going in the hope that one of those aggressive shots don’t come off. India don’t. They can call up a fast bowler who averages 15.33 (!) in these conditions.Joe Root is on strike. There are 25,570 people around him screaming “Boom! Boom! Bum-rah! Boom! Boom! Bum-rah!” He is rapped on the pads too. It’s reverse swing again. At 140kph. In the opposite direction from before. The umpire raises the finger this time. But the batter refuses to take his leave. He brings in DRS. “Booooooooo!” goes the crowd. The noise is so loud. The air is so thick. This is cricket at its most visceral. This is cricket that you plug straight into the veins.Jasprit Bumrah trapped Joe Root lbw with a reverse inswinger•BCCIThroughout this Test match there has been a group of kids sitting right below the media box and they’re very good at rhymes. Now they take an old favourite and give it a new spin.”Jonny, Jonny””Yes Papa!””Hitting boundaries?””No Papa””Hitting fifty?””No Papa””Getting out?””Hahaha!”Bairstow is perhaps the only England batter who seems to keep Bumrah from imposing his will on the game. He once stops the fast bowler in his tracks, pulling out because he isn’t ready to face just yet. And the stadium just howls. It’s a jungle out there. Teeming, seething, vengeful.Everyone wants a piece of Bumrah. A support-staff member waits for him on the long-leg boundary, towel around his shoulders. Kuldeep Yadav runs over to him with a bottle of water and maybe a word or two from the dressing room. The buggy cam keeps following him. It is as if the entire world has converged around him.That Bumrah spell – 5-0-17-2 – saves India’s spinners (only briefly as it turns out). Because of it, they can target that good-length spot again, which immediately shows wickets are on offer. Ravindra Jadeja hits it twice and one ball turns viciously to beat Bairstow’s outside edge. The next goes straight on through to hit his stumps as he shoulders arms, believing it too will spin.At the end of that hour of play, Bumrah is fully on the floor. Drink in his hand. Smile on his face.India have rarely – maybe never – faced an opposition with this much clarity about how they want to bat in these conditions. It takes a once-in-a-generation bowler to keep this game in the balance.

Also, what is the record for the most men out for 1 in a Test?

Steven Lynch07-Jun-2022How many teams have managed a “team hat-trick”, as England did during one over in the Lord’s Test? asked Robert Horton from England, among others
Stuart Broad’s pivotal over on the third day of the see-saw Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s at the weekend included the wickets of Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson, interrupted by the run-out of Colin de Grandhomme. My first port of call for queries like these is the Melbourne statistician Charles Davis, whose monumental research into past Test matches has uncovered many previously unattainable statistics.He advises me there have been only two previous individual overs in Tests that definitely contained three wickets in three balls including a run-out. The first was in an Ashes Test at Old Trafford in 1888, when England’s George Lohmann took two wickets with successive balls after Harry Trott was run out; 92 years later in 1980, also at Old Trafford, the West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner took two wickets immediately after Alan Knott was run out. There’s a third possibility: at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 1997-98, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena wrapped up the second innings with two wickets either side of a run-out with India’s total stuck on 181. This was definitely in the same over, but the scorebook has disappeared so it’s not certain whether the wickets fell to successive deliveries. If there’s anyone out there with a scoresheet, or video evidence, please let me know!There have also been eight further instances of a team hat-trick split over two different overs, involving two bowlers, including the only known instance of four wickets in four successive balls in a Test – by England against West Indies at Headingley in 1957, when Fred Trueman claimed a wicket with the last ball of an over, then Peter Loader took a hat-trick with the first three deliveries of the next. It should be said that, despite Charles’ remarkable efforts, there are still a number of Tests for which ball-by-ball scores are not available.Was Matt Parkinson the first man to make his Test debut as a concussion substitute? asked Kevin Ryan from England
The Lancashire legspinner Matt Parkinson was called up for his first Test after the unfortunate Jack Leach suffered concussion early on during the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s. Unusually, Parkinson’s debut was confirmed while he was tending a barbecue at his home around 200 miles away in Manchester.The only other man to play his first Test as a concussion replacement (the preferred term, as in cricket substitutes cannot bat or bowl, whereas these replacements can) was the Zimbabwean opener Brian Mudzinganyama, who was called up against Sri Lanka in Harare in January 2020 after Kevin Kasuza (another debutant) was hit on the head while fielding.More recently, South Africa’s Khaya Zondo made his Test debut as a Covid replacement after Sarel Erwee tested positive during the match against Bangladesh in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in April.The first Test against New Zealand this year started at Lord’s on June 2. Last year, the same two teams met in the first Test at Lord’s – again starting on June 2. Has this ever happened before in Tests? asked Philip Kelly from England
My first thought was this it would not have happened before – but that’s always dangerous in cricket. And actually there was another instance, way back in the 19th century: Australia took on England in Sydney in a match that started on February 17, 1882, and the two teams met again at the SCG on February 17, 1883. Australia won both.There have been three further instances of teams meeting each other in successive years in Tests that started on the same day, but not at the same ground. West Indies and Pakistan started Tests on March 26 in Port-of-Spain in 1958 and Lahore in 1959; Pakistan and Bangladesh began matches on March 12 in Dhaka in 1999 and Karachi in 2000; and South Africa met Australia in Tests starting on November 9 in Cape Town in 2011 and Brisbane in 2012.England last fielded two Matthews in Tests in 2007, when Matthew Hoggard (left) and Matt Prior (centre) were part of the squad•Getty ImagesA lot of batters were out for 1 in the first Test between England and New Zealand – was it a record? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England
In all, there were five individual scores of 1 in the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s. However, five turned out to be a fair way down the list. There have been three Tests with eight scores of 1: South Africa vs England in Cape Town in 1898-99, India vs West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983-84, and India vs South Africa in Mohali in 2015-16.The first two of those matches included seven dismissals plus a not-out (the third included three not-outs). There have been five further Tests in which seven men were out for 1.At Lord’s, New Zealand’s Will Young was out for a pair of 1s. This has now happened on 74 occasions in Tests – Jimmy Anderson has done it four times – but only six openers have completed the feat. Three of the others were also New Zealanders: Gordon Leggat (against Pakistan in Dacca in 1955-56), Bruce Murray (vs England in Christchurch in 1970-71) and Jeet Raval (vs Australia in Perth in 2019-20). It was also done by Moeen Ali for England (against Pakistan in Dubai in 2015-16) and India’s Wasim Jaffer (vs West Indies in Kingston in 2006).When did England’s Test side last contain two players called Matthew, as it did at Lord’s? asked Matthew Robertson from England
England’s two debutants in the first Test at Lord’s were Durham’s Matthew Potts and Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson, as mentioned above. It was the first time England had included two players with the first name Matthew since… March, when Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher made his debut against West Indies in Bridgetown and lined up alongside Jack Leach, whose first name is Matthew.But that’s cheating a bit: the only time England have fielded two players generally known as Matthew (or Matt) in the same side was in four matches during 2007, when Matthew Hoggard appeared with Matt Prior (they both had the same second name too: James). England’s only previous Matthew was Glamorgan’s Matthew Maynard, who won four caps between 1988 and 1993-94.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The final international break of the year has finally come to an end, and Chelsea are back in Premier League action.

Enzo Maresca’s side resume their campaign with a trip to newly promoted Burnley, in what could be something of a banana skin fixture.

What will make things even more difficult for the West Londoners is their ever-growing injury list, which has decimated their backline.

However, arguably more concerning than that, Cole Palmer has picked up another knock, although there is someone in the squad who could stand in for him, and no, it’s not Estevao.

The latest on Cole Palmer

After an impressive Club World Cup campaign and strong pre-season performances, it felt like Palmer was set for another exceptional year in West London.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, after playing the first game against Crystal Palace, he missed the next two due to a groin problem, and while he returned for the following couple of matches, he was again forced off against Manchester United with another groin problem.

The Englishman hasn’t featured for the side since then, although it did look like he would be back in the squad after the international break.

However, it would appear Maresca and Co can’t catch a break this season, as reports yesterday morning revealed that the former Manchester City prospect had broken his toe in an accident at home.

In his press conference a few hours later, the manager confirmed the injury and said his star player “is not available for this week and next week.”

That means that, on top of today’s game, the 23-year-old is definitely going to miss the Champions League clash with Barcelona and the London derby with Arsenal.

It’s undoubtedly a massive blow for Chelsea, but the silver lining is that, alongside Estevao, they have another young talent who could step in for Palmer.

Chelsea's Palmer replacement

While Estevao should start on the right for the upcoming games, Maresca could get some of what Palmer would provide in the ten by starting Facundo Buonanotte there.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, nobody is arguing that the Argentine is as good a player as the Englishman; that would be absurd.

However, he is a highly talented young player who, based on his performances last season and what those in the know say about him, could replicate the 23-year-old’s capabilities.

For example, despite playing for a truly poor Leicester City side last season and being just 19 at the start of it, he was able to put in some impressive performances.

In 35 appearances, totalling 1701 minutes, the attacking midfielder, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “one of the most exciting South American talents to have moved to Europe in recent years,” scored six goals and provided three assists.

Appearances

31

2

2

Goals

5

1

0

Assists

2

1

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.22

1.00

0.00

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or every 189 minutes, which is not a bad rate of return considering the circumstances.

Moreover, the promising ace with a “left foot made of gold,” per Jacek Kulig, has also earned comparisons to some Argentine football legends.

For example, Premier League great Carlos Tevez told the press that the youngster “reminds me of Messi” a few years ago.

Finally, away from the numbers and appraisals, when the twice-capped international was in full flow last season, he looked like the sort of mercurial talent who, with the proper coaching and chance, could create game-winning moments for his side.

Ultimately, while he isn’t on the level of Palmer at the moment, Buonanotte is an undeniably talented youngster, and for the next few games, could provide cover for the Englishman.

Forget Delap: 18-year-old star is destined to be Chelsea's future number 9

The incredible youngster will be a superstar for England and Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

England’s captain confirmed the three-day intrasquad practice match “will be proper and taken very seriously”

Tristan Lavalette12-Nov-2025England captain Ben Stokes is confident he can manage a gruelling workload during the Ashes having bowled at intensity over the past two months. He will make his return to competitive cricket in a three-day intrasquad game with England Lions starting on Thursday, urging England’s players to go “balls to the wall” in their sole warm-up ahead of the first Test.There has been uncertainty over the fitness of Stokes, who has been sidelined since late July with a shoulder injury. But he has been bowling flat out at England’s training sessions at Lilac Hill, a suburban ground in Perth’s outskirts that once hosted light-hearted 50-over games for touring teams.”I’ve been bowling like that for two months now,” Stokes said. “It was nice to put the feet up but once the rehab started, I’ve hit the ground running. There has been a lot of hard work to get my body in a good place. I’ve had two-three months of building up to get here and that’s where all the hard work comes in.”Related

Trescothick defends England's limited Ashes preparations

Duckett: England evolving from being 'entertaining, reckless at times'

Harry Brook is going to the Ashes with a clear mind, but how will he fare there?

England hint Pope will retain No.3 berth for Perth Ashes opener

Stokes was ruled out of the fifth Test against India with a torn shoulder muscle after a heavy workload with the ball, claiming 17 wickets for the series in performances marked by long, gut-busting spells.”[Injuries] could happen any time, one of those things when you’re an athlete you’re always exposing yourself to injuries,” he said. “It’s part of what we do. I bat, bowl and field. It’s a pretty high intensity role that I do.”It’s frustrating, but also a little bit of realisation that I might have a little niggle here and there.”Stokes will test his fitness in England’s practice game at Lilac Hill. The exact details of the match are yet to be known, but Stokes confirmed that it would be an XI vs XI contest and that the full Ashes squad will take part along with England Lions players.”Next few days is balls to the wall for everyone, no easing into it and it will be a good run for everyone,” he said. “We’re going to be giving everyone in our squad time out in the middle. Everyone will be getting an opportunity.”It will be proper and taken very seriously the next few days. We’ve got nine days until the first Test and a lot of things can happen.”Other than Stokes, a lot of focus will be on the fitness of quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with England contemplating selecting them in tandem for the first Test on an expected fiery surface at Optus Stadium.”It’s great to have the X-factor that Jof and Woody possess in terms of pace,” Stokes said. “Woody’s got over his knee surgery he had quite a while ago, he’s overcome that, and he’s looking really, really good.”Jofra’s been out on the park for two-and-a-half years now, so it’s great seeing those two flying in and sending some fast balls down there at our guys as well.”He’s going really well. He’s been looked after with workloads to get to this point. He’s in a great place at the moment.”Ben Stokes speaks to the media at Lilac Hill in Perth•Getty ImagesAs hinted by assistant coach Marcus Trescothick, England appear likely to back incumbent Ollie Pope at No. 3 although Stokes remained coy. “We’ve been very consistent with our team selections. We know exactly what we want,” he said.”Pope’s done a great job for us at number three. There are nine days to go. There’s a lot of things that can go right. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong. We’ll have a team one-two days [ahead of the first Test] as normal.”About 30km away from England’s training hub, nestled in a popular wineries region, a Sheffield Shield match is ongoing at the WACA where Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne have had eye-catching contributions.”I think a couple of their players have put in some good performances out in the field for their states,” Stokes said. “But when you get out there in the field and the heat for the Ashes on that first day, you know that you’re expected to go and deliver for your team. That’s a completely different ball game.”Stokes has arrived in Perth as the pantomime villain – branded a ‘cocky captain’ on the front page of the city’s tabloid newspaper – but he remains focused on a series that looms as legacy-shaping for his side.”That’s part of being in Australia. It’s another one of those things that we’re going to have to deal with,” Stokes said of the media scrutiny. “Especially for some of the guys who are here for the first time, just letting them know that’s what it is going to be like.”I would love to come back [to England] in January and say that I’ve helped the team win an Ashes in Australia. That’s obviously the goal. We are very, very determined to walk away with the goal that we want.”

A trademark Beth Mooney masterclass century set up Perth Scorchers for a 23-run win over Brisbane Heat to get their WBBL season up and running.Mooney made a scintillating 105 off 73 deliveries to power the Scorchers to 172 for 3 at Allan Border Field. Heat, who dropped crucial catches in the field, were all out for 149 in 19.1 overs. Mooney finished the match as she started it with a brilliant direct hit at the non-striker’s end to run out Nicola Hancock.Mooney was at her composed best from the get-go. She was particularly severe on the leg side initially, where she flicked several deliveries to the fence with consummate ease. She brought up her half-century off 42 balls without breaking stride before upping the ante in an innings that included three sixes. A straight six off Jess Jonassen was sublime, as was a ramp to the boundary off Nadine de Klerk that went straight over wicketkeeper Georgia Redmayne’s head.She took to the first over of the power surge, flipping a six off Nicola Hancock in an over that went for 21 runs.”I probably just went through different phases. I was hitting it really nicely early and then was trying to hit it a little bit hard through the middle and then came good towards the end,” Mooney told AAP.”In those innings you have to hang in there when it is getting a bit tough. I thought Brisbane bowled really well, Lucy Hamilton in particular in the surge. It just showed if you bowled in the right areas it was tough to score. We managed a decent score and held them off at the end.”Mooney received outstanding support from opening partner Katie Mack (31) in an 89-run opening stand. She was dropped on 32 by Charli Knott when she splayed a drive towards third man.Mack was put down at slip by Annie O’Neil first ball off Lucy Hamilton and then again by Knott at short fine leg when on 19 from the bowling off Jess Jonassen. Paige Scholfield (22) came to the crease and continued the momentum.In reply, the big-hitting Grace Harris – playing her first match of the campaign for the Heat after recovering from a calf injury – made 46 off 30 balls before being bowled.Jonassen was then run out without scoring in a horrible mix-up with Knott (32), and it was 4-84. It was always going to be a bridge too far from there despite big hitting from West Indies powerhouse Chinelle Henry (39 off 23).In the end it was Mooney who owned the match at a venue she knows so well.

تحدث أحمد دياب، رئيس رابطة الأندية المصرية، عن بعض الأمور الخاصة ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، مثل الحضور الجماهيري وأسعار تذاكر المباريات.

وقال أحمد دياب ضيف برنامج “الناظر” مع الإعلامي أحمد شوبير على قناة “النهار”: “توليت مسؤولية رابطة الأندية وكان حضور الجماهير 50 مشجع، الآن لدينا موافقات أمنية بالسعة الكاملة للحضور الجماهيري في كل المدرجات عدا استاد القاهرة وبرج العرب بـ 30 ألف مشجع”.

وتابع: “من الوارد تخفيض أسعار تذاكر المباريات خلال الفترة المقبلة، وأكن كل الاحترام والتقدير لهاني أبو ريدة، ولا يوجد شيء بينا وهو أخ كبير”.

طالع|موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك وكايزر تشيفز اليوم في الكونفدرالية

وبسؤاله ماذا لو هبطت أحد الأندية الشعبية هذا الموسم، قال: “اللائحة واضحة، ستهبط أربعة أندية هذا الموسم، لن يكون هناك أي استثناءات ولائحة الهبوط ستطبق أي كان الأندية الهابطة، هذا قرار الجمعية العمومية ووقعنا على ذلك، لأن هذا الحل لكي نعود خلال ثلاثة سنوات للشكل الطبيعي للدوري”.

وبسؤاله هل تعاطفتم مع الإسماعيلي في الموسم الماضي، أجاب: “أكيد رغم أنني قلت في بداية الاجتماع سنطبق الهبوط، وفي النهاية الأندية تعاطفت وبالإجماع”.

وعن احتمالية تعاطف الأندية مجددًا نهاية الموسح الجاري، اختتم: “التطوير لن يستمر، يوجد فرق بين التعاطف وأن تأتي على المصلحة العامة”.