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Arsenal are now willing to meet the £30m asking price for a “flamboyant” forward, and they hold an advantage over another Premier League club in the race for his signature, according to a report.

Gunners' striker search continues

After taking up the role of sporting director last week, Andrea Berta has wasted no time searching for a new striker, with a number of Europe’s most exciting forwards on the shortlist, including RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

The groundwork has already been laid for Berta to sign the Slovenian, should the Italian wish to do so, with Sesko keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium, but he is not the only target the Gunners have in mind.

Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres is also of interest to the north Londoners, and there is a feeling Berta could get a deal wrapped up early doors in the summer, with a move possible for a fee of around £70m.

Not only is Mikel Arteta keen to bring in a new striker, but the manager may also look to bolster his options out wide, given that he has lacked depth at times this season, with Bukayo Saka spending large parts of the season sidelined due to injury.

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now willing to meet the £30m asking price to sign Deportivo de La Coruna winger Yeremay Hernandez, having set their sights on the 22-year-old due to his performances in the Spanish second tier this season.

Fulham are also in the race for Hernandez, but the Gunners should have the advantage in the race for his signature, given the project on offer at the Emirates Stadium.

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Ipswich Town (a)

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Crystal Palace (h)

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Arteta wants to reduce the burden on Saka next season, and the Spaniard could be the man to do so, with a move to the Premier League deemed to be an attractive proposition for the winger.

"Flamboyant" Hernandez impressing in Spain

Albeit in the second tier, the Deportivo star has been very impressive this season, picking up 11 goals and four assists in 30 La Liga 2 appearances, which is a solid tally, given that he is playing for a mid-table side.

The winger has most commonly been deployed on the left side, but he is also capable of playing on the right, potentially making him a solid back-up option for Saka, although his performances this term indicate he could also push for Gabriel Martinelli’s starting spot.

£60m speedster "keen" to join Arsenal with groundwork laid for Berta deal

He’s got one eye on a move to the Emirates.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 5, 2025

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the forward as “flamboyant”, while also praising his pace and dribbling ability, with his attacking numbers this season demonstrating he has a keen eye for goal too.

It may be viewed as a risk to shell out £30m on a player who’s unproven in a major league, but Hernandez’s performances indicate he could be capable of making the step up to a top club.

One of them has played international cricket already, and the others could be on their way to the highest level soon

Deivarayan Muthu27-Aug-2024

Jewel Andrew (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)

A prodigy, who had reeled off five successive centuries in a schools’ league and captained the Leeward Islands Under-15 side, Jewel Andrew is arguably the most exciting young talent that will be on show in CPL 2024. Andrew, now 17, could well become the youngest player ever to feature in the CPL (if he makes his debut before the playoffs). Currently, that record belongs to Nicholas Pooran who made his CPL debut at the age of 17 years and 300 days.Earlier this year, Andrew emerged as West Indies’ top scorer at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, with 207 runs in four innings at an average of 69.00 and strike rate of 109.52. Prior to the World Cup, he was the second-highest run-getter in the Cool & Smooth T20 tournament in Antigua and Barbuda, with 323 runs in nine innings at an average of 40.38 and a strike rate of 110.62. Andrew can also keep wicket, which could give Antigua & Barbuda Falcons greater flexibility with their combination.Matthew Forde’s trademark celebratory leap, which the world outside the Caribbean is starting to get familiar with•AFP/Getty Images

Matthew Forde (St Lucia Kings)

Forde isn’t quite a rookie like the other four names in this list, having already broken into West Indies’ T20I side and some franchise leagues, including the Lanka Premier League, Pakistan Super League and Global T20 Canada. A strong all-round performance this season could propel him further into being a more regular member of West Indies’ white-ball sides and even on the radar of the IPL teams.Forde shares a birthday with Andre Russell and has modelled his game on the T20 legend. The 22-year-old is rated highly by former West Indies left-arm seamer Pedro Collins, who had originally recommended Forde’s name to coach Daren Sammy at St Lucia Kings. Collins had coached Forde for a while and would often give him a lift to and from training. Forde is also one of the few bowlers in the Caribbean who can genuinely swing the new ball.Nathan Edward has played in two Under-19 World Cups•ICC/Getty Images

Nathan Edward (Trinbago Knight Riders)

A left-arm quick from Sint Maarten, Nathan Edward is perhaps the missing piece in Trinbago Knight Riders’ jigsaw. Knight Riders have been big on left-arm seamers in various other leagues but lacked local bowlers of this variety in the CPL.Edward has played in two U-19 World Cups and more recently won a contract with the Leeward Islands Hurricane franchise team. Edward has had exposure outside of the Caribbean as well, having been part of Bahawalpur Royals’ run to the title in Pakistan Junior League 2022.Having been mentored by Imran Tahir during the league in Lahore, Edward will now go up against Tahir, who had led Guyana Amazon Warriors to their first CPL title last year.Isai Thorne has been tipped to play international cricket soon•ICC via Getty Images

Isai Thorne (Barbados Royals)

An out-and-out fast bowler, Thorne is set for his first CPL stint as a full-time player, with Barbados Royals, after having battled injuries at the age-group level. Thorne, who will turn 20 in September, has already had a brief taste of the CPL, having earned a development scholarship with Amazon Warriors last season. Thorne’s extra pace and zip will complement the slower variations of Obed McCoy, Naveen-ul-Haq and Jason Holder at Royals.In the 2023-24 Super 50 competition, Thorne made his List A debut for Combined Campuses and Colleges, emerging as their joint second-highest wicket-taker, with seven strikes in four matches. Tipped to become a future international, Thorne spent time with the West Indies Test team as a development player under Andre Coley during their tour of England earlier this year.Kelvin Pitman took out Mark Deyal, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard on CPL debut last season•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Kelvin Pitman (Antigua & Barbuda Falcons)

Along with Thorne, Kelvin Pitman is among the fastest young quicks in the Caribbean. Brought in by Jamaica Tallawahs as a replacement player in CPL 2023, he had a debut to remember, taking out Mark Deyal, Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard, no less, on his way to figures of 3 for 27 in Barbados. In CPL 2024, the 21-year-old will turn out for his home franchise Falcons, having been locked in as a pre-draft signing.After grabbing eyeballs in CPL 2023, Pitman was added to the West Indies Academy team to play against the Ireland Emerging players, both at home and away. In the lead-up to CPL 2024, he worked with Rayad Emrit, former West Indies allrounder and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots captain, and fine-tuned his skills.

Captains can decide XIs after the toss from the 13 named before it, but Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals are yet to make use of the provision

Firdose Moonda25-Jan-2023Four of the six SA20 teams have changed their XIs after the toss in line with the playing conditions that allows a captain to name 13 available players before the toss and whittle that down to 11 afterwards. That means teams were tinkered with in fewer than one-fifth of the 22 matches played so far, with the organisers conceding that the number is a little less than they anticipated, and team managements still trying to come up with ways to use this tactic to their advantage.Allowing teams to change their combinations after the toss is a unique feature of the SA20, and was put in place to create a more even playing field. “One of the major reasons we did it was to try and lessen the impact of the toss on the outcome of the game, and create an opportunity for deliberation depending on whether teams are batting or bowling,” Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner, told ESPNcricinfo.Three of the four teams who have made changes to their teams have done so for exactly those reasons. Durban’s Super Giants opted to include an extra spinner when they were asked to bowl first in their tournament opener against Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town did the same in their match against Super Kings at Newlands three days later, and Paarl Royals did it to swap out Ferisco Adams for Codi Yusuf against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.Related

• IPL 2023 rule change: teams will name their playing XIs after the toss

• SA20 hits the right notes as crowds flock to opening night

• Explainer – What's different about the SA20? Did SA really forfeit ODIs for the new league?

• Captains can select teams after toss in SA20 tournament

In the same match, Sunrisers also changed their XI, but because of an injury to Tom Abell, who was replaced by Jordan Cox.Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals are the two teams who have not made use of the provision yet, with both sides considering the move once the tournament resumes after the break due to three ODIs between South Africa and England, as more matches will be played on their home turfs. So far, these teams have played just two of their five home matches on the Highveld, with the bulk of the tournament having taken place in the Western and Eastern Cape at venues that host the Women’s T20 World Cup next month.In Cape Town, teams bowling first in day-night T20Is have won seven out of 11 games, which speaks to the ease of batting under lights and the need to strangle with the ball upfront. That is why when MI won the toss there against Super Kings and chose to bowl on a used strip, they also decided to include Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil in place of Duan Jansen, and it worked a treat. Salamkheil finished with 1 for 19 in four overs, and bowled Super Kings’ senior batter Faf du Plessis out.”It was the third game on that same wicket, so once we won the toss, we knew we wanted to bowl first and we knew we wanted to bowl in the day time,” Simon Katich, the MI coach explained. “We felt with the difference between batting first and chasing, and [with] the way conditions have been a little bit uneven here in Cape Town, there was a chance to use it [the rule]. It gives you that flexibility around what happens with the toss.”When the tournament resumes, there will be nine matches between Centurion and Johannesburg, so teams may make more changes after the toss•SA20His opposite number Stephen Fleming would have done the same thing if he could have, but their Sri Lankan offspinner Maheesh Theekshana had not yet arrived at the tournament. “If we had Theekshana, who arrives tomorrow, then we would have had the same idea,” Fleming said at the time.Since then, Theekshana has played in three of Super Kings’ four matches, but they have yet to use the ability to change their XI. “We think there is minimal advantage,” Albie Morkel, Super Kings assistant coach, said.But that could change once matches are played up country, where the difference in day and night times temperatures is likely to cause dew. Then, the risk of spinners not being able to grip the ball as well as they would like to may encourage the team bowling second to include a seamer instead. When the tournament resumes on February 2, there will be nine matches staged between Centurion and Johannesburg, including both the semi-finals and the final, so teams may make more changes after the toss in those fixtures.Overall, the jury is still out about this particular playing condition, with some most coaches feeling it offers a “tactical advantage”, as Fleming put it. But some, like Capitals assistant coach Dale Benkenstein, think that could come more into play in the longer versions of the game. Others, like Super Giants’ Lance Klusener, feel it “takes away some of the skill of team selection”.

The Chennai Super Kings batsman didn’t have a great start to the IPL, but he managed to turn things around

Interview by Shashank Kishore25-Nov-2020Ruturaj Gaikwad, 23, has finished what he calls the “one of the most challenging times” in his career yet. His second IPL season with Chennai Super Kings should have only been about finally being able to break into the XI and make it count. Instead, it started with him testing positive for Covid-19 multiple times and spending large amounts of time in isolation.Currently on a break from cricket after finishing the IPL with three back-to-back match-winning half-centuries, Gaikwad spoke about the time in isolation, the challenges of a bio-bubble life, and how chats with MS Dhoni and Mike Hussey helped him overcome negativity.Tell us about the IPL season. It seems to have been really tough for you, on and off the field.
It was full of ups and downs. There were a lot of lessons. It was a tough start with me testing Covid positive. There were many days where I just couldn’t do the things I wanted to, and I understood none of it was in my hands – I simply had to wait. It was a very tough time, but I’m thankful to the support I got both from the team and the management. And after that, even when I started playing and got two ducks in my first three games, they kept faith in me.What was the experience of being in isolation like?

I had tested positive but I was asymptomatic. So I had to be in isolation for two weeks and then return two negatives [results] before I could rejoin the bubble. It was a time where I literally couldn’t do anything. It played on my mind, because your team-mates are all training hard, trying to prepare in the best possible way with whatever time they have for a tournament as demanding as the IPL. So it was a tough time for me. I won’t say it was easy.ALSO READ: Ruturaj Gaikwad: Covid has made me toughDid you develop a routine during your time in isolation?
It’s easy to drift into negativity. It’s a bit like being dropped and just sitting at home and doing nothing. You get that feeling sometimes. I just tried to distract myself. I watched a lot of TV shows and movies – literally all day sometimes. Then I kept talking to friends or family back home over video calls. My family was worried about how I’d handle it all by myself. It got really tough when I tested positive even after completing the two-week isolation, despite following all the routines I was given. It was very frustrating. I kept testing positive for another week, so all in all, I lost about four weeks of preparation time.What did you tell yourself then?
I just had to keep reminding myself that someday or the other I would test negative and get back to the ground. I also had the faith and belief that this wasn’t going to be my last chance to play in the IPL. I knew I had the ability and potential, so if not this year, I knew I would make a comeback some other time, maybe next year. This helped me channel things in a positive way.What did you speak about to your coach, Stephen Fleming, and MS Dhoni during this time?
They just wanted me to focus completely on my health and body, take care about how I was feeling in the mind and not allow myself to get too worked up. They kept asking me to speak to whoever I wanted at any time of the day or night. They didn’t want me to drown in negativity. MS told me: cricket-wise, you’re good; it’s just a matter of time. Those words helped me stay positive.

“If I am in a situation where I need six off two balls, I can time the ball and get the runs, as compared to someone else who will rely on big hits, so I’m not too fussed about power-hitting”

It must have been such a relief to test negative after four weeks.
Oh, it was amazing! I think we’d played Mumbai Indians and the entire team had just returned to the hotel when I [could finally meet] them. That’s when I realised, however much you talk to someone online or on video calls, it isn’t the same as seeing them in person. I hadn’t seen my team-mates for 30 days and suddenly they’re all patting you on the back, they’re around you. It was great.Our management ensured we were all in a very good space. Our team room was a lively space, where the entire team connected with each other. I got to know them all personally, whether it was DJ Bravo, Shane Watson, Faf or Dhoni. I never felt there was a senior-junior gap. Maybe if we weren’t in a bubble, things would have been different with a lot of photo shoots, sponsor events, commercial events, etc. But because we were all in one space, it helped to get to know everyone in and out, get to know their interests, likes and dislikes. It was really nice.Finally, you’re going out to debut for CSK. Walking in to bat at No. 5 in a chase of 217. And then, first ball, you’re out. What is going through your mind?
It took me four weeks to recover. I literally had two training sessions. Even though I was asymptomatic, I felt I got a bit tired easily. It takes a toll on your stamina. You have to take a lot of deep breaths, keep breathing. So for me, coming into the match and playing with that kind of intensity suddenly was a bit difficult. Maybe it wouldn’t have been had I had two weeks of preparation time.Did you regret that shot – running down the pitch first ball and being stumped?
Coming into that situation, I knew I wasn’t prepared and it was for reasons beyond my control. I had never batted at No. 5 in my career. Maybe in a few club games I may have batted at four. And if I was in this situation in a local game, I would instinctively take the bowler on. So I just trusted my instinct. I was pretty sure if I had a way, I could have easily scored ten runs off ten balls for myself. After all it was my debut. Nobody wants to get out for a duck. But I thought about what the team needed. We had lost three wickets, it was a big chase, the asking rate was high and I decided to go after the spinner. It just didn’t come off.Then in your next game you batted with Faf du Plessis in another big chase, 176 against the Delhi Capitals. You came out in the middle order again, and this time you were run out.
Yes, again I went out to bat in the middle. MS Dhoni told me to take my time, back my game and then once I got stuck in, I can go after the bowling. I had made 5, and then I was in this mix-up with Faf. I knew in that situation, he was more important to the team’s cause. It was important that he be there in the middle.I wasn’t prepared for these two games, to be honest.Trent Boult got Gaikwad for a duck in the very first over of Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians match in Sharjah•BCCIAnd then you opened the innings, in your third game, against the Mumbai Indians, and Trent Boult gets you first ball.
I was really disappointed with this duck. Two ducks in three games. Disappointed because I was opening, something I’m used to. After that game, Dhoni had a long chat with me. He said, “We know the situation you’ve gone through and how you’ve just come out of it. Just enjoy the remainder of the season without worrying about pressure or expectation. You will be playing all three remaining matches. Just enjoy your time in the middle and don’t think of what has happened.” Knowing I would still get my chances after three low scores lifted me up massively. He also spoke about how sometimes results won’t go your way despite best preparation and that as long as I was honest to the game and prepared in the best way I could be, nothing else should bother me.ALSO READ: The first single, the first hit, and Ruturaj Gaikwad shows he can do itWas there any one person you really connected with at CSK, someone you could talk a lot to about your game?
I really enjoyed spending time with Mike Hussey and talking to him. After that game against Mumbai, he told me many world-class batsmen have struggled against quality swing bowling in the past. And I was facing [Boult] for the first time. I forged a close bond with Hussey, because our games are quite similar. We rely on timing, taking quick singles. He spoke a lot about batting, the level of preparedness you should have, how you try and assess bowling, conditions, and so many other things.And finally the runs just flew off your bat and you finished with three half-centuries in a row.
It was more of a relief for me – it told me that I am good enough to be at this level and take on the best players in the world. I knew within that it was just a matter of time and it was nice to see it all come together finally.It has been nearly a month since you returned from the IPL, what have you been up to?
I’ve taken time off to be with family. I’m just giving myself some time to recover from what was a difficult time. It’s not like I’m complacent or anything, it’s not like I want to enjoy myself because I’ve scored three fifties in a row. It’s more about what I went through.What are you looking forward to doing with regard to your cricket before the next IPL?
I want to work on my fitness – that’s something I couldn’t put much work into for the last three months. So it’s fitness and strength training. As far as my batting goes, I think timing is my strength, and if I am in a situation where I need six off two balls, I can time the ball and get the runs, as compared to someone else who will rely on big hits. So I’m not too fussed about power-hitting. Yes it’s important but I’m happy with where my game is at. I would like to work more on timing the ball to perfection, working on my strengths once I start training again.

The New York Yankees have made another move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

After acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, the Yankees are bringing in Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfield prospect Browm Martinez. The deal was first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry.

Rosario signed a one-year deal with the Nationals before this season and has slashed .270/.310/.426 with five home runs and 18 RBIs in 46 appearances. He has spent time with the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and New York Mets before his arrival in Washington. He has made appearances at second base, third base, shortstop and in the outfield for the Nationals this season.

Beeter is a 26-year-old pitcher who has made five total appearances for the Yankees over the past two seasons. In two appearances for the Yankees this year, he gave up six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched. For Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he has pitched in 18 games this year with a 3.10 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings, surrendering just seven earned runs.

In the Dominican Summer League, the 18-year-old Martinez has slashed .404/.507/.632 with three homers, 16 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

Akeal Hosein reached his hotel room in Dhaka at 4:00am on Tuesday. The West Indies selectors summoned him for the second ODI, following two injuries in the squad. Hosein joined the team in the bus to the Shere Bangla National Stadium around noon. By the end of the night, he was bowling the Super Over for West Indies, defending ten runs.Hosein had an unfavourable match-up with the left-handed Soumya Sarkar taking strike. He started off with a wide and then a no-ball. Bangladesh got four runs without facing a legal ball. Hosein somehow managed to salvage the over from there, avoiding getting hit for a boundary, even though he did concede one more wide with four needed off the last ball. So he had to go again and this time he kept his lines and gave up just one run.”I don’t think I have anything left in me again, buddy,” Hosein said after bringing West Indies back from the brink to level the series 1-1. “Got to the hotel at 4:00am. But it’s part of the job, and once you commit to something and once you give your word, you better be ready to turn up and give 100%. No excuses, and I almost messed it up, but thankfully, you know, I took the team home in the end.”Hosein is a world-class limited-overs performer but this was his first ODI in two years. Granted he was playing on an absolute, raging turner in Dhaka, he was still under pressure bowling the Super Over.Related

• Rage against the pitch – it's Bangladesh vs West Indies vs the surface in series decider

• Shamar Joseph out of Bangladesh ODIs with 'discomfort in shoulder'

• Hope conquers Dhaka as West Indies prevail in Super Over

Hosein managed to get the ball to turn into the left-hander’s body when Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto were on strike. Against Saif Hassan, he bowled over the wicket, not allowing the right-hander to free his arms.”It’s a tricky pitch,” he said. “It’s not one that is turning at a fair pace. The ball is jumping a bit, so for me, to the left-hander, it was definitely to make him hit square. He’s [Sarkar] quite a powerful guy, so I think that if he has arms, he can hit through the line easily.”So, for me, it was just trying to spin the ball from as close as possible on a good length and force him to hit square, because that square boundary was quite big.”Hosein had faced a similar situation, in the Hundred last year. He didn’t have to bowl the Super Over back then, but did bowl the final set that pushed the game into overtime.”I have been in a situation like this,” Hosein said. “It was an Eliminator in the Hundred. And it started off quite similar. I bowled a no-ball. In the Hundred, a no-ball is two [runs]. And I had to defend nine [10] or something like that. And one ball [the no-ball] went for six, and then they needed two [three] off four [five] balls or something.”I remember Chris Jordan coming up to me, and he said, ‘don’t worry, you got this.’ and I said to myself, ‘if he can believe that I have this, with two [three] runs to go, Liam Livingstone, world-class hitter on strike, with four [five] balls to go, if Chris Jordan can believe, why can’t I believe?'”Hosein said that he was surprised not to see Rishad Hossain come out to bat in the Super Over on Tuesday. West Indies believed the lower-order batter who had confidently struck an unbeaten 39 off 14 balls earlier in the game, was the obvious choice for Bangladesh.”Yes, I was a bit surprised. I mean, the guy that seemed to do the most destruction in the match, 39 off about 14 deliveries not out, and he’s not in your Super Over, hitting to the short side where he struck two sixes.”We all were a bit surprised that he didn’t come out at all, and you know, it worked in our favor. He was one of the few guys who sort of packed that power and he had that reach because he’s quite a tall guy.”Sarkar, who was one of Bangladesh’s batters in the Super Over, said that the captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and coach Phil Simmons picked the batters for the Super Over.”The coach and captain took the decision,” Sarkar said. “We actually didn’t know Akeal Hosein would bowl. If two left-handers had gone in, and then an off-spinner came on, we would be in trouble. That’s why there was a lefty and a righty. You’ll see the same with their team; they also batted with a lefty [Sherfane Rutherford] and a righty [Shai Hope].”Hosein also shared the funny story about the unusually black coloured surface used for the first Bangladesh-West Indies ODI on Saturday.”I turned my TV on. The first thing that I did was check my TV, because I thought there was something wrong with it. I thought the color had gone or something like that. The pitch was black, and I was like, ‘surely something is wrong with my television'”, he said.

Astonishing onslaught led by opening pair condemns South Africa to record-shattering loss

Firdose Moonda12-Sep-2025

Phil Salt walks off after his 141 not out•Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images

England 304 for 2 (Salt 141*, Buttler 83) beat South Africa 158 (Markram 41, Archer 3-25) by 146 runs England scored their highest T20I total and the third-highest in history; Phil Salt broke his own record as the holder of England’s highest individual score in the format and scored the fastest century by an English batter, off 39 balls as South Africa were whiplashed. England levelled the series 1-1 with their biggest win in this format. The result means Sunday’s match will decide the series.On a belter of track, England hit 30 fours and 18 sixes for a total of 228 runs in boundaries. That made up 75% of their score of 304 for 2, headlined by Salt. He has four hundreds, the most by an England batter and five of their top eight scores. South Africa’s bowlers have never conceded more in a T20I innings and three of their attack are in the top six of the most expensive returns in a match. Kagiso Rabada (0 for 70), Lizaad Williams (0 for 62) and Marco Jansen (0 for 60) were all returning from injuries and though they each had a brief outing in the series opener in Cardiff, this game will be considered their comeback, proper. They won’t be pleased with how they showed up.Among the many things that went wrong for them was discipline as South Africa conceded eight wides and five no-balls and effectively bowled two extra overs at England. All told, South Africa have conceded 772 in the last 75 overs on this tour, across the third ODI and first and second T20Is.Though South Africa have the record for the highest successful chase in this format – 259 for 4 – this was a much tougher task. They needed to score at 15.25 runs per over and, despite reaching 50 for 0 after 21 balls, were never really in the hunt. Aiden Markram’s 41 off 20 balls was his highest score in 18 innings but he lacked support. Bjorn Fortuin’s 16-ball 32 was the next highest score and concerns over the middle order remain.Lhuan-dre Pretorius fell to Jofra Archer for 2•Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images

A century in the Powerplay England were on it from ball one, when Salt sliced a full, wide ball from Jansen over point for four. And ball two, when Salt slammed Jansen through fine leg for four more. And ball three, when he cut Jansen in half in his followthrough for a third successive boundary. You get the picture. Jansen’s opening over cost 18, not his most expensive, but joint-third. Rabada’s first over of the innings cost 7 before Jos Buttler took 22 off Williams. Left-arm spinner Fortuin conceded 20 first-up and then Rabada changed ends and got pasted for 20. Buttler reached his fastest fifty in the format off Rabada, off the 18th ball he faced, when he boshed a short ball through square leg. Nineteen-year old Kwena Maphaka closed out the Powerplay in an over that went for 12, as Buttler raced to 65 off 24 balls. Pouring Salt in the wounds While Buttler dominated the first six overs, he was dismissed in the eighth when he swept Fortuin to Tristan Stubbs at deep backward square and left it to Salt to add the spice. He did not disappoint. The over after Buttler was dismissed, Salt laid into Williams, who tried to change his pace and bowl the yorker but neither worked. Salt sent a legcutter over midwicket for six, brought up his fifty off 19 balls off the first attempted yorker and hit the second, which turned into a wide full toss, over extra cover for six more.Related

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Brook content to move on quickly from 'shambles of a night'

By then, South Africa were clueless. Maphaka tried a slower ball and Salt sent it over short leg, then he went short and Salt pulled fine, and even when he got it on a good length, Salt sent it down the ground. He took England to 166 for 1 at the halfway stage. When Rabada returned, to bowl the 13th over, Salt took advantage of two free hits as the senior seamer struggled for rhythm, then reached his century off the second. And Salt wasn’t done there. When he stepped outside his stumps and sent Williams over square leg for six, he became the holder of the highest individual score for England in T20Is. He survived when Maphaka thought he had caught Salt at wide long-on with a relay catch but replays showed Maphaka’s heels were on the boundary cushion and he conceded another six. Salt finished on 141 not out from 60 balls, the seventh-highest score in a T20I. ESPNcricinfo Ltd

An Archer hat-trick but not the traditional way Jofra Archer was rested from the rain-reduced first T20I but roared back and played a part in each of the first three South African wickets. After South Africa got off to a decent start with 50 runs in the first 3.3 overs, they were starting to hit their stride. Ryan Rickelton took 16 runs off the first three balls of Archer’s second over and thought he had four more when he viciously swiped at the fourth ball but Liam Dawson at short midwicket pulled off the ultimate intercept to end his innings. Rickelton was dismissed for 20. Three deliveries later, Archer’s slower ball had the better of Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who top-edged a slog-sweep and was caught at short third. South Africa were 53 for 2 after five overs. They already needed a massive effort to hunt down the target but with Dewald Brevis at No.4, they would have still believed.Brevis hit the first ball he faced, from Sam Curran, for four but then tried to send Curran over mid-wicket and miscued. Archer was at mid-on and barely had to move to complete the catch which left South Africa 57 for 4 in the Powerplay and the game all but gone. Archer did get a third, when he returned in the 12th over, with South Africa 115 for 5. Jansen played a legcutter straight back to Archer who had to get down low and then recover from the ball busting out of his right hand as he clutched it in his left to complete the catch. And for good measure, he took two more catches, to dismiss Tristan Stubbs and Kagiso Rabada.Curran aims for the moon Super-duper slow (aka the moon-ball) is the Sam Curran way and he was the pick of the English bowlers as he used his change-ups well. While Curran bowled some deliveries at around 47mph, he had Brevis caught off a quicker one and Donovan Ferreira was deceived by a short ball. Ferreira tried to hit a cross-batted slog but skied the ball over Buttler, who did well to run back and take the catch. Curran finished with 2 for 11 in two overs with an economy of 5.50. Only Will Jacks, who took two wickets in his only over and conceded two runs, had a better return with 2 for 1.

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Três escolas de samba da Série Prata do Rio de Janeiro ligadas a torcidas de times de futebol buscam este ano vaga inédita na Série Ouro e, consequentemente, a realização do sonho de desfilar na Marquês de Sapucaí: Botafogo Samba Clube, Fla Manguaça e Força Jovem.

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A escola Botafogo Samba Clube será a primeira a desfilar entre as três, na terça-feira (13), às 21h05, na Estrada Intendente Magalhães, em Campinho, na Zona Norte da cidade. Com o enredo “Taina-Kan: A Estrela Solitária”, a escola, fundada em 2018, contará a história baseada em uma lenda Karajá de amor e rejeição entre uma indígena e uma estrela solitária.

➡️Siga o Lance! Fora de Campo no WhatsApp e saiba o que rola fora das 4 linhas

A Fla Manguaça, criada em julho de 2020 por integrantes da torcida organizada de mesmo nome, vai desfilar na madrugada de quarta-feira (14), às 3h45. A escola levará para a avenida o enredo “Quer apostar?”, enaltecendo o lado desafiador do ser humano em acreditar em si próprio, nas suas intuições, seus palpites e na probabilidade em buscar seus anseios e conquistas.

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A Força Jovem, ligada à torcida vascaína do mesmo nome, vai desfilar na sexta-feira (16), às 22h25, com o enredo “São Januário, a força de um povo”, em homenagem à história do estádio. A agremiação desfilou pela primeira vez em 2020 pelo grupo de avaliação do Carnaval do Rio, com o nome de União Cruzmaltina. Em setembro de 2023, a escola de samba mudou de nome e passou a se chamar Força Jovem.

Já a Guerreiros Tricolores, escola formada por sambistas torcedores do Fluminense, desfila este ano na Série Bronze, também na Intendente Magalhães, na madrugada de domingo (18), às 2h40.

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Heather Knight is expected to be fit for the World Cup after being named in England’s squad for the tournament, but her side will be without veteran seamer Kate Cross, who has been overlooked for selection.Knight, the former England captain, hasn’t played since injuring her hamstring during England’s home series with West Indies in May but it’s understood that her recovery is sufficiently on track to warrant her selection on Thursday.Danni Wyatt-Hodge also returns to strengthen the batting after being omitted in the 50-over format throughout the English summer, having made her last ODI appearance during the ill-fated Ashes tour of Australia in January.That means batter Maia Bouchier and allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards miss out, as does Cross, with England opting for four spinners to play in India and Sri Lanka during the tournament which starts next month.Sophie Ecclestone leads the spin contingent, which also includes fellow left-armer Linsey Smith and offspinner Charlie Dean, as well as legspinner Sarah Glenn, making her return after featuring in the West Indies series but missing out on the subsequent visit by India through June and July.England’s seam attack consists of Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer and Em Arlott, who made her international debut in May. Nat Sciver-Brunt is hopeful of returning to bowling in her allrounder role after a long-standing Achillies problem.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Head Coach Charlotte Edwards said the tournament posed a “huge challenge” but she believed her side was capable of competing “with anyone”.”Being selected to play for your country in a World Cup is one of the biggest honours in sport and I’m delighted for all the players named in the squad,” Edwards said.”Conditions mean we have gone for the extra spinner and we’re lucky to be able to have such depth in this department, it’s fantastic to welcome Sarah Glenn back. That does mean there’s no room for Kate Cross, Maia Bouchier or Alice Davidson-Richards, which will be disappointing for them.”It’s also great to have Danni back in the squad, she’s been in good form in domestic cricket and she’ll bring dynamism and depth to our batting, alongside Heather, who we are absolutely delighted to be able to select. She’ll be a huge asset for us.”Commentating on the women’s Hundred match between Oval Invincibles and Trent Rockets a few hours after the announcement, Cross expressed her disappointment.”A lot for me to process,” Cross said on Sky Sports. “It’s probably been a disappointing summer in terms of England cricket. I feel like I’ve done quite well in this tournament. I performed for Lancashire.”But it’s difficult when you go into a subcontinent World Cup and you can tell that the head coach wants a little bit more spin in her armoury, then it makes sense in my head. So there’s a lot of logic that’s mixed with a lot of emotion at the minute.”Cross revealed she had only learned of her omission at 9am on Thursday, two hours before the squad was announced.She will next play for Northern Superchargers against Invincibles on Saturday as her side, currently placed second on the table, look to keep themselves in finals contention.Missing out on the 50-over World Cup places Cross at an interesting juncture in her career. She turns 34 in October and, while a home T20 World Cup beckons next year, she has fallen out of England favour in the shorter format.She played her last T20I during the tour of Ireland in September 2024 while the first-choice squad were in the UAE preparing for the T20 World Cup, where England eventually crashed out in the group stages.She has also forged a successful side-hustle in commentating, although she acknowledged the difficulties of her on- and off-field careers colliding on a day like this.”I probably wouldn’t have talked about this openly live on the television if I wasn’t doing commentary,” she said. “But I’ve got 24 hours to turn it around to play a game for the Northern Supercharges on Saturday.”It’s been a bit of a whirlwind but this is professional sport, we sign up to it, it doesn’t always go your way, and I’ve held back the tears so there we go, we can finish talking about it.”The World Cup runs from September 30 to November 2 and will be the first ICC tournament in charge for Edwards and captain Sciver-Brunt.England Women’s squad: Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

Chelsea goalscorer Tyrique George says he and his young teammates were told to “have fun and really be free” before they swept aside Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old was one of three teenage scorers as Enzo Maresca’s side romped to a resounding victory against poor opposition, who played with 10 men from the 17th minute after captain Kenneth Taylor was dismissed.

It was the signal for a Chelsea avalanche as 19-year-old striker Marc Guiu opened the scoring a minute later before Moises Caicedo made it two via a deflection.

Brazilian winger Estevao Willian converted a penalty to become Chelsea’s youngest Champions League scorer, capping surely his best display yet since arriving from Palmeiras, after Enzo Fernandez had also netted from the spot.

George’s goal in the second half, albeit via a deflection, compounded Ajax’s humiliation and brought fulfilment of a childhood dream for the academy graduate.

Maresca's message to Chelsea's youngsters

“It was a really good night,” he said. “I’m really happy to score my first Champions League goal and it was a great win.

“We got so many goals, we played well, we had fun out there as well.

“We’re all young and having fun. We’re having fun on the pitch and that’s it. The manager tells us to have fun and really be free when we’re in attacking areas and that’s what we showed last night.’

“I was just itching to get on and try and score. That’s what I did, so I’m happy.”

George’s only previous goal this season had come against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup third round, but he is increasingly trusted by Maresca after breaking into the first team last term.

He netted one of his side’s most important goals last season – an 83rd-minute equaliser as Chelsea came from behind late to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage in April, just when it looked like their bid to finish in the top four was fizzling out.

Maresca is now reaping the benefits of his faith in the youngster, particularly on Wednesday when he was without both of his big-money summer signings up front, the suspended Joao Pedro and long-term injury absentee Liam Delap.

“It’s an amazing feeling (to score),” said George. “I’ve wanted it ever since I was eight years old, to score in the Champions League. It’s what dreams are made of.

“I think it’s just down to working day-by-day in training. I think that’s what’s making us win, so we just need to keep going and keep going.

“We just want to keep going, keep improving and keep getting wins.”