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Perth Scorchers rallied superbly to kill off the Melbourne Stars’ run chase and convincingly win their WBBL knockout final by 28 runs.After briefly holding top spot, Stars’ season ended on Tuesday night at the WACA ground with four straight losses, while Scorchers have won five of their last six.Scorchers will now head to Sydney to play Sixers in the Challenger final, and the winner will face top side Hobart Hurricanes in Saturday night’s title decider.Related

• WBBL match abandoned due to hole in the pitch

• Perry stars with 111 as Sixers enter WBBL finals with thrilling win

Stars needed a record WBBL finals run chase to win after the home side made 5-173, but reached 1-86 at halfway and looked capable. They then lost 8-59, including the crucial wicket of Meg Lanning, and ended on 9-145.Stars’ chase had a disastrous start when Rhys McKenna was run out for seven. Lanning only scored three from her first 13 deliveries as Chloe Ainsworth had an excellent opening spell.Lanning had made 11 when she tried to sweep Alana King and was nearly out stumped, with the ball rebounding off ‘keeper Beth Mooney and just missing the stumps. But steadily, Lanning and Amy Jones put the pressure back on Scorchers. They combined for an 87-run stand that took them to 1-101 in the 13th.Scorchers did not panic, rallying after halfway as spinners Amy Edgar and Ruby Strange in particular bowled tightly. Eventually the pressure told and King had Jones stumped for 43 from 33 balls.Lilly Mills then took two wickets in an over as the momentum swung back to Scorchers.Amy Jones and Meg Lanning put up a strong stand•Getty Images

As long as Lanning was in, Stars were a chance and Ainsworth dropped a straightforward chance off her when she had made 41. But Ainsworth had the perfect response at the start of the next over, having Lanning caught behind to leave Stars’ chances shot at 6-126. Lanning top-scored with 49 from 45 balls, while King, Sophie Devine and Mills took two wickets apiece.After Scorchers won the toss, openers Katie Mack and Mooney posted the Scorchers’ highest partnership of the season. Their 107-run stand threatened to take the match away from Stars, before Rhys McKenna made the breakthrough in the 13th over. She dismissed Mack, caught by Maisy Gibson, for a top score of 52 from 39 balls.Mooney, who looked set for another big score, fell in the next over for 45 when Gibson also caught her off Kim Garth.Stars were right back into the game, especially when danger player Sophie Devine came in at No.3 and only managed one before McKenna claimed her second wicket. That left Scorchers 3-128 in the 16th over.But Freya Kemp made the most of two dropped catches from Georgia Prestwidge. She belted 35 from 19 balls, with three fours and two sixes, in a crucial knock.Gibson took her third catch of the innings as Stars captain Annabel Sutherland dismissed Kemp for her 100th WBBL wicket.Gibson also snared 1-15 from two overs and McKenna was the pick of the Stars bowlers, claiming 2-26 off three overs.

Surrey and Reliance intend to finalise Oval Invincibles deal imminently after lengthy process

Matt Roller07-Oct-2025

Joe Root has played for Trent Rockets since the franchise’s inception•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

An influential administrator in Australian cricket has been appointed to the Trent Rockets board, with the Nottingham-based team becoming the seventh of eight deals to be finalised in the Hundred’s private investment process.John Knox, the chair of Cricket New South Wales, is also a partner and head of Australia/New Zealand at Ares Management, one of two private equity firms who agreed a £40 million deal to buy a 49% stake in Rockets earlier this year. Their deal to run the franchise as a joint venture with majority partners Nottinghamshire was formalised last week.It means that Surrey’s partnership with Reliance – the owners of Mumbai Indians – to run Oval Invincibles is the only deal that remains to be finalised. ESPNcricinfo understands that the involvement of over a dozen lawyers in the process has slowed progress, but that both parties hope to sign contracts later this week.Related

End of the beginning as change looms for the Hundred

Hundred squads face 2026 'reset' in bid for competitive balance

Flower replaces Langer as London Spirit men's coach

The ECB said in July that the remaining two deals were “set for formal completion at a later date” after investors were “offered the option of completing later” than initially planned. The process of finalising arrangements has dragged on far longer than first anticipated, when the board set an eight-week ‘exclusivity period’ at the end of the auction process in early February.ESPNcricinfo understands that Knox’s new role on the Rockets board is independent from his role at Cricket NSW, which he has held since 2018. Knox was considered influential in the removal of Earl Eddings as Cricket Australia chair in 2021, and successfully pushed for the Cricket NSW board to assume gender diversity targets last year.Knox’s involvement at the Rockets comes at a time when Cricket Australia are actively exploring private investment in the Big Bash League. He told the earlier this year that he considers cricket to be his “life’s passion” and that he views T20 cricket as a “tremendous… growth opportunity”.John Knox has served as Cricket New South Wales chairman since 2018•Cricket New South Wales

He will serve as one of three directors on the Rockets board from the new investors’ side. Knox will be joined by Jonathan Goldstein and Joe Stelzer, who are Cain’s chief executive and senior managing director respectively. Nottinghamshire’s four board seats will be filled by senior figures at the club including director of cricket Mick Newell, who doubles as Rockets’ general manager.Rockets suffered a blow last week when Andy Flower, who has coached their men’s team throughout the Hundred’s first five seasons, signed a multi-year deal to take over from Justin Langer at London Spirit. They have not yet lined up a successor, and identifying the right replacement will be an early priority for the new board.The sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises raised over £500 million which will be split across the English game and help to ensure the survival of all 18 first-class counties. Gloucestershire announced last week that they had cleared all debts after “more than 20 years” of borrowing, which treasurer Nick Bryan said was a “seminal moment” for the club.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank is being made to sweat over the fitness of one Spurs star ahead of their vital North London derby clash with Arsenal.

Frank’s side are desperately seeking to end their dismal run against Arsenal and salvage pride in one of English football’s most intense rivalries.

Tottenham have lost seven of the last nine North London derbies, and it’s been 14 years since the Lilywhites last won away to Arsenal in the Premier League. These shocking statistics hang heavy over Frank, who’s faced criticism for Spurs’ lack of creativity in open play this season.

Spurs are also faced with the mountainous task of breaking down a water-tight Arsenal backline which boasts the most superior defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues.

Mikel Arteta’s title chasers went on an historic eight-game run without conceding a single goal before their 2-2 draw with Sunderland, so you could hardly ask for a worse time to come up against Arsenal, who also splashed nearly £270 million on a plethora of new stars in the summer transfer window.

In 65 league visits to Arsenal, Spurs have won only twice, with their rivals triumphing 26 times. Even more concerning, Tottenham have failed to keep a clean sheet in a staggering 25 consecutive Premier League games away to the Gunners, a record that stretches back over a decade, and Arsenal have won 84 matches in the all-time head-to-head compared to Spurs’ 61.

Make no mistake, Arsenal dominate the derby, but there’s real encouragement to be found in Spurs’ overall away record this season.

An excellent run of four wins, one draw and zero defeats outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has catapulted them to top of the away form table with an average of 2.60 points per game, though Frank will be hoping as many players as possible will be back in contention after a mini-injury crisis.

No other top-flight has more men out of action right now, with as many as 11 sidelined.

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Star winger Mohammed Kudus missed Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Man United and their 4-0 win over Copenhagen with a knock, with the Ghanaian also not called up for his national team’s friendlies against Japan and South Korea. Meanwhile, striker Dominic Solanke is “unlikely” to feature against Arsenal amid his slow recovery from what was once deemed a ‘minor’ ankle problem.

It remains to be seen how long Randal Kolo Muani will be out for too, after he fractured his jaw against United.

Frank sweating over Lucas Bergvall ahead of North London derby after injury setback

There is also the matter of young midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who’s been missing since their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea due to a concussion.

The 19-year-old was sent home from international duty earlier this week after initially being included in Graham Potter’s first ever Sweden squad, with national team official Stefan Pettersson now revealing he was withdrawn due to a ‘setback during training’.

Pettersson, speaking to the media, says they didn’t hesitate sending Bergvall back to N17 after a “reaction” to testing.

The teenager has been a revelation ever since arriving at Tottenham in an £8.5 million deal from Djurgardens.

Bergvall’s managed 60 total appearances for the club already, enjoying a fantastic September with successive Player of the Match awards and his first Premier League goal for the club against West Ham.

Frank’s preferred midfield partnership of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha has largely kept Bergvall out of the starting eleven recently, but the tactician will be hoping that he can upon his fellow Scandinavian from the bench for their all-important clash on enemy turf.

Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw joins exodus after agreeing Somerset switch

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025

Yuzvendra Chahal will feature in the County Championship and One-Day Cup•Getty Images

Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”Josh Shaw joins SomersetJosh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Gloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

Northern Superchargers move second after dumping two-time champions out of the competition

ECB Media23-Aug-2025

Alice Davidson-Richards began briskly during the Superchargers chase•ECB via Getty Images

Northern Superchargers 127 for 3 (Davidson-Richards 50, Litchfield 29) beat Oval Invincibles 125 for 6 (Winfield-Hill 37, Cross 2-16) by seven wicketsNorthern Superchargers solidified their position in the top three of the women’s competition of The Hundred with a comfortable win over a misfiring Oval Invincibles, whose hopes of staging a late run to the knockout stages lay in ruins after a maiden tournament half-century for Alice Davidson-Richards and another brilliant cameo from Phoebe Litchfield.A win here doesn’t quite confirm the Superchargers’ progression – London Spirit, in fourth, could yet haul them in – but the result does end the Invincibles’ slim chances of featuring come the business end.The result will sting for Lauren Winfield-Hill’s team, who scrapped hard but were always up against it once Tash Farrant was injured in the field; Tarrant was only able to bowl five deliveries, which meant that Winfield-Hill had to turn to spin. With Farrant indisposed and her new-ball partner Marizanne Kapp forced to complete her 20 deliveries early, Litchfield and Davidson-Richards counter-attacked devastatingly, putting on 47 to take the game away from the visitors.Davidson-Richards brought up her fifty with a slew of punches down the ground, hitting nine fours in all in her 32-ball stay, while Litchfield’s range of shots, with the signature reverse-sweep once more in evidence, was breath-taking at times, her 21-ball 29 taking her into the top three of the competition’s run-scorers.Despite losing both batters in quick succession, the Australian pair of Annabel Sutherland and Nicola Carey steadied any nerves to see the Superchargers home with a full set still to bowl.The Invincibles, two-times winners of the competition, will be hurting. A garlanded line-up only sporadically clicked into top gear and even today, despite a sparky knock of 37 at No.5 from Winfield-Hill, their big guns were quiet, with their top four of Paige Scholfield, Meg Lanning, Alice Capsey and Kapp contributing just 39 runs between them, as Grace Bollinger and Kate Cross set the tone with excellent new-ball spells.Meerkat Match Hero, Alice Davidson-Richards, was relieved that they held their nerve to get the job done. “I’ll be honest, I was a bit of a wreck at the end there, pacing around with a cup of tea, just hoping the girls [Sutherland and Carey] could get us over the line. In the end it was a really great win for the team.”Up top it was quite hard against the seamers who were swinging it around for both teams, but as I got in, it got a little bit easier. And at Headingley, it’s always a decent deck to bat on.”ends

Manchester City are now preparing a £52m opening offer for a “complete” midfielder, with manager Pep Guardiola personally keen.

Man City keen to sign new midfielder amid Rodri woes

After missing the vast majority of the 2024-25 campaign due to an ACL injury, Rodri has continued to struggle to get back to full fitness this season, with the Spaniard missing the recent 2-0 victory over Villarreal in the Champions League.

Guardiola has also confirmed the central midfielder is expected to miss this weekend’s Premier League fixture, saying: “Aston Villa I don’t think so either. It’s not long but it’s muscular.

Man City now open talks to sign £130m Real Madrid star after request from Pep

City have entered negotiations over a deal for an “exceptional” player.

ByDominic Lund Oct 22, 2025

“We have to be careful. We tried many times to prevent another injury but we have not been able to do that so we will see.”

Last month, it emerged the Blues are now starting to look at long-term replacements for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, with Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic on the shortlist, having established himself as an important player for Vincent Kompany’s side.

However, a midfielder with a little more experience is also in Manchester City’s sights, according to a report from Spain, which reveals they are now preparing an opening offer of €60m (£52m) for Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand.

Pep is personally keen on signing Hjulmand, having identified him as an ideal fit in City’s system, while the manager also values his versatility, with the Denmark international capable of operating in both defensive and supporting midfield roles.

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are also credited with an interest in the midfielder, however, having submitted enquiries of their own, so the Blues may be forced to battle it out for his signature.

"Unbelievable" Hjulmand could be perfect for Pep

It is a given that any midfielder playing in a Pep system must be assured in possession of the ball, and the Sporting maestro fits the bill, as displayed by his performance across some key metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90 (past year)

Passes attempted

62.70 (88th percentile)

Pass completion %

90% (95th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.51 (84th percentile)

Scout Ben Mattinson has insisted the Dane is a well-rounded midfielder, describing him as “complete”, while also praising the former Lecce man for his tenacity, anticipation and ball-striking abilities.

CBS’ Marco Messina also believes the Sporting midfielder is destined to play at the top level, having waxed lyrical about him earlier this season.

All being well, Rodri will be able to put his injuries in the rear-view mirror, but given that he continues to have fitness issues, it may be wise to bring in a new midfielder, and Hjulmand has earned a move to a top club.

England wouldn’t mind the one-way traffic continuing while WI will hope Lewis’ return adds impetus up top

Andrew Miller31-May-2025Big picture: England lay down their markerEdgbaston 2015 was the scene of England’s original white-ball reboot, when Eoin Morgan’s unfettered underachievers shed the reticence and blazed their way to a then-record total of 408 for 6 against New Zealand. Ten years later, the same venue produced a similar onslaught, an even 400 against West Indies, after a remarkable run of 30-plus scores from each of the top seven, with Jacob Bethell’s 82 from 53 balls the stand-out.There, for the time being, however, the parallels end. Because, while there was plenty in this latest performance for England to take pleasure in, the standard of the challenge wasn’t quite on a par with the Brendon McCullum-inspired Kiwis who had reached their first World Cup final only months earlier.West Indies have missed each of their last two ICC 50-over tournaments – the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy – and on Thursday’s evidence, it’s not hard to see why. A guileless bowling display bled into a batting performance that lacked body or substance, and had it not been for an unlikely top-score of 29 not out from Jayden Seales at No.11, this would have been the heaviest defeat in their once-proud ODI history.It doesn’t augur well for the remainder of the series, though England – it should be stressed – will not mind a jot if the one-way traffic continues. A win is a win is a win, especially when you have come into the contest off the back of seven consecutive defeats, their worst run since the dog days of 2001. That includes a Champions Trophy display so bad that they might have preferred the West Indies option of watching on helplessly from the sidelines, rather than the middle.Jamie Overton’s finger injury is the only lasting cloud from that contest – he has now been ruled out of the rest of the white-ball series after being diagnosed with a fracture. Saqib Mahmood’s impeccable command of line and length once again marked him out as a real asset in the powerplay, while Brydon Carse’s successful return from a gruesome toe injury was no less significant given his likely workload across formats this summer.In the batting stakes, Jamie Smith’s promotion to open proved an immediate success. He’ll face more challenging new-ball spells, no doubt, but the power and placement of his strokeplay brooked no argument. And talking of which, Harry Brook’s happy knack of rising to the responsibility of leadership shows no sign of abating. His sixth match in charge, and first in an official capacity, produced a fourth consecutive half-century, and it took a fine catch to dislodge him when well set.West Indies haven’t got a lot to write home about just yet. Gudakesh Motie was the pick of their bowlers at Edgbaston, though 7-0-39-0 is not exactly tearing up trees, while Seales’ 4 for 84 from nine overs at least provided some reward for his willingness to go to the well. Their batting, however, never got started. Maybe Evin Lewis’ recovery from a groin injury could offer some more impetus at the top. But, with the IPL’s latter stages having taken Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd out of contention for this campaign, it’s clear the issues that beset West Indies cricket aren’t simply related to individuals.Form guideEngland WLLLL
West Indies LWLWWIn the spotlight: Jacob Bethell and Shai HopeThe golden child was at it again on Thursday. Bethell has still not made a century in his brief professional career, but already he’s one of the most sought-after all-format players in England’s ranks. His Test-best 96 in New Zealand came amid a run of three half-centuries at No.3 that have stirred the pot ahead of India’s visit next month, while his cameo for IPL finalists RCB impressed no less a figure than Mr Aura himself, Virat Kohli. And now, an effortlessly competent 82 from 53 balls in only his tenth ODI. All of England’s new-look team are learning the format on the hoof. He’s got to grips with it as quickly as anyone.A lot has happened since that famous Headingley Test in 2017, when Shai Hope’s twin hundreds secured an extraordinary win against the head (straight after a shellacking at Edgbaston, no less). And if his role in Test cricket has fallen away in recent times, then it’s worth remembering it wasn’t so long ago that he was teaching England a few lessons in how to pace an ODI innings. In consecutive winters in 2023 and 2024, he produced superb centuries in Antigua. The former secured a memorable 326-run chase, the latter required the rarely-seen best of Liam Livingstone to outgun it. If anyone is to provide some traction to their batting, Hope must spring eternal.Brook enjoyed a good day out in his first match as captain•Getty ImagesTeam news: Overton out, Potts inThere was never any danger of wholesale changes from England just yet – their batting is in fine order, and Gujarat Titans’ IPL elimination removes any threat of Jos Buttler negotiating an early release to take on RCB in the final. Overton’s finger injury gives Matthew Potts a chance to feature after being named in every squad so far this summer, even though they may have been tempted by the point of difference offered by Luke Wood’s left-armers.England: 1 Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Matthew Potts, 11 Saqib MahmoodEvin Lewis was struck in the groin while batting on the eve of the first ODI, so assuming he’s recovered, he’s likely to slot back in at the top, potentially at the expense of Jewel Andrew, who nevertheless looked as competent as anyone in his brief stay at Edgbaston. Justin Greaves opened in Lewis’s absence, and may slip back down the order. Seales’ four expensive wickets may keep him ahead of Shamar Joseph.West Indies: (possible) 1 Brandon King, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Amir Jangoo, 6 Justin Greaves, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Matthew Forde, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Jayden SealesPitch and conditions: Bright weather in prospectThe sun has returned in time for the weekend in Wales, so hot weather (by British standards) is in prospect. Cardiff is notorious for its short straight boundaries and deep pockets square of the wicket, so hit-the-deck, cross-seam bowling might prove fruitful through the middle overs.Stats and trivia West Indies haven’t won a bilateral ODI series in England since 2007. Their last such visit, in 2017, resulted in a 4-0 defeat. Root needs 42 runs to overtake Eoin Morgan as England’s leading scorer in ODIs. Another 84 will make him the first Englishman to 7000. Roston Chase is 47 runs short of 1000 in ODIs.Quotes”We know we’ve got to match that intensity and the performance from the other day, because it’s going to be a tough challenge. They’ve got a lot of match winners… Even though we played well, we still left a lot of things out there and we had good chats about that.
Will Jacks is not resting on his laurels after the opening ODI“It’s good when batsmen play out of their skin, but when you know you have a plan and you’ve not really given it a chance to work, that’s the most annoying thing.”
West Indies’ coach, Daren Sammy, was less impressed with his team’s performance.