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Manchester City have been linked with a summer move for Arminia Bielefeld goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

What’s the news?

After the news originally broke from Sky Sports journalist Dirk Schlarmann on Twitter, Fabrizio Romano shed further light on the matter.

He tweeted: “Manchester City are really interested in signing Stefan Ortega, as called by @Sky_Dirk today. Been told there’s a verbal agreement in place with City to sign as [a] free agent #MCFC

“Deal depends on Zack Steffen to find a good solution on the market, but Ortega’s waiting for City.”

Back in 2007, Ortega joined Bielefeld’s under-17 squad from fellow German club KSV Hessen Kassel. The shot-stopper also had a three-year spell with 1860 Munich before returning to Bielefeld in 2017.

Overall, the 29-year-old has made 220 appearances for his current side, keeping 65 clean sheets in the process. However, with his contract at the club set to expire next week, it seems as though he has played his last game for them.

Guardiola will be delighted

Ortega’s latest season with Bielefeld was a rather disappointing one, as the club were relegated from the Bundesliga with just 28 points on the board.

However, he showed throughout the campaign just how capable a goalkeeper he is. Over 33 league games, the German racked up more saves (124) than any other shot-stopper in the league and could also boast the second-highest save percentage (73.3%) in the division.

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that Pep Guardiola would be delighted to have such an experienced and capable goalkeeper in his squad as a backup option for Ederson.

As for Zack Steffen, the fact that he only managed two clean sheets in his nine appearances for the Citizens last season across all competitions could be why the club have been looking to bring Ortega in this summer.

With that in mind, if the German is seen as City’s number two goalkeeper for the future, it could be worth the American making a move away from the Etihad Stadium this summer and join a club where he would be guaranteed regular game-time.

In other news – Terms agreed: City now closing in on “refreshing” £30m signing, Pep will be buzzing

A report out of Italy has now shared quite an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Everton star Richarlison.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes move…

The Brazil international and Premier League striker is reliably believed to be on the Spurs agenda this summer as manager Antonio Conte chases an alternative to superstar player Harry Kane.

Reports have suggested that the Lilywhites could speed up talks for Richarlison with ‘decisive days’ ahead, coming after journalist David Ornstein claimed ‘some’ at Everton think a transfer is inevitable.

Now, as per CalciomercatoWeb.it, a big update has come to light.

The Latest: Tottenham closing in…

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According to their information, reporting due to Juventus and Milan’s interest, Richarlison’s arrival at Spurs is ‘ever closer’ and talks are at an ‘advanced’ stage for the 25-year-old, acting as a blow for the Serie A duo.

In perhaps the most surprising claim, the report states that his signing could ‘take place’ for just €40 million (£35m).

The Verdict: Major claim…

This comes as a major claim out of Spurs, particularly, when it comes to the price tag.

While it is arguably unlikely that the north Londoners will end up securing Richarlison for £35m, we believe the South American’s arrival is worth a potentially higher offer regardless.

Finishing 2021/2022 as Everton’s top goal scorer and best-performing player by average match rating, the striker is a proven top flight threat, having also attempted their most shots at goal per 90 last season (WhoScored).

It’s little wonder Richarlison has been called one of the Goodison Park side’s ‘big name’ players (Noel Whelan, Football Insider) and signing him for Conte would undoubtedly strengthen the Italian’s attacking options.

In other news: Significant talks: Tottenham emerge as ‘likelier destination’ for ‘superstar’…find out more here.

Liverpool are interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to a report from The Mirror. 

The lowdown: Phillips a wanted man

Currently a one-club man, Phillips came through the ranks in Yorkshire and has amassed 234 appearances for his boyhood club so far.

Many of those outings came in the Championship before Leeds returned to the Premier League in 2020, and since then the 26-year-old has proven his worth in the top flight and become a regular England international.

Such strong performances have sparked an increased level of transfer interest as Manchester United, Manchester City and West Ham all reporetdly take admiring glances at the combative midfielder.

The latest: Liverpool in the mix for Phillips

As per The Mirror, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is now ‘ready to rival’ Pep Guardiola for the signing of the 19-cap England ace.

It is claimed that the German is ‘understood to admire’ Phillips, with Leeds ‘bracing themselves for interest’ this summer after narrowly avoiding relegation last month.

The report added that it will cost around £60m to sign the midfielder, who was hailed as ‘superb’ at Euro 2020 by Oliver Kay after starting all seven games for Gareth Southgate’s side at the finals.

The verdict: Worthwhile target

Seemingly set to miss out on Aurelien Tchouameni, with Real Madrid the hot favourites to land the AS Monaco sensation, it’s no surprise that Klopp and Julian Ward would be seeking an alternative option for the upcoming transfer window.

During an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign, Phillips earned a 6.84 Sofascore rating whilst winning an impressive 4.8 duels, making 1.2 interceptions and completing 38.9 accurate passes per game.

Aside from the battling qualities that the first of those metrics indicates, the 26-year-old displayed impressive versatility in the process when operating as a central defender, and as a more natural defensive midfielder.

Despite the lofty asking price, signing the Englishman as an understudy to Fabinho and to supplement Jordan Henderson would be a smart move by Liverpool, given his proven Premier League experience, age profile and positive impact on the all-important homegrown quota within the squad.

In other news: A fresh rumour has emerged over a possible Sadio Mane successor

Newcastle United reportedly ‘remain keen’ on signing Sven Botman in the summer, despite a ‘sensational twist’ that has now emerged.

The Lowdown: Milan bound?

It has been reported that the St. James’ Park faithful have ‘not given up hope’ of signing Botman in the summer, despite AC Milan already verbally agreeing personal terms with the Lille central defender.

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After failing to sign him in the January transfer window, the North East club have continually held ‘extensive negotiations’ over the potential signing, but it looks like Milan could be the favourites for his signature.

The Latest: Remain keen

As per Football Insider, the Tyneside outfit ‘remain keen’ on signing Botman, even though a ‘sensational twist’ has now emerged in the form of a new suitor.

According to a source from Manchester United, the Red Devils are now ‘exploring a move’ for the Dutchman, with ‘preliminary talks’ set to take place after a board meeting involving new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Verdict: Get it done

With Manchester United, who can offer Botman European football just like Milan, now entering the frame, the Magpies need to act fast to get this deal done.

Described as a ‘golden boy‘ by his agent Francesco Miniero, he is one of the most promising up-and-coming players in the game at just 22 years of age, having already played regularly at the highest level.

Nonetheless, at six-foot-five, he is an imposing centre-back, and could form a truly scary partnership with the six-foot-seven Dan Burn.

In other news, find out which ‘terrifying’ star NUFC are now eyeing here!

Get ready for the start of the Rothesay County Championship with our Division One preview

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2025.

Durham

Last season: 5th in Division One
Director of cricket: Marcus North
Head coach: Ryan Campbell
Captain: Alex Lees
Overseas: David Bedingham, Brendan Doggett (April-May)
Ins: Emilio Gay (Northants), Will Rhodes (Warwickshire), Sam Conners (Derbyshire)
Outs: Michael Jones (Lancashire), Jonathan Bushnell, Brandon Glover, Oliver Gibson (all released)Durham were viewed in some quarters as dark horses for the title on their return to Division One. Such predictions took a dent when their first outing, following a washout in the opening round, saw Warwickshire pile up 698 for 3 declared. Scott Boland, the club’s marquee overseas signing, was ruled out after one appearance, while Matt Potts, Ben Raine and Brydon Carse couldn’t get a peep out of the Kookaburra on the way to combined figures of 0 for 334.
The team’s character shone through in battling their way to a draw (Potts scoring 149 not out as nightwatcher), and although they never quite managed a sustained run of form, losing as many games as they won, a fifth-place finish showed that Ryan Campbell’s Bazball-adjacent methods were comfortably at home in the top tier.Related

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• Will Smeed fighting on all fronts for Somerset after red-ball reversal

Their durability was summed up by David Bedingham topping the Division One run-scoring with 1331 at 78.29, and Durham’s batting riches will present a conundrum for Campbell to solve this season, with Emilio Gay and Will Rhodes arriving to provide top-order competition. Scott Borthwick remains available for selection having moved into a player-coach role, while Ben McKinney is one of the most exciting young players around – and then there’s the potential that Ben Stokes, England’s Test captain, will want a game here or there, too, though Campbell is planning to be without.One to watch: The day after Daniel Hogg completed figures of 7 for 66 on first-class debut, the ‘s doyen of cricket coverage, Scyld Berry, tweeted that he would take “150 plus” Test wickets for England “if he stays fit”. Hogg, 20, is early in his journey, with six first-team appearances to his name, but looks to be the latest off the Durham fast-bowler production line. Alan GardnerBet365: 10/1David Bedingham was the leading run-scorer in Division One last year•Getty Images

Essex

Last season: 4th in Division One
Director of cricket: Chris Silverwood
Captain: Tom Westley
Overseas: Simon Harmer
Ins:

Outs: Ben Allison (Worcestershire), Feroze Khushi (released), Aaron Beard (retired)An air of optimism and renewal envelops Chelmsford at the start of what promises to be a hugely significant season. In 2017, Chris Silverwood delivered the club’s first Championship title in a quarter of a century, and now he is back as director of cricket. Just as he built the structure that has sustained their red-ball standards in the intervening eight years, the replenishment of those stocks is right at the top of the to-do list. In particular, a succession plan for their pre-eminent new-ball pairing of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook is a pre-requisite.To that end, the loss of allrounder Shardul Thakur to the IPL is a huge blow. It ought to have been a win-win, with Thakur using his Championship stint to vault himself back into the reckoning for India’s five-Test tour later this summer, but Essex’s loss has already been Lucknow Super Giants’ gain. Finding a replacement overseas quick will be vital, though no easy task in the current franchise market.They’ll be lacking their other overseas pro too, at least in the short term. Dean Elgar is due to return for a second season, having seamlessly filled the role of nuggety left-handed opener that was Alastair Cook’s for so many years, but for the time being he’s on indefinite paternity leave after the recent birth of his twins. Meanwhile Jordan Cox – so luckless this winter with a Test debut on the cards – needs a mountain of runs to force his way back into England’s plans. If his personal hunger translates to the squad as a whole, there’s exciting times ahead.One to watch: Essex’s reputation for homegrown players could be perpetuated if this is the season in which Jamal Richards breaks into the big time. Aged 21, he’s an alumnus of Graham Gooch’s old school in Waltham Forest, and his pace was amply displayed on his first-class debut in 2023, when he wrecked Ireland’s top-order en route to a first-innings five-for. He’s young and raw, but he’ll get his chances, and with Silverwood back in the building, rapid development is on the cards. Andrew MillerBet365: 13/2

Hampshire

Last season: 2nd in Division One
Director of cricket: Giles White
Head coach: Adi Birrell
Captain: Ben Brown
Overseas: Kyle Abbott, Brett Hampton (April-May), Dewald Brevis (May-July)
Ins: Sonny Baker (Somerset), Mark Stoneman (Middlesex)
Outs: James Vince (red-ball retirement), Mohammad Abbas (Nottinghamshire)James Vince’s relocation to Dubai leaves a sizeable hole in the batting for Hampshire, who also released seamer Mohammad Abbas after four seasons yielding 180 wickets at 19.07. Mark Stoneman’s arrival from Middlesex goes some way towards filling the Vince void, while Sonny Baker, from Somerset, joins the pace ranks led again by the formidable Kyle Abbott, in his ninth season with the club.In Abbott and Liam Dawson, Hampshire had the No. 2 and No. 3 wicket-takers in the competition last year, lending plenty of stability despite those big-name departures. Dawson can also provide valuable runs, having contributed 956 in 2024, just 30 runs shy of club leader Vince and with a better average of 59.75.It’s a new era off the field with Hampshire entering the Championship as the first overseas-owned club in English county cricket. If they can improve on their top-three finishes of the past three seasons and go one better than last year, it would be an instant return on the investment of India’s GMR Group.One to watch: Tom Prest has just turned 22 but with three centuries from his 10 appearances last season, he heralded himself as another batter capable of covering for Vince’s absence. The stage is now set for the former England Under-19 captain to grab his own piece of the spotlight. Valkerie BaynesBet365: 10/1Liam Dawson will again be a key cog for Hampshire•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire

Last season: 8th in Division One
Director of cricket: Mick Newell
Head coach: Peter Moores
Captain: Haseeb Hameed
Overseas: Kyle Verreynne, Fergus O’Neil (April), Mohammad Abbas (May & September)
Ins: Conor McKerr (Surrey)

Outs: Fateh Singh (Worcestershire), Luke Fletcher (released), Tom Loten, Toby Pettman (both retired)Last year’s dabble with relegation was inexplicable given the talent at Trent Bridge. The squad riches were typified by the fact many were in action over the winter. Even head coach Peter Moores dipped into the franchise circuit. But success closer to home will be scrutinised extra keenly, and it is reasonable to suggest that Moores’ job may depend on it.Red-ball silverware is a stretch, but there is no reason why Nottinghamshire cannot register a high finish. They boast a host of England cricketers, plenty of them in active service, many of whom reside in their bowling stocks.Olly Stone and Josh Tongue (who should finally make his Nottinghamshire debut) are on central contracts, while Dillon Pennington remains in the selectors’ thoughts after a winter with the Lions. The addition of Conor McKerr adds another tall, bouncy quick into the mix.Factor in Brett Hutton’s return to fitness after battling achilles trouble last summer, Lyndon James’ emergence and Mohammad Abbas for a couple of months, there is plenty of wiliness to supplement the speed. And with Haseeb Hameed and Joe Clarke set to build on their consistency with the bat, plus South Africa keeper-batter Kyle Verreynne on hand for the majority of the season – he averaged 248 from three appearances in 2024 – there is little reason why a top-half finish cannot be achieved.One to watch: It is probably cheating to put Farhan Ahmed in this category given he has already been seen. A debut first-class campaign might have only amounted to four games, but with 22 wickets at 23.22 – almost half of them against Surrey when, aged 16, he became the youngest to take 10 wickets in an English first-class match – everyone is on notice. The offspinner’s superstrength is his accuracy, a hell of a trait for someone so young. With left-arm twirler Liam Patterson-White and leggie Calvin Harrison also vying for playing time, his opportunities won’t be plentiful, but he’ll be sure to make them count. Vithushan EhantharajahBet365: 16/1

Somerset

Last season: 3rd in Division One
Director of cricket: Andy Hurry
Head coach: Jason Kerr
Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas: Matt Henry, Migael Pretorius, Riley Meredith
Ins:
Outs: Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Ned Leonard (Glamorgan), George Thomas (Sussex), Roelof van der Merwe (released)Three near-misses across formats in 2024 have Somerset battle-sharp and determined to avoid the late-season fade-out which cost them greatly in the Championship when Hampshire pipped them to second place in the final round, the week after a loss to Lancashire confirmed Surrey as winners.Matt Henry, the New Zealand seamer so pivotal to Somerset’s Vitality Blast success in 2023 and who took 32 wickets from six Championship games that season, is expected to arrive for his second stint at the club between rounds one and two despite missing the home series against Pakistan with shoulder and knee problems.Will Smeed offers a fascinating storyline with the bat after reversing his decision to play only white-ball cricket. A fractured foot suffered during the SA20 may delay plans for his first-class debut slightly, but, when the day does arrive, his explosive style combined with a new-found enthusiasm for the long format could be quite something to watch.With Shoaib Bashir on loan to Glamorgan for the start of the season, veteran Jack Leach spearheads the spin attack and believes a strong start will provide added insurance against any slips later on. “There’s no point in thinking about the last two weeks of the season until you’ve taken care of the first weeks of the season, so we need to get off to a really good start,” he said. “A moment in April could be the moment that allows you to go and win it.”One to watch: Archie Vaughan, the 19-year-old son of former England captain Michael, thrived in his four Championship games last season, averaging 33.71 with the bat and taking 15 wickets at 20.13. That included a match-winning 11-wicket haul against Surrey which kept Somerset’s title hopes alive. Having said he can be his “own man” at a club where “my dad’s not known”, it feels like only a matter of time before another Vaughan is famous in these parts. VBBet365: 13/2Archie Vaughan has already made a name for himself at Taunton•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Surrey

Last season: 1st in Division One
High performance cricket adviser: Alec Stewart
Head coach: Gareth Batty
Captain: Rory Burns
Overseas: Kemar Roach (April), Nathan Smith (May-Sept)
Ins: Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire)
Outs: Conor McKerr (Nottinghamshire), Ben Geddes (Middlesex), Amar Virdi (released)Boring, isn’t it? Not for Surrey, they like it. And they want more.A squad who have lost just five Championship matches across their hat-trick of title-winning campaigns have arguably been strengthened without doing all that much, and with the possibility of losing Dan Worrall to England duty.The Anglicised Aussie has 139 dismissals at 21.17 since moving to the Kia Oval in 2022, and should Rob Key give him a call, he will undoubtedly be a miss. But with Matthew Fisher now down in south London and New Zealand’s punchy bowling allrounder Nathan Smith on deck from May, there is handy cover.Factor in Dan Lawrence losing his England place, Will Jacks on the outside looking in, the desires of Jamie Overton and Sam Curran to push their cases with more red-ball work, and Ben Foakes relieved to no longer be subject to the “will they, won’t they” discourse, there are plenty of personal ambitions to fuel the whole. Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson will play some part in the first six rounds. It will business as usual for openers Rory Burns and Dom Sibley.Even with Alec Stewart’s more subdued role this season – not that subdued, by all accounts – the Surrey juggernaut rolls on. Will it be four in a row? Perhaps the better question is who can stop them?One to watch: A tough one to pick given Surrey’s depth – and the fact precocious allrounder Tom Lawes already has two winner’s medals around his neck – but 20-year-old Ollie Sykes is another highly rated batter off the production line. A new-age leftie who crouches low with a high backlift, he debuted across all formats for the club last season, making his first-class bow in the final Championship game at Essex, though he made a two-ball duck in his only knock. He tuned up for this summer by hitting 32 off a James Coles over in a warm-up match down at Sussex. VEBet365: 11/10

Sussex

Last season: 1st in Division Two
Head coach: Paul Farbrace
Captain: John Simpson
Overseas: Daniel Hughes, Jayden Seales (April-May), Nathan McAndrew (June-July), Gurinder Sandhu (June-July), Jaydev Unadkat (Sept)
Ins: George Thomas (Somerset), Nantes Oosthuizen, Troy Henry
Outs: Sussex walked the talk after Paul Farbrace challenged his players to secure a place in the top tier for the first time since 2015, winning eight of their 14 games to claim the Division Two title. John Simpson proved a revelatory appointment in his first crack at captaincy after a 15-year career, leading from the front with five hundreds and 1197 runs at 74.81, while 24-year-old offspinner Jack Carson enjoyed his best summer with 50 wickets at 22.46 (not to mention 458 runs). A balanced squad was lifted by incisive contributions from Sussex’s overseas signings, including Jayden Seales (24 wickets at 24.25), Jaydev Unadkat (22 at 14.40), Cheteshwar Pujara (501 runs at 62.62) and Daniel Hughes (340 at 56.66).The challenge is to replicate such consistency at a higher level. Paul Farbrace has rejected talk of survival and is targeting a top-four finish as a minimum; for that, Sussex will need strong performances from the core of their side, players such as Carson, Tom Haines, Tom Clark, Tom Alsop and James Coles, all of whom have yet to prove themselves in Division One. It could also be a big summer for Ollie Robinson. Last year’s return of 39 wickets at 25.53 was solid without being spectacular, but the bigger stage might galvanise attempts to remind England of his qualities.One to watch: At the end of last summer, Troy Henry was one of two cricketers in the groundbreaking African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme to be awarded a professional rookie contract live on Sky Sports. That will fund his first year at Sussex, after the 20-year-old was signed following open trials at the club in January. A left-arm spinner and former ACE captain, he has previously played national counties cricket with Hertfordshire. AGBet365: 16/1Ollie Robinson will lead the Sussex attack on their return to Division One•Getty Images

Warwickshire

Last season: 7th in Division One
Performance director: James Thomas
Head coach: Ian Westwood
Captain: Alex Davies
Overseas: Vishwa Fernando (April), Tom Latham, Beau Webster (May-July), Hasan Ali (May-Sept)
Ins: Ethan Bamber (Middlesex)
Outs: Will Rhodes (Durham), Chris Benjamin (Kent), Liam Norwell, Michael Burgess (both retired)An underwhelming seventh-placed finish wasn’t going to cut it for Warwickshire’s management, who responded with a restructure in which Mark Robinson left his role as head coach after four seasons and the club recruited performance director James Thomas from Manchester City. New first-team coach Ian Westwood, the former Warwickshire opener promoted from his position as Robinson’s assistant, has an early headache with the delayed arrival of New Zealand Test captain Tom Latham due to a broken hand, the club hoping he will be back in action by early May.Wicketkeeper Michael Burgess’s surprise retirement to pursue other career opportunities in London headlined a player exodus from the club. They are also without Will Rhodes, whose third century of the season sealed safety before he left for Durham. Warwickshire only recruited Middlesex seamer Ethan Bamber locally, in addition to Australian allrounder Beau Webster and Sri Lanka quick Vishwa Fernando. With only Vishwa available from their overseas contingent before May, when the returning Hasan Ali will also link up with the side, Warwickshire face a challenging start to a season where any slips could leave them vulnerable.One to watch: Hamza Shaikh, the 18-year-old academy product added three Championship appearances last season to his first-class debut for England Lions against Sri Lanka, where he scored a first-innings 91. An unbeaten 33 in a supporting role to Rhodes as Warwickshire held out for a draw – and top-flight survival – against Worcestershire, was an impressive next step after his performance as leading run-scorer in England Under-19s quadrangular series in India in 2023. VBBet365: 14/1

Worcestershire

Last season: 6th in Division One
Head coach: Alan Richardson
Captain: Brett D’Oliveira
Overseas: Jacob Duffy (April-June)

Ins: Ben Allison (Essex), Fateh Singh (Nottinghamshire)
Outs: Joe Leach, Josh Cobb (both retired)As press releases go, the one that landed from Worcestershire on March 25 took the biscuit: “Scheduled cricket scheduled to go ahead as scheduled …” was the gist of the message from Ashley Giles, the club’s chief executive, “… unless it doesn’t”.Such are the extraordinary climate-related pressures on Worcestershire these days. Tellingly, the ECB hadn’t scheduled a Championship match at New Road until the fourth round, starting April 25, in a bid to protect the club against the worst of the potential spring floods that have blighted their iconic home in recent years. With studies showing that 19 of the ground’s 30 worst floods since 1899 have occurred in the last 25 years, Worcestershire’s concerns about their long-term viability permeate every facet of the club, and even their share of an anticipated Hundred windfall won’t in itself be sufficient to start planning for a relocation.In the circumstances, therefore, the club’s achievements in the past two seasons have been remarkable. If 2023’s promotion from Division Two was impressive, then last summer’s calm retention of their top-flight status was even more so.It promises to be an even tougher year ahead, however – not least because of the absences in the club’s ranks, most notably their gut-busting captain Joe Leach, who retired last summer after finishing as their joint-leading wicket-taker for the campaign with 27. New Zealand’s Nathan Smith and West Indies’ Jason Holder proved to be model overseas pros too. Much rests on Jacob Duffy to provide similar impact with the ball as his compatriot.One to watch: Kashif Ali has been the breakout star of the renowned SACA program, and the consistency of his 2024 campaign – 1180 runs at 42.61, including twin hundreds against Warwickshire – underpinned their solid season-long showing. The challenge is now to carry that form into a third season, with expectations heightened and ambitions ignited for higher honours. AMBet365: 33/1Jonny Bairstow will hope to lead from the front at Yorkshire•Getty Images

Yorkshire

Last season: 2nd in Division Two
Director of cricket: Gavin Hamilton
Head coach: Anthony McGrath
Captain: Jonny Bairstow
Overseas: Ben Sears, Jordan Buckingham (May), Will Sutherland (May-July)
Ins: Jack White (Northamptonshire)
Outs: Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Dom Leech (Northamptonshire), Mickey Edwards (retired)
It says much for the turbulence at Yorkshire in recent seasons that neither captain nor coach from their promotion campaign will return. Ottis Gibson signed off from three challenging years in the job by getting Yorkshire back into Division One before the club moved for one of their own, appointing Anthony McGrath after a success-filled reign at Essex. His brief is a simple one: make Yorkshire contenders once again. With Jonny Bairstow taking over the captaincy from the departed Shan Masood, there will be no shortage of pride in the White Rose this summer.Having started slowly, with five draws and two defeats in the first half of 2024, Yorkshire found their stride to win five of their last seven games – three of them by an innings – and shoulder their way past Middlesex. Adam Lyth, now in his 38th year, finished as the division’s second-leading run-scorer and is a proven performer in the top tier. With Bairstow set to benefit from the presence of Joe Root and Harry Brook for at least some of the Championship’s opening stretch – although Brook will miss the first three rounds – Yorkshire could field an intimidating top six. The bowling, led by Ben Coad, will miss Fisher but has been supplemented by a trio of Antipodean quicks. Spin could prove to be a weakness, however.One to watch: James Wharton has been around Yorkshire’s first-team squad for several seasons but 2024 proved a coming of age. His maiden first-class hundred, 188 against Derbyshire at Chesterfield, helped spark Yorkshire’s charge in the second half of the season. He then hit the runs to secure promotion on the way to a mammoth 285 in the final round. AGBet365: 16/1

And how many women have been out for 99 in one?

Steven Lynch27-Jun-2023In the first Ashes Test there were 11 players who had taken at least one five-for in their career – six from England and five from Australia. Is this the most for any Test match? asked Jatin Patra via Facebook

Rather surprisingly, perhaps, there have been several instances of 11 players going into a Test having taken five wickets in an innings at least once: the exciting first Ashes Test at Edgbaston was the 21st such occasion. The record is actually 12 players, which has happened twice: by Australia and England in Adelaide in 1974-75, and England and West Indies at Old Trafford in 2020.Usman Khawaja batted on each day of the first Test. How rare is this? asked Tim McClelland from England

Usman Khawaja’s award-winning effort in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston was the 13th occasion that a man had batted on each day of a five-day Test. He was the third to do it this year: both West Indian openers, Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul, batted on all five days against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in February.The first to achieve the feat was the talented Indian ML Jaisimha, against Australia in Calcutta in 1959-60. It should be borne in mind that many Tests, especially before the Second World War, were scheduled for fewer than five days.How many women have been out for 99 in a Test, as Ellyse Perry was last week? asked Lesley Robertson from Australia

Ellyse Perry, who fell for 99 in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge last week, was only the fourth woman to be dismissed one short of a century in a Test match. The previous instance was by her current team-mate, Jess Jonassen, against England in Canterbury in 2015. That was Jonassen’s debut; she hasn’t yet reached three figures in a Test.The first to fall for 99 in a women’s Test was England’s Betty Snowball, against Australia at The Oval in 1937, and it also happened to Australia’s captain Jill Kennare against India in Bombay in 1983-84.There have been five 99s (and a 99 not out) in women’s ODIs, but none yet in T20Is.Betty Snowball (left) was the first woman to be dismissed for 99 in a Test•Getty ImagesBangladesh beat Afghanistan by 546 runs recently – was this a Test record? asked Mehdi Hossain from Bangladesh

Bangladesh’s thrashing of Afghanistan in Mirpur last week was actually the third-heaviest defeat by runs in any Test. Biggest of all was England’s 675-run win against Australia in Brisbane in 1928-29 (Don Bradman’s Test debut, as it happens). Australia returned the favour by crushing England by 562 runs at The Oval in 1934 (Bradman scored 244, and Bill Ponsford 266 in his final Test).The heaviest Test defeat of any kind came at The Oval in 1938, when England beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs – Bradman was injured and unable to bat (England’s captain declared at 903 for 7, but it’s said he might have carried on had the Don been fit). Australia beat South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg in 2001-02. Here’s the list of the biggest innings victories .At the end of the second day of Bangladesh’s Test against Afghanistan, both batters had the same score (54, from 64 balls). How often has this happened? asked Badri Meden from India

There are many instances of the two not-out batters having the same score at the of a day’s play in a Test, including lots of 0s, but only 12 times had they both scored 50 or more. The highest identical overnight score is 85 not out, by the Indian pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the end of the third day against South Africa in Kanpur in 2004-05. Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis both had 80 not out at the end of the second day of South Africa’s Test against England in Cape Town in 1999-2000.Madhav Apte and Vijay Hazare of India were both undefeated with 63 at the end of the second day against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1952-53, and Brian Chari and Craig Ervine of Zimbabwe both had 60 at the second-day close against Sri Lanka in Harare in 2016-17. There was another case of this earlier this year, in February in the Bulawayo match mentioned in the second question above, when the West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul both had 55 at the end of the first day against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.None of the other 50-plus instances involve the same number of balls, as in Mirpur recently, where both Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain had faced 64. In the Bulawayo match earlier this year, for example, Chanderpaul had faced 170 balls and Brathwaite 138.By chance I received a similar question from another correspondent, who was adamant the answer was the 63 of Apte and Hazare. The table he produced in support, which he apparently found somewhere online, was missing three of the top four instances (and five of the 12 overall), and so wasn’t very reliable at all! Beware of Ask Steven imitators…Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

It is already accepted that Meg Lanning’s team has enviable depth and they are likely to need it over the next year

Andrew McGlashan20-Sep-2021It’s one of sports many clichés that players don’t look too far ahead and only take each match as it comes. So let’s do it on behalf of Australia.The opening ODI against India in Mackay on Tuesday marks the start of an unprecedented period of 12 (or even 18) months of international cricket. There’s an Ashes series in January, an ODI World Cup in March and a first appearance at the Commonwealth Games in July. Then, in early 2023, there will be the defence of their T20 World Cup title. Cricket’s unofficial Grand Slam is on the line.The major focus is the 50-over World Cup after their often-referenced semi-final exit at the hands of Harmanpreet Kaur and India in 2017. But they will be desperate for multi-format success – which includes two Tests in the season – and to have a gold medal around their necks in Birmingham.Their depth will be tested like never before, even including when they lost Ellyse Perry during the T20 World Cup having also seen Tayla Vlaeminck sidelined just days before it began. There is a good chance that the majority of the 18 players in the squad to face India will get a game over the next three weeks. When you add back in Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen that’s 20 names who are likely to feature extensively, but they may need to delve further into the domestic game. The WBBL, a key part in building Australia’s depth, starts shortly after this series.Related

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The ODI side is on a world-record 24-match unbeaten run which dates back to 2018. That will, eventually, come to an end – it may even be in Mackay this week – but the priority will be that when that arrives it does not derail a campaign as it did four years ago. At the moment it would be a brave person to bet against an Australia title in Christchurch on April 3 but India, defending champions England and South Africa have the potential to stand in their way. The ODI gap from Australia to the rest has widened since the last World Cup and for the good of the game they need to be caught.The first-choice top six can be picked blindfolded (Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Meg Lanning, Perry, Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner) but it will be interesting to see if Georgia Redmayne and Tahlia McGrath get opportunities, or Annabel Sutherland has another chance to bat up the order having stood in for Lanning at No. 3 against New Zealand last year. There is a reluctance from Lanning and Matthew Mott to hand out caps for the sake of it – and points-based multi-format series add to the importance of each match – but expanding the amount of international experience for others can bring benefits later.Eyes in the prize(s): there are host of trophies up for grabs in the coming months•Getty ImagesThat will happen naturally with the bowling attack which provides most intrigue given the absences and injuries (Vlaeminck won’t play until the T20Is and Nicola Carey has had an abdominal strain). It will be just the second time since 2012 that Australia have fielded an ODI XI without Schutt and Jonassen. Regardless of where she bats, Sutherland should get a run in the side while left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux has the chance to reestablish herself in Jonassen’s absence. The pace bowlers will be rotated throughout to manage workload; the speed of Darcie Brown and bounce of the uncapped Stella Campbell is generating the most interest.Of the specialist pace bowlers, only Darcie Brown did not have to do 14 days hard quarantine. “There were a few nervous medical people but everyone’s pulled up really well,” Lanning said.The Test match later in the month, Australia’s first since the 2019 Ashes, has various unknown quantities: the pink-ball day-night factor, the lack of preparation, the pitch at Metricon Stadium, and how bowler workloads will be managed. Mott has said that the team has spoken about playing “one-day cricket for four days” which, given how Australia play one-day cricket, is an exciting prospect.It will be the first time since 2006 that the two teams have met in the format – in a sign of their remarkable longevity both Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami played that game in Adelaide – and Australia have not played in India since 1984 when a four-match series was drawn 0-0. It is to be hoped that changes in the not-to-distant future.Test cricket will be a focal point of this season and the context of the points-based system is a way for it to be a more regular part of the women’s game between those sides able to sustain it. Covid-19 remains a huge challenge but hopefully in years to come this busy Australian season will be seen as the norm.

Game 7 of the World Series unfolded in truly epic fashion on Saturday night and it resulted in an absolutely gut-wrenching loss by the Blue Jays to the Dodgers. Thanks to a Will Smith home run in the top of the 11th and a clutch double play in the bottom of the frame Los Angeles won its third Fall Classic in the last six years to officially establish a dynasty. Toronto, meanwhile, has a very long offseason of painful reflection ahead after coming close to its first championship in over 30 years.

It was as brutal a loss as you’ll ever see in sports and Sportsnet broadcaster Caleb Joseph was not happy about it. Appearing on the Canadian broadcast after the game, Joseph did not hesitate to declare he believed the better team did not win the series, even dropping a curse word on television as he memorialized the best Blue Jays season in decades.

“There were a lot of wet eyes and I don’t blame them for that,” Joseph said as he described the scene at Rogers Centre following the defeat. “It’s going to sound like sour grapes, and I don’t really give a s—, but I think the better team did not win this series. I think the Blue Jays are the better team. I feel like they played baseball a certain way, it was infectious, it grabbed the attention of the fans, and it’s disheartening to see that the better team did not win. That’s not to take anything away from the Dodgers, but the Blue Jays, they did so many things correct, so many things right.”

Joseph did spend the 2020 season with the organization and has followed their postseason run with Sportsnet. So the strong emotions are perhaps not a surprise.

But it ultimately doesn’t matter who was the “better team” in the way Joseph is talking about. The Dodgers won four out of seven games and thus they are the victor. The Blue Jays had their chances but couldn’t take advantage. Through that lens, the better team was from Los Angeles, and another World Series trophy belongs to the franchise as a result.

Joseph’s comments undoubtedly resonated with the Canadian audience who have loyally watched Sportsnet throughout this run. But no amount of lamenting who was the better team changes the outcome: the Blue Jays lost. The Dodgers won. And that’s how it'll be remembered forever.

Blair Tickner, who was taken to hospital for treatment soon after picking up the injury, “is awaiting further specialist assessment to determine his return to play”

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2025

Blair Tickner will not bowl or field at all, and is unlikely to bat for the remainder of the ongoing second Test between New Zealand and West Indies in Wellington, after dislocating his left shoulder while diving to stop a boundary on the first day of the game on Wednesday.Tickner, who was taken to hospital for treatment soon after his injury, which he suffered in the second session of the first day, has joined the squad at the ground but “is awaiting further specialist assessment to determine his return to play”, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on Thursday.Tickner, who led New Zealand’s fast-bowling show on the opening day with a four-for, had to be stretchered off in the 67th over of West Indies’ innings when he attempted to prevent a boundary at fine leg. Chasing a flick from Tevin Imlach, he dived full-length near the rope and stayed down, prompting concern from his team-mates. The medical staff from the New Zealand camp and the venue attended to him before he was taken off the field – sitting up but in obvious discomfort – to warm applause from the Basin Reserve crowd.Playing his first Test since early 2023, Tickner had been drafted into the XI for this match after injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith in Christchurch. His 4 for 32 from 16 overs made him New Zealand’s best bowler on the day. His injury, however, added to an already lengthy list of unavailable fast bowlers for New Zealand this series, which includes Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke and Matt Fisher.New Zealand are now facing the prospect of losing a third fast bowler this series. They were similarly reduced in Christchurch, which had a knock-on effect and allowed West Indies to bat out a draw.Before being forced off, Tickner trapped Brandon King (33) and Kavem Hodge (0) lbw, used a sharp bouncer to dismiss Shai Hope for 48, and uprooted Roston Chase’s leg stump to put New Zealand firmly in control.In Tickner’s absence, New Zealand’s bowling in West Indies’ second innings will have to be shouldered by Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and debutant Michael Rae, with the part-time spin trio of Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson and occasional medium-pacer Daryl Mitchell around to chip in as needed.

The incident occurred in the 19th over of the tri-series final, when a catch which Fakhar took wasn’t deemed legal, leaving him unhappy

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2025Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman has been fined 10% of his match fee and docked one demerit point after he was found guilty of breaching level 1 of the ICC code of conduct during the tri-series final against Sri Lanka on November 29.Fakhar was found to have breached article 2.8 of the code of conduct, which relates to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during an international match.” He admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee, so there was no need for a formal hearing, said an ICC release.The incident occurred in the 19th over of the final when Fakhar back-peddled from short-third, dived and seemed to have taken a stunning catch off Dasun Shanaka’s leading edge. The third umpire was called to check for the catch, and he deemed that the ball brushed the ground when Fakhar dived, and ruled it not out. Both Fakhar and the bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi weren’t happy with the decision and made it known to the on-field umpires.The very next ball, Shanaka swiped across the line and was clean bowled. Fakhar looked at the umpire and sarcastically appealed for the decision. Pakistan eventually won the final by six wickets as batting first, Sri Lanka collapsed in a heap, losing 9 for 30 to be bowled out for 114. Babar Azam shepherded the chase with an unbeaten 37, taking Pakistan over the line in 18.4 overs.This was Fakhar’s first offence in a 24-month period. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.