Grace Harris’s sparkling 63 not out from 33 balls led Surrey to a five-wicket win over the Bears as they became the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s champions in front of their home fans at the Kia Oval.The Australian all-rounder grabbed hold of a final which needed a heroine, striking two sixes and seven fours to steer the home side to victory. Fittingly, Southwark-born Kira Chathli, who watched her heroes here as a child, made the winning hit with 20 balls to spare. Amu Surenkumar and Em Arlott took two wickets apiece.Earlier, The Bears struggled to build partnerships with player of the match from the semi-final Issy Wong top scoring with 31 and Laura Harris Sister of Grace a typically ferocious 25 from 11. Phoebe Franklin was the pick of the Surrey attack with 2-16, while two superb runouts helped to further restrict the Bears.Meg Austin caressed the first ball of the innings for four only for Alexa Stonehouse to bowl her with an in-swinger.Davina Perrin’s miserable day with the bat was completed when Capsey castled her for nought and it was hero of the eliminator Issy Wong who gave the powerplay momentum with four boundaries and a five from an overthrow.Stonehouse ended her fun with another ball that hit the stumps and Sterre Kalis was run out by a magnificent throw from the deep by Ryana MacDonald-Gay.Natasha Wraith played nicely for 23 but she and Surenkumar fell in the space of four balls, the latter to a lightning quick stumping by Kira Chathli off Franklin.Laura Harris, was dropped early on and went on the offensive, twice clearing the ropes. Three other boundaries took the Australian to 25, but going for another big hit off Dani Gregory she found the hands of Franklin in the deep.Franklin removed the dangerous Emily Arlott too, but Millie Taylor (20 not out) marshalled the tail, leaving Surrey 154 for the title.Surrey’s chase suffered an early setback when Danni Wyatt-Hodge, prolific in the competition, lost the chance to be leading run-scorer as she holed out in the deep.Skipper Bryony Smith swept and pulled strongly, but fell to the last ball of the powerplay from Surenkumar and when Wraith whipped off the bails to stump Capsey off Hannah Baker, Surrey were floundering at 42-3.Three Sophia Dunkley boundaries from Millie Taylor’s opening over raised hopes for the side playing on their home ground and the England international hit Baker back over her head for six in the next.That was as good as it got for Dunkley who overbalanced trying to hit Surenkumar over the top, Wraith’s fast hands doing the rest.Grace Harris though took up the baton to play the match-defining innings, driving fours cleanly through cover and mid-off.Emily Arlott was dispatched to the sightscreen for six and swept for four, but Paige Scholfield perished in the deep trying to imitate the shot to give the bears renewed hope.Harris though remained to reach 50 at a strike rate of 200, before clubbing Taylor into the seats at midwicket as Surrey scampered home.
Wayne Rooney was ridiculed after admitting it was “hard” to watch his wife Coleen during her stint on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, revealing he struggled emotionally while alone in Plymouth, as she became a fan favourite in the jungle. The former Manchester United striker explained why viewing her on the show left him feeling overwhelmed during a difficult period in his managerial career.
Wayne and Coleen Rooney's differing ends to 2024
Coleen’s appearance on I’m A Celebrity in late 2024 became one of the most talked-about moments of the show’s recent history, as she entered the Australian jungle after years of avoiding reality TV. Her decision came at a time when her young children were older, allowing her to commit to a long stint away from home. Coleen embraced the challenge head-on, participating in 'Bushtucker Trials' and endearing herself to viewers with her competitiveness and resilience.
While Coleen flourished on screen and ultimately finished as the runner-up, her success contrasted sharply with Wayne’s struggles back in England. The United legend was enduring a turbulent spell as manager of Plymouth Argyle, battling a disastrous run of results and mounting pressure. As Coleen captured the nation’s attention, Wayne was facing relentless scrutiny and the stress of a looming relegation fight. This unique overlap created widespread public discussion around the couple, with many viewers joking about Wayne struggling while his wife dominated the headlines.
AdvertisementGetty Images EntertainmentWayne reveals why it was 'hard' to watch Coleen on I'm A Celeb…
Coleen revealed on why she finally agreed to join the show, saying: "I just felt like the time was right. The kids were all a little bit older. I think in the past, the kids have been too young to leave them for that amount of time. But, also, I'd made this decision to start doing some better work again. So I thought that would be the good a good start."
She added that although she was not naturally drawn to reality TV, this particular show had always appealed to her competitive side. "Also, I think it's I've never been one for reality TV. Like, there's not much I would do. I've always said if I was to do one, I'd do that. I'm quite competitive."
Wayne, meanwhile, admitted that the experience of watching the show was unexpectedly difficult for him. "It was hard watching, you know," he confessed to a spate of laughs, prompting the interviewer to ask why. "I was away in Plymouth, so I was on my own as well," Rooney continued, while Coleen laughed beside him as he recalled his lonely viewing nights.
The former England captain added that the impact took him by surprise. "So in the apartment on my own, so I'm watching it, and then it was, it was emotional."
Coleen's positive public image after I'm A Celeb…
Coleen’s appearance on the show coincided with one of the highest-profile public redemptions in recent celebrity TV history. After years of being at the centre of the so-called 'Wagatha Christie' saga involving Rebekah Vardy, she used the jungle setting to reshape her public image. Her warmth, humour, and willingness to take on difficult tasks quickly made her a favourite among viewers, and her journey to the final cemented her as one of the breakout stars of the series.
At the same time, Wayne was enduring a managerial nightmare at Plymouth Argyle. His team entered a severe slump, conceding goals at an alarming rate and failing to secure wins during the very weeks Coleen was excelling on television. The pressure intensified with each match, ultimately resulting in Rooney’s departure from the club on December 31, 2024.
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Getty Images SportColeen's TV future — Wayne's uncertain managerial career
With Coleen’s public profile rejuvenated and her popularity soaring, there has been speculation that she may pursue further media projects following her successful stint on I’m A Celebrity. Her openness about the experience suggests she is more comfortable stepping back into the spotlight than at any point in recent years. Whether she chooses more television or focuses on other professional ventures remains to be seen.
For Wayne, the future is more uncertain. After leaving Plymouth, he has been linked to several coaching roles but remains at a crossroads following another setback in his managerial career. The Manchester United legend has been taking up punditry duties and working with the BBC's 'The Wayne Rooney Show' to keep himself occupied as he decides upon his future.
Eddie Howe is now set to be without one of his Newcastle United mainstays following another injury blow, according to recent reports.
Howe admits he needs "to think" about Pope decision
Defeat against Marseille in midweek was a setback, but Newcastle have the chance to at least make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League against Everton this weekend. The Magpies were excellent against Manchester City last week and will be desperate to commence a domestic resurgence.
If they are to do that, however, then Howe may have a big decision to make regarding his starting goalkeeper. Following yet another mistake from Nick Pope in midweek, many have been calling for the Newcastle boss to turn to Aaron Ramsdale and the Newcastle boss has now had his say.
Since signing Ramsdale from Southampton in a deal worth £27m in the summer, the Magpies have handed the shot-stopper just one appearance in the Premier League, which came from the bench following Pope’s injury against Brentford.
Now, however, the England international could finally get the chance he’s been waiting for following one mistake too many from Newcastle’s No.1.
He won’t be the only defensive change if he comes in, either. Newcastle will be without Kieran Trippier against Everton this weekend after he picked up an untimely injury.
Kieran Trippier set for spell on Newcastle sidelines
As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Trippier will now miss the next four weeks of action after suffering a hamstring injury. The Newcastle mainstay has started eight of 12 Premier League games this season, but will now miss his side’s next seven fixtures in all competitions as the chaos of festive football arrives.
Everton vs Newcastle
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Newcastle vs Burnley
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The biggest of those seven games will undoubtedly be the Tyne-Wear derby in December. It’s the first time that Newcastle and Sunderland will meet in the Premier League since 2017, but the Magpies will be without one of their most experienced men.
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The Newcastle boss has set his sights on a midfield target.
ByTom Cunningham Nov 27, 2025
Dubbed “incredible” by Howe last season, Trippier is still one of the leaders in the Newcastle dressing room and has done well to keep hold of his place at times, but will now ultimately miss a crucial stage of the campaign.
Bigger liability than Pope: Howe must finally bin Newcastle "legend"
Young opener in his seventh Test notches his country’s fastest hundred during buoyant display
Firdose Moonda23-May-2025Brian Bennett celebrated almost before he scored it: his second Test hundred and his country’s fastest and arguably the most high-profile since Murray Goodwin’s against the same opposition at the same venue 25 years ago (with apologies to Andy Flower and his exploits in India).Bennett wasn’t even born then and carved his own slice of history in Nottingham, his roar of delight coming almost at the same time as the sound of bat on ball, as he cut Gus Atkinston wide of the cordon and took off, right fist clenched, head bowed, the Zimbabwe bird facing the sun.That emblem is a replica of the carved stone birds of Great Zimbabwe, a historic kingdom that existed between the 11th and 14th centuries. No one really knows what the birds represent but suggestions range from the crowning of a new king to the symbol of a spirit. On Friday at Trent Bridge, it symbolised renewed hope.Related
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Despite the pummelling Zimbabwe’s attack took on the opening day – and that Bennett was dismissed for a single in the second innings – to see a 21-year-old, playing in his seventh Test, score a century against a top-tier nation is a sign that something is working in Zimbabwean cricket. Bennett is young, talented and almost entirely homegrown. Almost, because he was schooled at Peterhouse, the of Gary Ballance and Stuart Carlisle, but the finishing touches were added in South Africa, at Kingswood College.Peterhouse regularly play at a cricket festival at the Eastern Cape institution and Bennett’s father Kelly, a blueberry farmer by trade, organised for his sons to spend a post-school bridging year at Kingswood. Brian, and his twin David, were there in 2022 and their young brother Sean has since followed. The school’s cricket academy is one of the most elite in southern Africa and includes individual mentorships programs and coaching by professionals, including former Warriors seamer Andrew Birch. Bennett immediately impressed him.”When he first arrived, we had a game against one of our rival schools, Pearson, and he just took them apart. He smashed 151 of 100 balls in his first game,” Birch told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s a very attacking player.”That much was evident from the first over at Trent Bridge. Bennett collected three boundaries and though the first two came off the inside-edge, the third was a glorious cover drive, a stroke that he returned to throughout the day and is a natural strength. But it’s the other strong skill Bennett has – the ability to take on the short ball – that Birch noticed early on. “He was not scared and very good on the short ball. Anything back of the length, he is scoring on the off side, and square of the wicket. In the younger groups, often they can score on the front foot but if you can do it off the short ball, you can really get away.”It only took Bennett three more balls in this innings to show that. Atkinson’s fifth delivery was short of a length and wide and Bennett seared it through deep point for a fourth boundary in 11 balls. He has six fours off 17 balls by the time Ben Curran was dismissed and then bedded in for a 65-run stand with his captain Craig Ervine. In that time, there were moments of fortune: he survived a Sam Cook inswinger that almost found leg stump, and almost nicked off against Atkinson but there was never a sense of nerves.Bennett was positive in his strokeplay•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThen came the spinner, almost at the same time as Birch was on the line.”Oh yes, he’s very attacking against spin,” Birch said. “He looks to take the guys on down the ground. He looks to attack the bad ball and put the others under pressure, so I’m sure he’ll carry on in that way.” On cue, Bennett hit Shoaib Bashir through the covers and in front of the sweeper.His fifty came off 56 balls and Zimbabwe’s boisterous fan contingent began to dance. They barely stopped for the rest of the day. Though Bennett gave them heart-in-mouth moments when he edged Cook short of second slip on 63 and then edged Stokes to Joe Root on 89 (but was dropped), he also gave them reasons to keep singing. None more than that cut he knew had sliced off a piece of a history even before he’d seen where it had gone.Zimbabwe, by virtue of how little they play(ed – that will change with 11 Tests this year) and the irregularity of their wins, often have very little to genuinely cheer but Bennett has provided something different. In a career that is only six months old, he already has two Test tons and a five-for and an ODI hundred. If you believe Birch, there’s more to come. “His work ethic is unbelievable and his drive to succeed was the most impressive thing for me,” he said. “You get kids that arrive and they’ve got the talent and they don’t really have that drive and that work ethic. He straight away had that.”He also has a mature mindset, which comes from a family love of the sport and a household immersed in the game. “He’s very relaxed and chilled but he’s a thinker of the game, which is really nice because sometimes in this day and age with the young kids coming through, they don’t really think,” Birch said. “They don’t watch cricket much. That’s what I find is lacking in schoolboy cricket. A lot of kids don’t watch cricket much or if they do, they watch the T20s. They don’t watch Tests and really get to know the game. But him and his whole family really watch cricket. It’s ingrained in them. They think about cricket. They talk cricket.”And best of all, Bennett has the express backing of Zimbabwe’s coach Justin Sammons, who spent time with Birch recently while his own son was playing at a schools’ festival, and “we just had a conversation and he was very excited about the way he plays”.After an innings like this one, who wouldn’t be?
Smarts? Check. Innovation? Check. Banter? Yes sir. It was all so familiar that it took until he brought up three figures for the reality of his arduous comeback to sink in
Alagappan Muthu21-Sep-2024This was a really chill day in Chennai. Literally – some people had come in wearing winter caps – and figuratively.India were already 308 runs ahead. Bangladesh didn’t exactly see the point of being active participants in this Test anymore. In a weird way, it made sense. This game was deep in declaration territory. Might as well preserve their bowlers for the next one. Or maybe they were worried about the over rate. In any case, under overcast skies, after early-morning rain, on a fast-bowling pitch (though there wasn’t as much movement as earlier), Mehidy Hasan Miraz delivered twice as many overs as any of his team-mates in the morning session of day three. The spread-out fields added to the batters’ sense of comfort. They were walking singles.Related
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After a point, Rishabh Pant couldn’t take it anymore. “,” he cried out, beseeching Bangladesh to make a change. “. One fielder here. Midwicket.” He’s been out of Test cricket for two years. He must have missed it a lot. Enough that on the third day of his comeback, he started playing not just for his team but the opposition as well.A Pant century is never short of highlights and this one was no different. There were so many scoop shots, and a crowd that is used to the culture of repeat viewings – you need to schedule some soul searching if you’re a Chennaite and you’ve watched a major movie just once – really appreciated that. There was also a straight six which he only managed by letting his bottom hand go off the bat. He played that once in the IPL three years ago, against Chennai Super Kings in Dubai, and Matthew Hayden on commentary dispelled the notion that the ball clearing the boundary was a fluke.He has all the party tricks, but he can do soft hands too•AFP/Getty Images”He’s nowhere near that. Now if he had two hands on his bat, that wouldn’t have gone half-way to the boundary. But he actually gets the extension through his hands which carries the bat out in front of him, and therefore he gets the distance towards the short side of the ground, granted, but what a shot!”Pant’s scoops have the same counterintuitive quality about them. He is perfectly happy to stay in line with the ball. Other players – like Jos Buttler for example – make an effort to get outside of it because the biggest thing preventing them from accessing that gap at fine leg is their own body. Pant just bends his torso away at the last instant and clearly that’s more than enough. He has an instinctive understanding of shot-making mechanics and that knowledge seems to be expanding.When he made 39 on the first day of the Chepauk Test, and the conditions were considerably harder to bat in, Pant thrived by playing the ball with really soft hands. It is easy to forget – because of his inextricable association with all things outlandish (like making his name as a babysitter first, batter later) – that he has this skill too. At the Gabba in 2021, he was content with just one boundary off his first 48 balls. He had a reason to bat that way. A Test match was on the line. Here, there were no big-picture constraints. He was 30 off 65 because he was being thorough. It is possible he might be growing out of his impulse-driven strokeplay phase.Why two hands when one will do?•BCCIThe fun that followed – Pant scored 19 off his first 39 balls against spin, then 64 off his last 48 – kept the crowd on their feet, and Shubman Gill on his toes. They had to celebrate a lot of boundaries and each time Pant seemed to insist on a routine. Two punches of the glove and, simultaneously, two taps of the bat. It resembled the secret handshake between Troy and Abed, from the hit series Community, and looked pretty cool but…”I was telling him to not to [do that],” Gill said, “Because I’m playing with a bat that I played the England series [with]. My bat is quite old actually. And he was hitting my bat so hard, I was telling him you know, I’m trying to save my bat. And if he didn’t middle it while in the middle, he would say no let’s do it again. I was like, bro, calm down.”There’s a chance that India have discovered a fun new partnership to follow with one of their old ones watching on with great interest. Rohit Sharma was sat in the dressing room, waiting for it. Virat Kohli had hit the nets at lunch, but he made sure to be back for it. Pant brought “it” with an effortless push to long-off. He only needed one more for his century. Gill thought he’d settle for that and soak in the moment. But Pant insisted on the second. Then he walked off to the side just a little. He must have had so many complicated feelings. Maybe his mind even went to that night on December 30, 2022. To come back from that, alive, is a lot to take in. To be good enough to play cricket again is a lot to take in. To score a hundred in his first Test back?Those two or three seconds just before he raised his bat, when the reality of what he’d done set in on Pant, might be one of the only known stretches of time in which he has ever looked overwhelmed.
And which visiting bowler has taken the most Test wickets at one single ground?
Steven Lynch23-Sep-2025I was sorry to hear of the death of John Jameson. In the 1971 Oval Test he was run-out in both innings, how often has this happened?asked James Hamilton from England
John Jameson, who died last week, was a hard-hitting top-order batter for Warwickshire, who also played four Tests for England. In the second of those, against India at The Oval in August 1971, he was run-out in both innings. He’d made 82 in the first, which remained his highest Test score, before failing to beat Ajit Wadekar’s return to wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer, and added 16 in the second before bowler Bhagwath Chandrasekhar deflected a Brian Luckhurst straight-drive into the stumps with non-striker Jameson stranded.Jameson was – and still is – the only England player to be run-out in both innings of a Test. There have been 26 such instances in all: it happened to Australian team-mates Ian Healy and Mark Taylor twice. It has also happened 11 times in women’s Tests.Jameson had also been run-out in the second innings of his debut, at Old Trafford a fortnight earlier. He remains the only man to be run-out in three successive Test innings: Zimbabwe’s Guy Whittall had three consecutive run-out dismissals in 1997 and 1998, but that sequence was interrupted by an innings of 203 not out. Three women have been run out three times in a row in Tests: Betty Wilson of Australia in 1948-49, New Zealand’s Debbie Hockley in 1984, and Jill Kennare of Australia in 1984-85.In Test matches, which team has the highest team total if you add up each player’s career average, and then their highest score?asked William Lee from South Africa
To answer the second part first, the highest theoretical total if everyone in a particular team equalled their highest Test score would be 2367, by the World XI in the one and only “Super Series” Test against Australia in Sydney in October 2005. That side included Brian Lara (highest score 400 not out), Inzamam-ul-Haq (329), Virender Sehwag (319), Graeme Smith (277) and Rahul Dravid (270). It didn’t do them much good, as Australia won by 210 runs!The highest by a national XI would be 2231 by Sri Lanka against Australia in Galle in March 2004. That side included Mahela Jayawardene (374), Sanath Jayasuriya (340), Kumar Sangakkara (319) and Marvan Atapattu (249).The Australian team that beat England in Don Bradman’s final Test, at The Oval in August 1948, had a combined average of 450.46 if you add up their end-of-career figures. This is obviously helped by Bradman’s own 99.94! The largely similar Australian team that defeated India in Adelaide earlier in 1948 had an aggregate average of 448.15. Next comes the West Indian team against England in Port-of-Spain in February 1948, with a combined average of 445.55. That side included the unfortunate opener Andy Ganteaume, who scored a century in his only Test innings so finished with an average of 112.New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel has taken 25 Test wickets at the Wankhede Stadium – is this the most by a visiting bowler on any ground?asked Karan Singh Rathod from India
The New Zealand slow left-armer Ajaz Patel has taken 25 wickets in just two Tests at Bombay’s Wankhede Stadium, including his 10 for 119 in an innings against India there in December 2021.He’s a little way down the list of most wickets on a ground by visiting bowlers, although those above him played more Tests. Three men have taken 35 wickets on a single Test ground away from home: the 19th-century England seamer George Lohmann in four Tests in Sydney, another English bowling genius in Sydney Barnes took 35 in five matches in Melbourne, while the Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon has so far taken 35 in six Tests in Galle.This excludes wickets taken in Tests on neutral grounds: Yasir Shah took 55 wickets in Dubai and 46 in Abu Dhabi in what were designated as home Tests for Pakistan, while Saeed Ajmal picked up 37 in Dubai.Nathan Lyon has 35 wickets in six Tests in Galle, the most for any visiting bowler this century at one venue (not including neutral grounds)•AFPWarwickshire made 190 in the T20 Blast quarter-final without a single six. Was this the highest T20 innings not to feature a single six?asked Dave Henbery from England
You’re right that the total of 190 for 6 by Warwickshire (or Birmingham Bears as I think we’re supposed to call them) against Somerset in the Vitality Blast quarter-final in Taunton earlier this month did not contain a single six. We managed to unearth one higher total from the very first season of T20 cricket, also against Somerset: Glamorgan’s 193 for 7 in Cardiff in June 2003 had no sixes either. We don’t have ball-by-ball details for all T20 matches, but I’d be surprised if there is a higher total without a six.The Bears no doubt wished they’d managed to hit a couple over the ropes, as Somerset ended up winning that quarter-final in the last over, and went on to win the competition, beating Hampshire in an exciting final at Edgbaston a few days ago.Chris Martin is aptly described in his ESPNcricinfo bio as “hard-working with the ball and outrageously feeble with the bat”. He finished with 110 more Test wickets than runs: is this the highest such difference?asked Siddiqui Saleem from the United States
The short answer is yes: the New Zealand seamer Chris Martin finished his 71-Test career with 233 wickets and just 123 runs, a difference of 110. In all he was out 52 times (he also had 52 not-outs), which included 36 ducks – only Courtney Walsh (43) and Stuart Broad (39), who played many more Tests, bagged more ducks in Tests. Martin was also dismissed for a pair on seven occasions, easily the Test record.Martin took the run-difference record from India’s Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, who in 58 Tests amassed 242 wickets and 167 runs, or minus 75. Two other bowlers who took 100 Test wickets ended up with fewer runs than wickets: Bruce Reid of Australia had 113 wickets and 93 runs, while India’s Pragyan Ojha ended up with 113 and 89.Brett Schultz of South Africa took 37 wickets but made only nine runs, while Australia’s mystery spinner Jack Iverson took 21 Test wickets but made only three runs. Pride of place perhaps has to go to the Pakistan seamer Aizaz Cheema, who played seven Tests for Pakistan in 2011 and 2012, and took 20 wickets – but managed just a solitary run with the bat. (Actually he had five innings, and was never dismissed.)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 India and RCB allrounder and self-professed rebel is the queen of comebacks
Hemant Brar16-Jun-2025When Sneh Rana dismissed Anushka Sanjeewani to seal India’s victory in the ODI tri-series final in Colombo last month, she raised her right arm, lowered her sleeve and revealed a tattoo. Inked in Devanagari, just below her wrist, it read – which translates to “rebel”.”If someone says something cannot be done, my automatic response is [to ask] why it cannot be done,” offspin-bowling allrounder Rana says. “It can be done. I rebel.”The tri-series was the latest in a long line of comebacks for her. Playing white-ball cricket after almost a year and a half, she took 15 wickets in five games and was the Player of the Series. Five of those wickets came against South Africa, a career best, for which she was named Player of the Match, becoming only the third Indian after Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma with a match award in all three formats.Related
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Soon after the series ended, Rana made another comeback. When India announced their squad for the England tour, she found a place in the T20I side after more than two years out of it. is not Rana’s only tattoo. The old adage tells us to treat our bodies like temples, but Rana treats hers like a journal, chronicling significant moments of her life on it in permanent ink. She made her India debut in 2014, but about two years later, she suffered a knee injury that kept her off the field for a year. People started to say her career was over. During that time she got a tattoo of an anchor on her left forearm with “I refuse to sink” written next to it.Read my arm: Rana is something of a tattoo aficionado”That one year was very difficult,” she says of the time she was out. “It was very important to stay calm and patient. In such times, people around you are equally important. I was fortunate to have my parents with me. They never let me feel down.”Rana stayed afloat and kept making waves in domestic cricket. It took her five years to stage a comeback, but she returned stronger. The bowling action was a bit more side-on; she put more body into it and gave the ball a proper rip.In her first game on return, her Test debut, in Bristol, she took four wickets in England’s only innings. When India followed on, she scored 80 not out from No. 8 and helped save the match. She impressed in the ODIs and T20Is as well. Ramesh Powar, India women’s coach then, called her “the find of the series”.It was an emotional roller coaster for Rana. A month before she was picked for the England tour, she lost her father, whom she was very close to. The date of his death is inked in Roman numerals on her left arm. “You know how a father-daughter relation is,” she says. “My dad always supported me, encouraged me, and protected me from all the negative things. He wanted me to play for India again. But when it happened, he was not there to witness it.
So finally after 5 long years the wait is over PAPA this one’s for you It’s an emotional moment for me and my Fam.I can’t describe my emotions.Just wanna thank each and everyone for your guidance and support throughout this journey. Papa,wish u were here to live this moment pic.twitter.com/kjTQXikqPW
— Sneh Rana (@SnehRana15) May 30, 2021
“When you lose a parent all of a sudden, it is not easy to accept. I struggled with it. There were times when I stepped onto the field and did not know what was happening around me. At the back of my mind, I was still thinking about my father.”Rana sought the help of Mugdha Bavare, a sports psychologist who was on the team’s support staff. Opening up made her feel better. Later she also consulted a psychiatrist. “There are phases when you feel your body needs it,” Rana says about seeking help. “Things were piling up, and I could not handle them on my own.”Seeing a mental-health professional may no longer be a matter of shame in India but Rana wants to further normalise it. “If you are not well physically, you visit the doctor, right? Then why can’t you take help when you are struggling mentally? There is nothing wrong with it. And it is not necessary that you speak to them only when you are going through a rough phase. You can do it for your growth as well.”Another topic she wants to raise awareness about is the challenges female cricketers face during their menstrual cycles. When playing while on their periods, many have to take painkillers and use heat patches. Rana herself suffers from severe cramps.”During the first match of the Sri Lanka tri-series I was on the first or second day of my cycle,” she says. “It was my comeback match, so despite all the discomfort and pain, I gave whatever I had in me and by God’s grace got three crucial wickets.”When dropped, Rana has chosen to focus on self-improvement and upskilling•PTI Studies have shown that chances of injury are higher for female athletes during and just before menstruation, which means players need to adjust their training routines accordingly. “[Just before menstruation], we reduce the intensity of the training and focus on recovery,” Rana says. “During menstruation, unless it’s a match day, we prioritise rest and do only light movement. During ovulation, we work more on conditioning and joint stability. [After menstruation], we train hard, as a woman’s body can generate the best output in this phase. Throughout the month, we keep working on our skills, though the intensity may vary.”The current version of Rana – one who speaks her mind openly, wants to discuss difficult topics, and makes Instagram reels on the latest trends – is a contrast to the shy girl who grew up in Sinaula, a village in Uttarakhand. The one who hid behind a tree when asked to bowl after a local match.But once she left the state, which did not have a women’s domestic team back then, to play for Haryana, followed by Punjab and Railways, she developed an awareness of the way the world works. Patience is a virtue she has developed over the years. “[It] is my biggest strength,” she says, and indeed, she has exactly that declaration tattooed, in Sanskrit, on her right forearm: “.” She has learned to bide her time after setbacks – of which there have been many.At the 2022 T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, she took seven wickets in six games at an economy of 4.09. Still, she was dropped for the series that followed, five T20Is against Australia at home.Rana was a travelling reserve for the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa. Only when Pooja Vastrakar was ruled out of the semi-final against Australia was she drafted in. She bowled four wicketless overs for 33 runs in a game India lost. That, in February 2023, remains her last T20I. By the end of the year, she had lost her place in the ODI side too.The reasons for her being dropped were never made public. One can only guess that perhaps with Deepti Sharma in the XI, the team did not need another offspin-bowling allrounder.During the 2025 WPL, Rana scored 26 off six balls against UP Warriorz•BCCIBut do the captain, coach, or selectors have a chat with a player when they are dropped?”When they rest you, they definitely call,” Rana says. What she leaves unsaid is clear, but she has learned to be pragmatic about disappointments like these. “This system has been there for a long time. It will take some time for things to change.”She knows selection is not in her control and chooses to direct her energy to improving her game.”The way cricket is evolving, you have to upgrade your skills and practise accordingly,” she says. “So I learned the yorker, wide yorker, and things like using the crease, using the seam, cutting the pace off, bowling a straighter one.”Rana honed those skills in the nets and tested them in domestic cricket. That gave her the confidence to execute them in pressure situations in international cricket. A prime example is the 2022 Commonwealth Games semi-final in Birmingham. England needed 14 from the final over with five wickets in hand. India had only three outfielders because of their slow over rate. But Rana nailed her yorkers, and despite a dropped catch and a last-ball six when the game was effectively over, she conceded only nine. The win ensured India’s silver medal.A batting upgrade was seen during the 2025 WPL. After going unsold at the auction – a rarity for an India international – she joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru as a replacement player. The team management asked her to prepare for “cameo roles” with the bat, and Rana aced the assignment. From No. 10 against UP Warriorz in her second batting innings of the season, she smashed 26 off six balls with three sixes and two fours. It was the first time in 49 innings across international cricket and the WPL that she had hit a six. Rana’s innings threatened to get RCB to their target of 226, but they eventually fell short by 13. She also took six wickets in her five games at an economy of 8.22. All that, and the performance in Sri Lanka, got her back into the T20I side for the England tour.The patience has paid off. Now it is time for Sneh Rana to channel her inner .
Chelsea have now entered negotiations over a deal to sign a rapid new centre-back, and an opening offer is set to be made within weeks.
Blues looking to sign new centre-back despite Cahill comments
With Levi Colwill suffering an ACL injury back in August, the Blues’ offer centre-back options have had to step up to the plate this season, and Gary Cahill has been very impressed with their performances, so much so that he believes his former club don’t need to sign a new defender.
Cahill said: “There has been a lot of noise around this for a long time, but I think the lads that are there are doing a very good job of proving that they don’t need to add to this position,”
“I’ve been very impressed with Wesley Fofana since he’s come back. Touch wood that he stays fit.
“Trevoh Chalobah: look at the job he’s been doing – he’s a bit of an unsung hero. Trevoh is probably the most underappreciated player at Chelsea.
However, while a senior centre-back may not be required, BlueCo are always keen to bring in exciting up-and-coming prospects, and they have now entered negotiations over a deal for Gremio defender Luis Eduardo.
That is according to a report from AS (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have now entered talks to sign Eduardo, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United, with opening offers set to be made in the coming weeks.
The Blues are now trying to ‘accelerate’ their pursuit of the centre-back, given that scouts have been left impressed with his performances, with the 17-year-old well-known for his pace, having reached 38 km/h for Gremio earlier this year.
The speedster has a €60m (£53m) release clause included in his contract with the Brazilian club, although it is unclear whether BlueCo would be willing to shell out such a big fee on a very young player.
Chelsea now ready to trigger £44m release clause for "unstoppable" striker
The Blues are looking to sign a new centre-forward, who has been in fantastic form so far this season.
By
Dominic Lund
Nov 30, 2025
Luis Eduardo impressing at youth level
The teenager is yet to establish himself as a regular starter for Gremio, having made just one appearance for the senior team, but he has put in some eye-catching performances for both club and country at youth level.
Despite being a centre-back, the Corrente-born ace managed to score two goals in seven appearances for Gremio U20s in 2025, while he has also netted three goals in 13 appearances for Brazil U17s.
Eduardo could be one for the future, but Cahill is correct in his assessment that Chelsea don’t need to worry about bringing in a new centre-back anytime soon, given Chalobah’s recent form, most recently netting the opening goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca also has Josh Acheampong and Benoit Badiashile at his disposal as back-up options, and with Colwill still to return, the manager is well-stocked at centre-back.
Penny for Alexander Isak’s thoughts? Liverpool’s record-breaking striker has been down by the wayside right since the summer, and the fans are desperate to see him recover his form and showcase that world-class quality.
Isak left Newcastle United for Anfield at the end of the summer transfer window, on strike throughout August following a breakdown in relations on Tyneside. It’s been a struggle ever since, with the lack of a pre-season and injury issues in recent months limiting him to just four Premier League starts so far.
This is all symptomatic of the deeper malaise at Arne Slot’s Liverpool. Slot’s Liverpool, last season’s dominant league champions, have been pants this year, with nine losses in their past 12 matches in all competitions.
Not good enough. Isak’s only goal came against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, a competition the Merseysiders have since been dumped out of.
He will surely come good, but FSG will be anxiously waiting for proof that they have got bang for their buck. At the moment, Isak is offering less than Darwin Nunez before him.
Why Liverpool sold Darwin Nunez
Slot’s brand of football is built on structure and. Both he and Jurgen Klopp subscribe to attacking play, but where the German enjoys heavy metal, Slot is more of a purveyor of smooth jazz.
That was last season, though, with the Reds having left so much to desire this season. Liverpool are so tactically imbalanced, lacking the control of last season.
It’s for this reason that Nunez was sold. Wasteful in front of goal, yes, the Uruguayan was also erratic and mercurial, and given that Slot only started him once in the Premier League after Boxing Day, it’s clear he did not view him as the answer.
25/26(Al-Hilal
10 (6)
5 (2)
24/25 – Liverpool
47 (17)
7 + 7
23/24 – Liverpool
54 (33)
18 + 15
22/23 – Liverpool
42 (26)
15 + 4
21/22 – Benfica
41 (32)
34 + 4
So, it would not be that bold to assume that selling Nunez to Al-Hilal and replacing him with a clinical superstar like Isak was done with a view toward giving Liverpool more accuracy and presence in the final third.
It’s worth stressing that Isak is anticipated to be a success at Anfield. He is too good – and proven in the Premier League – not to click into gear.
But, as journalist David Lynch put it earlier in November, Isak is “offering Liverpool less than Darwin Nunez did” at the same stage last season, and that will certainly need to change going forward.
There is still full anticipation that the Sweden international will be a success story at the club, though, but the same can’t be said for another of Liverpool’s summer recruits, who has so much to prove after a wretched start to the season.
Liverpool's new version of Nunez
In fairness, Nunez scored on his Liverpool debut against Manchester City in the Community Shield. He posted a goal and an assist off the bench on his Premier League debut, a draw at Fulham.
Darwin Nunez looks frustrated for Liverpool
But, ultimately, the 26-year-old’s erraticness and his inability to conform to Klopp and then Slot’s tactical systems led to his sale.
Now, Liverpool may have landed their new version of the South American, and not in Isak, but Milos Kerkez, who completed a £40m move from Bournemouth to the Anfield club this summer.
Kerkez, 22, was named as a part of the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for 2024/25, exceptional on the south coast. That fine form is a world away from what Liverpool fans have witnessed over the past three months, with journalist Jean Paul Schiberras claiming he “looks like he has never played football before” in Slot’s set-up.
Following the defeat to PSV, content creator Mark Goldbridge remarked that Kerkez has been “such a bad signing” for Slot’s team. It was a collective shambles on Wednesday evening, but the Hungary international was culpable for lackadaisical defending as the visitors surged forward and took the lead in the second half.
It is incomprehensible to think that Kerkez simply doesn’t have what it takes to play for Liverpool. Last season, he was arguably the best left-back in the league, such a ferocious mix of power and athleticism and energy.
But he is lacking, as it were, street smarts. Kerkez has the skills to succeed at a club like Liverpool, but too often he has suffered from poor decision-making, lacking the awareness and positioning to read danger and ensure he is one, two, three steps ahead.
Matches (starts)
38 (38)
11 (10)
Goals
2
1
Assists
5
0
Touches*
59.6
50.8
Accurate passes*
28.6 (80%)
27.9 (86%)
Chances created*
1.0
0.6
Dribble (success)*
0.6
0.3
Recoveries*
4.7
2.8
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.6
Clearances*
2.6
3.3
Duels won*
4.0 (54%)
3.6 (61%)
Errors made
4x
2x
This is why he is an endangered member of this squad. This is why he faces the potential of leaving with a reputation akin to Nunez, brimming with quality but arriving as a young and uncut gem, ultimately failing to bring it all together.
Is he a liability in this team? Perhaps so. It is useful to use Andy Robertson as a yardstick for the conundrum: last season, the Scotsman was clearly on the decline; a left-back was clearly a priority for FSG to sort out. But there are many calls now for the vice-captain to restore a nailed-down starting berth.
Slot has started using the 31-year-old more frequently, yes, but he has only started two of 12 Premier League fixtures this season, one of which includes the comprehensive 2-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this month.
Described as a “nervous wreck” by pundit Jamie Carragher, it’s clear that Kerkez is feeling the weight of moving to one of the world’s largest outfits. It doesn’t help that Slot’s tactics have proved so dysfunctional this term.
But left-back was a glaring weakness at Liverpool last year, and with Kostas Tsimikas out on loan and Robertson winding down, things have only gotten worse for the champions.
In this, Kerkez is becoming a major problem, a liability as concerning as Nunez was.
Gakpo upgrade: Liverpool could see bid accepted to sign £80m "superstar"
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Southampton have been one of a number of teams with a managerial vacancy in the Championship during the international break, alongside Norwich, Middlesbrough, and Swansea.
Boro are set to appoint Kim Hellberg from Hammarby and Vitor Matos is in talks to take over at Swansea, but it is Norwich who have made the most eyebrow-raising appointment.
The Canaries have hired Belgian coach Philippe Clement, who has won four domestic cups in Belgium and Scotland and four Belgian top-flight titles in his career, per Transfermarkt, working for Club Brugge, Genk, Monaco, and Rangers.
Norwich are 23rd in the Championship table, with half as many points as Southampton, yet they have attracted a head coach who has won 170 of his 287 league games as a manager, averaging 2.00 points per game, per Transfermarkt.
The latest on Southampton's managerial search
According to Daily Echo reporter Alfie House, as relayed by SaintsExtra, Southampton are set to hand interim head coach Tonda Eckert the next three Championship matches before further assessing the situation.
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The Saints play Charlton, Leicester City, and Millwall in those three games, after Eckert beat QPR 2-1 and Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 in his first two matches in the dugout.
House’s update adds that Southampton have spoken with managerial targets and that they do not have a clear standout candidate at this moment in time, which is why Eckert will be given the next three games to stake his claim for the permanent job.
Instead of appointing the interim on a permanent basis, Sport Republic could hire their answer to Norwich’s ambitious Clement swoop by bringing reported target Brendan Rodgers to St. Mary’s.
Why Southampton should appoint Brendan Rodgers
If the Canaries are able to attract a manager like Clement, who has won eight trophies and managed some big European clubs, whilst second from bottom in the Championship, Southampton should make a statement of their own with a move for the former Celtic boss.
Described as “world-class” by Gabby Agbonlahor, like the new Norwich manager, Rodgers would come in with an incredible career behind him and a history of winning games and trophies on a consistent basis. In fact, he won the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership title with Celtic ahead of Clement’s Rangers side.
The Northern Irish boss, who was hailed as a “pillar of strength” by Hoops captain Callum McGregor, is an incredibly experienced tactician who has been there and done it in England and Scotland.
League games managed
597
287
League games won
322
170
League games drawn
122
63
League games lost
153
54
Points per league game
1.82
2.00
Trophies won
13
8
League titles won
4
4
As you can see in the table above, Rodgers is even more experienced than Clement and has won five more trophies in his career, with 11 of those coming at Celtic, and the other two with Leicester.
The Saints target also has experience in getting out of the Championship. He won the play-offs in the 2010/11 campaign after a third-placed finish in the second tier with Swansea, which shows that he also has experience for what Southampton need this season.
Therefore, Rodgers could be a brilliant appointment for the club if they can convince him to make the drop down to the Championship, which is what Norwich were able to do with Clement.
Southampton can end Eckert experiment by hiring "insanely talented" manager
Southampton can replace Tonda Eckert by swooping to hire this experienced former Championship manager.