Chris Lynn hit the first century in a Vitality Blast Finals Day to power Hampshire Hawks to a six-wicket (DLS) win over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the second semi-final at Edgbaston.Lynn smashed an unbeaten 108 from 51 balls with five fours and 11 sixes as the Hawks galloped to a DLS target of 155 in 18 overs with 14 balls to spare. It was a chase pulled off virtually single-handedly as no other batter passed 12.The Steelbacks’ rain-interrupted innings had been lifted to 158 for seven from 18 overs by Justin Broad’s sixth T20 half-century – 61 not out from 39 balls – which dragged the innings back from the ruins of 86 for six. But Lynn’s hitting masterclass turned the chase into a cruise to book the Hawks a place in this evening’s final against Somerset.Hampshire chose to bowl and immediately struck a huge blow when David Willey edged his first ball, from Chris Wood, to wicketkeeper Toby Albert. Two more big wickets soon fell and Wood was again involved in each, this time as fielder. He was at third to take the catch when Ricardo Vasconcelos sliced Scott Currie, then took a stinging catch at short third when quarter-final hero Ravi Bopara edged a big drive at Sonny Baker.Bjorn Fortuin, who had played for South Africa against England in Manchester less than 24 hours earlier, added a wicket with his fifth ball when he bowled Tim Robinson. The Steelbacks were in a pickle at 65 for five when Saif Zaib pulled a Benny Howell long hop to Ali Orr on the mid-wicket boundary. It was an acrobatic grab by the fielder but Zaib may reflect that the catch should have been taken by somebody in the Hollies Stand.Smart work from James Vince ran out Lewis McManus just before the rain break, after which Broad and Luke Procter (30, 20) delivered some sparkling improvisation to added 70 in 40 balls.After DLS had trimmed the Hawks’ target, Lynn was soon making heavy inroads into it. Toby Albert and James Vince son sent up catches off the spinners but the Aussie thundered to a 24-ball half-century including 16 from four balls by Procter.Ben Mayes top-edged a reverse-sweep at Zaib and fell to a brilliant catch by George Scrimshaw but Lynn lifted Ben Sanderson for successive sixes to send his side into the last five overs needing a manageable 41. Four successive sixes off Lloyd Pope took Lynn to a 49-ball century and left the Hawks needing eight from the last three overs. They made it.

India consigned Australia to their heaviest ODI defeat, winning by 102 runs

S Sudarshanan17-Sep-2025Eighteen years and 206 days. It was a long wait. Entire careers started and ended in the time between India’s previous ODI victory at home against Australia in 2007 and the 102-run triumph in New Chandigarh on Wednesday.The final margin may make the win seem easy but it took spirited bowling from India following Smriti Mandhana’s century to draw level at 1-1 in the three-match series. Riding on Mandhana’s 12th ODI ton, India posted 292, a total that seemed lower than what they should have got. In response, India’s seamers stifled the top order and the spinners put pressure on the middle to hand Australia their biggest ODI defeat. All this after being thrashed in the opening match at the same venue.

Australia fined for slow over rate

Australia have been fined 10% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against India in the second ODI on Wednesday in New Chandigarh. Australia were ruled two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.

Match referee GS Lakshmi imposed the sanction on the visiting team in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. According to the code of conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. Australia captain Alyssa Healy pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Australia wanted to “get out in the heat and acclimatise,” said their captain Alyssa Healy after asking India to bat on a flat track. India’s innings was Mandhana or bust. She hit a six off her eighth ball, won an unfavourable match-up against Ashleigh Gardner, and made use of the first powerplay to race to a 45-ball fifty. With India a batter short after Jemimah Rodrigues was ruled out of the series with viral fever, Mandhana never let the tempo drop.With Shafali Verma no longer in India’s ODI plans, Mandhana has taken on the role of aggressor and got to her century off just 77 balls, the second quickest for India. Only Meg Lanning (15) and Suzie Bates (13) have more hundreds than Mandhana. Her presence in the middle meant Australia couldn’t use their legspinners to full effect. Georgia Wareham went for 29 in her first two overs, with India’s vice-captain hitting her for three fours and two sixes, while Alana King was only introduced in the 34th, the over after Mandhana fell.While Mandhana thrived, the other India batters struggled. Pratika Rawal couldn’t find a way around Australia’s tactics and 20 off her 32 balls were dots. Harleen Deol did not score a run off 17 of her first 19 balls. Deepti Sharma made 40 off 53 but hit just two fours. Darcie Brown picked up three wickets, having found her rhythm towards the end of the innings.Kranti Goud removed Alyssa Healy early•Getty Images

Australia were tasked with achieving their highest chase in ODIs and fast bowler Renuka Singh, playing her first international following a stress injury last year, took only six balls to strike. Georgia Voll, who had come in because Phoebe Litchfield was rested for a minor quad strain, bagged a five-ball duck in her first international match in India. Soon, Kranti Goud dismissed Healy for the second time in two games. After the first powerplay, Australia were 25 for 2, their lowest 10-over powerplay total since the 2017 World Cup.Ellyse Perry kept Australia on track with Beth Mooney and then Annabel Sutherland. India dropped a few catches: Richa Ghosh failed to hold on to a tough leg-side chance after Perry attempted a paddle, Deol dropped a miscue from Mooney after running in from long-off, and Radha dropped Sutherland off her own bowling. Perry and Mooney added 50 off 73 balls before Perry and Sutherland put on 46 off 45 balls.India also had an injury scare when Renuka walked off clutching her left calf. She bowled a spell of six consecutive overs at the start of the chase and was brought back after a five-over break. While Renuka came back on to the field a few overs later, she did not bowl anymore.It was Sneh Rana who deceived Mooney with a wider line – with Arundhati Reddy, in for Rodrigues, taking a running catch – and then Radha dealt the chase a severe blow by dismissing Perry caught and bowled. When Reddy ended Sutherland’s aggressive innings, India sensed a win, which was sealed by Deepti taking two wickets in two overs. She had Gardner and Tahlia McGrath caught in the outfield to all but shut out Australia.There was no coming back from there and Goud bowled Wareham and had Megan Schutt caught and bowled to complete a memorable win.

His undefeated knock of 76 comes in resilient batting display by Northants

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Sep-2025

Saif Zaib shone again with an undefeated knock of 76 as Northamptonshire’s resilient batting display held up Glamorgan’s Rothesay County Championship promotion charge at Wantage Road.The left-hander, Division Two’s second highest run-scorer this season with five hundreds to his name, shared a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with James Sales to steer their side close to avoiding the follow-on despite four wickets for Glamorgan spinner Mason Crane.Half-centuries by opening pair Ricardo Vasconcelos and Luke Procter laid solid foundations for Northamptonshire’s reply after Glamorgan opener Asa Tribe’s impressive career-best 206 had enabled the visitors to post 467.Seventeen-year-old spinner Nirvan Ramesh picked up the last two Glamorgan wickets to finish with figures of 3 for 42 on his first-class debut.Resuming on 367 for 6, Glamorgan increased their total by exactly 100 during the morning, with Tribe flicking Justin Broad off his hips for four to complete his maiden double hundred from 293 balls.But the 21-year-old was undone in the next over by a ball from Procter (3 for 89) that kept low and careered into his off stump, breaking a seventh-wicket partnership of 83 with Timm van der Gugten.The latter was pinned leg before for 33 by Calvin Harrison two balls later, but Crane went on the offensive, steering both Procter and Liam Guthrie to the fence as he and James Harris added exactly 50.With Crane’s first half-century of the campaign on the horizon, he was left stranded on 41 as Ramesh mopped up the innings, trapping Harris lbw on the back foot before having last man Asitha Fernando caught off a top edge.That left Northamptonshire’s openers with a single over to negotiate prior to lunch and, having ticked off that immediate target, they set about making inroads on their side’s hefty deficit.Although Harris and Fernando beat the bat a couple of times, the opening pair looked largely secure and Vasconcelos lifted Van der Gugten over the short midwicket boundary for six.Outscoring his partner, Vasconcelos banged Fernando through the covers for four and then posted his half-century from 66 balls – only to surrender his wicket in the next over, clipping Zain ul Hassan straight to midwicket.Harrison, back at Wantage Road for his fifth short-term loan from Nottinghamshire this season, upped the tempo by dispatching Ul Hassan for two leg-side sixes and looked strong off the back foot, punching a series of cover boundaries in his brisk 30.Meanwhile Procter took on Crane, sweeping the legspinner for six and then – having survived an appeal for a leg-side catch – danced down the track for a straight-driven four that took him to 50.However, Crane removed both established batters in the run-up to tea, with Harrison well taken at slip off an outside edge before Procter followed in his next over for 67, prodding to short backward square.Timing and placing his shots beautifully, Zaib flayed three consecutive Crane deliveries to the rope and progressed to his fifth half-century of the campaign while Sales capitalised on a chance to slip that Ingram spilled.Returning for a third spell late in the day, Crane got his man when Sales fell for 35, pumping a full toss to cover and added a fourth wicket by having Broad caught behind from the final delivery of the session.

Don’t say it too loudly, but things might be turning around for West Ham United.

Nuno Espírito Santo made changes to his team ahead of the Newcastle United game at the weekend, and lo and behold, came away with all three points.

Moreover, it wasn’t a smash-and-grab; the East Londoners actually played well, with one player in particular doing spectacularly.

In fact, with the proper support around him, that starter could become a leading figure for West Ham and their biggest star since Mohammed Kudus.

Why West Ham were right to sell Kudus

Now, it should be noted that one significant issue with selling Kudus in the summer was that he went to Tottenham Hotspur.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, while doing business with rivals is never ideal, deciding to move the former Ajax star on for £55m was still the correct decision from the club.

After all, while he had a stellar first season in Claret and Blue, he was anonymous at best last year.

For example, in 35 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 2721 minutes, the Accra-dud mustered up a dismal return of five goals and four assists.

In other words, he managed a dire average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or one every 302.33 minutes.

For comparison’s sake, Jarrod Bowen scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 36 games, totalling 3148 minutes.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

Therefore, while he was capable of some magic moments, Kudus was not consistent enough to justify his place in the team, especially not when someone offers over £50m for him.

Anyway, in addition to Bowe, West Ham appear to have another superstar in the making on their hands this season.

West Ham's future star

It would be fair to say that, at the moment, West Ham’s biggest star is Bowen, but over the coming years, that title could shift to Freddie Potts.

Now, it is still so early on in the midfielder’s Hammers career, but there is a real sense around the fanbase that he could be something special.

Moreover, although he has just one competitive start for the club, he has plenty of experience with other sides, having made 38 appearances for Portsmouth and 43 for Wycombe Wanderers.

However, while his experiences in the Championship and League One help bolster his CV, it was really his performance against Newcastle that has excited the Hammers faithful.

It was a game in which the academy graduate put in a quintessential all-action midfield display.

From helping break down attacks to kickstarting them himself, the Englishman was near enough faultless in the middle of the park and totally vindicated the fans who have been calling for him to start for some time.

He would even have got himself a goal if he had worn one size smaller boots.

After the match, one analyst described the Barking-born star as possessing a “similar aura to Rice when he first came through” and as being blessed with a “supreme confidence” on and off the ball.

It certainly sounds like hyperbole, but it’s rather difficult to argue against such statements.

Ultimately, it’s still early in Potts’ career, but as things stand, he looks like he could become West Ham’s biggest star since Kudus.

West Ham 'sound out' £30m striker with Fullkrug 'determined' to leave in January

The Irons are making plans to replace him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 6, 2025

حقق منتخب السودان فوزًا صعبًا على نظيره لبنان في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم الأربعاء، بهدفين مقابل هدف، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة إلى كأس العرب بهدفين مقابل هدف.

والتقى منتخب السودان مع نظيره لبنان، ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة إلى مجموعات بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر.

طالع.. مجموعة منتخب مصر في كأس العرب 2025 بعد اكتمالها

وافتتح خليل خميس، أهداف المباراة في الدقيقة 30 من عمر اللقاء لصالح منتخب لبنان، قبل أن يتعادل السودان عن طريق هدف محمد حيد بالخطأ في مرماه في الدقيقة 43.

وجاء هدف السودان الثاني في الدقيقة 73 من عمر المباراة عن طريق ياسر عوض.

وتأهل منتخب السودان إلى المجموعة الرابعة والتي تضم العراق والجزائر والبحرين. أهداف مباراة السودان ولبنان اليوم

Patriots have lost six of their last eight matches and are in fifth position, while Knight Riders have extended their lead at the top

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2025Kieron Pollard and Nicholas Pooran’s whirlwind half-centuries helped Trinbago Knight Riders extend their dominance at the top of the points table with a 12-run win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in Tarouba on Monday.Sent in, Knight Riders found themselves in early trouble, reduced to 27 for 2 in the fifth over and then 78 for 3 in the 11th. But Pollard and Pooran launched a massive counterattack, adding 90 runs in 8.1 overs to take them to 179 for 6. Patriots started the chase strongly, but soon withered away with seamer Nathan Edward picking up 3 for 30 in 3.2 overs and Mohammad Amir returning 2 for 29.

POLLY POWERRR!!!

Kieron Pollard raises yet another CPL fifty! #CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #TKRvSKNP #RepublicBank pic.twitter.com/huJek5r4cL

— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 1, 2025