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Lizelle Lee completed three stumpings and made a blistering unbeaten 77 to lead Hobart Hurricanes to an eight-wicket win over Melbourne Stars in Brisbane

AAP17-Nov-2023Lizelle Lee shone with the bat and the gloves to inspire Hobart Hurricanes to an eight-wicket win over Melbourne Stars and keep her side’s flickering WBBL finals hopes alive.The former South Africa star plundered an unbeaten 77 off 49 deliveries after completing three stumpings in the field. After dismissing a disappointing Stars line-up for 121, Hurricanes coasted to victory with 23 balls remaining at Allan Border Field.Lee found a willing partner in allrounder Nicola Carey in an unbroken 99-run stand for the third wicket. Carey finished 38 not out off 41 balls.The 31-year-old Lee was in supreme form. She was dominant over, and through the offside and was just as destructive on the legside. The ball rocketed off the middle of Lee’s bat throughout a knock that included four sixes.Earlier, Stars captain Meg Lanning played an array of exquisite cuts and drives in a classy cameo at the top of the order but fell for 27 off 19.Melbourne’s batters barely got out of first gear. Just when they looked like doing so, they were dismissed with Maia Bouchier and Annabel Sutherland as prime examples after reaching 20 and failing to kick on.The Hurricanes had been sloppy in the field against Brisbane Heat two days earlier at the same venue but they bowled tightly and took their catches. Lee was superb behind the stumps and set the standard in the field.Five bowlers were among the wickets, including Carey who had a fine match and bounced back after copping severe treatment early off Lanning.Spinner Molly Strano cleaned up at the end, taking 3 for 20, as the Stars collapsed to lose 6 for 22 to be bowled out in the 20th over.The Hurricanes moved to nine points on the WBBL ladder, four points behind fourth-placed Sydney Thunder.

These pitches, he said, neither allowed their batters to be in top hitting form, nor taught their spinners how to handle conditions that required them to work harder

Madushka Balasuriya12-Nov-20232:01

Silverwood: ‘We need a proper plan for the next cycle’

As the Sri Lanka squad arrived home after a disappointing 2023 World Cup, consultant coach Mahela Jayawardene attributed much of the team’s struggles the types of tracks being produced for domestic cricket in Sri Lanka. These pitches, he said, neither allowed their batters to be in top hitting form heading into the World Cup on flatter decks in India, nor taught their spinners how to handle conditions that required them to work harder for their wickets.Sri Lanka finished ninth on the points table, meaning they do not qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. In the five instances where they batted first, they were able to breach the 280-run mark only once, against Pakistan.”We knew that when we went to India, looking at the wickets, that we had to play at a very high tempo, which we discussed with the batters,” Jayawardene said. “It was something that they were not used to, particularly leading up to the World Cup did not allow us to do that – and most of the surfaces that we play in Sri Lanka.Related

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“In domestic cricket we play on pretty slowish wickets so the batters aren’t going to trust their shot selection on good wickets, because they’re not used to that, against high quality bowling.”Of the batters, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama were regular contributors in the top order, while the bowling unit was carried by the outstanding Dilshan Madushanka. After his 21 wickets, the next highest for Sri Lanka was Kasun Rajitha with eight, while Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana had six apiece.Theekshana’s struggles in particular hurt Sri Lanka, however support in terms of other spin options was sorely lacking. Jayawardene once more lay the blame on the pitches being offered domestically, which traditionally are known to suit spin bowling – but crucially does not necessitate the imparting of extra revolutions on the ball, something spinners who were successful at the World Cup, such as Mitchell Santner and Ravindra Jadeja, have been known to do.”When we play in Sri Lanka, the number of good wickets we play on is very low. So on those wickets it’s not really necessary for our spinners to bowl with any sort of overspin – which is what is needed to succeed on wickets like those in India. That’s where we see a big difference in our spinners.

“We’ve run the numbers in the high performance centre, and at the moment 66% of the deliveries bowled in domestic cricket are by spinners. We even saw a match last week where the whole innings was bowled by spinners. These the major problems we have to address.”Mahela Jayawardene

“If you take someone like Rangana Herath, he played years in England, so he had that skill. What we need to see is how we get our spinners to acquire those skills. At the moment, if you even take a player from the Under-19s they will first play in domestic cricket. But to get them to the right level, we need them to play on good wickets.”We’ve run the numbers in the high performance centre, and at the moment 66% of the deliveries bowled in domestic cricket are by spinners. We even saw a match last week where the whole innings was bowled by spinners. These the major problems we have to address. It’s only if we fix these problems that we can take Sri Lankan cricket to where it needs to be even in the next 10 years.”Jayawardene was speaking during an hour and thirty-minute long post-mortem, during which Sri Lanka’s returning players and staff were grilled by the country’s media on topics ranging from team changes and decisions made at the toss to more wide-spanning inquests regarding Sri Lanka’s standing in the broader cricketing landscape and the way forward for a side seemingly lacking in direction.The entire World Cup squad was present at the briefing, with only Angelo Mathews absent, while head coach Chris Silverwood and Jayawardene represented the coaching staff. It was Jayawardene though that took the lead in navigating a sometimes hostile press. He urged critics to show “trust and be patient” in a “skilful group”.Maheesh Theekshana had a disappointing 2023 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images”It’s a process that we have to trust and be patient with. This is a skilful group,” Jayawardene said. “The expectations I understand. I think the fans, they all know that when we go for a World Cup, we’re going to do well, perform well. But that expectation has to be realistic, along with the plans.”People jumping and shouting and screaming have to realise what one-day cricket is, and how we’re going to compete going forward. The plans are being set, we just need to be patient and work harder in areas where we need to improve.”More immediately however, Jayawardene drew attention to the team’s fielding and fitness levels. Sri Lanka were the worst fielding side in the tournament in terms of the percentage of catches dropped, while in terms of fitness – aside from injuries to Dasun Shanaka, Matheesha Pathirana and Lahiru Kumara – Jayawardene said that fatigue played a role in some of the poor performances towards the end of the tournament.”We dropped 16 catches which is the highest in the competition. When you’re going with a depleted bowling unit you can’t afford such mistakes. They work really hard in their fielding practices, but on the field the anticipation and execution we do lack. That comes with experience.”But for me the biggest thing is the fitness. What I noticed over the course of the tournament, because of our fitness levels the fatigue got to us as the tournament progressed, and because of that our performances died down. From the first game to the last game, we saw guys making a lot more mistakes. That happens with mental and physical fatigue. The execution and concentration lapse is because of that.”

“There’s a big difference between how T20 cricket and one-day cricket is played. We need to see how we can fit in more one-day games in to the next FTP. We also need to increase the number of one-day games being played domestically.”Mahela Jayawardene

Looking ahead, the path forward is not without substantial obstacles. Much like the World Cup cycle that preceded it, the one leading up to the 2027 tournament will have two T20 World Cups in between. Further, with Sri Lanka having failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy, they will have considerably less ODI cricket under their belt heading into the next ODI World Cup – which could potentially leave the ODI side undercooked once more in four years time.”There’s a big difference between how T20 cricket and one-day cricket is played,” Jayawardene said. “We need to see how we can fit in more one-day games in to the next FTP [future tours programme]. We also need to increase the number of one-day games being played domestically.”Once we have a debrief of this World Cup, we will start planning for the next year and the two years after that and so on, and see what the best plan is moving forward. During this planning we must not only look at the T20 and one-day sides, but also the Test side – who were very close last time around of qualifying for the World Test Championship final.”Despite the team’s poor recent results, Jayawardene was eager to stress patience with the current set of players, highlighting the primarily the need to create an identifiable culture within the team.”We’ve come this way with the talent of our players, the issue is the consistency of them utilising that talent. The players know this as well. They all have a responsibility to build a culture within the team. Each player has that responsibility.”They have to do it on their own though, it’s not someone can just come and instil. The biggest challenge is building that culture along while winning. My biggest belief is that culture precedes strategy. If that culture is there then the team strategy will be easy to execute. If we can do that then this team will go a long way.”

Paul Pogba and Eric Dier have started to gel with their new team-mates at Monaco, with the duo showcasing their musical skills during pre-season.

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Dier and Pogba showcase singing skillsDuo joined as free agents this summerGreat vibes in Monaco dressing room in pre-seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

At Monaco, traditions are not lost. Even the stars are not exempt. Pogba, the club's prestigious new signing, was subjected to the famous musical hazing ritual on Tuesday along with Dier, who joined for free from Bayern Munich. The former Manchester United player has not yet made his return to the pitch, having joined in a free transfer after serving an 18-month suspension, but he has already scored his first point in the dressing room, while Dier was also impressive while singing a Bob Marley song.

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Standing on a chair facing his new team-mates, Pogba didn't hesitate. The Frenchman energetically sang along to Gims and Dystinct's song 'Spider', triggering cheers and smiles from his new colleagues. The moment was captured by Thilo Kehrer, who shared it on his Instagram story.

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Dier, meanwhile, opted for a more universally loved song by giving a rendition of Three Little Birds. He got through the first few lines alone, but soon his co-stars were singing and clapping along as he turned it into more of a team effort than a humiliating solo.

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Even though his sporting future remains uncertain with Monaco, Pogba is already laying the foundations for his integration. With his humour, frankness, and camaraderie, he has clearly lost none of his ability to bring people together. Dier, meanwhile, starts a new adventure in France alongside the ex-Juventus star, while Ansu Fati has also joined the cause after moving from Barcelona.

The visitors will field at least three debutants with the squad that includes seven uncapped players

Andrew McGlashan13-Jan-2024West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite is “quite clear” on the XI he will take into the first Test against Australia next week, which will include at least three debutants, and praised his largely inexperienced team with making good use of their warm-up match in Adelaide.Across the three days against a Cricket Australia XI, made up of players without BBL deals, a number of the top order spent useful time in the middle with wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva hitting a century on the final day while Kavem Hodge struck 52 and 99 and Justin Greaves was twice in the runs.The bowlers were able to knock over the CA XI for 174 in their first innings with an eye-catching performance from quick Shamar Joseph who is in line for a debut next week along with the senior pair of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph.Related

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“[I’m] quite clear on the XI,” Brathwaite told reporters. “Very happy with how all the guys went about the camp [and] went about this game. This time next week it’s about making West Indies proud.”While Brathwaite did not divulge further details of how West Indies will line up, if the warm-up game is an indication it will see Hodge and Greaves making their debuts at No. 5 and 6 respectively along with Shamar.Left-armer Gudakesh Motie, who took 13 wickets in the match against Zimbabwe a year ago, would appear to be the frontline spinner although allrounder Kevin Sinclair may have given selectors something to ponder.West Indies shuffled their batting order in the second innings with Da Silva, one of the players who was part of the Test series in Australia last time around, making the most of his chance with a hundred while Brathwaite was pleased with how Hodge twice made contributions.Joshua Da Silva spent useful time in the middle•CWI Media”[Da Silva] took it with both hands, the opportunity to open, and he batted for a long period which is what you want In Test cricket so that was good to see,” he said. “Very pleased with how [Hodge] showed he [could] come again in the second innings and do it. That’s what we want.”Brathwaite (87 Tests) along with Roach (79 Tests) will have key roles to play in showing the way while Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Alzarri were also on the previous tour.”[You can talk about] different spells you would have faced, how the pitches played, there’s a lot of information shared,” Brathwaite said. “Obviously Kemar Roach leading the young bowling attack with experience of similar, how the Kookaburra ball reacts off these types of pitches, the lengths, especially with the new ball is very important.”West Indies also caught well during the game – something Pakistan were unable to do during their Test series, which may have cost them the Melbourne Test.”Catching is very important, especially here in Australia,” Brathwaite said. “The pitches get quite a bit of bounce so especially the slip fielders have to be sharp. That’s something the fielding coach speaks about, [but] we’ve got to keep working hard.”West Indies arrived in Adelaide on December 30 so have had the rare opportunity of spending two weeks in the same city to prepare for the opening Test, which this year will be a day game rather than Adelaide’s traditional day-night fixture with Brisbane instead hosting the pink-ball contest.”Having the time to practice here in Adelaide, get accustomed to the pitches and stuff, think that was great for us,” Brathwaite said. “As a team we are very pleased. The facilities here are outstanding and the boys made good use of them.”West Indies’ squad is missing a host of senior players including former captain Jason Holder and allrounder Kyle Mayers who opted to play in T20 leagues.

The head of America's top domestic league says the tournament was a significant moment for soccer in the country

Don Garber dubbed CWC "incredible success"Three MLS clubs participated, combining for one winThe commissioner attended final as Chelsea beat PSGFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

MLS commissioner Don Garber is full of praise for the revamped Club World Cup, dubbing it an "incredible success" and a "proud moment' for soccer in the U.S., saying the competition served as a perfect test run for the 2026 World Cup.

"This was a Herculean task. I don't think everyone understands how difficult it is to have dozens and dozens of matches, all running several times a week, in stadiums that have never hosted this type of competition," Garber told Reuters.

"Everything wasn't perfect but nothing in life is perfect,” Garber said. "If you strive to make progress every day, to innovate both on and off the field, you can achieve something special. I look forward to seeing what this tournament can be in the future."

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Garber hailed the impact of the CWC.

"Whenever you do something new that changes people's perspective on international competition, there are always questions about how it will come together and what impact it will have," he said. "We always have a bit of a chip on our shoulder here in the U.S. soccer business."

He also said he was proud of the performances the participating MLS clubs – Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders and LAFC – although Lionel Messi's squad was the only one of the three to win a game and get out of the group stage.

"It surprised a lot of people." he said. "For decades, we've been trying to show the world we can be an influential, meaningful part of the global soccer conversation."

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The expanded 32-team tournament, the brainchild of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, was played across 12 venues in 11 cities in the United States, and considered something of a dry run for the 2026 World Cup. Chelsea beat PSG 3-0 in the final, but there was a strong global presence throughout, with Fluminense making the semifinal.

While acknowledging that Europe's clubs remain dominant on the world stage, Garber said the CWC offered a platform for emerging clubs and leagues.

"There's a lot of positive things happening in Brazil, in the United States," he said. "Some of the leagues that don't get as much exposure as the super clubs were able to stand tall."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GARBER AND MLS?

MLS returns to play Wednesday night. America's top flight has four more match weeks before opening Leagues Cup opens with matches against Liga MX teams later this month.

The allrounder has not recovered from the calf tightness he picked up in the last Sheffield Shield match

Alex Malcolm23-Feb-2024Western Australia have suffered a blow to their hopes of a hat-trick of 50-over domestic titles with Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of the Marsh Cup final against New South Wales due to his calf injury.Hardie suffered calf tightness during WA’s last Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania. He only bowled four overs in the second innings of the game and did not field for the entirety of day three. Scans did clear him of any major damage but he was withdrawn from Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand as he was set to fly in on Monday to replace the injured Marcus Stoinis.Related

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WA were hopeful Hardie might be fit to play in Sunday’s final at Cricket Central in Sydney but he has not been passed fit to travel.WA do welcome back four players into their 13-man squad with Jason Behrendorff returning from Australia duty after missing their Marsh Cup win over Tasmania. Joel Paris has been included having not played a single Marsh Cup game all season and could play alongside Behrendorff as a dual left-arm new ball pairing. Paris has played just six Marsh Cup games in the last five seasons with WA preferring to rest him for Sheffield Shield games given they have Behrendorff and Andrew Tye contracted as white-ball specialists.WA have also named Australia Under-19 World Cup final player of the match Mahli Beardman in the squad for the final. Beardman made his Marsh Cup debut against New South Wales back in November but has not played since. Spin bowling allrounder Cooper Connolly also returns to the squad having not played since the BBL due to a quad strain.WA is playing in their fifth consecutive Marsh Cup final and is aiming to become the first side to win a hat-trick of titles since NSW did it between 2001-2003. WA are also gunning for their fifth title in seven years.NSW have picked a settled squad having won their last four matches in a row including beating WA twice.New South Wales squad: Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques (capt), Daniel Hughes, Blake Macdonald, Jack Nisbet, William Salzmann, Tanveer SanghaWestern Australia squad: Sam Whiteman (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Nick Hobson, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, D’Arcy Short, Andrew Tye

The Parisiens' forwards may have hogged the headlines during their treble win, but Luis Enrique believes the Portuguese is his most important player

Towards the tail end of Paris Saint-Germain's remarkable 2024-25 campaign, Ruud Gullit admitted that he was utterly enamoured with Luis Enrique's thrilling team. Just like everyone else, the Dutch legend had been captivated by the French club's wonderful wingers, but it was Vitinha's play-making in the middle of the park which really blew Gullit away.

"He wasn't even good enough to play for Wolves and now he's the best player at Paris Saint-Germain!" the former AC Milan and Netherlands attacker told reporters at the Laureus World Sports Awards.

Gullit wasn't exaggerating either – at least, not about Vitinha being PSG's best player. He is the man that makes the treble-winners tick. And, clearly, the talent had always been there, even during his unsuccessful loan spell at Molineux.

But how did Vitinha go from a Wolves reject to a PSG superstar in four years? GOAL charts the remarkable rise to prominence of one of the new members of our World-Class Club…

AFP'Not easy'

Despite Wolves' propensity for signing Portuguese players, due to the close ties between the club's owners, Fosun International, and super-agent Jorge Mendes, Vitinha's move to Molineux in September 2020 still came as something of a surprise.

The Porto academy graduate had only made his professional debut eight months previously and had yet to start a single league game at senior level. However, Porto's Financial Fair Play (FFP) problems necessitated a move, so one of their most promising youngsters was sent out on loan with a view to a permanent €20 million (£17m/$23m) transfer.

The presence of so many of his compatriots at Wolves undeniably helped Vitinha settle into his new surroundings – particularly as he arrived during the pandemic – but it wasn't all positive from a sporting perspective, as it meant having to compete with more established Portuguese players such as Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho for a place in Nuno Espirito Santo's starting line up.

"Everybody saw the ability was there," the former Wolves boss recently told reporters. "But you have to consider the impact of the physicality. We signed him when he was 20, and he was just getting used to the senior level, which was a big impact. And I have to be honest with you: we had Joao Moutinho [in Vitinha's position] and he was another amazing player.

"So, sometimes young players who join can have the talent, but it is the coach who makes the decisions. At that time, the midfield was Moutinho and Ruben Neves, so it was not easy for Vitinha. But he played a lot of games, went back to Porto and his level started rising and rising."

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Great year of learning'

Wolves may have ended up regretting their decision not to take up their option to buy Vitinha, but he looks back on his season-long stay at Molineux as a pivotal period in his development.

The combative but cultured playmaker realised quite quickly that his style of play wasn't a good fit for Nuno's counter-attacking game, but he still ended up featuring 19 times in the Premier League, and starting seven times in total in all competitions.

"It didn't go as I liked nor wanted it to," Vitinha admitted to . "But I tried, I did my best. It was a great year of learning."

The rejection also spurred him on, making the youngster even more determined to prove himself at the highest level – and without changing his progressive approach to the game.

AFPBelieving in himself

Indeed, former Wolves defender Fernando Marcal would later reveal in an interview with that Vitinha was not in the least bit discouraged by his failure to secure a permanent transfer.

“The coach was hard on him," the Brazilian revealed. "Despite doing amazing things in training, he couldn't convince him. Nuno wanted Vitinha to keep it simple, to release the ball more quickly. He tried to follow instructions but he didn’t want to lose his identity. So, I asked him how he thought the following season would go for him and he replied: 'I'm going back to Porto, I'm going to smash it there and the season after I'll be playing for one of the eight best teams in Europe.'

"I thought to myself, 'Wow, this guy can't get a game at Wolves and he thinks he's gonna sign for Man City or a club like that? He's a bit crazy!' But no, he certainly wasn't."

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AFPDoing a lot of 'chores' for Mbappe & Co.

As Marcal pointed out, Vitinha's bold prediction proved prophetic, because after a stellar season at the Dragao, featuring 47 appearances while securing a domestic double, the midfielder was snapped up by PSG for €41.5m (£36m/$49m) in the summer of 2022.

The Parc des Princes dressing room was like a dream world for Vitinha; being surrounded by Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe was a truly surreal experience. It was also challenging, though. The forwards' refusal to do any defensive work meant that Vitinha was left with an awful lot of "chores", as he put it – and securing their respect wasn't easy either.

In just his second Ligue 1 outing, Vitinha decided against playing a pass to Mbappe and opted instead to pick out Messi instead, which resulted in the visibly frustrated Frenchman petulantly turning his back on the play. It was a moment that rather summed up the pervading sense of entitlement at Parc des Princes at the time – and helps explain why Vitinha and others were so happy with PSG subsequently shifting their focus from signing superstars to recruiting young players of enormous potential.

"The way that they want to build the team now, the long-term vision, it's the best way," Vitinha enthused last season.

Dickson, Renshaw break back of chase as hosts hold off fightback for three-wicket victory

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2024Somerset 128 (Porter 5-37, Cook 5-38) and 170 for 7 (Dickson 42, Snater 4-55) beat Essex 156 (Westley 43, Pretorius 4-36) and 138 (Davey 3-20, Gregory 3-23) by three wickets Somerset’s Matt Renshaw and Sean Dickson tamed a seaming pitch to lay the foundation for a three-wicket Vitality County Championship First Division win over Essex inside two days at Taunton.When the visitors were bowled out for 138 in their second innings, 30 wickets had fallen in the match. There were three each for Somerset seamers Josh Davey and Lewis Gregory as Jordan Cox top scored with 27 on a still green wicket.A target of 167 to win looked stiff for the home batting line-up given what had gone before. But Renshaw (35) and Dickson (42) put together an opening partnership of 75 and, although the Essex bowlers stuck gamely to their task, Somerset always looked favourites from then on.Andy Umeed made 34 and Tom Banton’s 29 off got them over the line to take 19 points, while Essex had to settle for three.Somerset’s seamers were soon among the wickets when their opponents began the day on six without loss in their second innings. Dean Elgar glanced a catch to wicketkeeper James Rew off Davey at 11 for one and, with four runs added, Sam Cook was caught at third slip by Umeed off Craig Overton, fourth slip Dickson scooping the ball up one-handed to his team-mate.It was 37 for three when Tom Westley fell lbw pushing forward to Davey before Nick Browne and Jordan Cox added 30. Browne, on 23, then got an inside edge onto his pad to send a delivery from Gregory looping up for a catch at third slip.It was 95 for four at lunch, with the Essex lead 123. The fifth wicket fell on 106, Matt Critchley nicking a ball from Davey through to Rew, who claimed a low diving catch in front of the slips.Overton cranked up his pace and forced Cox to edge to second slip where Tom Lammonby pouched a routine catch.Thain and Harry Duke took the score to 137 before the last four Essex wickets fell in quick succession, Duke feathering a defensive shot off Jake Ball through to Rew and Thain pinned lbw by Gregory.Simon Harmer was trapped leg before by Ball and when Rew produced another low diving catch to send last man Jamie Porter back for a duck it meant a third wicket for Gregory.Sean Dickson played aggressively at the start of Somerset’s chase•Getty ImagesSoon openers Renshaw and Dickson set about the target of 167 in positive fashion against Cook and Porter with the sun shining brightly. Both went for their shots and by tea they had taken the score to 45 without loss off 11 overs, leaving Somerset needing just 122 more runs for victory.Dickson took the stand past 50 with a glorious off-drive for four off Shane Snater and followed up with a six over long-on in the same over. Renshaw joined in with a flashing square drive for four off Cook.When Renshaw edged Snater the ball fell agonisingly short of the slip cordon. Cook gave Essex hope by dismissing Renshaw lbw with the total on 75, but by then only 92 were required.Dickson followed in the next over, caught behind the ball after hitting his third four and suddenly Somerset had two new batsmen at the crease. But Umeed carried on applying pressure to the Essex bowlers, hitting two straight fours in an over from Cook.Lammonby matched his first innings patience, but having faced 23 balls without scoring he padded up to a delivery from Snater which nipped in off the seam and fell lbw with 68 still needed.Umeed had faced 55 balls, hitting 5 fours, when edging a ball from Snater, which cannoned off wicketkeeper Duke and looped to Harmer at second slip. With 47 required, Somerset needed to keep their heads.Migael Pretorius failed in that respect, lofting a catch to extra cover off Cook and Rew was spilled on one at third slip by the diving Critchley. He fell before the close, but Banton’s largely sensible knock had almost seen his side home when he edged a slip catch off Snater.It was left to Overton to hit the winning boundary off Porter in the second additional over of the day to give Somerset their first win of the season after four draws.

The analyst and former USMNT star has expressed reservations about German legend’s move to the MLS side despite their impressive season so far

Twellman recognizes Vancouver's stylistically impressive 2025 campaignAnalyst notes timing follows club's first major player saleQuestions Muller's fit with team's current playing styleGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

The Vancouver Whitecaps have secured the signature of Bayern Munich legend Thomas Muller, the first true marquee name signing in club history. He arrives during what former USMNT star Taylor Twellman describes as their most stylistically impressive season in years. Despite the commercial appeal, Twellman remains unconvinced about Muller's on-field compatibility with Vancouver's current tactical setup.

“Yeah, it's interesting Vancouver's arguably had, stylistically, their best season in a long time,” Twellman told MLS. “The joy watching them play, it comes after, in the offseason, when they announced their clubs for sale, right? So, this is interesting to me because now you go out in really get a name that you haven't really done, that hasn't been part of your pedigree as a franchise in Major League Soccer." 

Despite Muller's obvious appeal, Twellman is worried about the turf situation at BC Place and the German fitting into manager Jesper Sørensen's system. 

“It is also interesting on the same day, LAFC, who is rumoured to get Thomas Muller says no, we're gonna go a different route and go out and get Son, and so that's where it's interesting.  I'm not 100 percent sold that Thomas Muller hits it in Vancouver because of the way they play right now. Because Thomas Muller has privately, behind the scenes, asked real questions about playing on turf, and yet, his pedigree speaks for itself.

“The sixth World Cup-winning player to come since Lionel Messi signed to Major League Soccer. That’s remarkable to hear about in what, two and a half to three years, but I just think on the field, I will raise my hand right now and say I'm not completely sold he is just immediately going to fit into that team for Vancouver, and it's going to be off and running.”

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Muller left Bayern Munich after spending nearly 25 years with the club, winning 13 Bundesliga titles, two Champions League crowns, and a catalogue of other trophies.

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Muller has signed for the remainder of the 2025 season and the 2026 season as a Designated Player and will officially join the roster once his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), visa, and work permit are complete.

Barcelona were reportedly targetting Benjamin Sesko to replace Robert Lewandowski at the club and have been left 'hurt' at his decision to sign for Manchester United.

Sesko joined Man UtdWas Barcelona targetBlaugrana 'hurt' by moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish champions have been planning for life after Lewandowski and Sesko was identified by director Deco as an ideal replacement for the 36-year-old. Reports suggested that the Slovenian forward was a top target for Barca after the 2026 World Cup, but they were beaten to the signing by United.

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Barcelona have been plagued by financial issues for years, likely preventing them from moving for Sesko earlier and challenging the Red Devils this summer. With the likes of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen still on the books, there was no wiggle room to bring in anyone else alongside Marcus Rashford – who joined on loan from United.

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Barca are not planning on renewing Lewandowski's contract when it expires next summer. The Polish striker will be 37 and is nearing the end of his career, despite bagging 27 goals in La Liga last term.

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All signs point to Barca signing a new striker next summer, but as it stands, they will have to look for a cheaper alternative to Sesko. It is unknown whether Rashford will remain beyond his temporary stay, or whether the club will be in a better position financially.