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England 172 for 2 (Jones 86*, Beaumont 40) beat New Zealand 168 (Plimmer 43, Smith 3-30, Sciver-Brunt 2-31, Capsey 2-34) by eight wicketsAn injury to key bowler Sophie Ecclestone proved no barrier for England as Amy Jones overhauled a meagre target to send New Zealand out of the World Cup with a heavy defeat.Ecclestone injured her bowling shoulder while fielding and sent down just four deliveries, including a wicket, before England bundled New Zealand out for 168 inside 39 overs in their final group game.Her fellow left-arm spinner, Linsey Smith, overcame a difficult start to capture three wickets while part-time off-spinner Alice Capsey and seamer Nat Sciver-Brunt took two each before Jones’s unbeaten 86 took England home with ease.Related

• The truth is, cricket owes Sophie Devine a lot

• Allrounder for all seasons – Sophie Devine's ODI career in numbers

The result meant that England secured the No. 2 spot behind Australia, meaning that in the unlikely event of their semi-final against South Africa being washed out in Guwahati on Wednesday and on the subsequent reserve day, they would progress on the basis of holding a superior position on the table.It also ensured there would be no fairytale farewell for New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, who has played her last ODI in a match where New Zealand’s batters collectively failed convert starts and their bowlers struggled to put dents in England’s top-order.On the face of it, England had an easy ride into their semi-final campaign, but Ecclestone’s injury was cause for concern and they had to overcome a wayward start with the ball and in the field while their re-jigged middle-order went untested.The openers Jones and Tammy Beaumont broke the back of the run chase with a 75-run partnership and Jones combined with Heather Knight for an 83-run stand that took England within 11 runs of victory.England’s top four have all scored runs at this tournament, with Knight and Sciver-Brunt posting centuries and Beaumont and Jones reaching fifty before this game. Down the order they brought in the vastly experienced Danni Wyatt-Hodge for her first match of the tournament, replacing Emma Lamb who has struggled at No. 6.Knight’s dismissal, lbw to Devine for 33, prompted England to send Wyatt-Hodge in at No. 4 ahead of Sciver-Brunt to give her some exposure in the middle ahead of the knockout phase, although it was limited as she faced seven deliveries for 2 not out.Sophie Devine waves farewell after her final ODI•ICC/Getty Images

Beaumont raced to 26 off 20 balls, with four of her five boundaries up to that point coming in one Jess Kerr over. Back-to-back fours off Amelia Kerr put Beaumont in touching distance of 40 but, once she arrived there, she was struck on the pad by a Lea Tahuhu nip-backer right in line with middle stump.Knight carved the next ball expertly through backward point for four and, having overturned an lbw dismissal to New Zealand’s bemusement as Melie Kerr’s delivery was shown to be going over the stumps, Knight advanced down the pitch to power a huge six over long on in her next over.All the while, Jones had been steadily creeping towards her half-century with excellent timing and she brought up the milestone with six off Suzie Bates. Jones upped the tempo and helped herself to three fours in a row off Rosemary Mair before eventually bringing up the winning runs with consecutive boundaries off Devine, who left the field through a guard of honour from both teams.Earlier, Ecclestone took a tumble trying to intercept a boundary from Bates off the second ball of the match and jarred her shoulder after running from mid-off to chase Capsey’s misfield at extra cover.Bates only managed to reach 10 before spooning a waist-high full toss from Smith straight to mid-off where Lamb stood as a substitute for Ecclestone.Struggling to grip the new ball, Smith continued to serve up some wayward lengths and, after Bates had failed to capitalise, Kerr did with four boundaries on the trot as she set about rebuilding through a 68-run partnership alongside Georgia Plimmer.Sophie Ecclestone picked a wicket in the four deliveries she bowled before going off with injury•Getty Images

With Smith pulled from the attack and Ecclestone still off the field having her injury assessed, Capsey entered to make a crucial strike as Kerr sought to go big down the ground and picked out Charlie Dean, who then struck with the first ball of the next over, pinning Plimmer on the pad for 43 as England wrested back control.Ecclestone returned briefly to remove Brooke Halliday, caught by Sophia Dunkley at deep midwicket, but then Dunkley bowled the remaining two balls of the over as Ecclestone, feeling more discomfort in her shoulder, left the field for the remainder of the innings.So it fell to Devine to make one last stand with the bat, even more so when Capsey took an excellent diving catch off her own bowling to remove Maddy Green – although she dropped another off Izzy Gaze next ball – but it wasn’t to be. Devine managed 23 off 35 before she strode forward to a Sciver-Brunt off-cutter which kissed the inside edge before landing in the glove of wicketkeeper Jones.Smith returned in the 29th over and, more comfortable with the worn ball, removed Gaze playing around a slow, full delivery that angled in to hit the top of off stump.Sciver-Brunt grabbed her second wicket by pinning Mair lbw and Jess Kerr was run out by a good throw from Dean at extra cover to Jones to put New Zealand on the brink of being bowled out. Dean finished it with a superb catch over her shoulder while running back at mid-off to remove Tahuhu and give Smith her third.

Over the years, Manchester United has been the home to numerous elite-level centre-forwards, with Robin van Persie one who captured the hearts of the fanbase.

The Dutchman joined in a controversial deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported £24m back in August 2012 – a deal that proved to be an absolute bargain.

He ended up making 105 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 58 goals, with his total of 26 league goals in 2012/13 helping Sir Alex Ferguson win his final top-flight title.

Van Persie also managed to notch 16 assists during such a period, taking his total goal contributions to 74, resulting in an average of 0.7 goals or assists per game over a three-year period.

Such a record has undoubtedly cemented his place in the Red Devils history, but numerous managers have been unable to rely upon similar talents at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and unearth his own version of the talisman, subsequently spending big on a new centre-forward during the recent summer window.

The reasons behind Benjamin Sesko’s struggles at United

After taking the reins back in November last year, Amorim had to rely upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.

However, the duo’s tally of just seven combined goals in the Premier League last season highlighted the need for reinforcements during the summer transfer window.

The board handed the manager over £200m worth of funds to make the desired changes, which resulted in three huge names making the move to Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Benjamin Sesko the player brought in to operate alongside the pair in the final third.

The latter of the trio cost a reported £74m from RB Leipzig during the summer, with real hope generated by the fans that he would be the man to solve their issues.

However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from plain sailing, as seen by his tally of just two goals in his first 11 league outings – even going four games without a goal.

His early struggles will no doubt present cause for concern, with his underlying numbers also highlighting his lack of impact in recent months after his big-money switch.

He’s only registered a total of 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, which has ranked him in the bottom 20% of all other centre forwards in England’s top-flight.

Such a figure showcases that he’s either unable to get himself into the right positions, or he’s not being provided the goods – which could explain his lowly goalscoring tally.

However, Sesko has been hugely reliant upon players around him, with his tally of 0.2 dribbles completed showcasing that he’s unlikely to create a chance on his own.

Like the aforementioned tally, it has placed him in the bottom 20% of other strikers in the league, which could also be contributing to his lack of goals at present.

The United star who could end Sesko’s Man Utd career

There’s no doubt that Sesko will need added time to flourish in England, with his big-money transfer to United in the summer presenting a huge culture change for the 22-year-old.

He’s had to move to a new country, league and surroundings, which is certainly a daunting task for a young talent – which too could be having an effect on his lack of output.

But the lack of quality in such a department has no doubt ramped up the pressure on the Slovenian international to provide the goods in front of goal at Old Trafford.

Amorim will no doubt have to manage Sesko personally to get the best out of the centre-forward, but it’s unclear how much patience the manager will present to the new addition.

The fans, too, will need to cut him some slack, but it will no doubt be tricky, especially given the form of the previous talents in such a role – including the likes of Van Persie.

However, the club may have their next talisman in the form of Chido Obi, with the young star already matching the Dutchman in making the move to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal.

At just 17, the fans will have to be patient with the Dane, but there’s no doubt excitement has been generated by his incredible goalscoring record in the youth setup.

He scored 13 times in just 11 appearances for the U18 outfit last campaign, living up to the billing he is a “goalscoring machine” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig. Such form has seen him make the step-up to the U21 squad over the last couple of months.

Obi has now made 22 appearances at such a level, scoring nine times and registering four assists in the process – even managing to thrive at an age group four years above his own.

Given the lack of quality in the centre-forward department last season, Amorim even handed the teenager his first taste of senior football in an attempt to improve the situation.

The Dane made a total of eight first-team appearances in 2024/25, but failed to find the back of the net once – however, it didn’t stop the youngster from receiving huge praise.

Teammate Leny Yoro previously waxed lyrical about the youngster, even claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best” in the years to come should he continue on his current path.

After returning to youth level, Obi has backed up Yoro’s statement, averaging a goal every 100 minutes and registering a staggering total of 2.2 shots on target per 90 this season.

Chido Obi – U21 stats in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

8

Games started

3

Goals scored

3

Mins per goal

100

Shots on target

2.2

Dribbles completed

68%

Touches in opposition box

6.6

Fouls won

1.7

Stats via FotMob

He’s even completed 68% of the dribbles he’s attempted, massively starring in such an area, something which Sesko has been unable to do over the last few months.

Obi has also dominated countless backlines lately, as seen by his tally of 4.7 duels won, with his physical presence potentially perfect for Amorim’s current side.

Whilst he’s just 17, the future is massively bright for the Dane at Old Trafford, with the club desperately needing to streamline his progress into the senior ranks.

Sesko’s inability to impress could certainly hand the manager the perfect chance to allow him to stake his claim and nail down the position as his very own for many years to come.

If he can match Van Persie’s level during his own time with the Red Devils, he will certainly be a fan-favourite and a player who can take the first-team back to their former glory.

Related An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"

Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 18, 2025

Toss Rashid Khan says in T20s the toss doesn’t matter as much as giving yourself the best chance. By his own logic, he thinks batting first in Abu Dhabi is the way to go because that’s what he’s done when the coin fell in his favour. Afghanistan are in a run where they are playing six T20Is in 13 days and that’s resulted in a slight reshuffling of personnel. Rashid confirmed one change from the team that stumbled badly in the tri-series final against Pakistan just two days ago, with batter Darwish Rasooli stepping out for allrounder Gulbadin Naib.The pitch, reports suggest, has 3.5mm of grass on it, which is unusual on this ground. Hong Kong might have taken that into considering during their pre-match plans because their captain Yasim Murtaza wanted to bowl first. He also invited the world to keep an eye on 22-year-old batter Kalhan Challu, whose power-hitting has rescued the team from difficult situations as recently as July against Samoa.Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi.Hong Kong: Anshuman Rath, Zeeshan Ali (wk), Babar Hayat, Kalhan Challu, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, KD Shah, Yasim Murtaza (capt), A Shukla, Ateeq Iqbal, Ehsan Khan.

MatériaMais Notícias

O volante colombiano do Palmeiras, Richard Rios, foi um dos grandes destaques da importante vitória da sua seleção sobre a Espanha, nesta última sexta-feira (22), em Londres.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Após entrar no segundo tempo, o jogador que foi titular do Palmeiras durante toda primeira fase do Paulista foi importante para que a Colômbia conseguisse o gol da vitória com Daniel Muñoz, após belíssima jogada de Luís Diaz.

Na internet, diversos colombianos se renderam ao jogador do Palmeiras e inclusive chamaram ele de presente e futuro da Seleção Colombiana, que busca voltar a disputar uma Copa do Mundo após ficar de fora da última edição.

continua após a publicidade

A Colômbia agora enfrenta a Romênia na próxima terça-feira (26), a partir das 16h30 (horário de Brasília).

Richard Rios pegará carona com Leila Pereira e junto de Endrick e Murilo, deve estar à disposição de Abel Ferreira para o duelo diante do Novorizontino, pela semifinal do Paulistão 2024.

Confere aí o que alguns colombianos falaram de Richard Rios após a vitória sobre a Espanha:

Harshit Rana had aggressively pointed to the dressing room after getting rid of Dewald Brevis in the first India vs South Africa ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-20252:05

Harshit Rana: ‘Don’t care about outside noise; focus is on cricket’

Harshit Rana has been pulled up and has had a demerit point added to his disciplinary record for his gesture at Dewald Brevis after dismissing the batter, which was a breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, in the first India vs South Africa ODI in Ranchi on Sunday.In a statement on Wednesday, the day of the second ODI, ICC said Rana’s gesture “breached Article 2.5” of the code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter”. It was Rana’s first offence in a 24-month period.A level 1 breach such as this carries a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Related

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The incident took place in the 22nd over of South Africa’s chase of India’s 349, when Rana dismissed Brevis caught at deep point by Ruturaj Gaikwad and pointed in the direction of the dressing room.Brevis fell at a crucial juncture in the game when South Africa were 130 in the 22nd over and he was in a strong-looking partnership with Matthew Breetzke, who was South Africa’s top-scorer with 72. Rana had earlier sent back Ryan Rickelton and Quinton de Kock and finished with 3 for 65. Virat Kohli had earlier scored 135 in 120 balls – a record 52nd ODI century for him – to headline India’s batting effort after South Africa had won the toss and inserted them.Rana admitted to the offence after the charge was levelled by on-field umpires Jayaraman Madanagopal and Sam Nogajski, third umpire Rod Tucker and fourth umpire Rohan Pandit.

Well, that was about as perfect a game as Chelsea are going to have this season.

Following their win over Burnley at the weekend, Enzo Maresca’s side were given the daunting task of hosting Barcelona in the Champions League.

However, instead of wilting under the pressure, the Blues stepped up and completely blew the Spanish giants aside.

From the first minute to the last, Chelsea were exceptional, and there were more than a few standout performers, including Estevao and someone who made light work of what should’ve been a challenging task.

Estevao's magical night vs Barcelona

When Chelsea secured the services of Estevao last summer, there was a lot made of the youngster.

In fact, just a few months before that, respected analyst Ben Mattinson had labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner.”

Now, while there is still some way to go for that prediction to be proven true, the youngster certainly helped make it look like a good one on Tuesday night.

From practically the first minute until he came off in the 83rd, the 18-year-old was a massive threat, both in terms of his own goalscoring ability and creativity.

He was the scorer of the Blues’ all-important second goal on the night, beating two defenders with some quick feet and firing the ball into the roof of the net.

It means he is now the second-youngest player to score in his first three starts in the competition, after only Kylian Mbappé.

Unsurprisingly, the teenager left quite the impression on the watching press as well, with the Express’ Charlie Griggs awarding him a 9/10 match rating and writing that he ‘led the attacking charge at times.’

Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Estevao’s performance against Barcelona is that he totally outshone the other wonderkid in Lamine Yamal.

Although the Brazilian wasn’t the only Chelsea player to get the better of the young Spaniard.

Chelsea's other standout star vs Barcelona

The brilliant thing for Maresca and Chelsea fans is that you could realistically make the case for any number of their players being the best on the pitch on Tuesday night.

Chalkboard

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

However, when it comes to the starter who really shone, potentially even more so than Estevao, it’s hard to look past Marc Cucurella.

The Spanish full-back was utterly superb against Barcelona, and even though he had the challenging task of trying to stop their free-flowing attack, he didn’t once look flustered.

Moreover, he came out comfortably on top in his duel with Yamal.

In fact, he was so dominant and so on top of the young wonderkid that he was practically anonymous throughout the match, so much so that the Stamford Bridge faithful were safe to openly mock him.

Now, it’s not the first time the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has locked down a superstar attacker, but given the competition, it’s undoubtedly one of the more high-profile examples.

Understandably then, he also left quite the impression on Griggs, who awarded him a 9/10 match rating at full-time, writing that he ‘locked down the left flank with ease and posed a danger up front.’

That might sound like hyperbole, but the 27-year-old’s statistics prove otherwise.

Minutes

93′

Expected Assists

0.59

Tackles (Won)

5 (4)

Interceptions

1

Clearances

2

Blocked Shots

1

Recoveries

4

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (1)

Key Passes

1

Passes

55/63

Touches

97

In his 93 minutes of action, he produced an expected assists figure of 0.59, won four of five tackles, made one interception, played one key pass, recovered the ball four times, took 97 touches, made two clearances and blocked one shot.

Ultimately, it was yet another performance that proved Cucurella is one of the best left-backs in the world, and as one content creator said, if he keeps it up, he’s well on his way to becoming “a Chelsea legend.”

Shades of Drogba: Chelsea make contact to sign £26m Liam Delap upgrade

Chelsea could already be about to sign a replacement for Liam Delap.

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One of Sheffield’s own is now in the running to buy Sheffield Wednesday, according to reports, after taking a key step ahead of the December 5 deadline.

Sheffield United merger rejected

The Owls have reportedly set a soft deadline of December 5 to find a new owner and narrow their search down. So far, they’ve not been short on candidates. Several potential buyers have shown proof of funds worth £50m and some have even been shown around the club’s facilities.

The biggest headline so far has arrived courtesy of Sheffield United, however. Wednesday’s rivals reportedly enquired about buying the club and were keen to merge the two Steel City rivals together in controversial fashion.

Unsurprisingly, any talks of that merger taking place have been shut down almost as quickly as they started gathering pace. Sheffield Wednesday, like many others, are keen to keep the derby alive and kicking instead, which is set to see them turn to other candidates.

Just who wins the bidding war is the big question. Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is reportedly among the interested parties, as is John McEvoy.

Many were quick to criticise Ashley at Newcastle in the past, but it’s worth noting that he cleared all of the Magpies’ debt. Financially speaking, he would arguably be a wise option.

Alas, it’s not just Ashley in the running. New names are now beginning to emerge and that includes Sheffield’s own Ryan Howsam. The Staysure founder has been based in Dubai in recent years, but could yet return to his home town to save his local club.

Who is Sheffield Wednesday takeover candidate Ryan Howsam?

So, is Howsam the man for the job? His impressive portfolio, which includes Avanti, PayingTooMuch, The Rock Group and several digital travel investments, certainly suggests that he’s got the funds to complete a takeover, but it would be his first venture into football.

The prospective owner has reportedly been given access to the club’s data in a key step towards potentially buying the club. He also recently told This is Money when asked about a return to England: “I would come back to the UK in a heartbeat if the environment was right.”

Sheffield Wednesday now braced for imminent "concrete" takeover bid

Things are looking up for the Owls.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

It would be fairly fitting for a Sheffield-born candidate to complete the takeover, but administrators would need to ignore their hearts and ensure that Howsam is the right man for the job.

Compared to someone like Ashley, Howsam is far from experienced in the world of football and the Owls simply need to steady the ship. It must also be noted that it may yet be neither of those options who emerge as frontrunners to buy the club.

With time ticking by before the December 5 deadline, Sheffield Wednesday must assess every possible option before making their final decision.

Mike Ashley position clear as Sheffield Wednesday takeover reaches final candidates

Seamers share eight wickets as table-toppers face awkward final day at Grace Road

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025

If Leicestershire’s vision was to clinch promotion to Division One with a resounding victory, it looks unlikely to come to pass this week after a truncated third day of their Rothesay County Championship match left them trailing Gloucestershire by 150 runs.Shan Masood compiled a typically elegant 111 to mark his first-class debut for the county with the 30th hundred of his career but Leicestershire then lost their last six wickets for 22 to trail by 140 on first innings, bowled out for 342 as Gloucestershire seamer Matt Taylor finished with five for 70, backed up by new-ball partner Ajeet Singh Dale’s three for 78.Gloucestershire – who need a victory to keep their outside chance of promotion alive – were eight without loss from four overs in their second innings before a three-hour interruption due to rain, adding just two runs before a resumption at 5.30pm was curtailed after just 13 deliveries due to bad light. With earlier rain having delayed the start by 70 minutes, just 30 overs and one ball were bowled in all.Even if a win eludes them, Leicestershire’s lead in the division is so large that a top-two finish can still be confirmed this week if this match ends in a draw and the clash between third-placed Derbyshire and fourth-placed Middlesex at Lord’s is also drawn.Masood faced 176 balls and hit 13 fours on the way to his eighth first-class hundred in county cricket, having previously made them for Derbyshire and Yorkshire. The left-hander will be 36 next month but retains the capacity to produce moments of sublime skill at the crease, which he underlined with some beautiful strokeplay in this innings.After his 152-run partnership with Lewis Hill on Tuesday had seemed to set up Leicestershire for a substantial reply, there seemed little to suggest that would not happen as a second batting bonus point was secured in a morning session reduced to 50 minutes with Masood and Steve Eskinazi, also making his Championship debut for a new county, having added 82.But that all changed with the last delivery of the session, which resulted in Masood being given out leg before, the former Pakistan Test captain’s body language leaving no doubt that the decision did not meet with his approval.Masood’s dismissal was the catalyst for an unseemly collapse from 320 for four to 342 all out, with the follow-on only just avoided.Having put off taking the second new ball until after lunch, Gloucestershire took it immediately after the break and needed only 10 overs’ use of it to claim the remaining five Leicestershire wickets.Taylor, who had three wickets overnight, beat Ben Cox for pace and had Ben Mike nicking behind to complete his first five-wicket haul in two years.New-ball partner Singh Dale, bound for Lancashire at the end of the season, gained deserved rewards as ex-Middlesex batter Eskinazi’s county debut innings ended on 34 with a catch at second slip. Logan van Beek and Chris Wright became the fourth and fifth batters in the innings to fall leg before, Wright having at least hung around long enough to ensure that the visitors would bat again after the ninth wicket had gone with still one run needed.

The Sun Group’s first payments for the Northern Superchargers franchise will be made on Thursday after which Yorkshire will clear their debts

Matt Roller31-Jul-2025

Yorkshire will start to clear debts of £25 million on Thursday when the first payments from the sale of Northern Superchargers are made by the Sun Group. Yorkshire were the only host county to sell the whole of their 51% interest in their Hundred team onto external investors due to the club’s perilous financial position, and the deal is one of six that has now been completed.The Sun Group, an Indian media conglomerate who also own Sunrisers Hyderabad (IPL) and Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SA20), bid just over £100 million to buy the Superchargers earlier this year. Their first payments, worth around £50m, will be made on Thursday, with the remainder due later this year once they have assumed operational control of the franchise.Yorkshire’s accounts state that the club received loans worth a combined £5.8m from “a group of committed individuals” – including chairman Colin Graves – in the last financial year, while loans worth a combined £14.9m from the Graves Trusts are due to be repaid by October. Sanjay Patel, the club chief executive, said that clearing those debts is Yorkshire’s “first priority”.Related

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“The deal puts the club in a strong financial position, which has been far from the case for many years here, and we can start looking towards a very bright future,” Patel said on Wednesday. “The first priority is clearing our debts. We will then be looking at how we can invest the surplus funds to not only safeguard the future, but enable us to flourish.”Yorkshire last month incorporated a new subsidiary called Headingley Investment Limited, which is intended to generate profits that will then be reinvested. Patel added: “Yorkshire Cricket now has an opportunity to thrive, from the recreational game all the way through to our professional teams, and we will be focused on planning the next chapter in the club’s long history over the coming months.”The Sun Group have already told the ECB that they intend to change the name of the franchise next year and ESPNcricinfo has learned that ‘Sunrisers Leeds’ and ‘Northern Super Sunrisers’ are being considered. Two other teams are also likely to be renamed, with Manchester Originals becoming ‘Manchester Super Giants’ and Oval Invincibles becoming either ‘MI Oval’ or ‘MI London’.Yorkshire will receive 80% of the money raised from their decision to sell their 51% stake in the franchise, with the rest shared between the other first-class counties (10%) and the recreational game (10%). They will also receive their share of the funds raised from the sale of the ECB’s minority stakes in the other seven franchises.Lancashire (21%) and Glamorgan (1%) also opted to sell part of their shares in their franchises – Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire respectively – and each county will receive around £400,000 on Thursday of “unfettered” funds linked to those sales. The ECB will control the way in which funds from the sale of their stakes are spent with “guardrails” designed to ensure “sustainability”.The ECB held a board meeting on Wednesday to clear the first payments to counties, and chief executive Richard Gould said that Yorkshire would receive a “very significant” sum this week. “Often when something is sold, the money gets taken and it’s put into a yacht that’s parked off the Bahamas,” Gould said. “Here, all of this – every single penny – is going back into the game.”Gould also attempted to dissuade non-host counties from expanding their stadiums specifically in the hope of hosting a franchise if the Hundred expands, saying that minimum capacity requirements would be around 7-8,000. “We’re not looking to see investment going into creating white elephants,” he said. “What we don’t want is a load of empty plastic seats.”Vikram Banerjee, the Hundred’s managing director, also revealed that there are still minor details to resolve in Surrey’s deal with Reliance Industries Limited for Oval Invincibles, though all parties are confident that it will be signed by early October. Nottinghamshire’s deal with Cain International and Ares Management is the other that is yet to be completed, but Banerjee said the deal is “fully there”.”We offered all the investors the opportunity to sign and close immediately, whenever the legals were all done… or close formally at the end of the season,” Banerjee said. “Those two chose that months ago.”Trent Rockets, they’re all there bar the singing (sic). The documents are all signed and all the rest of it is fully there. With the Oval Invincibles, there are, I think, three things left on their venue-hire stuff that they’re working through. They’re small things. It’ll be a matter of weeks, and that’ll get signed out.”Banerjee will lead a meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss the Hundred’s regulations around player recruitment for 2026, with some teams pushing for a shift to an auction rather than the existing draft. Rashid Khan and Steven Smith have already signed for teams where they have affiliations with incoming investors for the 2025 season, which starts on August 5.

Gareth Bale has downplayed rumours that he had a bad relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The Welsh star played alongside the Portuguese icon for five seasons at Los Blancos, and together they won multiple La Liga and Champions League titles. For all the criticism that came the winger's way in Spain, he says he never had any issues with any of his team-mates at the European giants.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bale had no problem with Ronaldo

  When Bale swapped Tottenham for Madrid in 2013, questions were raised about where he would fit in with fellow wideman Ronaldo. In their 2014 Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid, for example, Bale played on the right and Ronaldo on the left, with Karim Benzema leading the attack. When world-class players are competing for first-team spots, some big egos may have to be put in check. But the ex-Wales international said he had no beef with the now 40-year-old during his time at the Bernabeu. 

  He told : "I'm not really in touch with that many [old Madrid team-mates] – a few of the Wales boys – but I always got on with everybody. I never had any problems with anyone. I never had any big arguments. Sometimes the media might say about me and Ronaldo, we never had an issue, never had an argument, never had a fight, never had anything."

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• Welsh forward was at centre of controversy

  After Ronaldo left Madrid for Juventus in 2018, much was expected of Bale at the Spanish giants. But injuries and form didn't help the Welshman's cause in his final five years at the club. The Spanish media did not shy away in criticising Bale and he gave them all the ammunition they needed after Wales qualified for Euro 2020 when he celebrated behind a Welsh flag with the slogan: "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order." Naturally, that didn't go down well back in Spain back in 2019. 

  He said, "That slogan is the one thing I felt hard done by. For one thing, no one knew how much golf I actually played. If I ask you now how much golf you reckon I played, you’d probably say three or four times a week maybe, something along those lines? I played once every two to three weeks, but only on a day off. I'd never play a game for eight hours, I was always very professional about it. But people don't know that so they make up that slogan.

  "I got absolutely slaughtered [by the Spanish media]. I felt a bit hard done by because it all comes down to misinformation. I obviously don't prioritise golf more than I do my country and my club and physically haven't done one thing wrong. I look back at it now and it's like, it is what it is. I can't do anything about it. You have to laugh or you cry. So I laughed."

• Bale backs old boss Ancelotti

  Bale played under manager Carlo Ancelotti at both the start and end of his Madrid career. The Italian led Los Blancos to multiple Champions League triumphs and going by his comments, it seems Bale holds the Italian in the highest regard. While he acknowledged that Brazil are not the force they once were, he thinks the ex-AC Milan boss has a decent chance at leading them to World Cup glory next year.

  "Yes, Ancelotti was great. For me his genius is man management; he'll always keep you happy. You learn so much from managers and him as a person, he'll teach you so much just from his calmness in situations. Where you'd be angry, he'll just keep everybody calm and that's why he's such a good manager," he said. "They don't quite have the team that they used to, but if there's a man who can get a team like Brazil going in one direction, it's him."

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• AFP
  

  What comes next for Bale?

  The former Los Angeles FC player, who unsuccessfully tried to complete a takeover of Cardiff City, admitted he is still looking to find something to fill the competitive void of being a professional footballer. He has tried his hand at punditry but that hasn't completely satisfied him.

  He added, "I started playing the piano last winter and it humbled me. It’s something I want to do as I feel like I'll get good at it given time. In my head I'm not going to fail."