تعادل فريق نادي الزمالك مع نظيره كايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي، بنتيجة 1-1 في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من عمر مرحلة المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

وأقيمت مباراة الزمالك وكايزر تشيفز، على ملعب الأخير بجنوب إفريقيا، ذلك ضمن مباريات المجموعة الرابعة للبطولة الإفريقية.

ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة من كأس الكونفدرالية، بجانب كل من المصري وكايزر تشيفز وزيسكو الزامبي.

وكان الزمالك قد حقق الفوز على زيسكو في لقاء الجولة الأولي الذي أقيم في القاهرة، بهدف دون رد، بينما كايزر تشيفز خسر أمام المصري 2-1.

وانطلقت الجولة الثانية من المجموعة، أمس الجمعة، استطاع النادي المصري الفوز على زيسكو بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب الفريق الزامبي. 

طالع.. فيديو | المصري يحقق فوزًا غاليًأ على زيسكو خارج الديار ويتصدر مجموعته في الكونفدرالية

وبعد نهاية مباريات الجولة الثانية من المجموعة الرابعة، يتصدر فريق المصري الترتيب برصيد 6 نقاط، يأتي الزمالك في المركز الثاني برصيد 4 نقاط. ترتيب مجموعة الزمالك والمصري في الكونفدرالية

1- المصري، 6 نقاط “مباراتين”.

2- الزمالك، 4 نقاط “مباراتين”.

3- كايزر تشيفز، نقطة “مباراتين”.

4- زيسكو، بدون نقاط “مباراتين”.

Somerset out of contention for knockouts after slipping to heavy defeat between showers

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025

Sarah Bryce top-scored for The Blaze•Getty Images

Sisters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce scored half-centuries to guide The Blaze to a 44-run bonus point victory over Somerset on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-shortened Metro Bank One Day Cup match at Taunton Vale Sports Ground.Sarah Bryce top-scored with 68 from 54 balls, hit 12 fours and shared in an opening stand of 76 inside 10 overs with Georgie Boyce as The Blaze posted 252 for 6 in a contest reduced to 33 overs-a-side. Kathryn Bryce then made 63 not out from 60 balls with eight fours, staging a partnership of 72 with Orla Prendergast, who weighed in with a forthright 46. Charlie Dean did her best to keep Somerset in contention, returning figures of 3 for 50 from seven overs.Chasing a revised target of 214 in 26 overs, Somerset never recovered from the wreckage of 9 for 4, Cassidy McCarthy taking three wickets in a devastating eight-ball burst that all but settled the outcome during the powerplay. Amanda-Jade Wellington raised a defiant 28-ball 53 and Fran Wilson hit 33, but McCarthy finished with 3 for 12 as the home side were bowled out for 169 in 22.2 overs.Victory cemented The Blaze’s position in the top three and materially improved their prospects of making the final stages of the 50-over competition, but Somerset are now out of contention with two games remaining.Making the most of short boundaries and a quick outfield, Boyce and Sarah Bryce accrued 11 boundaries on their way to 61 without loss from a seven-over powerplay after being put in on a drying surface. When the seamers struggled to contain the flow of runs, Somerset turned to spinners Dean and Wellington in an attempt to turn the tide.England international Dean struck in her second over, persuading Boyce to drive to mid-off and depart for a run-a-ball 31 with the score 76 for 1 in the 10th over. But there was no dislodging Sarah Bryce, who went to an assured half-century from 40 balls with 10 fours, the Blaze wicketkeeper-batter growing in stature all the time.There was a sense of relief within Somerset ranks when offspinner Chloe Skelton bowled Bryce in the act of cutting in the 18th, her dismissal providing the home side with much-needed respite. Thereafter, Prendergast and Kathryn Bryce proved adept at finding the gaps, the pair combining clever placement and forceful running in staging a third-wicket stand of 73 in eight overs.Ireland international Prendergast seized on anything wide or short of a length, pulling Alex Griffiths for the first six of the innings and then driving Skelton for four as returning rain rendered control difficult for the bowlers. She had raised 46 off 31 balls and helped herself to five fours and a six when she skied a catch to backward point off the bowling of Wellington as The Blaze slipped to 195 for 3.Somerset continued to fight back, Dean bowling the dangerous Georgia Elwiss and then pinning Ella Claridge lbw to further reduce their opponents to 212 for 5 in the 29th. But Kathryn Bryce continued to carry the fight to Somerset, raising her 50 via 52 balls with her sixth four and putting on 34 for the sixth wicket with Michaela Kirk, who contributed a useful 17 from nine deliveries.A further downpour caused seven overs to be lost and, when Somerset resumed their innings, they were required to score a further 209 at 8.36 an over. Their task quickly became even more difficult, Bex Odgers pulling McCarthy’s first ball to square leg and fellow opener Niamh Holland nicking a catch behind off the bowling of Grace Ballinger.Generating pace and swing aplenty, McCarthy bowled Sophie Luff and Dani Gibson with successive deliveries, at which point she had taken three wickets in eight balls and the home side were deep in trouble on 9 for 4. Kirstie Gordon then had Dean held by Kirk on the midwicket boundary as Somerset slumped to 22 for 5.Wilson and Wellington did their utmost to make a game of it thereafter, staging a face-saving alliance of 69 in 6.5 overs in the late-afternoon sunshine. Not afraid to play expansive strokes, these two raised a quickfire 50 from 33 balls in a blaze of boundaries, Wellington plundering five consecutive fours off the bowling of Prendergast to put the visitors on the back foot for the first time.Elwiss accounted for Wilson, caught at short fine leg, but the defiant Wellington went on to post a rapid 50 from just 26 balls with 10 fours. She was run out by Kathryn Bryce soon afterwards, her dismissal signaling the end of meaningful West Country resistance.

Everton are set to step up their interest in Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee, with the Toffees’ interest in Arsenal front man Gabriel Jesus hitting a dead end.

The Toffees have shown plenty of signs of promise so far this season, albeit whilst remaining inconsistent. Their 2-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday represented their first Premier League win in three games and first clean sheet in eight games, but David Moyes reiterated that he wants everyone to “keep believing” at Everton.

The experienced manager told reporters: “Look, we’ve wanted to try to become a much better footballing team and the players we’ve brought in have helped us to do that.

“We don’t want to lose what we’ve had – desire, heart, commitment – but I think we had to try to find a way of getting a little bit better at certain things and I think we have to build. Look, I trust the owners will help us in all the windows as we go forward and we’ll try to make things better as we go along.

“We need to get people believing in Everton like we do, like the supporters here do, and what we want us to be in the future. To do that we need to keep picking up the wins and attracting top players like Kiernan and Jack Grealish and players of that ilk. We need to keep attracting that level of players to come to the Club.”

What was apparent against Fulham, however, was just how much Everton’s forwards are still struggling. Whether it’s been Beto or one of their most expensive signings, Thierno Barry, the Toffees just haven’t been able to get their strikers firing and something needs to change.

Friekdin are already reportedly looking at potential solutions and have now reportedly made their position on signing Zirkzee clear.

Everton make Joshua Zirkzee position clear ahead of January

As reported by Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett, Zirkzee is now “high up” on Everton’s shortlist and those in Merseyside could make their move if the Man United striker becomes available in January. Ivan Toney is the second name in contention, with Arsenal set to refuse offers for Jesus.

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David Moyes must consider unleashing this talented Everton youngster in the coming weeks.

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Nov 7, 2025

The Dutchman has made just five appearances all season and is yet to start a single Premier League game. This follows the arrivals of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha as well as his own disappointing debut campaign last time out.

But is Zirkzee the answer to Everton’s problem? They’ve already revived the best version of Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City and now there’s a chance they could get the same opportunity with Zirkzee.

Praised as “amazing with his back to goal” by Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski last season, the Man United man is still just 24 years old and has plenty of time to find his feet elsewhere in the Premier League.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

Yorkshire captain on fitness and longevity in the professional women’s game

Valkerie Baynes05-May-2025Fitness never fails to land as a touchy topic in sport.Charlotte Edwards doesn’t even like saying it anymore, instead referring to “the F-word” as new head coach of an England Women’s squad who found this side of their game called into question after repeated failures on the big stage.Lauren Winfield-Hill – a veteran of 104 England caps, most recently in 2022, and the picture of a professional athlete still going strong on the domestic circuit at the age of 34 – believes “sometimes you’ve got to be careful with your language of what is fitness in cricket”.”I think the biggest thing is the physicality and the athleticism,” she tells ESPNcricinfo. “Can you hold long spells as a bowler? Can you get up and down for twos as a batter? And how good’s your fielding; are you cutting twos, are you taking catches?”If that falls under the banner of fitness, Winfield-Hill says “yeah, there’s some big improvements to be made” in the England Women’s squad.”I sort of prefer the athleticism and the physicality piece,” she adds. “Sometimes we can get skewed with fitness: ‘Can you run for a long time? Do you look athletic?’ and all this sort of stuff and that’s irrelevant.”At the T20 World Cup in Dubai in October, two straightforward catches went down amid a rash of fielding errors as West Indies raced to a powerplay of 67 without loss in pursuit of 142. A further three catches went down and England found themselves scrambling in the field as their opponents romped to a six-wicket win with two overs to spare, knocking them out of the tournament at the group stage.”The fielding was poor at times, very, very poor, and the movement and the cutting twos and things like that,” Winfield-Hill says. “And that’s not a blanket thing for every single player. There’s some players that can certainly make strides in that area, there’s some players that are great athletes.Winfield-Hill hasn’t given up on her England ambitions but accepts her opportunities may be elsewhere•Getty Images”Across the board, I feel like the physical stuff, it’s almost like your commitment to everyone else. Batting and scoring runs, that piece is quite selfish, you can just look after yourself. Bowling is quite similar. But the fielding is the bit that you do for everyone else. If you are fielding a square leg for Lauren Bell, it’s not really for you, it’s for Lauren Bell. It’s captivating this bit where we’re all in and we’re willing to work really damn hard for each other and go through it a bit, get in there and get some tough sessions in, get down and dirty and show how much you’re willing to commit to each other.”Winfield-Hill points out that a relentless schedule, including ever-expanding franchise leagues which disperse players for extended periods of time, adds to the challenge, but says a willingness to work harder and commit to one another as team-mates is crucial.She is well-qualified to comment, based on her experience, longevity and performance.

The physical stuff, it’s almost like your commitment to everyone else. Batting and scoring runs, that piece is quite selfish. But the fielding is the bit that you do for everyone elseWinfield-Hill on the need for basic standards in the field

For two years running, in 2022 and 2023, she was the leading run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy with 470 runs at 78.33 and 663 at 51.00. She is a gun fielder and handy wicketkeeper, having assumed the latter role throughout her four seasons in The Hundred to date.Plus, she looks like one of the fittest players in the country. But is it okay to say that?If so, why is it that when professional athletes are paid to engage in physical activity, there is a squeamishness about the word, fitness?Boiled down, a lack of fitness is often seen as a euphemism for being fat because no one calls anyone fat in the media any more, for good reason. It wasn’t so long ago that they did, with devastating consequences.At the premier of his Disney+ documentary last month, Andrew Flintoff spoke of how the media still hadn’t apologised for brutally fat-shaming him 25 years ago. In 2020, he revealed that the criticism had driven him to bulimia.That episode involved a cruel takedown of Flintoff’s physical appearance amid leaked information over his off-field behaviour when what he really needed was help.Winfield-Hill has a four-year deal with Yorkshire but sees no reason to retire when it expires•Royal LondonSo by the time Ollie Robinson was told privately and via the media that he needed to get fitter by Jon Lewis, the then England men’s bowling coach who would go on to become England Women’s head coach, during a dire Ashes campaign in 2021-22, was that a comment on his appearance, conduct or the fact he had broken down a number of times during the tour?When Alex Hartley, the former England spinner turned commentator first criticised the women’s team following their T20 World Cup exit she said: “I’m not going to name names, but if you look at them, you know. You know who’s blowing a gasket and who isn’t. About 80% of the England team are fit and athletic enough, but there are girls in that side who are letting the team down when it comes to fitness.”She then drew comparisons with the 15 or 16 “genuine athletes” in the Australia squad so the issue inevitably blew up again when England lost the Ashes 16-0.What it all comes down to is performance – players being able to execute the skills required to win games.Dane van Niekerk and Lizelle Lee would argue they didn’t get the chance to prove themselves in that respect at the end of their international careers. Van Niekerk never played for South Africa again after failing to run 2km in the prescribed time for selected for the T20 World Cup in 2023 and Lee retired from international cricket amid a dispute over a weigh-in the previous year.Cricket South Africa subsequently relaxed fitness requirements for men and women, allowing for more discretionary selection.For England, an increased focus on performance as a selection tool has begun with Edwards calling on all centrally contracted players to be available for the first seven rounds of the domestic 50-over competition.”I love that domestic cricket has been really valued,” Winfield-Hill says. “For a few years it’s sort of been like, ‘oh, don’t play if you don’t want to’, and volume of runs or wickets within the domestic structure is not really necessarily being considered.”Asking the players to play and to dominate and to perform because it’s an open forum and it’s a bit of a trial for everyone, it’s a great thing. You need players who are currently in possession to be kept on their toes and you’ll see who the best players in the country are. It is the performance world and it should be about who performs. It’s a stats driven game. You’re there to score runs and take wickets, and whoever’s doing that should have a good opportunity of wearing an English shirt… it is the fairest way to do it, and then there’s no questions about selections.”Again, the Australians are held up as an example.England’s players look on as Australia celebrate their Women’s Ashes whitewash•Getty Images”I hate banging on about the Aussies, I think our domestic structure is better,” says Winfield-Hill. “I feel like I’m a good judge because I’ve played in both countries for the last two years. Domestically we play a much larger volume of cricket and the only way you get good at cricket is by playing a lot of cricket.”But one thing they do do is they’re very rigid on their selections and if you absolutely don’t tear up domestic cricket and you’re not a good athlete and you’re not a good team person, you won’t be playing for Australia. It’s not just like, ‘oh, you’ve performed in domestic levels, so we’ll give you a go.’ It’s like, ‘no, you need to knock these people off their perch.’ I’d love to see that in England.”England hopefuls have no shortage of opportunities to show what they can do under the new county-based domestic structure.Edwards has frequented the grounds throughout the opening rounds of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, where Winfield-Hill captains Yorkshire in Tier 2.The Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup also gets underway on Monday, featuring teams from all three tiers of domestic cricket in a knockout competition over the next three weeks.Related

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• Charlotte Edwards banishes 'F-word' in bid to turn England's image around

• Lauren Winfield-Hill joins Essex on loan from Yorkshire for Blast

• Andrew Flintoff: Cricket 'saved me' after Top Gear crash

Winfield-Hill hasn’t retired from international cricket. But while she has agreed a loan deal to play for Tier 1 team Essex in the T20 blast starting later this month, she says that while her best playing years lay ahead, “I just don’t necessarily realistically think that’s in an England shirt”.The move to Essex seems more about testing herself by playing at the highest level possible which, with her 35th birthday approaching in August, should stand as an inspiration for players younger and older.”I’ve obviously got a four-year contract at Yorkshire and I’m like, I don’t have to retire in four years,” she says. “Touch wood, I feel like I’m somebody that physically looks after myself, but I am looking around at Faf du Plessis, Wayne Madsen, they’re in their forties and they’re still great athletes going really well. Why do you have to stop? We put limitations on things just because it’s not been done before and it’s like, well, it can be done and you can play till you’re 40 if you want to play till you’re 40.”The way the game is now, the way women’s sport is now, people can play for a lot longer. The sports medicine is way better in terms of the support that you get, how you can look after yourself and the actual money means that you can keep playing without having to get ‘a real job’.”I’ve always said I am going to play until either my body’s buggered or it’s not fun anymore, whichever comes first. If it’s fun, then you’re obviously performing. If you’re not performing, it’s not fun.”Performances that make cricket fun? Now there’s an F-word the England team might be happy to say in full.

Well, it appears that Liverpool are back in their biannual rut. Just as the Anfield side have shown themselves to be capable of hitting staggering heights over the past decade or so, they have also battled through several challenging campaigns in recent years.

This is, sadly, a crisis for Arne Slot, whose tactics aren’t working after a summer transfer window of sweeping change.

The likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have been disappointing, and no mistake. However, Liverpool’s wider systematic issues have made it difficult for such players to bed in.

Could it be that, against the cascade of arrivals on Merseyside, sporting director Richard Hughes oversaw one too many sales too?

How Luis Diaz has sparkled at Bayern Munich

After 11 Premier League fixtures this season, Liverpool are eighth in the standings. It is not so much Arsenal’s eight-point advantage over last year’s champions as the difference in fluency and solidity that has made the gulf insurmountable.

The upheaval could have been eased, to be sure, had certain measures not been taken this summer. For example, it was probably a mistake to have sold Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. He has been rampant since moving to Germany, scoring 11 goals in his first 17 matches.

The 28-year-old had stepped toward the penultimate year of his contract at Anfield, and despite efforts to spark a renewal, it became clear from all parties that a deal could be struck if Liverpool’s valuation was met.

And it was. The Bundesliga champions paid £65.5m for the versatile forward; the money was good, but Liverpool lost a winger who scored 17 goals and provided eight assists last season, and offered so much pressing impact and tenacity, both on and off the ball.

However, Diaz’s departure was an understandable one, given the circumstances, and there’s another Redman whose efforts overseas this season have shown that Slot and co made a big error in letting him leave.

Hughes made a bigger mistake than selling Diaz

Liverpool are bound to smooth out the creases in Slot’s side at some stage, but there’s no escaping the fact that it hasn’t been good enough this season.

Out of the Carabao Cup and facing a fight for Champions League qualification, let alone the Premier League title, Liverpool have a whole host of problems, but there’s unquestionably been something missing in central midfield, and Tyler Morton might have been able to do something about it, had he not been sold to Lyon in France for around £15m in August.

Hailed for his “incredible IQ” by journalist Bence Bocsak, the 23-year-old Morton is a creative and enterprising midfielder, industrious in his work ethic and more than happy to cover ground across the engine room, working hard to protect the defence and win back the ball before driving it forward and into the danger area.

He is early into his career with Lyon in Ligue 1, but the Wallasey-born midfielder has demonstrated remarkable confidence and maturity to make headway after a difficult, peripheral year under Slot’s wing, commenting since leaving that he didn’t “feel the trust” from the Dutch coach, not handed a single minute in the Premier League.

Tyler Morton for Lyon in Ligue 1

Stats (* per game)

#

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

Goals

1

Assists

1

Touches*

63.1

Accurate passes*

40.0 (86%)

Chances created*

1.3

Dribble (success)*

0.6 (70%)

Recoveries

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.4

Ground duels won*

3.2 (61%)

Data via Sofascore

His league form so far this season would suggest that a mistake has been made, especially when considering Slot’s reluctance to play veteran Wataru Endo.

With Morton so early into his career and without the top experience of many ahead of him, there’s so much reason for Lyon to be excited about this talent and where he might take them.

Not Liverpool, though. Morton has been released from the books, and this might just come back to bite Slot, with the homegrown star’s sale more puzzling than that of the 28-year-old Diaz, who wanted to leave.

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Fran Jonas is a notable omission from the squad which will lean heavily on the experience of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Amelia Kerr

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2025Allrounder Flora Devonshire, who is uncapped at ODI level, has been included in New Zealand’s squad for the upcoming women’s ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Polly Inglis, Bella James and Bree Illing, who have just eight ODIs between them, have also been included for their first World Cup campaigns.Devonshire, a 22-year-old left-arm spinner, made her T20I debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year and was part of the New Zealand A tour of England in June and July. Her inclusion in the 15-player squad meant that fellow left-arm spinner Fran Jonas, who has 26 ODIs to her name, was a notable omission.Related

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“It’s never easy when you have multiple players pushing for the same spot and that of course made for some tough selection calls,” head coach Ben Sawyer said. “Having to leave out the likes of Fran in favour of Flora was a tough decision. We know Fran is a quality player and at 21 we believe she still has her best years in front of her.”Left-arm seamer Illing took four wickets in her first ODI series against Sri Lanka, while James made her ODI debut against Australia late last year. Inglis, who hit an unbeaten 34 off 21 balls in her second outing against Sri Lanka in March, will also provide wicketkeeping back-up to first-choice Izzy Gaze.”I’d like to especially acknowledge the four players set for their first World Cup – they’ve all earned this opportunity and I’m excited to see what impact they can have on the tournament,” Sawyer said. “I’m really pleased with the balance of the squad. I think we’ve got the right mix to tackle what we’ll come up against in terms of conditions and opposition.””Bree puts batters under pressure early with her swing and has great ability with the new ball. Her and Flora have both shown they can consistently bring the stumps into play, which will be effective in the conditions we’re going to face.”Flora’s got an attacking mind and skillset with the bat, which is valuable down the order. Bella’s a versatile batter who can hit 360 degrees around the ground and can bat in most places in the line up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Polly gives us another option with the gloves within the squad, and she possesses great grit and determination, which are qualities that will be important in trying conditions.”The experienced core of the squad includes captain Sophie Devine, who will retire from ODI cricket after the World Cup, Suzie Bates, Lea Tahuhu, Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr.”I can honestly say that in the four world events I’ve been part of with this group, we are the best prepared we’ve ever been,” Sawyer said. “Having no international cricket in our calendar since April has given us the ability to work really hard on our physical skills in particular, which is something that could be the difference in India.”The squad leaves for the UAE on September 13 for a pre-tournament camp, which includes two warm-up matches against England, before heading to India. Their opening World Cup match is against Australia on October 1 in Indore.

New Zealand for Women’s ODI World Cup

Sophie Devine (capt), Suzie Bates, Eden Carson, Flora Devonshire, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Bella James, Jess Kerr, Amelia Kerr, Rosemary Mair, Georgia Plimmer, Lea Tahuhu

With less than two months to go before the January transfer window opens for business, there is already speculation about what Leeds United are going to do to their squad.

The Whites have picked up 11 points in 11 Premier League matches and sit one point above the relegation zone as a newly-promoted team, which is a respectable, but not ideal, position to be in.

Daniel Farke may want to bolster his squad with more quality in the offensive areas, because the team has only scored 11 goals in their 11 top-flight matches so far this season.

The lack of goals for the Championship champions has not been because of a lack of creativity, though, as they have missed too many high-quality opportunities in the final third.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

2.89

1

-1.89

Jayden Bogle

0.88

0

-0.88

Brenden Aaronson

1.79

1

-0.79

Joel Piroe

0.73

0

-0.73

Pascal Struijk

0.65

0

-0.65

Dan James

0.47

0

-0.47

Jack Harrison

0.41

0

-0.41

As you can see in the table above, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been particularly wasteful with the chances that have been created for him in the Premier League.

Former Leeds striker Patrick Bamford signed for Sheffield United earlier this week, and the Whites need to be looking for their next version of the English forward.

Why Leeds need to find their next Patrick Bamford

The experienced marksman left Elland Road on a free transfer in the summer after he failed to score a single goal in 18 appearances in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.

It is not last season’s Bamford that Leeds need to find a new version of, though. Instead, the 49ers need to find Farke’s own version of Bamford from the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

After Leeds were last promoted to the Premier League, in the summer of 2020, the former Chelsea and Middlesbrough attacker played a pivotal role in the club’s survival and eventual top-half finish in their first season back in the big time.

The left-footed centre-forward scored 17 goals, including a hat-trick against Aston Villa in the highlights above, and provided seven assists in 38 appearances in the division in that term.

Since that impressive season from the former England international, no Leeds player has scored more than 13 goals in a single Premier League campaign.

25/26

Noah Okafor

Joe Rodon

Lukas Nmecha

2

22/23

Rodrigo

13

21/22

Raphinha

11

20/21

Patrick Bamford

17

As you can see in the table above, the club’s top three scorers in the current term have all managed just two goals, which speaks to the lack of outstanding goalscorers within the squad.

This illustrates how badly the Whites need to find their next version of 2020/21 Bamford, due to their lack of goalscorers, and they are reportedly interested in a star who could be exactly that.

Leeds chasing move for Eredivisie star

According to LeedsUnitedNews, the Premier League new boys are eyeing up a swoop for AZ Alkmaar centre-forward Troy Parrott in the upcoming January transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that the Whites are now looking at signing the Ireland international to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch, as they chase a winter deal for the marksman.

It adds that Leeds had scouts in attendance to watch his performance for the Republic of Ireland against Portugal earlier this week, when he netted twice against Roberto Martinez’s side.

The same outlet has posted an update on Farke’s future at Elland Road, explaining that the 49ers are not ready to pull the plug on him yet, but that they could be forced to make a decision if results do not improve.

With this in mind, Leeds could save themselves from having to remove the German head coach from his role by signing Parrott to save his job in January.

Why Leeds should sign Troy Parrott

The Whites should swoop for the Irish centre-forward because his performances in the Netherlands this season suggest that he has the quality to be Bamford 2.0, which would help to push the club up the table.

Per FotMob, Leeds are 10th in the Premier League for xPTS (15) and have underperformed their xG of 13.2 by 2.2, as they have only scored 11 goals. This suggests that Farke and his coaching staff have not been rewarded for the performances that they have coached, due to poor finishing.

These statistics indicate that it is not the German boss who should be under fire for where the team are in the division, and that signing a clinical striker could change the perception of the job that he is doing in the dugout.

Parrott, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed an incredibly prolific first season with AZ Alkmaar in the 2024/25 campaign, netting 20 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster, once dubbed “phenomenal” by former boss Ryan Lowe, has proven that his form last term was not a flash in the pan, as he has carried his exceptional goalscoring exploits into the current season.

Appearances

7

7

xG

5.56

N/A

Goals

6

7

Minutes per goal

87

59

Conversion rate

25%

N/A

Big chances created

2

3

Assists

0

1

As you can see in the table above, Parrott has scored 13 goals in 14 appearances in all competitions for AZ Alkmaar, on top of the two goals that he scored for Ireland against Portugal.

This means that the striker has already scored an eye-catching 15 goals for club and country in the 2025/26 campaign, whilst no Leeds player has scored more than twice in all competitions.

Parrott, per Sofascore, has scored 37 goals from 30.67 xG in the Eredivisie since the start of the 2023/24 season, which suggests that he is the clinical striker that Leeds are crying out for at the moment.

Therefore, the Ireland international could be the next Bamford to fire the Whites to safety with his prolific goalscoring, whilst saving Farke’s job in the process by making the most of his coaching to improve the results picked up by the team.

Leeds have "standout" teen who could end Aaronson's career & it's not Gray

Leeds United have a promising young attacking midfielder who could end Brenden Aaronson’s career at the club.

ByDan Emery Nov 15, 2025

Who are the big stars in action, what do the teams look like, and everything else you need to know about SA20 2025

Deivarayan Muthu08-Jan-2025Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions, right?Indeed. Having won the tournament in 2023 and 2024, Sunrisers, under captain Markram and coach Adrian Birrell, will gun for a three-peat. If they manage to do so, they will emulate Jaffna Kings, who had recently won three titles in a row at the Lanka Premier League.Related

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Sunrisers have a particularly strong local core – Markram, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs and Ottneil Baartman – with some talented overseas players complementing them. They have lost Dan Worrall, who was their powerplay specialist last season, to Gulf Giants in the ILT20, but have filled that void by bringing in Craig Overton, who can also swing the new ball from his tall frame, and added Richard Gleeson, who can clock 140kph, to their roster. They have strengthened their batting by snapping up David Bedingham, who is set for his SA20 bow.Markram had a wretched 2024 with the bat in T20Is, but you just can’t look past him and his team in the SA20.Who will challenge Sunrisers for the title?MI had finished rock bottom in 2023 and 2024, but if they perform to potential this season, they could challenge the might of Sunrisers. Before combining with Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, Trent Boult will work with Kagiso Rabada in a partnership that promises to be just as mouth-watering.Reeza Hendricks, for whom MI forked out Rand 4.3 million will reunite with his Lions team-mates Rassie van der Dussen at MI in the SA20. This is a chance for allrounder Corbin Bosch, MI’s wildcard signing, to enhance his reputation after having enjoyed a memorable Test debut for South Africa in the Boxing Day fixture.Rashid Khan will lead a side that also has Colin Ingram, George Linde and Nuwan Thushara in its ranks. In a significant blow, however, Ben Stokes is set to miss the SA20 with a recurrence of a hamstring tear, for which he has had surgery.South Africa’s best players can play the SA20 this time without worrying about ignoring international cricket•AFP/Getty ImagesDoes the league clash with SA’s international commitments again?No. Not this time.The SA20’s clash with SA’s Test series in New Zealand caused a stir last year, with the CSA prioritising its league over Test cricket at the time. Any South African player with an SA20 deal was informed of their contractual obligations to play in the tournament ahead of the Tests, which resulted in a squad with seven uncapped players, including the stand-in captain Neil Brand, being selected for the New Zealand tour.The SA20, however, overlaps with other T20 tournaments – Australia’s Big Bash League, UAE’s ILT20, New Zealand’s Super Smash and the Bangladesh Premier League.What’s the format of the league like?The top-four teams in the six-team league will qualify for the knockouts, which will have IPL-style qualifiers and an eliminator. To summarise, the teams placed first and second after the league phase will play in the first qualifier, with the winner going straight to the final. The teams placed third and fourth will play an eliminator with the loser out of contention. Then, the loser of the first qualifier will play the winner of the eliminator to determine the second finalist.Gqeberha is set to host the first qualifier while Centurion will stage the eliminator and second qualifier. The final will be held in Johannesburg on February 8.Tell me about the big overseas names who will be in actionDespite the clashes, the SA20 has some big drawcards, including Rashid, Boult, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and Dinesh Karthik.Boult will complete the MI set, having already played for their teams in the IPL (Mumbai Indians), MLC (MI New York) and ILT20 (MI Emirates). For Williamson and Conway, this will be their first stints at the SA20. Williamson will play for Durban’s Super Giants while Conway will reunite with Stephen Fleming at Joburg Super Kings, having already won the IPL title under him at CSK.Having “sold everything” and left South Africa, the Johannesburg-born Conway will have a special homecoming at this SA20. Back in the day, Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi used to be house-mates in South Africa but then their paths diverged. Years later, at the SA20, their paths will converge again.Also, watch out for Pathirana vs Thushara in the battle of the Lasith Malinga clones.Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to take part in the SA20•Abu Dhabi T10Did you mention Dinesh Karthik?Yes, the former India international will rock up for Paarl Royals this season. He’s set to become the first Indian to feature in the SA20 and will also serve as the tournament’s brand ambassador. Since retiring from Indian and international cricket in June 2024, Karthik has been part of the Legends League and the Abu Dhabi T10 league.Family affairsHaving been hit by injuries, JSK have called up allrounder Hardus Viljoen, who will play under his brother-in-law Faf du Plessis, who had led St Lucia Kings to the CPL title in 2024.JP King, who was invited for JSK’s training sessions last season, will join them as a rookie player for this season while his brother CJ King will be part of the Super Giants side.The Bosch brothers – Corbin and Eathan – were on the same side (Pretoria Capitals) in SA20 2024, but Corbin has now moved to MI, which could add some spice to the MI-Capitals clash.Is Imran Tahir still an active T20 player?Indeed. Imran Tahir, who will turn 46 in March, is still going strong in T20 cricket. He will link up with Shamsi and Maheesh Theekshana at JSK. Tahir is currently the fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket, with 526 strikes in 420 games.What about the Impact Player rule?The SA20 doesn’t have the Impact Player rule in place like the IPL, but teams can name their final XIs after the toss. Captains can take two team sheets to the toss – one with their bat-first XI and the other with their bowl-first XI – and offer up the final list once the toss has been completed.

Jonathan Trott believes Afghanistan will start as “slight favourites” against Bangladesh, who face a must-win situation, in their Asia Cup Group B fixture in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. And going by recent history, there’s merit in that confidence.”Since I’ve been with the side, we’ve had some memorable moments,” Trott said. “I think back to when we beat Bangladesh in a 50-over series in Bangladesh for the first time [in 2023]. It had never been done before, and given how strong Bangladesh have been at home, to go there and do that gave us a lot of confidence and positivity.”Then there was the win in St Vincent at the [2024] T20 World Cup, which helped us qualify for the semi-final. That was such a tight, historic game, and it gave us great belief. This group I’m currently working with is not shy about achieving new things or breaking new ground.Related

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“Whenever there’s something that hasn’t been done before, like a big obstacle or a big challenge, this Afghan side rises to the occasion. They’re not only setting new standards for themselves but also paving the way for future players to keep pushing those boundaries.”Since opening their Asia Cup with a convincing win over Hong Kong on September 9, Afghanistan have had six days off. The break, in Trott’s opinion, has helped refresh them “mentally and physically” after the gruelling pre-Asia Cup tri-series against UAE and Pakistan, where they played five games in ten days.”I’m actually quite happy with the break,” he said. “Playing in the extreme heat here in the UAE takes a lot out of you. It’s been a good chance to recharge the batteries, take stock of where we are, and get ready to go again. Hopefully, with a win and qualification into the next round, we know there will be quite a few games in a short space of time.”At the opening press conference in Dubai, barely a few hours prior to their Asia Cup opener in Abu Dhabi, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan had spoken of the short turnaround – less than 48 hours – between the tri-series final and the game against Hong Kong. He had also said that it wasn’t ideal to be staying in Dubai and having all their group games in Abu Dhabi, leaving them with an added commute of three hours on match days.Looking at the schedule and putting that break into context, Trott felt it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I think our schedule has actually played into our hands, as long as we play well tomorrow and do the job in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Playing there is very different to Dubai. It looks like it’s been spinning a little more here and in Sharjah. Abu Dhabi is a very different type of pitch – the make-up of the soil is different too.1:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

“That’s the challenge of playing in these tournaments: you’re constantly adapting to a variety of conditions. I certainly feel that with our squad and the options we have, we can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions.”Trott, expectedly, talked up Afghanistan’s spin stocks, joking that they were good enough to field an XI of spinners if needed. There’s Rashid and Noor Ahmad as their frontline options, along with Mohammad Nabi. They have also got Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar and Sharafuddin Ashraf in the squad. That said, he felt that it wasn’t a given that Afghanistan would do well just because they had competent spinners.”We saw during the triangular series that just because the ball is spinning, it doesn’t automatically mean we’re going to win games,” Trott said. “We still have to do everything else well, and I stress that. Yes, our spinners have played a lot of franchise cricket and plenty of international T20 and ODI cricket, but we’ve got to be consistent across all departments. That’s why we work so hard as a side.”Right now, we have a great opportunity with the Asia Cup. Looking a bit further ahead, with the World Cup coming up in February, we have good memories of playing in the subcontinent – in Sri Lanka and India. It can be tempting to look too far ahead, but for now, Bangladesh is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and we’re focused on winning that game.”

Welsh Fire condemned to wooden spoon once again despite best efforts of Kohler-Cadmore

ECB Media28-Aug-2025In the last game of the group stage, Welsh Fire could have climbed as high as fourth in the table with a win against Southern Brave in Southampton but defeat left them rock bottom, joining their women’s team in ending up with the wooden spoon.In the end it was Southern Brave, with Jason Roy (70 off 39) rolling back the years, who ended up in that fourth position, after a game that was all about playing for pride, the top three positions in the table all having been decided days ago.Fire chose to field and with the Brave at 10 for 2 off 14 balls, the Welsh side were delighted with their start. But Roy was at his belligerent best, counterattacking brilliantly, twice hitting successive sixes to get himself going and bringing up his 50 from 30 balls. David Payne (2 for 17) used his smarts to do for him in the end but despite 30 from 21 from Leus du Plooy, it took a rambunctious finish from Craig Overton and Jordan Thompson to take the home side up to an impressive looking 167 for 7.In reply, Overton took two scalps in the first five balls, one of them the big wicket of Steve Smith, snapped up by Roy at extra cover. With the score at 24 for 3 after the Powerplay, the Fire’s hopes seemed all but extinguished. And when Tom Abell went, with 117 needed from 59, it was a tall order but Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Welsh starlet Ben Kellaway soaked up the pressure and then exploded, hitting shots all around the ground to bring the Fire right back into things.Kohler-Cadmore matched Roy in striking a brace of successive sixes and Kellaway lost nothing by comparison, the two combining for 81 in 39 balls and leaving the match in the balance.In an innings where 40 overs of spin had gone for 85 runs, it was left to seamers Thompson and Tymal Mills to bowl the last 20 with 36 needed and their death bowling skills were evident, with a succession of yorkers and slower balls. It came down to 18 from 5 and a no ball and a slugged six made the Fire favourites, but then Thompson bowled Kohler-Cadmore (84 off 46) to leave seven needed off two, then six of off one. Another nailed yorker was enough to see the Brave home.Meerkat Match Hero Overton said: “It was great to get across the line; we haven’t quite put in the performances this year so it’s good to finish with a win. It was about doing the basics; it swung a bit and the way the boys finished off was great.”The boys have been awesome; the group has been similar for the last three of four years and it’s nice to get back together. We didn’t quite perform how we would have wanted but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”