Victoria are closing in on the Sheffield Shield final after another strong day at the WACA

Tristan Lavalette15-Mar-2023

Opener Marcus Harris hit a sublime 84 before quick Scott Boland again tormented Western Australia as Victoria moved closer to a pivotal Sheffield Shield victory at the WACA.Enjoying a first innings lead of 176, Victoria’s strong attack continually threatened late on day two with WA reaching stumps at 3 for 88.After taking 4 for 29 in WA’s first innings, having rushed back from Australia’s Test tour of India, Boland dismissed opener Sam Whiteman lbw for a duck.Related

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WA’s woes deepened when teenager Teague Wyllie fell for 16 to leave the hosts in tatters at 2 for 25.Routed for 122 on the opening day, particularly bogged down by Victoria’s disciplined bowling, WA decided to play more aggressively as Hilton Cartwright led the way with a slew of fluent strokes.He combined with opener Cameron Bancroft, the leading run-scorer this season, in a steadying half-century partnership to provide hope for WABut Boland summoned one last burst before stumps and bowled Bancroft, who inside-edged onto his stumps attempting a drive.Having already secured a home final starting on March 23, WA have so far been unable to match the intensity of a desperate Victoria who are locked in a fierce battle with second-placed Queensland for a spot in the decider.After a dreary opening day, where just 192 runs were scored in 91 overs, left-handed Harris provided a spark as he sped past his half-century.He was in imperious touch with sweet drives down the ground to dominate a weakened WA attack without regular quicks Joel Paris and Matt Kelly. Harris scored at a run-a-ball pace before out of nowhere being caught behind down the leg-side off seamer David Moody.It was essentially Harris’ first mistake in his 140-ball knock and the former Test player, who last played for Australia during the 2021-22 Ashes, knew he left a big score on the table.Harris was furious with the dismissal and shouted his disgust as he trudged into Victoria’s dressing room. But his wicket failed to halt Victoria’s momentum with in-form Matt Short, who has scored three tons in his last five innings, in glorious form.He drove beautifully down the ground to pounce on wayward bowling from WA’s quicks, who were unable to conjure menacing movement like their counterparts from the previous day.Short combined with 20-year-old Campbell Kellaway in a century partnership as Victoria eyed a massive first innings lead. After an uninspiring effort from WA’s frontline seamers, Cartwright sparked his subdued team with a terrific spell in the second session.Cartwright was selected as an allrounder for two Test matches in 2017, but rarely bowls these days. He had only bowled 4.4 overs in the Shield season before his six-over burst accounted for three wickets, including Kellaway for 64 off 167 balls. Cartwright triggered a slide for Victoria as Short’s brilliant 95-ball innings ended when he mistimed to mid-off.Victoria were left slightly disappointed at their vice-like grip on the contest being loosened, but they remain firmly in the box seat after Boland’s late heroics.

“Cheers Broady!” beamed Ollie Pope, smiling from ear to ear, cheeks tinged with a bit of embarrassment.Moments before he sits down for Friday’s media engagement at the team hotel, Pope is informed of the words of Stuart Broad, who had been in that chair five minutes earlier.”I think Pope is a great leader in the group, actually,” Broad said after Pope captained an England warm-up match for the second time in three months, this time acting as Ben Stokes’ understudy in Hamilton against a New Zealand XI, after a first go in Abu Dhabi against England Lions ahead of the Pakistan series.Related

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“He’s grown so much in the last year, the way he operates, the confidence and responsibility he’s been given. He speaks really well in the group, he’s got a great cricket mind. There’s no doubt you can see him as a future England captain.”He’s been probably the most impressive growing cricketer in the group that I’ve seen over the last year. From where his confidence was to where he is now. How Popey has grown as a character is very impressive.”There aren’t many better to gauge what makes a good Test captain given Broad has played under six of them across his 16 years and 159 caps at this level. The 36-year old was covertly given vice-captain duties last summer and came close to stepping up for the main job at Headingley against New Zealand when Stokes was battling with an illness. As such, his lauding of Pope as one in waiting carries considerable weight.Pope, while appreciating the compliment, is in no rush to get to that point. Nor does he quite regard himself as a FEC (Future England Captain). His only previous dalliance with captaincy in professional cricket came in September 2021, when standing in for Rory Burns for Surrey’s County Championship match against Glamorgan. Beyond that were games at the helm for Surrey under-17s and Cranleigh School.”I don’t necessarily see that. I’m going to keep developing my cricket brain,” Pope said. “If that opportunity came up in the future I’ll make sure I can learn as much as possible before then.”But at the same time, I realise I’ve got a big job at number three to keep doing. If I can keep impressing there who knows what the future holds. But I’ll keep learning and developing as an all-round cricketer as much as I can. If that happens (becoming England captain), great. If not, that’s okay.”There’s no doubt Pope’s new home at number three adds to the overriding sense of maturity around the 25-year old. Even the acquisition of the role spoke of a kid wanting to fast-track himself to seniority: calling up Stokes not long after the allrounder had been made Test captain and all but demanding the only available slot in the batting order.Results, so far, have been sound, averaging 40.82 – above the career rate of 32.56 – from 10 Tests at first drop, with two of his three centuries to date. It is clear from those numbers we are still at the early stage of all this with Pope, as we are with the Test side under Brendon McCullum.For a batter who had the whiff of arrested development at the highest level in his first 23 appearances, beginning with a wide-eyed debut at Lord’s in 2018 against India aged 20, this phase of his career has been somewhat overdue. It is something Pope acknowledges, not least because he recognises how conducive the environment has been to his evolution into a senior member of the changing room after those early growing pains.”I think that tough (period) however long it was – and it felt like a long time – allowed me to get to where I am now. We’ve got this great mindset as a team at the minute and as a batting unit we’re not fearing getting out and I think we spent too long worrying about our techniques and worrying about how the bowler is going to get us out rather than work and score runs.”That’s probably showing in the way we are playing at the minute with our strike rates and things like that. But it’s also allowing us to feel like it is our team and stop spending time dwelling on too many negatives. That’s come down from the top: Stokesy and Baz have been top drawer in terms of simplifying Test cricket for us all.”Pope admits to being more robust emotionally, too. Back in the pandemic summer of 2020, he was the first cricketer to open up about the “intense and challenging” bio-secure bubbles. It was a welcome admission, especially as many of his team-mates felt the same but had not yet articulated as much.Ollie Pope has evolved to become a senior member in England’s dressing room•Getty Images

“I’m not that experienced now – I’m only 25 – but I’ll be able to deal with that a lot better now. I guess Pakistan was a similar environment in terms of you’re not really allowed to get out of the hotel. But the way we deal with it as a team now is a lot better.”We ended up playing X-box and playing cricket and then spending too much time doing those two things, probably, for that whole summer. It was so hard to switch off and I let my cricket performance affect the mood I’m in as a person, which is a pretty bad way to be, I think, especially at this level when there’s so much pressure on.”I can see cricket from a bit more perspective. It’s still my priority, I’m not one of those players who’ve had kids and seen a new side of things. It’s more that I’ve allowed the pressure to be taken off a little bit and trust you can bounce back after some low performances. If I was to go back into that Covid bubble then I’d deal with it a lot better than I necessarily have done or did do in the past.”Focus, for now, will be squarely on batting. The distraction of wicketkeeping, which crept up on him on the previous tour of Pakistan when Ben Foakes fell ill on the morning of the first Test, and carried over into the second Test for tactical reasons, looks to have come to an end. Unless there is another spanner in the works, which was the case back on the 2019 tour here when Pope took the gloves in Hamilton after Jos Buttler broke a finger. He has his own with him this time, having borrowed Foakes’ in Rawalpindi and Multan.The most intriguing aspect of the next two weeks will be how New Zealand approach these two Tests, starting in Mount Maunganui on Thursday. They were the first to be stung by the new era at the start of the last English summer, whitewashed in emphatic fashion. Pope, like the rest, expect a reaction. Perhaps even a replication of the fast scoring, particularly with Tim Southee exhibiting some McCullum-like qualities in the early days of his Test captaincy.”I’m interested to see that: see if they adjust, how they play, slightly. But obviously at the same time that series in the summer we won three-nil but in each of those Test matches there were points that it could have gone either way so they’ll probably see it from that perspective and they’ll stick to what they do well and probably trust what they do in their own conditions.”It’s exciting, we’ve sort of seen glimpses of the way we play going to other teams at points and so it’ll be interesting to see if anything that we’ve done has rubbed off on them.”

Jamie Carragher have explained why Liverpool fans have turned against Trent Alexander-Arnold before his imminent free transfer to Real Madrid.

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• Alexander-Arnold set to leave Anfield for free
• Fans have expressed dissent against him
• Carragher understands the emotion behind the outrage

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international, whose contract with Liverpool runs out this summer, is poised to join Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer, a development that has sparked anger and disappointment among Reds fans. During Liverpool’s recent 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield, the atmosphere took a sour turn when Alexander-Arnold was brought on as a substitute. Rather than receiving a warm reception, the full-back was met with audible boos and jeers from the stands. For many, it was a shocking moment given how much Alexander-Arnold has contributed to the club’s success over the past seven years.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alexander-Arnold’s career at Liverpool has been nothing short of remarkable. The 25-year-old Scouser has lifted the Champions League, two Premier League titles, and a collection of domestic cups, all while redefining the role of the modern full-back with his creativity and passing range. But as his exit nears, frustration has taken over gratitude. Many fans feel betrayed – not necessarily because he’s leaving, but because of how he’s doing it. With no transfer fee involved, his free departure to a major European rival stings even more.

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• WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

  Carragher has stepped in to provide insight into why fans feel so let down by Alexander-Arnold’s decision. Speaking on , Carragher delved into the emotional bond between the fans and the player, and how that relationship has now fractured.

  "I think this is a point that frustrates Liverpool supporters even more about the transfer because…you've gotta remember this is probably the most talked about full-back because he's unique and when we think about great full-backs, yourself included (Gary Neville), you think about really good defenders and he's different," Carragher argued.

  "We get that. But this is again why Liverpool supporters feel really upset. Liverpool fans feel they have been fighting for their boy for like eight years to everybody, whether its's you on or whether it's Roy (Keane) in the Sky studio. Supporters on the ground saying, 'Reece James is better', 'Kyle Walker'. 'Trent can't defend'. 'He can't do this'. Liverpool fans feel really upset about him, because they feel they've been defending this lad to everybody against the country.

  "England in the summer, midfield, is he there? Everyone feels the country's on top of him. So I get that, he might not feel appreciated, but the Liverpool supporters think, we've been the ones who've been absolutely dying for you and championing you and defending you to everyone and then you've left on a free!"

Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph impressed on a slow pitch to subdue South Africa

Firdose Moonda18-Mar-2023
For an ODI with nothing riding on it, this one had a little bit of everything.Temba Bavuma struck his second successive international century, third in 2023, and notched up a career-best 144 but Shai Hope, captaining West Indies for the first time, trumped the home captain’s effort. Hope brought up his 14th ODI century and anchored West Indies to post their highest score against South Africa in the format and the second highest at Buffalo Park. It proved enough as West Indies registered a 48-run victory over South Africa, seven years after the last completed ODI between these two, in June 2016.West Indies, who have played all their World Cup Super League matches and barring Sri Lanka and South Africa being blanked by New Zealand and Netherlands respectively are certain to participate in the qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June, will be pleased with the way they acquitted themselves in this match. On a slow surface, their batters adapted well and there were three half-century stands in their innings, while Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Akeal Hosein made good use of the short, slower ball and spin respectively to sufficiently challenge South Africa. As a result, they earned their sixth win in 28 ODIs in South Africa and 16th in 64 meetings.South Africa are also in a precarious position in terms of automatic qualification for this years’ 50-over World Cup, and will reflect on this match as a test of their depth and the work still to be done. They fielded four debutants, as a result of squad rotation, injuries and illnesses, and will know there’s work to be done. Of the three new batters – Ryan Rickleton, Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs – the first two were foxed by spin and Stubbs was victim to a short ball. The bowling newbie, Gerald Coetzee, was South Africa’s most successful and joint-most economical bowler, but was run-out as he failed to slide his bat in late in the piece. That’s a harsh criticism with more attention to be put on Lungi Ngidi lack of variations, Marco Jansen’s uncertainty on his lengths and the composition of the attack, which had only five bowlers and not enough slower bowling options.West Indies cruised to 66 without loss in eight overs before left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin was introduced. At domestic level, Fortuin has made a habit of taking wickets in his opening over and he did exactly that, albeit not with his best ball. Mayers pulled a half-tracker to Rickelton at deep midwicket to spark a mini-collapse. West Indies lost three wickets in 12 balls, and found themselves on 71 for 3 in the 11th over.It was up to the current and former captains – Hope and Nicholas Pooran – to rebuild. They took on the spinners, with good use of the feet and Jansen, who continued to struggle to find the right length, and shared a stand of 86 runs off 80 balls before Pooran dragged a short, slower Coetzee ball to Rassie van der Dussen at midwicket to depart for 39 and bring T20I captain, Rovman Powell to the crease.Powell should have been out six when he drilled the ball back to Tabraiz Shamsi, who could not hold on his followthrough and went on to cost South Africa 40 runs. Powell put on 80 for the fifth wicket with Hope before he bottom-edged another Coetzee short ball onto his stumps and South Africa could apply a squeeze. They gave away just eight runs in the next 22 balls, including a scoreless over from Jansen to keep West Indies fairly quiet at a crucial stage.Kyle Mayers trapped Quinton de Kock lbw for 48•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesHope neared the 90s with sixes off Fortuin and Ngidi and put on 42 with Holder, who was dismissed on review to Shamsi. Hope also lost Hosein to an inswinging Jansen yorker and then brought up his hundred off the 104th ball he faced. West Indies scored 93 runs off the last ten overs, including 40 runs off the last three overs, and Hope hit 28 runs off the last nine balls he faced to set South Africa a steep target.They were required to complete their fourth-highest successful chase and started well. Quinton de Kock, who had not played a competitive match since his last appearance at the SA20 almost six weeks ago, showed no signs of rust. He latched onto anything overpitched – and West Indies offered plenty in the first five overs – or on the pads. South Africa brought up fifty in six overs, de Kock survived an lbw appeal from Holder, which was reviewed, and was then given out on 48 to expose an inexperienced middle order that Bavuma marshalled.He brought up his third ODI fifty with a clean strike off Mayers over extra cover that went for six, similar to the stroke that took him to a second Test century last week. West Indies used the second and last review at the end of that over, when Mayers thought he had Bavuma lbw in similar fashion to de Kock but ball tracking showed it was missing leg stump.South Africa were 123 for 1 at the first drinks’ break, when West Indies brought on their legspinner Yannic Cariah. With his first ball, he beat Rickelton’s inside edge with a quick legbreak and got the lbw decision. Rickelton reviewed, reluctantly and unsuccessfully, to bring another debutant, Tony de Zorzi, to the crease. De Zorzi almost played the second ball he faced onto his stumps but it squirted past for four. He played some sweet strokes before being bowled by a flat, quick ball from Hosein.Rassie van der Dussen never looked comfortable at the crease and survived an lbw appeal and a stumping chance before pulling a Joseph bouncer to fine leg. Tristan Stubbs, on debut, top-edged a short, slower ball from Odean Smith straight up and Hope took a simple catch to open up South Africa’s lower order.Jansen’s first runs came off an outside edge, leaving Bavuma on strike, on 99, at the start of the 31st over. He sent Hosein through extra cover for a single to bring up his fourth ODI century, and second this year. South Africa still needed 121 runs off 115 balls.West Indies would have thought the game was up when Jansen holed out to long-on and Fortuin was stumped later that over, but Bavuma took it deep. He surpassed his previous career-best score of 113 and then hit three sixes off a Cariah over and confidently rotated strike with Ngidi. Their ninth-wicket stand reached 49 before Bavuma gloved Joseph down leg to end a valiant effort. South Africa were bowled out two balls later when Shamsi nicked off and Joseph finished with three.

A cushion of over 200 runs to defend in a T20 game can be a double-edged sword. While it certainly puts the chasing team under pressure, it could also induce bowlers into taking it easy – or the opposition taking the game head on with little to lose.Alyssa Healy did just that, giving UP Warriorz a fast start in their chase of 212. Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey bore the brunt of Healy’s fire and so the Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning turned quite quickly to her left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.Related

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Jonassen’s first ball was on the pads and Healy dispatched it to the deep square leg boundary. She then tossed it up wider outside off a couple of balls later, enticing Healy to come down the track and go over the top and had her slicing to backward point. Healy’s innings was cut short for 24 off 17, and Capitals had won half the battle.Two balls later, Jonassen also had hard-hitting batter Kiran Navgire, holing out to long-on. Two down inside four overs, Jonassen had successfully managed to put Capitals on course for their second win in as many games.But Jonassen had done much more than spearhead Capitals’ defence. Her unbeaten 42 off just 20 balls had powered them to their second successive 200-plus score in the WPL. For Queensland Fire in the Women’s National Cricket League and for Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League, Jonassen is used to batting in the top order, but in a power-packed batting line-up like Australia, her batting skills are seldom needed.Capitals have similar firepower at the top. Lanning’s second successive half-century and her fifty-run opening stand with Shafali Verma had once again got them off to a quick start. Lanning kept finding the boundaries regularly, first in the company of Kapp and then Jemimah Rodrigues. Alice Capsey blitzed a ten-ball 21 after Rajeshwari Gayakwad managed to get the better of Lanning once again.Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 90 wasn’t enough to chase down 212•BCCI

So when Jonassen found herself in the middle with less than six overs left, she had a platform to tee off from, with a well-set Rodrigues for company.Jonassen’s first boundary came via an inside edge off Deepti Sharma’s offspin. She then played the field when she made room and lofted left-arm seamer Anjali Sarvani over extra cover to target the shorter off-side boundary. She powered Sophie Ecclestone past mid-on before giving her Australian team-mate Tahlia McGrath some special treatment.A length ball was lofted over long-on before Jonassen smacked McGrath over wide mid-off. Rodrigues then hit back-to-back fours to finish the 19th over that went for 19 runs. Jonassen also slog swept Deepti far over deep midwicket to bring up Capitals’ 200.After those batting exploits and her two wickets in her first over, Jonassen went for 35 off her last three overs and dismissed Devika Vaidya. Warriorz, however, never picked up enough momentum in their chase after Healy and Navgire fell in succession. In a surprising decision, they had opted to play an extra seamer in Shabnim Ismail at the expense of Grace Harris, who had helped them chase down 53 in the last three overs against Gujarat Giants.McGrath tried her best to challenge the target despite running out of partners and firepower at the other end. She added 49 off 40 with Vaidya before having another 40-run partnership with Simran Shaikh off just 19 balls to finish unbeaten on 90. Delhi eventually prevailed by 42 runs, and are locked in a race with Mumbai Indians for the place at the top of the table.

Tahlia McGrath, Parshavi Chopra, Sophie Ecclestone and Rajeshwari Gayakwad also play key roles as Gujarat Giants are knocked out

Zenia D'Cunha20-Mar-2023

Just like the first Gujarat Giants vs UP Warriorz game, this one went down to the penultimate ball too, and just like then, Grace Harris played the match-defining hand. The end result was a three-wicket win for Warriorz, which put them in the WPL playoffs. It also meant the end of the road for Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first season of the WPL.Last time around, Harris had struck an unbeaten 26-ball 59 to take Warriorz to victory. She got out in the penultimate over here after scoring 72 off 41 balls, but it was seven from seven at that stage. By then, she and Tahlia McGrath, who scored 57 while putting on a 78-run stand with Harris, had done most of the work.The final over had it all – desperate dives, a run-out, and then the clever hit for the winning runs. Sneh Rana, the Giants captain, had the ball, but in front of her was the calm Sophie Ecclestone, whose bat had ended Mumbai Indians’ winning streak in their previous game. Simran Shaikh was run-out off the fourth ball, but with two needed off two, Ecclestone walked across her stumps and paddled Rana to the vacant fine-leg region for four.Grace Harris slammed a quick fifty on her way to a 41-ball 72•BCCI

It could have all been different for Rana, and Giants, though, had she run Harris out backing up at the non-striker’s end in the ninth over. Harris was on 11 then, and Rana stopped in her bowling stride and appeared to give the non-striker a verbal warning.For Giants, meanwhile, it was an end to a campaign that started with the controversy over Deandra Dottin, included losing their captain Beth Mooney to injury, and just two wins in all.They had reached a respectable 178 for 6, riding on an excellent 93-run partnership between D Hemalatha (57 in 33 balls) and Ashleigh Gardner (60 in 39). Sophia Dunkley and Laura Wolvaardt went big at the top too.That pushed them to 41 after four overs, but Alyssa Healy was rotating her bowlers around, and brought back Anjali Sarvani in the fifth over. The left-arm seamer Sarvani castled Wolvaardt first ball, and in the very next over Rajeshwari Gayakwad struck twice, sending back Dunkley and Harleen Deol.Parshavi Chopra sent back D Hemalatha and Ashleigh Gardner in successive overs•BCCI

That’s when Hemalatha and Gardner got together and dug in. Hemalatha was the early aggressor, getting to her fifty off 30 balls with some clean hitting. Gardner got to her own half-century off 35 balls too, and Giants were on course for a big score.But Parshavi Chopra, all of 16, made the difference. She broke the stand when she got Hemalatha caught at the boundary, and, in her next over, a beautifully flighted legspinner deceived the advancing Gardner for a stumping dismissal.Still, with 178 on the board, Giants had a chance. They needed a huge win to have a chance of staying in the tournament but the target had given themselves a shot. It got even better for them when Warriorz were 39 for 3 in the fifth over.Given Warriorz’s line-up, the game hinged on the partnership between McGrath and Harris, and the two Australians stood up to the challenge magnificently. They couldn’t finish the job, but did enough.

James Anderson is a doubt for England’s first Test of the summer, starting against Ireland on June 1, after confirmation that he had suffered a “minor strain to his right groin” while playing for Lancashire.Anderson did not participate any further in the County Championship game against Somerset at Old Trafford after returning figures of 14-7-16-2 on day one. His absence was met with no official update of an injury until the ECB belatedly released the news on Sunday evening, less than three weeks before the game at Lord’s.England are expected to announce their squad to face Ireland next week, with Anderson, who went for a scan on Saturday, set to be “assessed nearer the time”, according to an ECB statement.With the Ashes beginning in little over a month, and Lancashire playing no first-class cricket between now and June 11, Anderson could struggle to prove his fitness ahead of the first Test of the series at Edgbaston.The injury will spark memories of Australia’s visit in 2019, when Anderson played the opener but bowled just four overs before suffering a series-ending calf strain. The 40-year-old, who is the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history, has played four out of five matches for Lancashire so far this season, claiming 16 wickets at 20.30.England are already likely to be without Jofra Archer for the start of the Ashes, after the fast bowler returned early from the IPL to continue rehabilitation on a longstanding elbow problem, while Olly Stone is expected to be out for a number of weeks due to a hamstring strain sustained while playing for Nottinghamshire.

England opener bounces back from T20I axing with formidable Ashes innings

Valkerie Baynes24-Jun-2023

When Tammy Beaumont was axed last summer from England’s T20 set-up – on the eve of a seminal Commonwealth Games campaign no less – it was the sort of shattering blow that would make any self-respecting sportsperson assess their priorities.”I went away, and asked myself if I even wanted to play anymore,” Beaumont told Sky Sports at the close of a momentous third day at Trent Bridge. “I wondered whether it was time, whether I was past it … I decided I wasn’t.”I thought, you know what? There’s life in the old girl yet. I’m only 32. So I worked hard, and changed my mindset to being as positive as possible, and get back to the Tammy Beaumont of a couple years ago.”And so, while it would be stretching a point to suggest that Beaumont’s record-breaking Test double-century on day three of the Women’s Ashes Test was a direct retort to the selectors for their decision to ditch her from England’s T20 set-up (on 99 caps), the player herself admitted that many of the lessons of that setback had informed her innings of 208, the highest by an England Women’s player in Tests.”It’s certainly not been on my mind the last three or four days,” Beaumont said. “Test-match cricket is very different to T20 cricket, even though the England men try to make it look pretty similar. But I think how I’ve worked this winter on my game the whole way around, that probably has had an impact in my trying to find that motivation to get better and to improve.”I’ve worked on trying to not get hit on the front pad so much and get out lbw. That came about from trying to be more aggressive in the T20 game and access midwicket and, because of that, I’m defending the ball better, so I guess in an indirect way, that’s played a part. But it’s also reminded me that I’ve got a lot of cricket left that I want to play for England. Whether that’s in T20 cricket or not, who knows at the moment? But I certainly want to keep getting better and representing our team.”And while she has made peace with the fact that she may never reach that coveted century of T20I caps, Beaumont acknowledged that her performances in the shortest format at regional level had played a part in her sudden ability to rack up runs seemingly at will.”Something’s just clicked the last couple of weeks,” she said. “In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, I’d been finding a way to get out in the 40s and a lot of people tell you that kills careers, so I’m really glad that something clicked at the right time to push on and bat long. I guess I’m hitting them okay at the minute.”Beaumont had given a hint of what was to come when she retired on 201 off 238 balls in England’s three-day warm-up match against Australia A on a Leicester pitch that was even more conducive to batting than this Trent Bridge surface. Her latest knock was perfectly timed, including sublime footwork, strokeplay and concentration spanning more than eight hours after fielding at close quarters for much of the previous day-and-a-half.Related

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Ellyse Perry: Getting out for 99 is a 'bummer' but life goes on

Tammy Beaumont rides luck to realise her 2005 dream with Ashes Test ton

“Something that I have worked on over the last few months, is getting that mindset right and being in control of my own mind,” Beaumont said. “I used to hate meditation. I’d do it when I was really stressed and then hate it because it didn’t work. But what I’ve actually started looking at is more attention-focus.”At tea and at lunch, I just sat there and almost was just breathing and trying to control my mind and I think that’s definitely helped me. Play and miss one, fine, let it go, breathe it out and just reset and be clear every time. I still think I’m rubbish at meditation, but it certainly feels like I managed to control that mind the whole time, and that’s what Test cricket is.””My body was probably pretty tired and I actually didn’t sleep very well last night, but the fact that I’ve managed to play the way I did today is all about controlling this,” she added, tapping her head.Beaumont also remained supremely focused on the endgame throughout her innings – not least when she went to the tea break five short of her landmark, and had to navigate the attentions of the media en route to the dressing-room.”They tried to put me off by doing an interview for a different broadcaster at tea, when I’m 195 …” she told Sky Sports. “‘Get. Off. The. Pitch!’ But luckily I just had a day out today. I was just in the zone the entire time, and I reckon the girls will tell you, I said absolutely nothing at tea … just steely eyes.”When she passed Betty Snowball’s 88-year-old record of 189 for England’s highest individual Test score by a woman, it was also all about the bigger picture.”When I hit the ball, I heard it was announced over the ground and Sophie Ecclestone was desperate to give me a hug and I was like, ‘no, no job’s not done here’, so I just sent her away,” Beaumont said. “I guess I was just in the zone and just wasn’t even thinking about records. I was thinking about the game situation. It’s pretty cool but it’s about the game at the minute.”She did let her emotions, pent up for so long in a high-pressure situation, go briefly when she brought up her 200, skipping towards the dressing-room and roaring to her team-mates with a clenched fist before acknowledging the applause of the 6,951-strong crowd who had been willing her to the landmark for some time, greeting each key moment in the build up with “oohs” and “aaahs”.”I’d been pretty calm for 300-and-however-many balls, but I thought if you’re going to score a double-hundred, you might as well really let it rip,” she said.Beaumont even expressed disappointment that when she was the last wicket to fall, bowled trying to sweep offspinner Ashleigh Gardner who ended with four wickets, England were still 10 runs behind. Never mind that she had helped them to 463, the highest total by any team against Australia Women in Tests.”Even when I got to 200 there, I felt like I still had a job to do, I felt like we’re still just a little bit behind and I was desperate to get those last 12 or 13 runs to get us ahead of the game. I think that would have set it up nicely,” she said, adding that with the adrenaline still pumping she had begun to reflect on an achievement that was “pretty cool to have done”.By the close of play, Australia had pushed their advantage to 92 without loss and while Gardner said some cracks had started to appear in the pitch, which could play to her team’s advantage on the fifth day, Beaumont believed there were still runs in the surface yet. And it felt safe to argue that she knew all about that.

Jack Grealish took to Instagram to reflect on a long summer break with loved ones as he prepares to make a decision on his Manchester City future.

Grealish shares snaps of summer breakGirlfriend Sasha and Oasis children featureMan City star is expected to leave this summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish shared a series of snaps depicting his summer adventures to his 8.6 million Instagram followers, where he reflected on a "needed" break which has left him recharged and prepared to go again in the new football season. One snap featured Grealish posing with girlfriend Sasha Attwood and baby daughter Mila, while another standout in the 'photo dump' saw the City star alongside five of Oasis legends Liam and Noel Gallagher's children – Lennon, Gene, Anais, Sonny and Donovan – at one of the band's reunion gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park.

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Grealish was able to take this time to recharge as he was left out of Pep Guardiola's Club World Cup squad after falling increasingly out of favour last campaign. The consensus between all parties is believed to be that now is the right time for Grealish to move on from Man City, with the club set to make a huge loss on the £100m they shelled out for him in 2021. A move has yet to materialise, though this may have partially been due to Grealish's extended time away. He has also spent time training alone this summer.

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Grealish said: "Wundaful long needed break with good people. Motivated and ready to go again."

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WHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

The 29-year-old will hope to have a new home next season if he is to have the best chance of forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad. Boyhood club Aston Villa have been touted to make a move for their former captain, while a sensational switch to link up with Kevin De Bruyne at Serie A champions Napoli has also been rumoured.

At 31 years old, José Zúñiga is set for the biggest challenge of his career – wearing Club América’s jersey.

• Zúñiga shared the Golden Boot last season with 12 goals for Xolos
• He played over 100 games in Mexico’s second division before reaching Liga MX
• Made his debut last night vs. his former club, Tijuana

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  José Zúñiga, nicknamed, is facing the biggest challenge of his career: representing Club América, the most decorated team in Liga MX history. Though the 31-year-old Colombian striker has played more games in Mexico’s second division than in the top flight, he now finds himself on the grandest stage of Mexican football.

  Zúñiga understands the weight of the opportunity, and he’s embracing it with full ambition.

  “I’ve always dreamed of winning a title. I think this club gives me that chance to become a champion, and I’m going to fight for it,” he said in an interview with the club’s media. “I still have many dreams to fulfill, and I believe with this team, I can go very far.”

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• WHAT JOSÉ ZÚÑIGA SAID

  Zúñiga also emphasized the responsibility that comes with playing for a club of América’s stature, saying he fully understands the winning DNA that defines the institution.

  “Commitment, demands, responsibility – we know this is a club used to winning, that never gives up. The fans are demanding; they always want to celebrate and win titles. That’s what this team is about,” he added.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Zúñiga’s journey in Mexican football began in the second division, where he played 104 matches for Dorados de Sinaloa and Potros UAEM. He later featured in 29 games for Querétaro and 53 for Tijuana, where he scored 23 goals, including 12 last season to share the Liga MX Golden Boot.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ZÚÑIGA AND CLUB AMÉRICA?

  The Colombian has already played his first minutes with América in their 3-1 victory over Tijuana in Matchday 2. On Sunday, will face Toluca in the Campeón de Campeones match, a clash that carries a sense of revenge after losing the Clausura 2025 final.