O Botafogo demonstrou interesse na contratação deDiego Hernández, atacante que pertence aoMontevideo Wanderers, do Uruguai. A negociação é considerada difícil, mas os dirigentes alvinegros não desistiram do jogador. A informação foi publicada primeiramente pelo “ge” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.
A primeira proposta do Botafogo não foi aceita pelos uruguaios. O Montevideo Wanderers não quer cedê-lo nesta janela de transferências. Apesar do jogo duro, o Glorioso vê a contratação com bons olhos e não quer abrir mão da negociação, mesmo que seja para contratá-lo no meio do ano.
+Sul-Americano sub-17 rolando: veja quem é quem entre os convocados da Seleção Brasileira
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo x Audax: FERJ altera data do jogo de volta da final da Taça RioBotafogo01/04/2023BotafogoBotafogo anuncia Anderson Santos como novo Diretor Financeiro; saiba maisBotafogo01/04/2023BotafogoAudax x Botafogo: onde assistir, prováveis escalações e desfalques para ida da final da Taça RioBotafogo01/04/2023
+Botafogo tem maratona de jogos previstos para abril; confira
CONHEÇA DIEGO HERNÁNDEZ
Convocado recentemente para Seleção Olímpica Uruguaia, Diego Hernández atua como ponta esquerda e chegaria para brigar por posição no ataque alvinegro. O atacante é canhoto e se notabiliza pelo drible e velocidade.
+Botafogo encerra mês de março com uma derrota; relembre os jogos
O jogador seria uma boa alternativa para Luís Castro em jogos contra adversários retrancados, pois ele tem uma enorme facilidade em quebrar linhas e realizar jogadas individuais. O uruguaio tem apenas 22 anos e é formado nas categorias de base do Montevideo Wanderers.
Com a camisa 34, Raí Ramos foi apresentado no São Paulo. O jogador falou sobre a homenagem a um grande ídolo tricolor em seu nome e sobre a vontade de conquistar seu espaço – mesmo com a alta concorrência na lateral-direita.
RelacionadasSão PauloSão Paulo vence o Coritiba em jogo-treino em preparação para Copa Sul-AmericanaSão Paulo27/03/2023São PauloVÍDEO: São Paulo inicia plantio de nova grama do Morumbi após série de shows do Coldplay; veja andamentoSão Paulo26/03/2023Fora de CampoMessi se solta e cai na pista de dança em balada com a seleção argentina; confira imagensFora de Campo26/03/2023
O nome de Raí surgiu após uma homenagem feita por sua mãe,Nice Ramos, que era uma grande fã do ex-jogador do São Paulo. Durante sua apresentação, o lateral afirmou que ‘é uma honra carregar este nome’, mas ressaltou que ‘da mesma forma que Raí fez história, ele também quer’.
Saiba o ranking dos clubes com maiores médias de público em 2023
Veja tabela do Campeonato Paulista
-Carregar esse nome é uma honra para mim, minha mãe fez essa homenagem porque quando eu nasci, Raí estava no auge, grande período do São Paulo. É um motivo de muito orgulho, muita honra, carregar esse nome – disse:
-Minhas características são diferentes do Raí, tenho minhas virtudes, sou rápido, gosto de chegar ao ataque, finalizar, o Raí é um grande ídolo, quero fazer minha história também – completou.
O reforço chega como mais uma opção para a lateral direita do São Paulo. Além do jogador, o Tricolor conta com mais seis nomes para o setor. O reforço falou sobre a concorrência e afirmou que pretende buscar seu espaço.
– Para mim, estou muito feliz em estar chegando. Nessa questão dos laterais, temos 3 machucados, surgiu a oportunidade, com muito trabalho e dedicação iremos procurar espaço no elenco – disse o atleta.
Neste Campeonato Paulista, Raí foi essencial na campanha do Ituano, sua ex-equipe. O lateral foi o responsável pelo gol contra o Corinthians, nas quartas de final, que levou a decisão para as penalidades, e mais tarde foi responsável por eliminar um grande rival do Tricolor.
Ainda durante a coletiva de imprensa, relembrou o feito e falou sobre a importância da sua campanha na série B do último ano para as negociações com o Tricolor.
-A gente teve um ano bom no ano passado no Ituano, batemos na trave para subir para a série A. Quando surgiu a oportunidade, não pensei duas vezes, quem me comunicou primeiro foi meu agente. Quando soube fiquei muito feliz, foi um momento marcante na minha vida, estar aqui é uma grande honra – contou.
-Esse gol foi muito importante, pude contribuir para a equipe passar de fase, foi histórico, marcante, recebi muitas mensagens, agora espero fazer mais gols e contribuir para a história do São Paulo – completou, lembrando do gol contra o Corinthians.
Raíassinou contrato com o São Paulo até 31 de dezembro de 2025.O lateral começou nas categorias de base do Bahia, mas foi negociado com o Londrina sem ser promovido ao profissional. Desde então, passou por Operário-PR, Toledo, Portugal, Geórgia e Oeste antes do Ituano.
“It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track,” Australia coach says of Nathan Lyon’s eight-for in Indore
Andrew McGlashan04-Mar-20232:19
Chappell: Getting India out cheaply in the first innings was key
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the team’s success in the Indore Test shows there is a core group of players who are learning what it takes to win in the subcontinent and can set the side up for greater success in the future.”One hour of chaos” in Delhi, as McDonald termed it, cost Australia the chance of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but having taken the opportunity to refresh and regroup during the long break before the third Test, they secured one of their finest overseas victories as they beat India at their own game on a pitch rated “poor” by the ICC.As a result, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship final, during a cycle that has also included Test wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and they now have the chance of levelling the series in Ahmedabad.Related
Head's learnings: back your plans and stay calm
Adaptable Australia get their act together in Indore
India may not mind more turning pitches despite loss
They don’t head back to India for another Test series until 2027 and a number of a senior players are unlikely to return, but they will visit Sri Lanka in 2025 and the likes of Travis Head, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Todd Murphy have many subcontinent tours ahead of them.”Usman Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied back to his first experience in the subcontinent, Steve Smith as well,” McDonald said. “Everyone’s journey starts at some point in time on the subcontinent, and I think there’s a core group of players that will come back here more experienced and, in theory, better equipped for the challenges. We’re talking about a series here where we’ve had certain conditions that probably aren’t relatable to any other subcontinent tour over time, so it’s always a different challenge when you do arrive here.”Australia keep calm after another collapseAustralia did suffer another batting collapse in Indore, losing 6 for 11 on the second day to miss the chance to build an overwhelming lead. But they retained their composure and, led by Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets, kept the pressure on India before making a target of 76 appear simpler than appeared likely.”You have almost got to be near perfect against India in India. I think this game besides that 6 for 11 was near perfect,” McDonald said. “We had a little bit of luck. Marnus getting bowled off a no-ball, how critical was that at that point in time, [and] that allowed a partnership to flourish. We took our opportunities as well. Usman’s flying catch and then Smudge [Smith] winding back the clock with that one at leg slip. You compare that to the Delhi game where Smudge dropped one at first slip and then we dropped one at leg slip in Matthew Renshaw, and they were critical.”We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we’d played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we’d set out to achieve at the start of the tour.”So on the back of Delhi, it was ‘how clear are we going to be in what we need to do next’. Is this team good enough? Yes. What do we need to do next? We’d lost 6 for 11, nothing we can do about that. We go out there and Nathan Lyon as the experienced spinner delivers one of his best performances. It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track, no doubt about that.”Alex Carey whips the bails off to send Rohit Sharma back in the first innings•BCCI
Praise for Alex Carey’s wicketkeepingAmid the headline-grabbing performances of Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann, Khawaja and Head, McDonald picked out Alex Carey for special praise after his display of wicketkeeping on the devilish surface. He only conceded three byes for the match where some deliveries leapt while others scuttled and McDonald viewed his stumping of Rohit Sharma, the first wicket of the Test, as a vital moment.”One part that hasn’t been spoken about enough is Alex Carey’s keeping,” he said. “I think that on day one, that ball to Sharma, that high take, that stumping, if he doesn’t execute that Sharma gets a look at the wicket, he plays differently and the game rolls in a different direction.”I think sometimes we are quick to criticise wicketkeepers. In this instance, I thought that day one was an absolute clinic and gave us control of the game. We saw [KS] Bharat miss a couple of half-chances, or get his leg in the way of balls that could have gone to first slip. So I thought that was a key moment in the game.””I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant”•Getty Images
Pitches make the toss irrelevantMcDonald remained diplomatic about the pitch in Indore, saying that all the players could do was perform on whatever surface they were given, but did say conditions had been “extreme”. However, as in Pune in 2017, it likely helped narrow the gap between the teams.”I think you can see that in the fact that all three games have been won against the toss, teams batting first have lost, and that’s rare,” he said. “It’s usually pretty hard to win against the toss but here we’ve seen three matches go that way. I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant.”Before the third Test, Rohit had floated the notion of India asking for a green pitch in Ahmedabad if they had secured their place in the WTC final. Now they still require a victory to be assured of meeting Australia at The Oval, although if Sri Lanka don’t win against New Zealand in the Test that runs concurrently in Christchurch, the result won’t matter. Regardless, McDonald felt the pressure in the series has now been switched.”I don’t think we know what we’re going to get in Ahmedabad, I don’t think anyone does,” he said with a hint of a smile. “But we’ve definitely put some pressure into that change room. Full credit to the guys. [It’s] great reward for a group that over the past couple of weeks have had their challenges.”
Steven Croft adds unbeaten fifty in match dominated by Surrey over first three days
Paul Edwards09-Apr-2023
Josh Bohannon en route to a half-century•Getty Images
Towards the end of the Amazon Prime video Sam Mendes risks challenging the film’s central figure, Ben Stokes, with a famous quotation from Albert Camus: “A man’s work is nothing but the slow trek to rediscover, though the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.” The experiment is not a success. “Dunno what you’re on about, mate,” says England’s Test captain.All the same, as Josh Bohannon made a match-saving century against Surrey this afternoon, one was reminded of Camus’ words by the pleasure the Lancashire batsman now takes from his sport and how he has blended simple enjoyment with professional accomplishment.It has not always been so. There was a time when Bohannon called his morning drive to Emirates Old Trafford “going to work” and when his cricket seemed inhibited by the intensity with which he played it. Some sessions with a sports psychologist followed and in time he was able to understand that dismissals were batting’s inevitable occupational hazards. That, of course, is not the same as tolerating the sort of sloppy cricket that led to his getting out in the first innings of this game; it is merely an acceptance of one of the truths of his chosen trade. It enables a cricketer to relax, to see his life in clearer proportion.Related
Essex state their Championship case with comprehensive victory over Middlesex
Tom Lammonby, Craig Overton bat Somerset to safety in draw with Warwickshire
Ben Compton's 114* leads Kent to victory over Northamptonshire
Now Old Trafford on this final afternoon. Bohannon and Steven Croft have put on over a hundred runs for the third wicket but there is still a shedload of work to do if Lancashire are to save this game. What’s more, Sean Abbott and Kemar Roach are bowling short and nasty with at least three close fielders somewhere on the leg side. Bohannon fends one off and a half-smile plays across his face. At the end of the over he chats with Croft; they are two blood-Lancastrians at different stages of their careers. They punch gloves and then go back to their creases to dig in again.Eventually, the bowlers became tired and were replaced by part-time spinners. Bohannon came in to tea on 85 and Surrey’s scrap of hope now rested on the new ball. Before that could be taken, however, Rory Burns had to find somebody to send down a few “filler” overs and so absolutely nothing was more out of keeping with the temper of Bohannon’s innings than the ease with which he stroked Ollie Pope’s fifth ball in first-class cricket to the off-side boundary, thus reaching his century off 173 balls with his 14th four. To be truthful, though, you can disregard some statistics; it was Bohannon’s 173-run stand for the third wicket with Croft that mattered. As for Pope, his one over may already be a cricket society quiz questionHaving made 108, Bohannon opted not to play a ball from Dan Worrall that knocked out his off stump. It was a misjudgement and, although by no means his first, it barely mattered. Less than four overs later, the players were shaking hands with Croft taking quiet comfort from his third-fiddle innings of 56 not out. At that point, it was useful to recall that Surrey had dominated the first three days of this game and also that the pitch on which it had been played was as dry and true as any of Old Trafford’s April wickets in recent memory.And it was even more useful, perhaps, to remember the first session of this match, when the intensity of the cricket had offered a graphic rebuttal to those who deride the domestic game. For three quarters of an hour Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings resisted the accuracy of Surrey’s high-quality seamers with all the technical resources at their disposal. Nothing happened to disturb the calm of Easter Sunday morning apart from Wells clipping Worrall over square leg for six.Then both openers were winkled out in the space of seven balls. First Jennings, who had been cramped for room by Ben Foakes standing up and bowled off his pads by Jordan Clark in the first innings, was dismissed by the same combination when he played an indeterminate cut but only inside-edged the ball into his middle stump. They are dismissals that video-analysts around the circuit will be studying. Then Wells, having played capably for his 45 runs, pulled Kemar Roach straight to Worrall at long leg and, as ever with this batsman, felt the sins of the world on shoulders that were now hunched over his bat. Eventually the Lancashire opener hauled himself off the ground – but it took a while.And Surrey could have enjoyed further success. When he had made two, Bohannon nicked Abbott to slip where Pope put the two-handed chance down. The ball travelled quickly and it was a tough opportunity but one allowed oneself the thought that Easter Sunday morning was hardly the most apt time for any Pope to drop a bollock.Bohannon put the escape away and was soon enjoying the first of his many chats with Croft. As it happens, this was his 26th birthday and there were worse ways to celebrate it than batting with a mate and making a hundred. The achievement will have mattered to him – but not too much. Four years ago success and failure were everything. But then Josh was so much older then; he’s younger than that now.
Australia face selection squeeze after impressive return of Mitchell Marsh
Andrew McGlashan09-Jul-2023David Warner’s position could come under scrutiny for the Old Trafford Test with Australia facing a selection squeeze after the impressive return to the side of Mitchell Marsh.Cameron Green, who sat out the Headingley match opening the door for Marsh’s comeback, is on track to be fit for the fourth Test after a minor hamstring strain. He bowled and did sprints ahead of the final day’s play in Leeds as well as briefly acting as a substitute fielder.But Marsh’s stunning century on the opening day, in his first Test for four years, has made him very tough to leave out which means someone else will have to make way unless they opt not to bring Green straight back in.The spotlight has again returned to Warner after his twin failures at Headingley where he twice edged Stuart Broad to slip from around the wicket, making it 17 times he has now fallen to Broad.Related
Harris not expecting Ashes chance given Warner has 'done well'
Starc okay with high economy to make high impact
Old Trafford Test: can Australia fit in both Marsh and Green? What about Warner?
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc bust a gut for the cause but Australia's over-reliance is telling
Brook cherishes winning feeling after home-ground heroics
However, that followed some useful contributions earlier in the series, led by the 66 on the opening day at Lord’s in tricky batting conditions, although he was dropped in the slips on 20. His overall Test average since 2021 remains 28.17 and that includes the double century against South Africa at the SCG.Captain Pat Cummins, who is not a selector, said that Australia would use the break before Old Trafford to take stock of their options as they look to avoid the Ashes going to a decider at The Oval.”You keep all options open,” Cummins said. “We’ve got nine or 10 days now, so we’ll take a deep breath. We’ll go away for a few days.”But everyone comes back into it. Greeny should be fit for Manchester. Josh [Hazlewood] will be back in there as well. So we should have a full roster and we’ll have a look at the wicket and have a chat and work out the best XI.”Marsh’s third Test century, all of which have been against England, came from 102 balls while he also chipped in with a couple of wickets.Cummins conceded he would be difficult to omit. “Yeah, it’s possible but, I mean, it was a pretty impressive week, wasn’t it?” he said.David Warner smiles after being dismissed by Stuart Broad for the 17th time•Getty Images
Warner has mapped out his retirement plan, announcing earlier in the tour that he hoped to finish against Pakistan on his home ground of the SCG in January. Prior to that, the original Ashes squad was only selected up to the end of the Lord’s Test which raised further questions over Warner, but he did enough in the early matches to dampen talk somewhat.The situation Australia now find themselves in is not dissimilar to what happened on the 2019 tour when Marnus Labuschagne performed so well as Steven Smith’s temporary replacement that someone else had to make way for Smith’s return. On that occasion the fall guy was Usman Khawaja.Meanwhile, Cummins indicated that he remained on track to play all six Tests on the tour which he had stated as his aim before the World Test Championship final against India. He is the only Australian quick to play all four matches to date. England have had Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson in all three of their attacks, but the latter is now under an injury cloud after suffering back spasms at Headingley.”I feel great, actually, probably better than I would have hoped,” Cummins said. “I don’t have any niggles or injuries. So fingers crossed, should be sweet.”Elsewhere in the squad, Michael Neser has been released to play the next round of County Championship matches for Glamorgan while Josh Inglis, who flew home after Edgbaston for the birth of his child, will return on Friday. Jimmy Peirson filled in for him as reserve wicketkeeper.Australia’s players will break up for a few days and make use of the longer gap between these two Tests before beginning preparations for Old Trafford – the venue where they were able to retain the Ashes in 2019.Cummins gave a succinct response when asked if he felt England’s win would shift the momentum in the series. “No, not really. It’s 2-1.”
WA offspinner took seven wickets in the Sheffield Shield final and has fast become one of the best spinners in Australian domestic cricket after playing in a hat-trick of Shield titles
Tristan Lavalette24-Mar-2024
Corey Rocchiccioli is making his name•Getty Images
On day one of the Sheffield Shield final, offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli woke up at 4am with a fever. He was feeling rotten to the core, but with Western Australia bidding for a hat-trick of titles there was no way he was going to remain bedridden.”I was a little bit iffy…but came to my senses that if I was to pull out I’ve got five days of watching the boys hopefully win,” Rocchiccioli said. “I just wanted to contribute. I said, ‘Roll up and cop it. Just push through and [there is] plenty of time to relax after the final’.”Rocchiccioli grittily took his place and was thankful that Tasmania decided to send WA into bat as he enjoyed precious rest on day one. When it was his time to bowl, Rocchiccioli produced a lionhearted effort with 22 overs on a pivotal day two and claimed the only two wickets in the middle session to thwart Tasmania, who could never recover.Related
'This means more to me than the other two' – Paris pushes his limits to help WA to a Shield hat-trick
Whiteman: We have to be one of the great WA teams
Gannon and Rocchiccioli lead Western Australia's surge to Sheffield Shield hat-trick
Rocchiccioli finished with 4 for 48 from 28 overs to help WA gain a decisive 161 first-innings lead. His effort was even more heroic with Rocchiccioli also battling cramps in both his calves.”It was pretty hard at times. At one stage I went through a litre of lemonade to get some sugar back into me,” he said. “I managed to get through it. Playing in a Shield final, you’ve got no excuses. You roll up and do your job. I found a way and that’s what makes me happy.”Rocchiccioli helped WA clinch their third straight title in remarkable fashion when he tore through Tasmania’s lower-order just before the scheduled close of play on day four. He finished with 3 for 55 to punctuate a performance that might have been Shield cricket’s equivalent to basketball legend Michael Jordan’s famous flu game.”I might have called it early doors,” he laughed when asked if the final was the ‘Corey Rocchiccioli flu game’. “I always joke and laughingly say that when I’m sick, I’m sort of out of my own head a little bit.”Rocchiccioli’s affable personality might soon make him something of a cult figure in Australian cricket as he starts to make a serious claim to being the successor to Nathan Lyon in the Test team. He outshined Todd Murphy, who performed well in six Tests last year, during the season as competition heats up with Australia scheduled for a Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.Corey Rocchiccioli celebrates as WA close in•Getty Images
Rocchiccioli finished the season with 46 wickets at an average of 27.60. Only Ashley Mallett and Greg Matthews have taken more wickets in a Shield season for right-arm finger spinners. Rocchiccioli has become a WACA specialist, and also performed more consistently on the east coast surfaces, as he utilised his 6 foot 3 [1.9m] frame to generate awkward bounce, while he can deceive batters through canny drift.His performances would have caught the attention of national selector Tony Dodemaide, who was in the stands during the match.”I was so sick that I stayed away from him [Dodemaide] as much as possible,” Rocchiccioli joked. “Gaz [Lyon] has the spot, Murph is probably ahead of me at the moment. My job is to take wickets for Western Australia. So it’s as simple as knock down the door and take the opportunity if it ever comes.”The expectations I’ve probably put on myself are higher than anyone’s ever going to put on me. Obviously I want to play for Australia, but right now it doesn’t bother me too much.”Rocchiccioli’s outstanding performances have consigned left-arm spinner Ashton Agar to the outer for WA. Agar’s last first-class match was the SCG Test between Australia and South Africa in January 2023, with his red-ball future in doubt. But Rocchiccioli paid an emotional tribute to Agar, who is his club cricket teammate and close friend.”One of our [WA] values is humility. And if you ever want to see [that] exemplified it’s Ash Agar. He’s looked after me like I’m his little brother,” a teary-eyed Rocchiccioli said. “Even [on day four], I wasn’t bowling at my best, he came out and gave me a couple of tips so that I could get my bowling back on track.”I’m sure he wanted to be out there, but he kept showing up and kept giving me all the love…the respect.”Rocchiccioli, 26, has something of the Midas touch having been part of a hat-trick of titles in his first three seasons. This overwhelming success was beyond his wildest dreams with Rocchiccioli not coming through WA’s strong pathway program. In his early 20s he worked at Bunnings – a prevalent hardware store in Australia – and also studied a sports science degree.”I was able to contribute in the role that I had to play the whole year, which makes it the best out of the three [titles],” he said. “I’ve got three Sheffield Shield titles at 26. Yeah, this is pretty cool.”
Heather Knight calls Devine’s innings “a really good lesson for our middle order and our batting group”
Valkerie Baynes07-Apr-2024
Sophie Devine got to her century with two sixes in the 39th over•Getty Images
Sophie Devine has described New Zealand’s victory in the final match of England’s tour as validation for the work her team has done behind the scenes to improve their position in world cricket.Devine led New Zealand to a seven-wicket win in the third and final ODI in Hamilton on Sunday after missing the fifth T20I and first two ODIs with a quad strain. Her unbeaten century, sealed with two sixes off what turned out to be the last three balls of the match, took the hosts to their 195 target for the loss of just three wickets with 11 overs to spare.It was a consolation given that England had won the T20 leg 4-1 and already assumed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODIs, but to Devine it represented more. It showed that New Zealand’s efforts to build depth within their existing squad were working after her pre-series lament over a lack of fresh names pressing for selection in a relatively tiny talent pool.Related
Very little Down time – NZ batter keen to seal top-order spot after baby break
Devine century delivers NZ consolation win
“The great thing was everyone chipped in,” Devine said. “I thought Hannah Rowe was excellent up top, obviously Jess Kerr coming back in through the middle, the spinners did a great job as well.”I’m a bit wary though of Suzie Bates thinking that she’s going to be golden arm now, so we’ll have to keep her in check,” she added with a faint, wry smile. “But just a fantastic all-around team performance, and I guess it probably validates the work that we’re doing behind the scenes and knowing that when we get things right, we’re going to be a hard team to beat.”Veteran opener and part-time bowler Bates showed a knack for prising out key wickets in sparing spells during both series, but it was the performance of the whole bowling unit that most pleased Devine. She deployed six in this match while missing injured seamer Rosemary Mair since the T20Is finished. Seamers Rowe and Jess Kerr set up the win with three wickets apiece while Amelia Kerr chimed in with 2 for 46 to bowl England out for 194 with 3.3 overs remaining.”That’s what’s been happening probably the last 18, 24 months as we’ve been trying to build that bowling depth, [we have] so many options now and we bought Eden Carson in for another spin bowling option there today,” Devine said. “I thought Rosemary Mair has probably been our bowler of the series, unfortunate to lose her to injury, but the fact now that we’ve got players that can come in and perform, it puts us in a really good position in terms of putting pressure on each player, but also knowing that once you’re there that you can really do a job, especially being able to perform the way we have against a really strong England team.”Sometimes we’ve got to have a bit of perspective that what we are asking them [young players] to do is bloody tough and they’re not going to succeed every single time. That’s where the confidence and belief comes as we’re sticking with them and knowing that they’ve got the skills. We see how hard they work behind the scenes day in, day out, and hopefully they can get belief from that.”It was Devine’s powerful 93-ball century that sealed the win after New Zealand had stumbled to 14 for 2, losing openers Bates and Georgia Plimmer – promoted for an injured Bernadine Bezuidenhout – cheaply. She shared an unbroken century stand with Maddy Green after putting on 76 with Amelia Kerr. With 12 runs needed to win and reach her hundred, Devine struck Charlie Dean over the deep midwicket fence twice in three balls to secure both.Hannah Rowe took three wickets for New Zealand•Getty Images
“I’d been chomping at the bit to get out there and just help the team I guess and wanting to lead from the front, so when I got the opportunity today, I wanted to really knuckle down,” Devine said. “I’ve seen how hard these girls have worked the past couple of weeks on this series, and although results haven’t gone our way, the work that’s been going on behind the scenes I think is starting to show that we’re trending in the right direction.”Obviously we’ve still got a lot of work to do to stay in touch with the Australias [and] the Indias, but winning games of cricket like that I think shows that that was, I’d say, a comprehensive win for us against a top quality side.”And while her plan wasn’t to finish the match with two maximums, Devine particularly enjoyed looking Nat Sciver-Brunt in the eye afterwards. “I just wanted to get the job done and be really ruthless with that, and then Nat Sciver-Brunt started to chirp me and said, ‘you’ve got two shots, two balls, have a crack,’ sort of thing. If someone eggs me on, yeah, I’ve got a bit of a rubber arm. So yeah, look, the way it went, I’m just happy to finish the game with some overs to spare.”Heather Knight, the England captain, described the result as “frustrating” and was full of praise for Devine’s innings: “The pitch wasn’t quite straightforward, it was a bit of a tricky one, but I thought Sophie showed us exactly how to bat. The way she soaked up pressure at the start of her innings, tactically targeted a bowler that was a good matchup for her and was able to soak up that pressure and then put it back on us, I think is a really good lesson for our middle order and our batting group.”Both sides will meet again in England for three ODIs and five T20Is in June and July as they ramp up preparations for the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.Before travelling to England, Devine said her side were apprehensively looking forward to putting in more hard work to ensure gains made at home weren’t lost.”We’re going to be absolutely flogged if I’m being honest, and that’s what it takes,” Devine said. “We’ve identified a number of areas both with bat and ball and in the field that we’re going to have to improve a fair amount to keep up with these top sides and to play the style that we want to. There’s going to be a lot of balls being hit, a lot of balls being bowled and just doing that dirty, hard work in the pits of Lincoln and Mount Maunganui, so really looking forward to getting stuck in and working hard with this group.”
Celtic are often praised for their transfer strategy at Parkhead, actually named the best-run club in Britain by the Fair Game Index last year.
Over the last decade or so, the Hoops have made a massive profit with the likes of Ange Postecoglou, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon selling players such as Matt O’Riley, Jota, Moussa Dembélé, Kristoffer Ajer, Virgil van Dijk and many others.
Virgil van Dijk
Kyogo Furuhashi is perhaps the most notable recent example. A scorer of 12 goals in Celtic colours this term, he departed in January to the tune of £10m.
However, there is one striker in particular the Celts must rue missing out on and he’s now outscoring that man Kyogo.
How Celtic are coping with Kyogo's departure
One man chiefly; Daizen Maeda.
The striker’s red-hot form continued at the weekend, bagging a brace against Heart of Midlothian, taking his tally to 30 goals for the campaign, described by former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart as “top class”.
However, Maeda aside, Celtic’s other forwards have not been hitting the heights of late, as the table below outlines.
Celtic’s attackers in 2025
Players
Appearances
Goals
Daizen Maeda
17
17
Jota
12
4
Nicolas Kühn
18
4
Adam Idah
19
6
Yang Hyun-Jun
15
5
James Forrest
1
Zero
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
The form of Nicolas Kühn has been particularly disappointing, considering he scored 14 times during the first half of the campaign, on course to be Celtic’s player of the season, but has now only scored twice since 5 January. That said, he looks well-set to replace Kyogo’s output in time.
Adam Idah meantime, has failed to nail down a regular starting spot, with Maeda often favoured as the centre-forward, despite being signed for a huge £9.5m fee from Norwich last summer.
So, would the Hoops’ centre-forward issue have been solved if they had been able to complete a deal to sign a “world-class” striker a few years ago? He’s now better than Kyogo.
The world-class striker Celtic almost signed
Back in the summer of 2020, Celtic almost signed Ivan Toney from Peterborough United, with then manager Neil Lennon later admitting, “we were close to getting him… I was really interested”.
Toney himself stated, “I went up there… I was actually at the training ground” Lennoxtown, which is how close the move came.
Instead, Toney joined Brentford for £5m, firing the Bees to promotion in his first season, finishing as the EFL Championship’s top-scorer, before netting 36 times in the Premier League for the club.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast’s One That Got Away series.
Manager Thomas Frank described him as “world-class”, before the England international was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli last summer, costing a reported fee of £40m.
In the Saudi top-flight, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Abderrazak Hamdallah and Marcos Leonardo have scored more goals than Toney this season, so let’s assess his season-by-season statistics since almost signing for Celtic.
Ivan Toney season statistics (2020-present)
Seasons
Division
Appearances
Goals
2020/21
EFL Championship
52
33
2021/22
Premier League
37
14
2022/23
Premier League
35
21
2023/24
Premier League
17
4
2024/25
Saudi Pro League
33
22
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
In the 2022/23 Premier League season, Ivan Toney was the division’s third-highest scorer, behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, although the following campaign was massively hampered by his eight-month ban for breaching FA betting regulations.
Now in Saudi Arabia, Toney has rediscovered his best form, with Middle Eastern football expert Uri Levy describing his performances for Al Ahli as ‘fantastic’, advocating for him to receive an England recall.
His tally of 22 goals so far this season for Matthias Jaissle’s side means he has scored more goals than both Adam Idah (14) and Nicolas Kühn (18) this season, while doing so at a slightly-higher level; Global Football Rankings believes the Saudi Pro League to be the 31st strongest division in the world, with the Scottish Premiership down at 34th.
Thus, despite their continued domestic dominance, it’s hard to argue that Celtic wouldn’t be stronger with Toney spearheading their attack.
Celtic gem was "the next Van Dijk" but Postecoglou sold him for just £1m
The former Celtic star was described as “the next Van Dijk” by his former manager.
Tottenham Hotspur are now making moves to sign a striker, who they are planning to offer a place in the starting XI next season, according to a report.
Solanke's first season at Spurs
Dominic Solanke’s first season as a Tottenham player has been marred by a number of injury issues, having suffered with hamstring and ankle problems, but he hasn’t exactly been prolific in front of goal when fully-fit.
The striker started the Premier League season well, netting six goals prior to Christmas, but since then the Englishman has struggled to score as regularly, with just one league goal to his name in 2025.
With Richarlison also missing the majority of the campaign due to injuries, it would make sense for Spurs to bring in a more dependable striker in the summer transfer window, and a report has now revealed they could bring in a Premier League player on a free transfer.
Daniel Levy handed Tottenham boost after talks to appoint 52-year-old
The chairman has apparently been “working hard” on his hire.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 5, 2025
According to a report from Spain, Tottenham are now making moves to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is looking increasingly likely to exit Goodison Park upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.
Spurs are willing to offer Calvert-Lewin a ‘prominent’ place in the starting XI, having been impressed by his goalscoring ability and physicality, which indicates Solanke may be forced to drop to the bench, after a mixed debut season in north London.
Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)
April 13th
Nottingham Forest (h)
April 21st
Liverpool (a)
April 27th
West Ham United (a)
May 3rd
Crystal Palace (h)
May 10th
The Everton forward could offer the Lilywhites a different kind of threat in attack, and they believe he can rediscover his best form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, having been hampered by a number of injury issues during his time with the Toffees.
Calvert-Lewin isn't what Tottenham need
The 28-year-old has impressed in the Premier League in the past, netting 16 goals for the Toffees in the 2020-21 campaign, at which point he was lauded as a “monster” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.
If the Englishman were able to replicate those numbers for Spurs, he could be an excellent addition to the squad, but there are signs his best days are behind him, having scored just three goals in the Premier League this season.
Everton's DominicCalvert-Lewincelebrates scoring their first goal
Not only that, but the Sheffield-born striker’s injury issues are well-documented, having suffered a series of setbacks during his time on Merseyside, which will also be a concern for Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou has had to make do without Richarlison and Solanke for large parts of the current season, and another injury-prone striker isn’t what the manager needs.
Calvert-Lewin’s availability on a free transfer perhaps makes him a slightly appealing option, at least as a squad player, but he arguably should not be brought in as the first-choice striker, given his patchy goal and injury records.
Arsenal have suffered plenty of injuries this term, derailing their bid for the Premier League as Liverpool march towards the title.
However, their Champions League dream is very much alive, with the Gunners heading to Madrid to defend a 3-0 lead against the European champions following a dazzling display last week at the Emirates Stadium.
The last thing Arsenal need is more injuries, having lost Gabriel in recent weeks and only just welcomed Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka back to the first team.
But in training ahead of their huge clash against Real Madrid in midweek, one Gunners star may be counting himself lucky.
Arsenal preparing for quarter-final clash after magical first-leg display
Arsenal were underdogs heading into their quarter-final glamour tie with Real Madrid, who they hadn’t faced since 2006, when the Gunners prevailed 1-0 on aggregate on their way to the final.
A tense first half was then followed by an Arsenal masterclass, with two free-kicks from Declan Rice placing the tie in the Gunners’ favour.
Rice’s first saw the England midfielder curl a superb strike around Thibaut Courtois’ wall, while his second was even more jaw-dropping, finding the Belgian goalkeeper’s top-left corner from the opposite side.
Mikel Merino rounded off a fine Arsenal move just minutes later to truly put Arteta’s men in the box seat ahead of this week’s return leg in Madrid, which will require a monumental comeback from Real, even considering their capacity to resurrect themselves from seemingly dire situations.
Whatever happens, the first leg is surely one of Arsenal’s greatest nights, beating the reigning European champions amid all their injury problems and tepid league challenge.
The tie is now set up with Arsenal just 90 minutes away from a first Champions League semi-final since 2009, handing the Gunners a golden chance to take home the trophy for the first time.
The winners of this tie will face either PSG or Aston Villa in the last four, with the Parisians 3-1 up from the first leg ahead of their trip to Villa Park on Tuesday evening.
Arteta nearly injures Raheem Sterling ahead of Real Madrid showdown
Footage from Arsenal’s last training session before heading to Madrid, via BeanymanSports, shows the team in good spirits – and understandably so after last week’s heroics. However, that enthusiasm nearly spilled over, as manager Mikel Arteta almost got too carried away.
Ending up in the middle of a rondo, Arteta saw an opportunity to intercept the ball as it rolled towards Raheem Sterling, proceeding to fly into a sliding challenge.
Arteta seems to apologise in Sterling’s direction and takes a step back from partaking in the drill, while Jurrien Timber appears to wince as the manager’s challenge comes flying in.
There was no harm done in the end, leaving Sterling – who was banned for the first leg – free to face Real in what is Arsenal’s biggest European game for years.