O Botafogo derrotou o Bahia por 1 a 0, pela terceira rodada da Série A2 do Campeonato Brasileiro de futebol feminino. No último lance do jogo, Kélen estufou a rede, aos 48 da etapa final, e carimbou mais um triunfo para as Gloriosas.
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O duelo contra as baianas foi realizado noestádio Giulite Coutinho, em Mesquita, no Rio de Janeiro. Sob forte calor, o clube carioca abriu as portas para os sócios, que assistiram a um jogo intenso e com um gol no último minutos.
+ Confira e simule a tabela do Brasileirão A2 de futebol feminino
No lance do gol Alvinegro, Miriam dominou e colocou na área para Kelén, de cabeça, colocar a bola no fundo da meta do Bahia. Com o triunfo, o Botafogo é o líder do grupo B com sete pontos. O Bahia permanece com quatro, na segunda colocação.
Os rivais Vasco e Fluminense fazem o outro jogo da rodada, neste domingo, às 15h, nas Laranjeiras. No fim da competição, quatro equipes garantirão as vagas na elite do futebol feminino. Os dois primeiros de cada grupo avançam para as quartas de finais para a sequência do mata-mata.
+Jogadores do Botafogo ‘que jogaram a Série B’ foram maioria em todas as vitórias de Luís Castro pelo Botafogo
O Botafogo voltará a campo no próximo dia 10, novamente contra o Bahia. Desta vez, o duelo será no CT Evaristo de Macedo, na região metropolitana de Salvador, às 15h.
It was a busy January transfer window for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side made four signings to help them improve their standing in the Premier League. At the moment, the Citizens are fifth in the top flight with 41 points to their name. They also face a Champions League knockout clash with Real Madrid.
City made two defensive reinforcements in the winter transfer window, bringing in centre-back pair Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras. They also made a deadline-day addition, signing midfielder Nico Gonzalez from FC Porto to add to the numbers in the middle of the park in Rodri’s absence.
Perhaps the marquee addition in the January transfer window was Omar Marmoush.
Why Man City signed Marmoush
There are few players City could have signed to strengthen in attack who would have been in better form than Marmoush. He was having a simply sensational time of things in the German Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt before his £59m move to the Etihad Stadium.
Prior to his move to the Citizens, the Egypt international had scored 20 goals and grabbed 14 assists in just 26 games in all competitions. Despite the fact he left in mid-January, he is still second in the list for most Bundesliga goal involvements, with Harry Kane the only player ahead of him, as per FBref.
The 26-year-old has so far made two Premier League appearances for City, and it has been a real baptism of fire for the attacker so far. He first faced Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, before coming up against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
It has certainly not been an easy start for Marmoush, but he has stepped up to the occasion admirably. H, football analyst and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, was full of praise on his City debut. He explained the attacker was “class” on his first appearance for City, commending him for “ridiculous” runs in behind.
As good as Marmoush could end up being for City, they may have been able to save their money had they kept a former academy starlet in their squad.
The academy star Man City should have kept
The player in question here is former City academy player Brahim Diaz. Now at Real Madrid, the Morocco international played for the City youth sides and their first team for a number of years before joining the Spanish giants.
As well as making 61 appearances at academy level for the Citizens, Diaz played 15 times under Guardiola for the East Mancunians. He managed to score two goals, both of which came in the same game against Fulham in a 2-0 Carabao Cup win.
Diaz left City for Los Blanocs in 2019, signing a six-and-a-half-year deal. However, the Moroccan has struggled to lock down a place in their side. He spent a few years on loan at Italian giants Milan, before returning to the Santiago Bernabeu and breaking into the team.
It is the form he has displayed recently that might make City regret ever selling the versatile attacker. Since returning to Madrid over the past two seasons, he has played 73 games, scoring 15 times and registering 15 assists.
Right wing
35
6
6
Left wing
18
5
8
Attacking midfield
17
4
2
Second striker
15
2
2
Centre-forward
3
0
0
The 25-year-old has not only had a knack for finding the back of the net on plenty of occasions, but is also a player Carlo Ancelotti has been able to rely on to play anywhere across the frontline. That has been a real theme throughout his tenure at Real Madrid, and his versatility has been something managers can depend on.
Diaz is now worth upwards of £36m, according to Football Transfers. Looking back on it, this may be a sale Guardiola wishes never went through, given he could have utilised his ability to play right across the frontline.
Had Diaz stayed at the Etihad Stadium, it could have saved City an absolute fortune on Marmoush. As well as their new number seven has done so far, perhaps Diaz would have excelled in the same role.
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Mike Baird, the former NSW premier, will take up the position next February
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2022
More change at head office for Cricket Australia•Getty Images
Cricket Australia will have its fourth chair in less than 18 months after Lachlan Henderson announced he would step down early next year having taken a new role in the corporate world.Mike Baird, the former New South Wales premier, will take up the position next February having been unanimously endorsed.Henderson, who will remain on the board, became chair in February when he was appointed the permanent replacement for Earl Eddings who resigned in October 2021. Richard Freudenstein held the role in an interim position before Henderson.Chair stacking
David Peever: 2015-2018 Earl Eddings: 2018-2021 Richard Freudenstein: 2021-22 (interim) Lachlan Henderson: 2022-23 Mike Baird: 2023-
“The new role I’ve taken in my home city Perth will make it difficult to devote the time required as Chair, so I have decided this is the right time to hand over the role,” Henderson said.Baird will take the chair at a crucial time for the game in Australia with the next broadcast rights and new MoU currently being negotiated.”Lachlan has made a great contribution as Chair and I’m delighted he will continue to provide his considerable business and cricket expertise on the CA Board,” he said.”It is an honour to take such an important role in Australian cricket at a time when so much exciting work is being done to grow our national sport and take it forward. I’m pleased to have the chance to work even more closely with CEO Nick Hockley and his team and all those working across Australian cricket.”It was been a controversial week for CA amid the fallout to David Warner withdrawing from his bid to have his leadership ban overturned, a process that was led by CEO Nick Hockley and endorsed by the board.
Tottenham Hotspur have endured their fair share of frustration this season, with Ange Postecoglou’s ambitious project stunted by an unrelenting surge of injuries.
It’s left Spurs stranded in 14th place in the Premier League, with the poor and lasting form eradicating any hopes of qualifying for European competition next season through the top flight.
However, Postecoglou’s side are still in the FA Cup, meeting Aston Villa at Villa Park later today, and finished fourth in the league phase of the Europa League, bypassing the additional knockout round.
TottenhamHotspur manager Ange Postecoglou celebrates after the match
There’s hope yet that an exciting finish to the campaign could be forged from the scalding flames of recent months, with Son Heung-min captaining the side and eyeing a maiden piece of silverware.
The skipper is now 32 and has come under fire for some of his performances this term, but he’s still a major influence capable of driving the Lilywhites forward.
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Son Heung-min's season in numbers
In 2015, Tottenham signed Son from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported £22m fee when he was 23 years old. The dynamic forward has since forged a fine career for himself in England, posting 172 goals and 92 assists across 440 appearances and being hailed for his “world-class” quality by Postecoglou last season.
Having taken the armband from the departed Harry Kane at the beginning of Ange’s tenure, Son has been the standout attacker, and even though he’s discernibly on the decline in regard to athleticism and energy this term, he’s still scored 10 goals and supplied 8 assists across 32 matches in all competitions.
Son’s still got enough in the tank to play a big part for his long-served side, but there’s no doubt that he’s struggling, and the recruitment to aid him on the left flank hasn’t been good enough.
Timo Werner is playing in his second successive loan spell at the club and was singled out for his lack of fight and determination by Postecoglou in December, with the Australian manager saying it was “not acceptable”.
Moreover, Wilson Odobert is dealing with a long-term injury after joining from Burnley for £25m last summer – the 20-year-old only featured three times in the league, failing to hit the target or create a big chance while also failing with 68% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Rewarded for his loyalty with a new contract in January, the veteran forward needs to be playing with a higher calibre of support, more energy and impetus. He can’t play twice a week to the same level anymore, and given that Spurs are struggling for players to compete with Son, our mind is cast back to Steven Bergwijn.
Spurs must rue losing Steven Bergwijn
Son is still a potent attacking force. Technically, the South Korean captain is still one of Postecoglou’s best players and his goal record reflects his value.
Tottenham: Top Scorers 2024/25 (all comps)
Rank
Player
Apps
Goals
1
Brennan Johnson
32
12
2
Dominic Solanke
29
11
3
Son Heung-min
32
10
=4
James Maddison
31
9
=4
Dejan Kulusevski
38
9
Stats via FBref
However, his underlying energy has been diminished, with pundits such as Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp picking up on the changes.
With Son’s aforementioned positional peers struggling to impose themselves, Bergwijn’s particular approach could have gone down a treat in this Postecoglou system.
Plainly, Son is a victim of the system crashing this season and would have benefited greatly from a more stable, less injury-affected campaign, but instead, he’s toiling.
Bergwijn, 27, is now playing his third season since leaving the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his energy and potency in front of goal would have been the perfect mix to lessen Son’s load and play off the left flank when he tires in Ange’s fast-paced team.
Tottenham signed Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven for a fee in the region of £25m in January 2020, but the electric-paced winger only managed to score 8 goals across 83 matches for the north Londoners.
Embroiled in the thick of Antonio Conte’s downfall, Bergwijn was set up to fail.
Now playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, Bergwijn has enjoyed a healthy return of seven goals and seven assists over 24 matches this season, though his athletic metrics further underscore the quality that Tottenham are missing on their left flank.
Ajax winger Steven Bergwijn
He has averaged 4.3 successful duels, 1.8 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game in the league this term, as per Sofascore, perfectly illustrating the kind of robust style of play that would be so well suited to Postecoglou’s free-flowing and high-octane football.
Moreover, the 27-year-old has been hailed as a “big-game monster” in the past by journalist John Cross – something that Spurs could have done with, for example, at Anfield earlier this week, with Son branded with a 5/10 match score by Football.london’s Alasdair Gold after his performance, where he was singled out for his inability to get on the ball against Liverpool.
The saving grace is that Tottenham were able to recoup £26m for the failed signing, who fled back to the Dutch Eredivisie to sign with Ajax in July 2022.
However, given that Spurs turned their transfer cannon toward Richarlison, signing the Brazilian for a whopping £60m fee, it’s perhaps less satisfactory.
Tottenham Hotspur's Steven Bergwijn celebrates
Ultimately, Bergwijn was “unlucky at Spurs” – a comment made by pundit and ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson – and it’s quite possible that in different circumstances, perhaps under Postecoglou, he would have enjoyed far greater success in the Premier League.
He’s still firmly in his ostensible prime years, and thus, the likes of Daniel Levy must have some big regrets about letting him leave, for he could have been the perfect option to mitigate Son’s struggles at present.
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The Gabba pitch has been given a “below average” rating and handed one demerit point from the ICC after the first Test between Australia and South Africa ended inside two days.In total, only 866 balls were bowled in the match, which makes it the second-shortest Test ever played in Australia, and 34 wickets fell in that time. Bowlers took a wicket every 25.5 balls, the second-best strike rate in a Test match ever (with a minimum of 30 wickets), and South Africa captain Dean Elgar said afterwards that the surface did not facilitate a “fair contest,” between bat and ball. The ICC agreed.Related
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“Overall, the Gabba pitch for this Test match was too much in favour of the bowlers,” Richie Richardson, the match referee for the Test, said. “There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships.”I found the pitch to be ‘below average’ as per the ICC guidelines since it was not an even contest between bat and ball.”Richardson, however, did not go as far as Elgar and suggest the surface could have posed a danger to batters.Elgar had posed the question to Chris Gaffney and Rod Tucker, the on-field umpires, during Australia’s second innings when “KG [Kagiso Rabada] got [Travis] Head out down leg… and then [Anrich] Nortje was bowling those short ones that were flying over our heads”. But he did not receive an answer on-field.Australia captain Pat Cummins said there was “no way” the surface was dangerous but acknowledged it was “tricky” to bat on. “Two days probably isn’t ideal… personally, I don’t mind it if the groundsman err on the greener side occasionally; [I’ve] played a lot of Tests where they’ve erred on the flatter side. Think it was the same for both teams,” he said after the game.This is the second time that an Australian pitch has been given a negative rating by the ICC in the last four years. In January 2018, the MCG pitch was rated poor after a draw between Australia and England, in which only 24 wickets fell in five days.The next Test between Australia and South Africa will start at the MCG on Boxing Day.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim was hired to make tough decisions at Old Trafford, and he now looks to have made up his mind on one key position ahead of the summer window.
Manchester United's problems laid bare under Amorim
Expectedly, United are never a club who find themselves too far away from the headlines when it comes to transfer stories, on-field analysis and everything in between at Old Trafford.
Despite a mixed run of fortunes since stepping into the hotseat, Ruben Amorim won’t be judged too harshly in comparison to his managerial competitors until reinforcements arrive at the Red Devils this summer to fit his vision.
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimlooks dejected after the match
Individual mistakes have hindered his side in their mission to push forward in the Premier League standings. In midweek, a 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town offered some brief respite for the Portuguese boss. Still, United’s performance was littered with errors that could well have proved costly on another day.
Patrick Dorgu saw red for a high challenge on Omari Hutchinson following a VAR intervention, while Andre Onana’s two mistakes allowed Jaden Philogene to fire the visitors into the lead twice before the first-half was out.
Andre Onana’s Premier League season in numbers
Save percentage
64.9%
Errors leading to goal
3
Expected Goals value prevented
-0.12
Penalties saved
1
Pass accuracy
71.1%
The Cameroon international has been under scrutiny this term due to a string of inconsistent performances. In recent days, Espanyol stopper Joan Garcia has been identified as a target for the Red Devils as Amorim looks to add competition between the sticks.
Financially, it remains to be seen how much business Manchester United will be able to conduct once the summer window opens as supporters wait to see if continental qualification can be secured via the Europa League or FA Cup. Nevertheless, the Red Devils are now said to be eyeing a statement move, according to recent reports.
Manchester United look to bring high-profile Onana replacement
Per reports in Spain, Manchester United hope to convince AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to join the club and Amorim is believed to have sought out the France international as his preferred replacement for Onana.
Born in Cayenne, the 29-year-old would be open to trying his luck in the Premier League and the thought of a move to Old Trafford could tempt the stopper to seek a new challenge. However, the Red Devils would have to convince him that a potential switch would be the correct course of action during his peak years.
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Strengthening on the goalkeeper front has become a priority for United’s coaching staff. Maignan may be the ideal candidate to fit the bill following 11 clean sheets in 39 appearances across all competitions through 2024/25.
Labelled “incredible” by former Ireland boss Stephen Kenny, the former Lille number one has saved 68.5% of 89 shots on target faced in Serie A across the campaign. In the Champions League, he has prevented 77.5% of 49 efforts bound for goal, which suggests he could be an upgrade on Onana based on current form.
Difficult decisions need to be made at Old Trafford as Amorim plots a route to bring long-term stability to Old Trafford. Could Maignan be the answer? His arrival would certainly ignite excitement among supporters.
West Indies spinner takes 3-15 on BBL debut to dent Heat’s chase
AAP15-Dec-2022Melbourne Renegades captain Nic Maddinson plundered a scintillating 87 against Brisbane Heat to set up a 22-run victory in his 100th BBL game.Maddinson got out of the blocks quickly, kept his cool when four wickets fell in a clump, and put his foot down again late to lift the Renegades to 7 for 166 batting first in Cairns after being sent in.West Indies international Akeal Hosein opened the bowling for Renegades with his left-arm spin and dismissed opener Max Bryant for a duck with his fifth delivery. The momentum stayed with Renegades from then on.Hossein was playing his first game in the BBL and was the dominant bowler on the night to give Renegades a great start to the new campaign after finishing bottom of the ladder last season.Heat recruit Colin Munro (35 off 30 balls), with 65 T20 internationals to his credit for New Zealand, was finding top form with the bat before he was run out by a direct hit from Tom Rogers.When Heat skipper Jimmy Peirson was bowled by Hossein for 43 off 30 deliveries in the 15th over the required rate was nearing the unachievable.Maddinson earlier set the platform for victory. He took 20 off Xavier Bartlett’s second over and a further 22 off his third in a 49-ball innings, including 10 fours and three sixes, that produced his highest score in T20 cricket. Andre Russell (35 off 28 balls) celebrated his return to Renegades with a powerhouse innings including three sixes.The visitors rocketed to 0 for 65 off six overs before Sam Harper was well caught at fine leg by Josh Brown off the first delivery bowled by the impressive James Bazley.Renegades lost 4 for 13 in four overs due to some shrewd captaincy by Peirson and smart bowling by spinners Mitch Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann. Swepson knocked over Jake Fraser-McGurk with a classic googly. Then Kuhnemann took two wickets in one over by slowing down his pace and bamboozling Aaron Finch and off-season recruit Jono Wells.That was when Maddinson and Russell took control in a 78-run stand off 46 deliveries. Maddinson, when on 42, was involved in a bizarre incident when he played a pull-shot off Mark Steketee.The ball lobbed over the stumps but one bail came off. On review it was clear that the dislodged bail was an unexplainable mystery but no fault of the batter.
Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has compared key player James McClean to the renowned Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson.
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McClean helped guide Wrexham to another promotionReynolds praised club captainCompared him to Samuel L. JacksonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images EntertainmentWHAT HAPPENED?
Speaking to the Wrexham fan podcast Fearless in Devotion, Reynolds spoke about his experience of supporting the Red Dragons and named James McClean as one of his favourite players to watch. He even compared the Irish winger to Hollywood icon Samuel L. Jackson, likening the brooding intensity of the pair.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
McClean has played a key role in Wrexham's historic third successive promotion season, registering four goals and six assists across 41 matches and providing a crucial attacking spark for the League One side, as well as being a commanding captain and important leadership presence.
WHAT REYNOLDS SAID
"There is a burning, fearsome, 5000 kelvin oven inside that guy that is remarkable, and one of my favourite players to watch," Reynolds said of McClean. "I grew up as the youngest of four boys, right, I have a people-pleasing gene in me somewhere. I always love the guys that don’t have that. I gravitate towards grumpy people… Samuel L. Jackson can be a grumpy person and he’s one of my favourite human beings on planet earth because of it. I love it. James has a bit of that."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MCCLEAN?
At 36, McClean is one of the oldest and most experienced pros in Wrexham's squad, but he's showing no signs of slowing down. As the Welsh club gets ready to navigate the second tier for the first time in over 40 years, McClean's know-how is likely to come in extremely handy.
Newcastle United’s Champions League chase is back on track.
On Sunday, the Magpies beat Nottingham Forest 4-3 in a thoroughly entertaining clash at St James’ Park, with all of the home side’s goals coming during an 11-minute first-half spree; Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy on target, before Alexander Isak struck twice.
Alexander Isak scores for Newcastle
Despite having lost three of their previous four Premier League games beforehand, Eddie Howe’s team have moved back up to fifth, thereby occupying the final Champions League spot, ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup Final dress rehearsal, facing champions-elect Liverpool at Anfield.
The Toon Army certainly have a strong side to get behind, but just imagine how good they would be if they had not been forced to sell one of their most prized assets. Spoiler; he might have even more potential than Anthony Gordon.
Anthony Gordon's amazing rise at Newcastle
When Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton in January 2023 for a reported £45m, becoming, at the time, the club’s second-most expensive signing of all-time, many were questioning the price tag.
Tim Sherwood, who won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, believed Gordon was “overpriced”, although he’s since admitted he was wrong, proved so by the winger’s form.
Chris Waugh of the Athletic describes the 24-year-old as ‘durable, pacy, direct, hard-working, versatile and has end-product’ adding ‘most wingers have some of those traits, but [Gordon] possess them all’, while Ben McAleer of the Guardian believes he has ‘set the Premier League alight’ since making the move to Tyneside.
This form has also earned Gordon international recognition,
He was player of the tournament as England won the U21 Euros in the summer of 2023, before making his senior international debut against Brazil last March, opening his account for the Three Lions during November’s 5-0 hammering of the Republic of Ireland at Wembley.
Alongside, Gordon believes Newcastle striker Isak to be “the best in Europe” and together they form quite the partnership, so just imagine how formidable the Magpies’ front line would be, had they been able to keep a top-class right-winger.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Newcastle's biggest transfer regret
Even though Yankuba Minteh never actually made an appearance for Newcastle, they’re being made to regret his sale.
The Gambian joined Newcastle from Danish Superligaen side Odense Boldklub for a reported fee of £6.5m in June 2023, immediately loaned out to Feyenoord, with the plan for him to be integrated into the first team a year later.
Minteh scored 11 goals in 37 appearances for the Eredivisie giants, averaging a goal every 181 minutes, most notably on target in the Champions League at Celtic Park, before bagging a brace during a famous 6-0 demolition of Ajax in De Klassieker.
So, despite the plans being for Minteh to return to Newcastle, he never did, sold to Brighton last June for a reported price tag of £33m, with the Magpies forced to sell both he, as well as Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest, in order to avoid a PSR breach.
Well, it appears as though the Seagulls snapped up a bargain, with the Athletic’s Ryan Adsett describing the 20-year-old as a “world-class talent”, while Matt Furniss of Opta’s the Analyst believes Brighton supporters are rightfully excited.
Speaking on Sky Sports in August, Jamie Carragher asserted that Newcastle “are going to rue” the sale of Minteh, a claim that is certainly coming to fruition.
By bagging a brace against Chelsea on Valentine’s night, Minteh took his tally to five Premier League goals this season, on top of his four assists, so let’s assess how he compares to Gordon.
Minteh vs Gordon 2024/25 comparison
Statistics
Minteh
Gordon
Appearances
24
32
Minutes
1,259
2,451
Goals
5
9
Minutes per goal
252
272
Assists
4
6
Expected assists per 90
0.32
0.22
Goals – xG
+1.9
-1.8
Shots on target %
52%
36.1%
Goal-creating actions
8
12
Goal-creating actions per 90
0.71
0.54
Take-on success %
47.9%
38.2%
Touches per 90
33
34
Information courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com
While Gordon’s surface-level statistics, goals and assists, are superior to Minteh’s, the Gambian’s per-90 numbers are more impressive. He’s averaging a higher take-on success and more goal-creating actions per 90.
Meanwhile, the Brighton winger boasts a higher shot on target percentage too. This suggests that, two years four years Gordon’s junior, his ceiling may well be bigger. Just take a look at the company he’s now in…
Of players who have attempted 70+ dribbles this season, only eight have a higher take-on success percentage than Minteh, namely Amad, Mikkel Damsgaard, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Jadon Sancho, Mohamed Salah, Antoine Semenyo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jérémy Doku.
So, what a pair of wide-attackers Minteh and Gordon would’ve been with Isak in the middle; no wonder Howe believes the Profit and Sustainability Rules are “not right”.
As bad as Pope: 6/10 Newcastle star should be on borrowed time under Howe
Newcastle United nearly had to settle for a point in a barmstorming 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest.
An exemplary fielding performance and a perfectly executed 19th over help Australia eke out a narrow win
Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-20232:45
Baynes: Australia’s death bowling the difference
India needed 18 runs off nine balls when Ellyse Perry sprinted to her right from deep-backward square leg, threw herself into the air and flicked the ball back before tumbling over the boundary rope to save two runs. That moment epitomised what makes Australia tick. Every piece of effort is given at 100% and forms part of the whole juggernaut, which even when pushed by India in the T20 World Cup semi-final prevails by five runs.At the time, left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen – who hadn’t played since their opening match as Australia opted for legspinner Alana King for the next three games – was in the middle of executing the perfect 19th over, conceding just four runs when India needed 20 from 12 balls, and pegging Sneh Rana’s leg stump back with the last ball.With India left to get 16 off the last over, the eventual Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner gave away only ten and claimed her second wicket as Perry again held her nerve and settled under a skier, by Radha Yadav, at long-on to allow Australia to snatch a berth in their seventh successive T20 World Cup final.Related
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Australia clinch thriller to make seventh straight final
Harmanpreet rues luck, missed chances after semi-final exit
After the win, Gardner said the victory ranked “pretty high” on Australia’s unmatched list of triumphs.”I think at the ten-over mark in India’s batting innings, everyone had probably written us off, but I think that just shows our character within our side and that’s why the best teams win in those types of positions,” she said.”What we speak about is when our backs are up against the wall, we always try and find a way, and today we probably had no right to win at one point there. They were cruising and then we found a way to get some wickets and ultimately came out on top.”It was similar to last year’s Commonwealth Games gold-medal match, which Australia had won by nine runs. That, combined with Thursday’s performance at Newlands, suggests the gap might be closing somewhat compared to the 85-run thumping they had dished out to India in the final of the T20 World Cup back in 2020.India, on the other hand, squandered their chances with crucial drops of Beth Mooney and Meg Lanning, Australia’s two biggest run-scorers on this occasion, as well as leaking runs through numerous misfields and overthrows.”We showed our class today in the field and we always speak about as a group being the best fielding team in the world, and I think today really showed that,” Gardner said. “Ellyse Perry was elite on the boundary. Whether it’s dropped catches, [or] missed opportunities in the field, those ultimately add up to quite a lot of runs and I think we took those moments when we really needed to.Player-of-the-Match Gardner contributed 31 off 18 balls with the bat and followed that with two wickets•ICC/Getty Images”I certainly think Pez is probably the blueprint for our side going forward – certainly on the boundary. At the end of the day, that could have been the difference between us and them.”Gardner, who had also contributed an excellent 31 off 18 balls with the bat, revealed it was no accident that Australia are so strong in the field.”We have KPIs and there are markers that show us whether we’re positive or negative in the field,” she said. “So there’s a pretty clear indication of how we’ve fielded. We just know how to push each other. In our training sessions, there are always really high-pressure situations, and as athletes, we all push each other – whether it’s on the field or off the field, whether it’s in the gym, running.”That’s something we really pride ourselves on is being fit, being strong, and ultimately that’s one of the things that has an impact in the field.”India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who overcame illness to put her side in a winning position before being run out when her bat got stuck in the pitch, acknowledged that the difference in fielding was the key.”The Australian side, they always field very well; and from our side, we made some mistakes,” Harmanpreet said. “But again, we have to just learn [from] whatever mistakes we have made. But obviously, the Australian side is better than us. They always field well, and today also, after I got out, their body language completely changed. The way they stopped two-three boundaries, that also made a huge difference.”
“Having such a quality domestic set-up, the WBBL, [and] some of the best international players coming over every year plays a significant part”Jess Jonassen on what helps Australia compete under pressure
Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s second-highest run-scorer on the day, agreed: “When you lose, you always find a lot of reasons. You can blame anything… but yeah, that is one aspect. As an Indian team, we know that we need to improve our fielding and our running between wickets. Today the running between was really good but I think there’s so much to learn from.”Gardner, Jonassen and Mooney all said that competing under pressure in franchise tournaments such as their own WBBL and England’s much-newer Hundred had contributed to Australia’s strength, which is encouraging for India ahead of their inaugural WPL season, which starts next month.”It probably comes back to the exposure of those sorts of situations,” Jonassen said. “Having such a quality domestic set-up, having the WBBL, having some of the best international players coming over every year – that plays a significant part. Then we’re almost primed for those same situations on the international stage.”We’ve had a few young players making debuts in different formats this season as well that have come from those competitions, and we’re always looking to try and improve, and try and push each other to that next level and try and get the most out of each and every person because ultimately we know if we can gain an extra one or two percent individually, then the team’s collectively going to be better off.”And such is Australia’s depth that Jonassen jokingly revealed her disbelief when head coach Shelley Nitschke told her after training on match eve that she was back in the side.”I had to get her to repeat it because I had walked about ten laps after training yesterday, sort of getting my head around how I would mentally deal with if I missed out again,” Jonassen said. “I’ve got my partner and my mum who have flown over, so I was pretty disappointed up until today that I wasn’t able to play a game in front of them. Hopefully one more and it’s another successful one.”One more will mean a contest for the trophy against either hosts South Africa or England. Besides India at this World Cup, only England have looked capable of threatening Australia. Whoever it is will need to do more than just threaten, as India found out.