واصل منتخب إنجلترا نتائجه المميزة مع المدرب توماس توخيل في تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم نسخة 2026، بعدما حقق فوزًا مساء يوم الثلاثاء على نظيره منتخب صربيا.

وحل منتخب إنجلترا ضيفًا على صربيا، في الجولة السادسة من تصفيات القارة العجوز المؤهلة إلى المونديال، حيث فاز الأسود الثلاثة بخمسة أهداف دون رد.

سجل هاري كين هدف منتخب إنجلترا الأول، في الدقيقة 33 من عمر الشوط الأول، قبل دقيقتين من تسجيل الهدف الثاني عن طريق نوني مادويكي.

وتمكن إزري كونسا من تسجيل هدف منتخب إنجلترا الثالث، في الدقيقة 52، واضطرت صربيا إلى اللعب بـ10 لاعبين فقط منذ الدقيقة 72 بعد طرد اللاعب نيكولا ميلينكوفيتش.

وفي الدقيقة 75، نجح مارك جويهي في تسجيل الهدف الرابع لمنتخب إنجلترا، ليتواصل الأداء المميز من جانب لاعبي كتيبة توماس توخيل في التصفيات.

وتحصل منتخب إنجلترا على ضربة جزاء، في الدقيقة 90 من عمر مباراته ضد صربيا، ونفذها ماركوس راشفورد بنجاح حيث حولها إلى هدف خامس.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد منتخب إنجلترا إلى 15 نقطة في صدارة المجموعة الحادية عشر، بينما تجمد رصيد صربيا عند 7 نقاط في المركز الثالث.

🟣🎥 تقرير خاص | عاد المنتخب الإنجليزي بفوز عريض 5 – 0 على مضيفه الصربي ليؤكد بذلك المنتخب الإنجليزي صدارته للمجموعة الـ11 بالعلامة الكاملة

🎙️تقرير | @Aitelhajyousef يوسف آيت الحاج pic.twitter.com/Fikc8CB9jn — beIN SPORTS الإخبارية (@beINSPORTSNews) September 9, 2025

For SA, this series will precede their five white-ball games against Ireland, also in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2024South Africa and Afghanistan are set to play their first-ever bilateral series, with three ODIs scheduled in Sharjah between September 18 and 22. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) will host the series, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a statement.This series was not part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) originally and CSA chairman Lawson Naidoo said it was a “significant milestone” in the partnership between the two boards. The series will end five days before South Africa’s scheduled matches – two T20Is and three ODIs – against Ireland in Abu Dhabi start on September 27.South Africa’s tour of the UAE

ODI series v Afghanistan: September 18, 20 and 22.
T20I series vs Ireland: September 27 and 29.
ODI series vs Ireland: October 2, 4, and 7.

“We are excited to embark on this historic ODI series with Afghanistan, who have become a very competitive all-round team as evidenced by their recent performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 and most recently at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” Naidoo said. “This is a significant milestone in our cricketing relations, and we look forward to a competitive and entertaining series.”These fixtures were not initially part of our FTP. Still, based on our productive negotiations with our counterparts at Cricket South Africa, we concluded that we will host the Proteas for an ODI series in September,” ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said. “They are an excellent team, and we are eagerly looking forward to hosting them and playing them regularly in the future.”Before heading to the UAE, though, South Africa have two Tests and three T20Is lined up in the Caribbean against West Indies, starts August 7. For Afghanistan, the South Africa games will provide another chance to impress against a Test-playing nation and will be played less than a week after their maiden Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, India, which will be contested from September 9 to 13.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is leading the charge to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s ranks this summer, with the Gunners determined to end their two-decade-long-plus wait for a Premier League title.

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The north Londoners are opening talks.

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Berta officially unveiled his first signing as Edu Gaspar’s replacement earlier this week.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Kepa Arrizabalaga is a now-confirmed Arsenal player after completing his medical at the club last week (Sky Sports), and the 30-year-old David Raya back-up joins from Chelsea for just £5 million.

“We are really happy to have Kepa joining us,” said Arteta about Kepa’s arrival at the Emirates Stadium.

“He is a player we know, having come up against him many times in recent seasons. He brings a wealth of experience, which his teammates will benefit from, and he has a real hunger to win.

“Kepa works hard and will elevate our levels. I know he will fit in perfectly, already knowing some of his teammates, and we are really excited about his future with us.”

Arsenal are likely to announce Martin Zubimendi’s signing at some point this week too, with Brentford captain Christian Norgaard also expected to undergo his medical in the next few days (The Athletic).

Arsenal also want to sign a new attacking-midfielder/winger, amid talks for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, but supporters are especially keen to see Berta end the club’s long wait for a prolific star striker.

While there have been tentative links to the likes of Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, two big names stand out as Arsenal’s top centre-forward targets – RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres.

Sesko, fresh off the back of his best Bundesliga campaign to date, was a top target for Arsenal last summer and in January (Ben Jacobs), with Berta holding talks over the £94,000-per-week Slovenia international again this summer.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, is at the centre of a public fallout with Sporting and president Frederico Varandas, and the 27-year-old is believed to be very keen on a move to Arsenal, whilst being worried that his price tag could jeopardise a move (Record).

Sesko and Gyokeres eyeing Arsenal moves as Berta leads talks

As per GiveMeSport and reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Arsenal’s intentions are clear when it comes to a deal for either man.

Berta has “advanced talks” for Sesko and Gyokeres, as widely reported elsewhere too, and Jacobs says that they would both welcome a move to north London. However, the key for a deal to be done is, of course, down to their final price tags.

Arsenal’s aim is to sign Sesko or Gyokeres for around £60 million, but personal terms shouldn’t be a problem for either really, especially considering the latter is only on around £40,000-per-week in Portugal right now.

Given the likes of Man United are also hunting for a top striker, amid links to Gyokeres in particular, Arsenal cannot afford to dilly-dally for too long here.

It is clear that Manchester United have identified the top end of the pitch as the area of the team that needs improving during the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils have already completed the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m, and there are set to be further attacking reinforcements to arrive at Old Trafford.

Man Utd's attempts to bolster their attack

The Brazil international is a strong start to the window for Ruben Amorim, because he produced 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League for the Old Gold in the 2024/25 campaign.

Cunha is a proven performer in the top-flight, as evidenced by his goal contributions over the past nine months, and the former Atletico Madrid star is set to compete for one of the number ten spots behind the striker.

After signing the Brazilian star, Manchester United are also in the market to bring a new number nine to Old Trafford, with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic reportedly one of the players on their radar.

The Red Devils have also reportedly made an approach to sign Eintracht Frankfurt number nine Hugo Ekitike to bolster their options up front, after the French youngster international plundered 22 goals and 12 assists for the German side in the 2024/25 campaign.

As well as a new striker, Amorim is also in the market to add another number ten option alongside Cunha, with a Premier League star in his crosshairs.

Man Utd have verbal agreement with Premier League star

According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United have a “verbal agreement” in place with Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

The reporter claims that the Premier League giants are already in talks with the Bees over a deal to sign the Cameroon international, and that he has given his blessing for the clubs to discuss a move.

Plettenberg adds that the Red Devils, who will not be competing in any European competition next season, remain “optimistic” that a deal will go through during the summer transfer window.

The journalist states, however, that Tottenham Hotspur have joined the race to sign the left-footed star, because they have appointed the attacker’s former manager, Thomas Frank.

Spurs are hoping that their new head coach will be able to convince the 25-year-old whiz to make the move to North London to reunite with him, but Manchester United remain optimistic in spite of the fresh competition for his signature.

24/25 Premier League	Matheus Cunha	Bryan Mbeumo
Appearances	33	38
xG	8.63	12.26
Goals	15	20
Big chances created	13	17
Assists	6	7
Dribbles completed per game	1.8	1.3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Amorim would have two Premier League-proven attackers to deploy as the two number tens behind his new striker in the top-flight next season if the club sign the Brentford star alongside Cunha.

Mbeumo, who was once hailed as “unplayable” by Frank, created a whopping 17 ‘big chances’ in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that he would be the perfect signing for any new number nine, as he can consistently put opportunities on a plate for them.

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It is now down to the club to ensure that they do not lose to Spurs in the race to sign the Brentford star in the coming weeks, as he could be a terrific addition to their attacking arsenal.

West Brom are showing an interest in completing the loan signing of a “sublime” Premier League player this summer, according to a new update.

West Brom eye signings ahead of Mason's first season

The Baggies will once again be among the favourites to seal a top six finish in the Championship next season, as is so often the case, with new manager Ryan Mason admitting he is excited about getting started at The Hawthorns.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed Head Coach of West Bromwich Albion. This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fan base and I am excited about what we can achieve together. Having spoken at length to the board and those at the club I am convinced that Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can’t wait to get started. I will bring with me a huge amount of enthusiasm, dedication and ambition and look forward to a positive future together at such a fantastic club.”

Mason will know that some new signings will be needed this summer, though, in order to aid West Brom’s promotion push, with Rangers forward Tom Lawrence mentioned as an experienced option who has proven himself in the past in the Championship.

Nottingham Forest left-back Harry Toffolo has also emerged as a rumoured option for West Brom, following his departure from the City Ground, with the Englishman set to be a free agent. Now, another name has been thrown into the hat for the Baggies.

West Brom want to sign "sublime" Premier League ace

According to a new update from The Express & Star, West Brom are considering the loan signing of Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks in the summer window, having joined them for £11.5m seven years ago.

The report states that a lack of regular starts for the Cherries last season means that “a departure from the Vitality Stadium, if only on a short-term basis, is considered a possibility this summer.”

Brooks, who scored for Southampton at The Hawthorns in a 2-0 win last year, could be a brilliant addition for West Brom, even if it’s just on loan, with the 27-year-old a gifted footballer who has been highly-rated for years, being lauded by Eddie Howe back in 2018:

“He has played ever so well for us, he has got a creative flair, non-stop energy and he took his goals really well today. He is a player that can do a little bit of everything, he is very good offensively, is creative, turns well with the ball and is very intelligent. His first goal was sublime and his second was very clever because he was running at an angle and just directed it backwards behind him which was really impressive.”

Appearances

29

Starts

9

Minutes played

952

Goals

2

Assists

0

Shots per game

0.9

Key passes per game

0.7

Pass completion rate

82.2%

The fact that Brooks is struggling to be a key starter for Bournemouth means that a temporary move away could appeal to him, and he has the technical quality to be an influential performer for West Brom, helping inspire them to a return to the Premier League.

Russell Martin and his Glasgow Rangers players are already hard at work in pre-season as they prepare for their European qualifier later this month.

The new Gers head coach will be looking to progress through to the next round of Champions League qualifiers, and will want the best possible squad available to him at Ibrox.

Max Aarons and Lyall Cameron have already been added to the team during the summer transfer window so far, but the Light Blues will not stop there.

According to Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam, central midfielder Joe Rothwell turned down LaLiga teams to join Scottish Premiership giants on a permanent deal.

The former Bournemouth star has put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Ibrox and could make his debut against Panathinaikos later this month.

What Joe Rothwell could bring to Rangers

Rothwell will bring an experienced head in the middle of the park that Rangers do not currently have. Nicolas Raskin (24), Mohamed Diomande (23), Bailey Rice (18), and Connor Barron (22) currently make up Martin’s midfield ranks.

This means that the 30-year-old maestro, who has played 204 games in the English Championship, could be a mentor to the younger players in the squad, and give valuable advice to the likes of Barron and Rice, as he has been there and done at a good level in the game.

The midfield whiz, who spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Leeds United, will also offer quality in possession through his impressive passing range.

Rothwell is a metronomic midfielder who likes to constantly get on the ball to progress play for his team with progressive passes and passes into the final third, helping to create chances for his teammates.

24/25 Championship

Joe Rothwell per 90

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Passes completed

63.74

Top 6%

Long passes completed

6.44

Top 2%

xA

0.22

Top 4%

Key passes

2.44

Top 1%

Progressive passes

6.64

Top 8%

Passes into the final third

7.40

Top 2%

Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, the experienced star provided plenty of quality on the ball in the 2024/25 Championship campaign with Leeds, who won the title to secure promotion to the Premier League.

He played in a ball-dominant title-winning side and showcased his ability to consistently progress play and create chances in the middle of the park, which suggests that he could thrive in a ball-dominant Russell Martin team chasing the Premiership title.

Whilst Rothwell, who is also capable of scoring screamers, looks set to be a terrific addition to the squad, Rangers are eyeing another midfielder who could be an even better signing.

Rangers in the race to sign former Liverpool gem

According to Liverpool-focused outlet DaveOCKOP, Rangers are one of a number of teams in the race to sign RB Salzburg central midfielder Bobby Clark in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Liverpool could be due a sell-on clause fee as a result of the English starlet moving on from the Austrian side this summer, just a year on from his Anfield exit for a fee of £10m.

Transfer Focus

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It adds that Rangers, Leicester, West Brom, Sunderland, Koln, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburg, Birmingham, Leicester, and Southampton are all eyeing up a move for the midfield talent.

DaveOCKOP reveals that the former Newcastle United youth prospect is expected to look for a fresh opportunity to play elsewhere next season, and that there is a concrete chance that he will leave Salzburg.

However, it currently remains to be seen how much of the £10m that was paid for him last summer Rangers would need to pay to secure his services.

Why Rangers should sign Bobby Clark

The Scottish giants should push to win the race for the English midfielder this summer because he could be an even better signing for the club than Rothwell in the long run.

Clark is ten years younger than the signing from Bournemouth, at the age of 20, and this means that he has far more potential, both in terms of development and his viability as a long-term option for Martin in midfield.

If the Gers can land a deal for the Salzburg youngster, he could be a starting option in the middle of the park for the next decade if all goes well, whereas Rothwell is heading into the latter stages of his playing career.

Clark is not the finished article in the present, like Rothwell, though, after he only started seven of his 17 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga last season, but he did show a lot of promise in the OFB Cup, the domestic cup in Austria.

24/25 OFB Cup

Bobby Clark

Appearances (starts)

2 (2)

Touches

217

Pass accuracy

85%

Key passes

8

Dribbles completed

12

Dribble success rate

63%

Ball recoveries

22

Duels won

30

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the English midfielder thrived as a starter in the cup across two appearances in the competition, creating eight chances and winning a staggering 30 duels.

Whilst it is an incredibly small sample size, it does show the kind of quality that he could provide if Martin is able to help him take the next step in his development after failing to earn regular starts with Salzburg.

Clark, who was hailed as “exciting” by reporter Lee Ryder, also showed a lot of promise during his time at Liverpool, with one goal and two assists in 14 first-team appearances for the Premier League giants, which earned him a £10m move to Austria.

The 20-year-old gem produced 18 goals and 11 assists in 64 games for Liverpool’s U18 and U21 sides combined, further illustrating the kind of attacking quality he can provide at his best.

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Therefore, Clark could be an even better signing than Rothwell because he could be an incredibly exciting midfield talent if Martin can unlock his immense potential as a dynamic, attack-minded, midfielder, who still has many, many, years left ahead of him to develop and improve.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca isn’t resting on his laurels in the transfer market as he attempts to get several deals done swiftly.

Jamie Gittens looks to be closing in on a move to Stamford Bridge. Borussia Dortmund accepted a bid of around £55m for the English talent, and he is set to have his medical soon.

The move for the 20-year-old is certainly a statement of intent by Maresca, but the Blues are also closing in on another attacking player.

Indeed, Joao Pedro looks set to make the move from Brighton and Hove Albion to Chelsea, as the Blues have agreed a deal worth up to £60m for the versatile forward.

Why Chelsea are signing Joao Pedro

Maresca will be looking to move on both Christoper Nkunku and João Felix during the summer transfer window.

As such, bringing in a versatile forward like Pedro makes perfect sense. He may have scored just ten goals in the top flight last season, but his attributes stretch to more than just finding the back of the net.

Indeed, he demonstrated his creative side by registering 11 big chances in the top flight, along with averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game for Brighton. This certainly proves he’s a particularly dangerous player in the final third.

This is the sort of forward that can thrive in Maresca’s system, no doubt about that. Add someone like Gittens on the wing, and it is a recipe for success.

Goals

10

Assists

6

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.1

Successful dribbles per game

1.1

Shots per game

1.7

The Blues may be paying a premium price for the Brazilian, but they’ve had success when signing a similar player before…

The Chelsea star who's worth more than Pedro

When Chelsea spent £40m to sign Palmer from Manchester City in 2023, plenty of eyebrows were raised.

Not because of the fee, but because Pep Guardiola decided to let a player of such potential leave for so cheap. The Spaniard even lauded the player as having a “special quality” in front of goal after he scored his first Champions League goal for City, aged just 18.

The Stamford Bridge side have witnessed Palmer’s maturation over the previous two seasons, going from a winger to an attacking midfielder and even a false 9, starring in similar positions on the pitch to the incoming Pedro.

Across 94 games in all competitions, the 23-year-old has registered an enormous 68 goal contributions – 40 goals and 28 assists – in just 94 matches.

These statistics have more than repaid the £40m spent on him two years ago, but Palmer shines across other areas also.

When compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the former City starlet ranks in the top 12% for progressive passes (6.04) per 90, while also ranking in the top 10% for total shots (3.41) and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions (5.7) per 90.

This set of figures proves that Palmer is one of the finest attacking midfielders on the continent, which is evidenced by his market value.

According to Transfermarkt, the youngster is now valued at a whopping €120m (£102m), which is an incredible rise from the £40m they paid in 2023.

Not only that, but he is worth way more than Pedro, suggesting the Blues have struck gold by bringing Palmer to London.

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Australia batter looks forward to Hundred return, but believes more boundaries need to be pushed

Andrew Miller24-Jul-2024

Beth Mooney was a key figure for Australia in last summer’s Ashes•Getty Images

Beth Mooney, Australia’s opening batter, says that women’s cricket must “keep pushing the boundaries” when it comes to demanding equal pay for global competitions, as she prepares to return to the Hundred after a year’s absence, this time as Manchester Originals’ star overseas signing.Mooney, 30, was Originals’ first pick in this year’s draft, landing herself a top-tier £50,000 deal, two years after her only previous stint in the competition, for London Spirit in 2022.Although that sum was a significant increase on the £31,250 that the ECB had established as the top salary bracket for the 2023 draft, it pales in comparison to the men’s top-tier salary of £125,000 – let alone the £200,000 that Mooney picked up from Gujarat Giants in the inaugural WPL auction in February 2023.And so, while the overall direction of travel is positive, Mooney is not about to buy into any premature self-congratulations about the state of women’s cricket in England, even though she acknowledges that the Hundred, with its shared facilities and double-header match-days, is one of the trendsetters in terms of offering equal opportunities for the men’s and women’s tournaments.”I’m not sure it’s quite equal billing, because the men still get paid more,” Mooney told ESPNcricinfo during a KP Snacks event at Cheetham Hill. “But yeah, in terms of the exposure, and the fan base, and the quality of the tournament, it’s certainly up there with one of the best going around. It’s doing a great job with getting more opportunities for women in this country to play cricket but, as with any women’s sport, we’re not quite there with equal billing.”Last summer, a wide-ranging report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) recommended that English cricket needs to be in a position to offer equal salaries for the Hundred by 2025. The ECB pushed back on that commitment, however, arguing that the commercial and media value of the women’s game still falls significantly short of that of the men’s.Beth Mooney (left) at a KP Snacks event at Cheetham Hill, the site of one of 100 all-weather community cricket pitches they will install across England and Wales by 2025•Wasserman

Mooney agreed that that was still the case. “I don’t know if it’s quite an achievable goal,” she said. “The men obviously bring in a lot of revenue across the world, in terms of the viewership and the broadcast and things like that, so the remuneration piece is always a bit of a tough one.”But we’ve got to keep pushing the boundaries a bit,” she added. “I think we’ve got to keep asking the right questions of the ICC, and of each of the different boards of the countries, and make sure that we’re still striving to get, first and foremost, more girls in the game, but making sure there’s equal opportunities across the board for each country and the females as well.”This time last year, a glut of Australia’s top female talent pulled out of the Hundred, partly as a consequence of their windfalls at the WPL – the average spend on the 14 Australians picked up at the auction was more than £100,000 each – but also because their major focus for their off-season had been the Women’s Ashes in June and July. This turned into a tussle for the ages, as England squared the multi-format series at 8-8 after four wins out of six in the white-ball legs.After years of dominance across formats, this was the closest Australia had come to relinquishing the Ashes since 2013-14. However, with the T20 World Cup looming in Bangladesh in October, Mooney was phlegmatic about the challenge to her team’s pre-eminence, arguing that it was the natural upshot of the huge growth in popularity of women’s cricket globally.”I don’t know if there’s really such thing as a gap, to be honest,” she said. “I think every team in the world has been getting better, just like we have. We play a lot more cricket now, so there’s always going to be times where different teams beat each other. We’re just fortunate to have those opportunities to put the game out there, and play competitive cricket.”Either way, she doesn’t envisage the sort of situation that has begun to crop up in the men’s game, whereby team-mates in franchise tournaments – such as Kuldeep Yadav and Tristan Stubbs at Delhi Capitals – are reluctant to face one another in the nets and give away secrets ahead of international tournaments.Two of England’s key bowlers, Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer, will be lining up alongside Mooney at Manchester, but she’s fairly confident that that won’t be an issue at practice.”You’d have to ask them, to be honest, but I don’t know if there’s really any chat about that in the women’s game,” she said. “We play so much franchise cricket now, and a lot of us are really good mates. And there really aren’t any secrets in the global cricket game anymore, because there’s so much vision on everyone. There’s nothing that I’m going to do that they’re going to be overly surprised about, whether it’s in the nets or in a game.”She knows, however, that there will be high expectations surrounding her Hundred return, partly as a consequence of her price tag, but also due to lingering memories of her maiden Hundred appearance in 2022 – 97 not out from 55 balls for London Spirit against Southern Brave, at the time the highest score in the competition’s history.”I mean, I’m here to score runs and help the team win games of cricket, and hopefully give bits of advice to different players along the way,” she said. “I certainly don’t look at it as anything more or less than that. Like any tournament I play in, whether it’s for Australia or back home in the Big Bash, I’ve got a job to do, and that’s that doesn’t change, no matter what colour shirt I put on.”There are certainly high expectations from my point of view. But I also know that cricket is a fickle game, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. So, at the end of the day, you can’t hang your hat on the number next to your name, because that isn’t always a measure of success in my eyes.”KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, is continuing its initiative to build 100 new community cricket pitches across England and Wales, with 35 brand new pitches going down in 2024. To find out more and search for your nearest pitch, visit www.everyonein.co.uk/pitchfinder

Match details

India vs Pakistan
Dambulla, July 19, 7.00pm local time

India and Pakistan – recent form

Let’s look at the last year for this one.India first, purely alphabetically. They have played 17 T20Is in this period and have a 10-5 win-loss record (with two games ending in no-results). Right at the top, they won the Asian Games gold in Hangzhou by beating Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final. They then lost back-to-back series at home against England and Australia, swept Bangladesh 5-0 in Sylhet and, most recently, their three-match series in Chennai against South Africa ended 1-1 with the second game washed out after one innings.Related

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Pakistan have actually played more T20I cricket in the same timeframe – 19 completed games. But they have won only seven of them while losing 12. Prior to the Asian Games, they hosted South Africa at home and had a fantastic result, winning 3-0. The Asian Games wasn’t special. They got to the semi-finals as expected, but lost to Sri Lanka there, and then to Bangladesh in the bronze-medal playoff. They have since lost a T20I series in Bangladesh, at home against West Indies, and were swept 3-0 most recently in England. The only series win came in New Zealand late last year when they won 2-1.

India vs Pakistan – head-to-head

There have been 14 fixtures between the two sides over the years but, for reasons known, no bilateral series. The only time a match was held in one of the two countries, in Delhi during the T20 World Cup 2016, Pakistan beat India by two runs in a rain-shortened game. That, though, is one of only three matches Pakistan have won against India in T20Is. India have won 11.And at the Asia Cup, too, India have a big edge. They have won five out of the six games they have played against Pakistan. The one Pakistan won, however, was at the last Asia Cup, in Sylhet, in 2022.

Players to watch

For India, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma form a destructive opening pair. Mandhana, usually the one who bats longer of the two, has 3320 T20I runs at an average of 28.13 and a strike rate of 121.83. The corresponding numbers for Shafali are 1748, 24.27 and 129.48. Getting rid of one of them quickly is often not enough for oppositions; both of them have to be removed, and fast.For Pakistan, the star is captain Nida Dar, the bowling allrounder who picks up wickets pretty much each time she bowls and can be trusted to score useful runs. And Sidra Amin has been in the middle of a purple patch with the bat – she has 205 runs from eight innings this year.

Where to watch

In India and Sri Lanka, the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 will be telecast on the Star Sports Network. The live streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website in India. []

A magnificent maiden first-class century from Ben McKinney and a dogged hundred from Alex Lees put Durham in a dominant position on day one of their Vitality County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire.McKinney, who is playing in just his second County Championship match, smashed an experienced Notts bowling attack around the park at the Seat Unique Riverside after Haseeb Hameed put the hosts into bat at the toss, while Lees anchored the Durham innings to reach three figures for the third time this season in the County Championship.McKinney was very much the aggressor in the early stages of the day as the pair put on 189 runs for the first wicket, the hosts’ highest opening stand of the season. The visitors then made a mini-fightback and picked up three wickets for 58 runs, but Lees combined with Ashton Turner for a partnership worth 122 to leave the hosts 393 for 5 at close.McKinney, who was part of the England Lions side that beat Sri Lanka last week, was excellent throughout his innings and laid a fantastic foundation for Durham in this mid-table battle. The 19-year-old dominated with some great shots, particularly on the off side, while Lees offered few opportunities as he went through the gears on the way to a 15th first-class century for Durham.Meanwhile Notts skipper Hameed will be scratching his head after his decision to bowl first allowed the hosts to post a big total. As a result his side already look like having a mountain to climb.On the opening morning at Chester-le-Street Durham managed to negotiate a tough period of opening bowling from Olly Stone, who was released from the England Test squad to play in this game, and Brett Hutton, but McKinney and Lees looked in good touch.Once he made it through the opening exchanges, McKinney looked to attack whenever he could and he hit two glorious boundaries on the off side from a Stone over. The tall left-hander passed fifty for the second time in his first-class career with a cover drive for four while Lees kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end to take the partnership past 100 just before lunch.McKinney continued where he left off after lunch as he remained positive and he picked up several boundaries including a lovely pull shot off the bowling of Hutton.Then came a flurry of milestones for the hosts with Lees reaching his fifty from 114 balls and former England Under-19s skipper McKinney brought up his maiden hundred from 117 balls with a beautiful cover drive. He then hit Freddie McCann for the first six of the match over the long-off boundary, but his excellent knock didn’t last much longer as he chipped a McCann delivery straight to midwicket and had to depart for 121.Scott Borthwick looked in good touch but Lyndon James bowled him for 26 after he left one which clipped the top of off stump and the Notts bowler struck again soon after, removing Ollie Robinson for 13, which gave the visitors some hope.While wickets were falling at the other end, Lees remained firm and joined McKinney in getting a century after tea, albeit in a somewhat different style with the former England man’s milestone coming from 223 balls with just seven boundaries.Turner, who is making his first-class bow for Durham, came to the crease and ran well between the wickets with Lees as they accumulated runs and passed 300. Turner then played a delightful pull shot for four and Lees got in on the act as he dabbed a Stone ball to the third man boundary as the hosts piled on the runs.The second new ball initially couldn’t help Notts in their pursuit of wickets as Turner reached his fifty from 70 balls. However, Hutton then bowled Lees for 145 to end a fine innings and give the visitors a sniff in the final stages of the day.James picked up his third of the day as Graham Clark went for 7, but Turner remained unbeaten on 62 at stumps.