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Hampshire bat out final day before declaring to deny visitors full bowling bonus points

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2024Hampshire 424 for 8 dec (Prest 156, Albert 124, Brown 54, Critchley 5-96) drew with Essex 438 for 8 dec (Cox 141, Elgar 136, Westley 64) Centuries from Toby Albert and Tom Prest gave a glimpse of Hampshire’s batting future as their Vitality County Championship clash with Essex petered into a draw.Both homegrown batters in their early 20s, they each scored exceptional hundreds filling in – with Albert playing in place of the injured Ali Orr, and Prest elevated up the order with James Vince unable to bat in his usual position.The duo made sure Essex’s low chances of forcing 19 wickets needed for victory became non-existent, with career-best scores of 124 and 156 respectively. Matt Critchley claimed a late 5 for 96 as both teams took away 14 points – a haul that is unlikely to worry table-toppers Surrey in the fight for the title.Hampshire began the day on 40 for 1, and 398 runs in arrears, with the initial plan to avoid the follow-on, and then hunt for batting bonus points. It turned out the quest was a simple one.Albert, with Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins, dead batted a way through the new ball the previous evening, on a pitch which offered zero help for the bowlers.The morning saw 106 runs for only the loss of Gubbins, for 30, after he tamely diverted to a catching midwicket following a 61-run stand with Albert.Albert, 21, has largely made the most of his chances at the top of the batting order, having replaced Orr – the former Sussex batter suffering a back injury and then a broken arm to curtail his season.He began with a maiden Championship century against Surrey in May, before impressing in the Vitality Blast – his batting styles vastly different between the formats.Albert, the son of two Olympic equestrians, reached his century in 199 balls, having cranked through the gears as the day progressed. He found a like-minded partner in Prest – who was initially due to bat at No. 7 before Vince suffered a niggle in the field, and due to his time off the pitch, wasn’t allowed to bat any higher.If Hampshire wanted a Vince doppelganger, they got it – both very watchable batters, who pace their innings seemingly for the enjoyment of the crowd.Prest had fully announced himself, after a couple of promising T20 campaigns, with a century against Essex at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford towards the end of last season. The 21-year-old missed the previous three Championship fixtures with a shoulder injury, but reached his third career ton in 141 deliveries – although only after he was dropped on 92 by Simon Harmer.Albert fell when reverse sweeping Critchley to deep point, which ended a 177-run partnership. But Ben Brown and Prest passed the follow-on target just before tea, before Prest began to eye up 450 – and full batting bonus points.At one point he had taken 52 runs, with Brown, in four overs – in which time he had hit Harmer for 14 and 19 in an over, brought up the century stand and reached a maiden 150.Prest fell for 156 when he advanced and holed out to long-off and Brown was bowled by Shane Snater for a 59-ball 54. Critchley then picked up Liam Dawson, Kyle Abbott and Vince in the space of four balls to claim a five-wicket haul.On his departure, Vince decided to declare the innings, reckoning 450 runs was now above them, while preventing Essex gaining from maximum bowling points.

He also confirmed his participation in the SA20 in January, though his “absolute priority” is still playing for New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024Kane Williamson has confirmed that the SA20 will be his destination in January, after he declined a New Zealand central contract for the 2024-25 season, but added it was no indication that his international career was nearing an end.Williamson stressed that it was NZC’s rules around player availability to be eligible for a contract – they have to play Super Smash if not on international duty – that led him to make the decision, and that he remains committed to New Zealand outside of heading to South Africa.It could be that the only international cricket he misses is three ODIs and three T20Is against Sri Lanka, although reported there was some doubt over his participation in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in September. Williamson will play the WTC series against Sri Lanka and India away, the three-match home series against England, and then make an ODI trip to Pakistan ahead of the Champions Trophy in February.Related

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“There’s a number of great competitions on during that time, but SA20 looks really exciting,” Williamson told reporters on his return to New Zealand after the T20 World Cup. “Unfortunately, it meant turning down a central contract, however my priority still is, absolutely, playing for New Zealand. Think I miss maybe a handful of games over a three-week period.”It’s simply the contract, the rules that currently exist meant I wasn’t able to have one but in terms of playing for New Zealand I’m not missing almost any cricket really, so that was important to me.”In terms of how far Williamson’s international career extends, the reported that he and NZC CEO Scott Weenink had discussed the 2028 T20 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand and Australia when he would be 38. Publicly, Williamson remained coy although acknowledged major events and series – such as the Test series in Australia in 2026-27 – remained on his radar.”I want to play as long as I can,” he said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed my time captaining and it’s been a privilege and an honour to do that for a number of years. I’m excited with what’s next for the team in terms of the leadership as well and looking forward to being part of that.”In terms of a timeframe, it’s difficult to say. Want to keep being fit, doing as well as I can, keep trying to improve. That [2028] is a number of years away and it’s a year at a time. All major events and key series are things that whet the appetite and are an exciting prospect. They are down the line. Managing my time as well as I can after doing it for so many years is important and I know New Zealand Cricket are really supportive of that.”Williamson added that he was keen to continue international cricket across three formats, although his T20 spot may come under scrutiny as the team rebuilds from their group stage exit in West Indies.”Naturally after major events there are always different decisions that are made and you are always looking to bring different players through, but being part of this team is so dear to me and I want to remain in that community as long as I can, and as long as I’m offering value,” he said.Meanwhile, Weenink said that the casual playing arrangement afforded to Williamson would only be offered to a handful of senior players, citing Trent Boult, who opted out of a central contract in 2022, and Tim Southee as others who had earned that option. However, Test captain Southee is expected to be on the next contract list.”Those guys have certainly earned the right to be treated in a certain way, in that we want to try and prolong their careers,” Weenink told the . “If we had a hard and fast rule around certain players like Kane Williamson, we would lose him to playing for New Zealand earlier than we would need to.”That casual contract is not going to be offered to everyone and going off contract is pretty risky. There’s a lot of advantages to being on a New Zealand central contract and we will be prioritising the players who are centrally contracted.”

And so, it all comes down to this. A pivotal game that could not only define a season, but also define the future of Manchester United.

Victory in the Europa League final would see United sneak into next year’s Champions League, providing the benefit of additional funds and an extra negotiating tool for upcoming transfer negotiations.

It would also provide a welcome boost for the early Ruben Amorim regime, a moment to kickstart a tenure that has been largely wretched on the Premier League front.

The Portuguese coach has repeatedly stated that winning the competition would not be enough to “save” the club’s season, although the prospect of potentially finishing empty-handed and in 17th in the table is too grim to ponder.

In truth, the Red Devils simply have to win. The problem is, the same will be true of Tottenham Hotspur, amid the need to end their own 17-year barren run with regard to silverware.

With so much riding on a game of immense magnitude, Amorim and co can’t afford any passengers – something which a certain Rasmus Hojlund is looking like right now.

Rasmus Hojlund's game in numbers vs Chelsea

While Ange Postecoglou took the decision to rest his key men against Aston Villa on Friday – with Micky van de Ven among those left out of the matchday squad at Villa Park – Amorim opted for a different approach at Chelsea, having deployed what could well be his starting lineup for tonight’s clash in Bilbao.

The worry for the former Sporting CP boss will be that despite an encouraging opening, which saw Harry Maguire’s fine finish chalked off for offside, the Red Devils still ended up on the losing side, having again failed to provide that cutting edge in the final third.

Amid what was the eighth league game in succession without a win for the Old Trafford side, chances were few and far between, with Amad Diallo coming closest with an effort from the angle late on.

For Hojlund, meanwhile, it represented yet another game this season in which he failed to even register a shot in the top-flight, having merely been a bystander to proceedings at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, the struggling Dane lost the ball on 13 occasions from his 26 touches, as per Sofascore, having also failed to complete a single successful dribble, alongside recording a 65% pass accuracy rate.

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

A particular issue remains the 22-year-old’s desire to engage in needless battles with opposition centre-backs, as he ultimately won just two of his 11 total duels, getting little change out of Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill.

Amorim subsequently stated that he is “really happy” with the former Atalanta man, although perhaps the Portuguese is merely attempting to gee up the misfiring marksman, amid the lack of an obvious alternative through the middle.

Indeed, it might be time to consider actually replacing Hojlund with a wildcard solution, even if it would be a risk in a game of such importance…

How Man Utd can replace Hojlund

With just ten goals to his name in 2024/25, including just four in the top-flight, Hojlund is approaching the end of a miserable second season in Manchester, having failed to build on a debut campaign that saw him finish as the club’s highest scorer in all competitions.

Those woes have ensured that it would be worth considering a potential centre-forward replacement for Wednesday night’s clash, albeit with options limited due to Joshua Zirkzee’s recent absence through injury.

The Dutchman has been pictured in training, alongside Leny Yoro and Diogo Dalot, although whether he will be rushed back into the action this evening remains to be seen.

One solution may be to trial Kobbie Mainoo in that role once again, following his surprise start as a striker against Crystal Palace in February, albeit with that experiment failing to work out as the youngster ‘faded after the first 15 minutes’, as per journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

The aforementioned Maguire, meanwhile, should surely only be a last resort in the dying embers of a game, with the Englishman needed to hold the fort defensively, amid concerns over the likes of Matthijs de Ligt.

With that in mind, Amorim may instead need to call upon talismanic skipper, Bruno Fernandes, to slot into a false nine berth, with the 30-year-old yet to be trialled in that role in this 3-4-3 system.

The Portugal star has previously played in that central berth in the past, having notably worked in tandem with Scott McTominay as part of a front two in last year’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

A player of invaluable versatility and quality, the playmaking “genius” – as hailed by Erik ten Hag – appears to thrive wherever he is deployed, with such a switch then allowing Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte to offer greater defensive solidity as part of the midfield two.

Fernandes, meanwhile, could then be flanked by two of Alejandro Garnacho, Amad and Mason Mount in the number ten berths, with that fluid frontline potentially able to cause problems for a Spurs side who have endured their own notable woes this term.

A further benefit of that switch would be Fernandes’ ability to drop deep and drag the likes of Van de Ven and Cristian Romero with him, rather than the alternative of Hojlund attempting to engage in a duel with the stellar duo.

As The Athletic’s Jay Harris has noted, ‘with Van de Ven and Romero in the starting XI, Spurs can play thrilling football and look capable of competing for trophies. Without them, they look mediocre.’

Trying to get the better of the centre-back pairing will be vital at San Mames, with Fernandes able to give the two men something more to think about, rather than being content in dealing with the hapless Hojlund.

Yes, it would be a bold call to make such a switch for a final, yet with his performance at Stamford Bridge having been so underpar last time out, Hojlund can’t merely be guaranteed of start simply because of the lack of alternatives.

Man Utd flop who should be "fourth choice" has been even worse than Onana

This Manchester United flop has been an even worse signing than Andre Onana.

By
Dan Emery

May 20, 2025

Over the last couple of years, Chelsea have been known to splash the cash in the transfer market, with Enzo Maresca the beneficiary of the investment from the hierarchy.

Since the takeover in May 2022, the board has invested over £1.3b into players to improve the first-team squad, whilst also keeping one eye on the future with the funds spent on youngsters.

Given the previous history in the window, it would be no surprise to anyone if the Blues spent heavily once again this summer as they look to provide the manager with added reinforcements.

With Champions League football potentially on the cards in 2025/26, added squad depth is also needed to compete, opening the door to further summer arrivals.

One position in particular is in serious need of investment this summer, with Maresca still yet to land any targets he desires after taking the reins last year.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker

Ever since the Italian took over from Mauricio Pochettino, he’s been demanding a new talisman at the top end of the pitch to help him in his quest to fight at the top end of the Premier League table.

Benjamin Sesko is one player who’s been largely touted with a move to Stamford Bridge over the last 12 months, with his name emerging on the list once again ahead of this summer.

The RB Leipzig star was named on a shortlist of strikers who the club are targeting in the coming months, a decision which is understandable given his record of 20 goals in 41 appearances this season.

However, he’s not alone on that list, with Ipswich Town centre forward Liam Delap also a name mentioned with a big-money transfer to West London.

According to Graeme Bailey, the Blues are leading the race for the 22-year-old’s signature, with the hierarchy willing to trigger his £30m release clause to reunite the pair after their time together at Manchester City.

Why a £30m PL star would be better than Sesko for Chelsea

Senegalese international Nicolas Jackson has been Chelsea’s number one striker over the last couple of seasons, but injuries have massively restricted him throughout 2024/25.

He’s only made 27 league appearances, scoring just nine goals, with Maresca desperately needing a new talisman in forward areas to catapult them to success in the near future.

Such form has led to links to Sesko, but if they are to complete any deal for the 21-year-old sensation, it would set them back at least £60m given his tender age and goalscoring record.

However, the recent emergence of a move for Delap could provide a cheaper alternative for the hierarchy, but it would also hand Maresca a better option in forward areas.

The fact the pair have previously worked together is a huge advantage in their pursuit, but when also comparing his figures to those of Sesko, he’s managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – showcasing how much of a superb addition he would be for the Blues.

The Ipswich ace, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has matched the Slovenian for goals scored, showcasing the attacking threat he possesses – offering that clinical edge the side have lacked.

He’s also managed to achieve a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate, whilst registering more shot-creating actions, further offering Maresca an added threat should he move to the Bridge.

Delap has proven his all-round nature in the Premier League this season, attempting more take-ons and also completing more carries into the final third than Sesko – with the Englishman undoubtedly a better option.

There’s no denying that both players would improve the current centre-forward department in West London, further bolstering the ranks ahead of a potential title charge in 2025/26.

However, if they are to have the greatest chance of edging closer to such a feat, it’s evident from the figures produced that the Tractor Boys star is the man whom the hierarchy need to pursue a move in the coming months.

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By
Connor Holden

Apr 25, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur picked up a much-needed win on the weekend, just their 11th in the Premier League, but it’s done little to boost morale.

This season has been an unmitigated disaster for the North Londoners, as while there is still a chance they could win the Europa League, they look destined to finish in the bottom half of the league table, with more losses than wins.

Now, there are a few reasons for this dramatic collapse in form from Ange Postecoglou’s men, but perhaps the most significant has been the near-endless stream of defensive injuries they’ve had to deal with.

For example, neither Micky van de Ven nor Cristian Romero has made even 20 appearances this year, and now it looks like they may lose the latter for good in the summer. Still, they might also already have the perfect replacement in a youngster out on loan.

Romero's unsure future

Romero moved to Spurs on a loan deal with an option to buy back in the summer of 2021 and, since then, has become an essential part of the squad and first team.

In all, the World Cup winner has made 117 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals, providing one assist, and becoming one of the co-vice captains under Postecoglou’s tenure.

However, this rapid rise and impressive form for the team – alongside his international exploits – has seen other major teams from the continent take notice.

For example, earlier this year, it was widely reported that Real Madrid were keen on signing the former Juventus ace in the summer, while more reports from the last few weeks have revealed that Atlético Madrid are now just as interested.

In fact, just last week, it was reported that Diego Simeone had personally contacted the player and that, due to a mutual interest in making the transfer happen, he might be able to leave N17 for around £67m.

There is no doubt that losing a defender of Romero’s calibre would be a blow for Spurs, but it might not all be doom and gloom, as the club might already have the perfect replacement in an exceptionally exciting youngster.

The Spurs youngster who could replace Romero

So, if Romero does leave in the summer, the board will likely replace him with the fee he earns them, but there might already be a perfect replacement in the squad by then: Luka Vušković.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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Yes, he might not be a name that everyone is familiar with yet, but based on his performances this season and the way those in the know speak about him, he most certainly will be.

The North Londoners signed the Croatian wonderkid in September 2023, but being just 16 at the time, post-Brexit rules around registering foreign players under 18 mean he cannot officially join the team until this summer.

So, with him unable to move to England this season, the “freak talent,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, joined Belgian outfit KVC Waterloo last July, and to say he’s enjoying a good season would be an understatement.

Despite only turning 18 in February, he has made 29 first-team appearances so far, in which he’s helped to keep five clean sheets. More impressive than that, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists.

This level of output for such a young defender suggests he’d be able to at least match the attacking threat Romero has, and with him already being 6 foot 4, there is no way he’d be bullied by opposition players.

Vušković’s 24/25

Player

Vušković

Appearances

29

Clean Sheets

5

Goals

7

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Finally, he’s no slouch when it comes to the defensive side of the game either, with FOTmob revealing that he wins 6.09 duels and 4.05 aerial duels per 90 while also making 5.74 recoveries.

For comparison, Romero wins 5.46 duels and just 2.45 aerial duels per 90 while also making slightly fewer recoveries at 5.39 per 90.

Ultimately, we are not saying that Vušković will be able to immediately replicate what Romero can do next season.

However, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting defensive prospects around, and with the right coaching, he could reach that level sooner than people expect, which would soften the Argentine’s departure.

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The visitors were left with plenty to ponder after their batting struggled in spin-friendly conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Aug-20245:39

India’s batting (except Rohit’s) against spin a sign of concern

Mohammed Siraj is fired up. Halfway through his seventh over, the 39th of the innings, he strides down the pitch and sprays a few angry words at Kusal Mendis, who responds in kind.In his next over, Siraj bowls a ball to Janith Liyanage that the batter drives back at him. Siraj picks the ball up in his follow through, and flings it at the stumps, and misses. The batter would have been back safely in any case.In the background of that shy at the stump is Virat Kohli, applauding the bowler’s aggression. Through the course of these middle overs, Kohli has gone through some big emotions of his own. He’s celebrated wickets with more verve than the bowlers and yelled at exiting batters, appealed so vociferously it felt like his lungs might come flying out of his body. He’s backed up every move of the bowlers like they were boxers at the Olympics and he was their coach in the corner.Related

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At one point he fields the ball at short mid on and throws at the stumps but hits the pad of Charith Asalanka. The batter had not only never seriously attempted a run, he’s so far home he’s fallen asleep in front of a Netflix documentary.But none of this is massively out of the ordinary. We have seen Siraj this fired up before. For Kohli, this is like a six out of 10 on the macho-flailing scale.But this is what is truly surprising. Kohli has played many matches against Sri Lanka in which he has found no need to reach into the angrier portions of his heart. Siraj has usually had a very high smile-to-grimace ratio when facing this opposition.And now all this aggression has been accessed for Sri Lanka? Wow. Should they be blushing? Is this for real?

A 27-year wait is over for Sri Lanka #SLvIND pic.twitter.com/Jg8vZaY2zO

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) August 7, 2024

Before this series, Sri Lanka had played 19 ODIs against India since the start of 2015, and lost 16 of those games. The most recent memories were of being bowled out for 55 at the Wankhede in the World Cup and being blasted out for 50 in the Asia Cup final last year, when Siraj took 6 for 21 at this very venue and was inflicting so much trauma it seemed more appropriate for India’s players to cuddle Sri Lanka’s batters rather than cuss at them.But through the course of this ODI series, this Sri Lanka team, ranked seventh in ODIs, who finished ninth in last year’s World Cup and as such have not qualified for the Champions Trophy, who struggle to get their seam bowlers on the field, and who haven’t made a global-tournament semi-final in 10 years, has asked some serious questions of an India side whose ambitions are world domination.A quick rundown of those questions:

• Are India a little shaky on big-turning tracks, given the results in their last four ODIs in Asia? This series was three matches long. This was their fourth match back.
• Are they over-reliant on Jasprit Bumrah at the death? He was rested for this series, but Sri Lanka’s lower-middle order and lower order produced strong showings and reached totals that proved to be beyond India’s batters.
• Should they keep persisting with floating batters in the middle overs, prioritising left-right combinations over more strongly-defined roles for each batter?
• Are they better off with predictable KL Rahul or mad genius Rishabh Pant?

This is not an exhaustive list of questions. But for Sri Lanka the list is so much shorter, because for a team not playing next year’s Champions Trophy so little beyond the present matters, in ODIs.Their only worry is whether they can be competitive in anything other than extremely spin-friendly conditions. Almost everyone in Sri Lankan cricket – players, administrators, coaches, support staff, fans – has this question in mind right now. But they will happily take Siraj being this angry at their batters. They will take Kohli being this expressive.Sri Lanka gave India a rare dusting up•Associated PressAnd they should take captain Asalanka being realistic. When asked whether he took pride in achieving a bilateral series victory over India that had eluded even greats of the Sri Lankan team such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan and others, he said:”I don’t think we’re at the level of those players. I think we have the potential, but at ICC tournaments those players took us very far. That’s how we were able to have global recognition. I don’t think we can be equals to those players at the moment. But as a captain I’m happy we were able to defeat a team as good as this. This is a process. We have some talented players. If we manage them and look after them, we can go far.”Sri Lanka have more modest ODI goals now than they have had in roughly 25 years. India are aiming higher than ever. Right now, it’s enough to just have shaken India up a little.

Pakistan have a poor World Cup record, but she feels they are well prepared ahead of their opener against India

Firdose Moonda11-Feb-20231:16

Fatima Sana: I look up to Ellyse Perry and follow her

“If you are a Pakistan [contracted] player, then you have everything. But if you are not a Pakistan player, you don’t have as much. You only have normal things like school cricket, college cricket and that’s it.”That’s how Fatima Sana described the disparity between the professional and the aspiring in Pakistan’s women cricket, which is only set to get bigger as the women’s game enters the big-money franchise era.On Monday, the WPL auction will be held in Mumbai, with the expectation that it will change the women’s game financially and perceptively. And Pakistan will have their noses pressed against the windows when 105 players at this T20 World Cup go under the hammer, none of them in their squad.Related

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Tensions between India and Pakistan mean that, just like the IPL, no Pakistan players will be part of the WPL. If that isn’t enough of a cold shoulder, the Women’s PSL which was due to be played in March, has been postponed to September thus delaying Pakistan’s own opportunity to enjoy a local franchise tournament. The FICA women’s global employment report, released earlier this week, labelled Pakistan women’s cricket “fledgling professional,” with “limited coverage and funding,” and said “fundamental changes are required to create a recognised pathway for female cricketers in Pakistan to make a viable living out of playing professional cricket.”Those changes are actually happening in fast-forward in India, where the WPL is confirmed as the wealthiest women’s league around, and may be worth more than even some men’s leagues. That may not be such a big deal to Pakistan if they could simply ignore the whole thing, but they won’t be able to. Their first opposition in the tournament is India, who they take on 24 hours before the auction, and who will know the Pakistan match is their last opportunity to impress for a big pay cheque.Given all that and Pakistan’s poor World Cup record – they have won only a quarter of their 28 matches and never made it out of the first round – are they feeling a little undone? Not according to Sana. “We’ve prepared ourselves best because we played against the best side, Australia, before the World Cup so that will help us,” she said.Fatima Sana: “In Pakistan, the [cricket] structure is not as good as Australia’s”•PCBPakistan played three ODIs and two T20Is in Australia [the third T20I was rained out] and lost all of them by big margins in the build-up to this World Cup but the results did not concern Sana. “When you play against the best team, you will learn a lot of things. It’s a great chance for us to become a top four team.”For Sana, the learning came from meeting her hero, Ellyse Perry, who she has idolised since childhood and played against once before, but was too nervous to approach. “When I was 11, I first saw Perry and I saw her bowling the last over in a match against England or New Zealand and I thought I will follow her and look up everything to do with her. After that, she became the best allrounder in the world, so that motivated me,” Sana said. “At the last World Cup, I saw her only, I didn’t say anything. Now when I was against Australia, I asked a lot of things about cricket.”The knowledge-exchange wasn’t what Sana enjoyed most about meeting Perry. “The best thing is that I was bowling and she was batting and that was everything for me. I was trying to get her out and next time I will do it.”If the next time comes at this World Cup, it will have to be in the semi-finals at the earliest, since Pakistan and Australia are in different groups. As much as the romantics among us would like this scenario to play out, the realists will caution against imagining it and secretly maybe Sana would say the same. When asked about whether she was concerned about the growing gap between cricket’s haves and have nots, she conceded that “they have a good structure in Australia where they support Under-19, Under-16 and Under-15 teams. In Pakistan, the structure is not as good as Australia’s.”What Pakistan lacks in their structures, they make up for in talent and Sana is one example of that. She began playing cricket in the street with her brothers, who encouraged her to develop her bowling. She was also able to play a range of other sports and competed in the national athletics championships at Under-19 level. She explained that she only really had that opportunity because she grew up in a city, where access is easier than some of Pakistan’s smaller towns or more rural areas. “In Karachi and Lahore, we have lots of girls playing cricket but we need places like Multan and other places [to also develop players]. There are girls who want to play cricket in those areas but they need an opportunity.”That’s a well-worn trope, especially in women’s cricket, but as the WPL auction looms large over this week, it remains as true as ever.

ESPNcricinfo’s staff picked their Test, ODI, T20 and women’s T20I teams of the year. Do they resemble yours?

Matt Roller30-Dec-2020Even including the three Boxing Day fixtures, there have been fewer men’s Test matches played in 2020 than in any year since 1991, and the same is true of men’s ODIs. Even still, that hasn’t stopped ESPNcricinfo’s staff from completing an annual ritual: testing our ability as selectors and picking our teams of the year. Don’t forget to let us know where we’ve got it wrong.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdOnly four teams played more than three men’s Tests in 2020 before our Christmas cut-off date, so it is no surprise that their players dominate the team of the year. England lead the way with four players included, and three New Zealanders, two Pakistanis, a West Indian and an Australian join them.Dom Sibley is an automatic selection, having scored more than twice as many runs as any other opener in the year, while Shan Masood joins him at the top thanks to hundreds at home against Bangladesh and away in England. Kane Williamson slots in behind them, following his masterful 251 against West Indies, while Babar Azam and Ben Stokes, who had prolific years, are in at No. 4 and 5. Zak Crawley, whose 267 against Pakistan was the biggest innings of the year, is a notable omission.Jos Buttler’s place in the England side was under immense scrutiny back in January, but he put doubts over his Test credentials to bed with a superb series with the bat against Pakistan. He also led the way for most dismissals behind the stumps, helping him earn selection ahead of Quinton de Kock in this side. Jermaine Blackwood would have seemed an unlikely candidate for this XI at the start of the year but he earned a West Indies recall thanks to four-day runs for Jamaica, and played two of the most entertaining innings of the year: a match-winning 95 in England, and a counter-punching 104 in New Zealand.The three front-line seamers were easy picks, all averaging around 15: Stuart Broad passed the 500-wicket mark in Tests, dominating the English summer after being left out at its start, while Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson tore India and Pakistan to shreds. In a year dominated by seamers, Nathan Lyon takes the spinner’s berth despite only playing two Tests.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter losing series to India and South Africa at the start of the year, Australia have been dominant in post-lockdown ODIs, winning both in England and at home against India. As a result, their players make up the majority of this team, with Aaron Finch and David Warner in as openers.It speaks volumes about Virat Kohli’s lofty standards that even in a year in which he has seemed to underachieve, he still managed five half-centuries in nine ODI innings and averaged a shade under 50 to slide in at No. 3 in this side, while Steven Smith and KL Rahul were both popular selections in the middle order. Glenn Maxwell brings his power-hitting to the No. 6 role, with a strike rate of 145.26 and an average above 70 in 2020, while Ravindra Jadeja slides in at No. 7 to balance the XI.Adam Zampa is the leggie to complement Jadeja and Maxwell’s fingerspin, leading the wicket charts for the calendar year with 27, and he is joined by his two closest competitors on that front in Alzarri Joseph and Josh Hazlewood. Jofra Archer played only three ODIs, but terrorised Warner sufficiently to earn a place in this side.Several players’ cases would have been stronger if the pandemic had allowed them to play more games, with South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, Bangladesh’s Liton Das and Oman’s Aqib Ilyas all impressing with the bat in their limited number of games.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile there was a Covid-induced pause in the otherwise relentless calendar of T20 tournaments, almost all major leagues were held at some stage in the year, meaning this XI did not suffer from a small sample size to the same extent as the others.Look away now, Pakistan fans: there is no place for Babar Azam in our side. He was beaten to the opening slots by only a couple of votes. In his place, de Kock takes the gloves after a stellar year for both South Africa and the Mumbai Indians, while Buttler made up for his hit-and-miss IPL with some belligerent innings at the top of the England batting order.Rahul’s orange-cap-winning IPL and consistency for India pushed him ahead of Mohammad Hafeez for the No. 3 slot, while AB de Villiers, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard’s middle-order fireworks form the side’s engine room, from No. 4-6.Shadab Khan’s breakthrough year with the bat combined with his wicket-taking threat sees him picked at No. 7, forming a mouth-watering legspinning partnership with Rashid Khan, the year’s standout spinner as usual. Haris Rauf may have been the leading wicket-taker for 2020, but his relatively high economy rate means he misses out to three seamers who form a compelling trio: Shaheen Afridi and Archer take the new ball, with Jasprit Bumrah doing the heavy lifting at the death.Andre Russell, Mushfiqur Rahim, Marcus Stoinis and Dawid Malan are among the honourable mentions with the bat, while Sandeep Lamichhane, Samit Patel and Kagiso Rabada had successful years with the ball.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo LtdWith a T20 World Cup at the start of the year and most nations frustrated by a lack of playing opportunities since, performances in that tournament, unsurprisingly, carry plenty of weight among these selections. Six Australians from their World Cup-winning side make it to this team, with three of them – Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning – forming the top of our batting order.Sophie Devine averaged 54.66 and scored 492 runs in the year – comfortably twice as many as any of her New Zealand team-mates – but she moves into the middle order thanks to the quality of Australia’s top three. Heather Knight, a transformed T20 batter in recent times, slots in at No. 5, following her best year in the format by a huge margin, and the middle-order batting is rounded off by Ashleigh Gardner, who edged out Nat Sciver by a single vote.With the ball, Katherine Brunt and Megan Schutt form an enticing new-ball partnership after leading the wicket-taking charts among seamers for the year, while Sophie Ecclestone and Jess Jonassen with 19 wickets apiece, are both picked as left-arm spinners. Poonam Yadav’s beguiling start to the T20 World Cup – and her four-wicket haul against Australia – earned her inclusion as the main legspinner.Fellow leggies Sarah Glenn and Amelia Kerr are both unfortunate to miss out, after finishing the year with 18 and 14 wickets respectively and economy rates below 5.5. Despite India’s run to the final, Yadav is their only representative in the XI, with Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma both overlooked.More in our look back at 2020

Former Manchester City player Joey Barton has received a suspended sentence for 'grossly offensive' social media posts to football pundits Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward and broadcaster Jeremy Vine. The 43-year-old was handed a six-month prison sentence, which is suspended for 18 months. The ex-Newcastle United man claims that he "never meant to hurt anyone" with his electronic communications.

• Barton found guilty by jury

  In November, Barton was found guilty of sending 'grossly offensive' social media posts, where he called Vine a "bike nonce" and compared Ward and Aluko to serial killer couple Fred and Rose West on X. Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court found that he had "crossed the line between free speech and a crime" on six counts after being charged with 12 counts of sending a grossly offensive electronic communications with intent to cause distress or anxiety back in January 2024.

  At the trial, Barton said: "It was not meant to call him a paedophile. It was a bad, dark, juvenile joke. I have not at any point tried to cause distress or anxiety or risk his life or his daughters' lives. I don't want people to fear for their lives, I'm a dad. I cannot believe I'm on trial for this. Words on a social media site."

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  Barton avoids jail term

  The former Bristol Rovers manager was handed an 18-month suspended sentence, which means he will not serve any time behind bars unless he reoffends in that period. He was given six months each for two offences against Aluko and four months for each of the four counts related to Vine and Ward. At the sentencing, Judge Andrew Menary KC also ordered Barton to perform 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay more than £20,000 in costs. 

  After leaving court, Barton told The BBC: "If I could turn back the clock I would. I never meant to hurt anyone. It was a joke that got out of hand. Nobody wants to go to jail."

• 'Sustained campaign of online abuse'

  The judge added that targeting individuals online, in the way Barton did, falls outside the realm of freedom of speech. 

  He told the court: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech. But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection. As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit – amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

  Menary added that he was satisfied that Barton's custodial terms did not have to be "served immediately" and he had faith he could change his ways for good.

  He said: "In light of the steps you have taken, I am persuaded that there is some prospect of rehabilitation – that an immediate custodial sentence is not required to protect either the public or the victims. A suspended sentence order may – may – itself operate as a deterrent against any future defending by you."

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  What now for Barton?

  Two-year restraining orders were issued against each of Barton's victims, which includes publishing any reference to them on any social media or broadcast platform.

  After the verdict, Vine added: "I'm happy the case is over. Joey Barton has been made to pay a lot for his disgusting lies and abuse, but I fear he'll keep offending until the day he dies."

  Cheshire Police said they hoped this case would deter others from sharing "abusive and hateful messages" online going forward.

  "Barton's posts would have been seen by hundreds, if not thousands of people, and yet he showed no regard or consideration for how this would impact on his victims and their wellbeing. The sentence handed to him today comes with a number of strict conditions and should he breach these in any way he may face the prospect of time behind bars," said the police spokesperson.

Liverpool and Manchester United are two of many teams throughout Europe who are set to benefit after FIFA revealed those involved will be able to play for their clubs for an extra week before jetting off for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Mohamed Salah and Bryan Mbeumo are among the Premier League's top forwards but will leave their sides to represent Egypt and Cameroon when the tournament kicks off in Morocco later this month.

Liverpool and Man Utd receive much-needed boost

Clubs around Europe will have to make do without some of their key players during the hectic winter months of December and January due to the 2025 AFCON. Stars like Salah and Mbeumo are set to miss a significant number of matches for Liverpool and United when they travel across the world to represent their countries at Africa's biggest stage. Players had previously been required to show up for international duty by December 8 at the latest, leaving some English clubs particularly short during what is always a fixture-filled time of the year. However, FIFA has now amended its rules, meaning clubs around Europe will be able to call upon their African stars for another week.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat FIFA said about clubs releasing players for AFCON

In a statement released on Wednesday, FIFA outlined its decision: "Following fruitful consultations led by FIFA with key stakeholders and, thanks to the spirit of solidarity demonstrated by CAF to reduce the impact on various parties, the Bureau of the Council has taken a decision in relation to the mandatory release of players for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2025, which will take place in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026. 

"In line with the same principle used for the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the release period will be reduced by seven days and start on Monday, 15 December 2025. 

"It was also determined that Member Associations participating in the CAF AFCON 2025 and clubs releasing players who would be playing in continental competitions during the release period be encouraged to hold bilateral discussions in good faith to find appropriate individual solutions. 

"In cases where there continues to be a dispute over the release of players subsequent to such bilateral discussions, FIFA will, in mediating between both parties, apply guidelines that take into account the circumstances of each case, including factors related to the timing of matches of affected competitions, the stage of these competitions, the historical and planned involvement of the players in the matches in question, as well as any other pertinent factors."

Some Premier League teams set to struggle

It's not just Mbeumo who United will be missing for the better part of a month even after FIFA's ruling. Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are set to represent the Ivory Coast and Morocco, while Sunderland appear set to suffer majorly with seven of their players projected to be involved in the tournament, including Bertrand Traore, Reinildo, Simon Adingra and Habib Diarra. 

Manchester City will lose both Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri, though neither the Egyptian nor the Algerian have been particularly prominent in Pep Guardiola's starting XI so far this season. Tottenham will be without a pair of midfielders in Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, but will retain the services of winger Mohammed Kudus after Ghana failed to qualify. Relegation candidates Wolves are also expected to lose five players to AFCON. 

However, there is better news for others. Premier League leaders Arsenal, their London rivals Chelsea and Leeds United will be unaffected for the period. Liverpool, meanwhile, will only lose Salah, with manager Arne Slot previously revealing the Reds would be able to keep the struggling winger until mid-December.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

There are now just under two weeks before clubs throughout Europe say goodbye to the African players who will be present at AFCON. The tournament looks set to be an exciting one with Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Senegal among the favourites to lift the trophy – which will add to an already packed winter of soccer.

There's a disappointing lack of Premier League action on Boxing Day this year, with United's evening clash with Newcastle the only fixture of the day, but supporters will be able to see Salah's Egypt battle South Africa that afternoon.