Perth Scorchers hold on in thriller as Darcie Brown falls just short

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Adelaide Strikers needed 13 off the final over with the last pair together and nearly got there

AAP23-Nov-2025

Perth Scorchers celebrate clinging on for a one-run victory•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers 159 for 4 (Devine 49*, Scholfield 46*) beat Adelaide Strikers 158 (Edgar 4-25, Ainsworth 3-22) by one runAs if there hadn’t been enough drama in Perth on Saturday, Scorchers clung on for a thrilling one-run victory against Adelaide Strikers to secure their third win of the season.Strikers began the final over needing 13 runs, and with one wicket in hand, but fell an agonising two runs short of victory when Darcie Brown top-edged a sweep off the penultimate ball.Scorchers wicketkeeper Beth Mooney and non-striker Megan Schutt almost collided but Mooney was able to take evasive action and pouch the catch to clinch victory.Earlier, Sophie Devine joined Mooney and Ellyse Perry as the only players with 4000 runs in the WBBL as she top-scored for Scorchers. Brown was the pick of the bowlers for Strikers.When Strikers batted, Scorchers took 4 for 6 in the two-over power surge, including a team hat-trick in an Amy Edgar over (the second a run out) with Strikers on 121. Edgar finished with 4 for 25.Opener Laura Wolvaardt made a rapid 41 off 36 balls, and Madeline Penna chipped in with 36.

Gabe Bell, Tasmania fast bowler, joins Gloucestershire for start of 2026 season

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Fast bowler heads for Bristol for first six fixtures of County Championship season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2025Gabe Bell, the Tasmanian fast bowler, has signed for Gloucestershire for the first six matches of the 2026 Rothesay County Championship.Bell, 30, has taken 192 wickets across 51 Sheffield Shield appearances, 41 of which came in the 2023-24 season. He is currently ninth on this season’s wicket-taking list with 16 wickets in five matches.Standing at 195cm, Bell bowls with pace and steep bounce, and though he has yet to be capped by Australia, he represented their Under-19s in 2013, taking five wickets in three Youth ODIs at an average of 20.60.His stint with Gloucestershire will include away fixtures against Middlesex at Lord’s and Derbyshire, plus home games against Durham, Lancashire, Kent and Northants, and is set to get underway at the start of their campaign on April 10.”Obviously thrilled to get the opportunity to come over and play some county cricket with Gloucestershire,” Bell said. “I can’t wait to get over to Bristol to meet everyone, and get started in the new year.”Jon Lewis, Gloucestershire’s director of cricket, said: “We are really excited about Gabe joining our championship squad at Gloucestershire. We looked hard at what it takes to win in our own conditions in April and May, and Gabe comes highly recommended from our network of contacts across Australia.”He’s been very successful over recent Sheffield Shield seasons and is exactly the type of bowler we feel will thrive in the early part of the season in England. Gabe has played and performed consistently and has an excellent record in Australia. He’s a hardworking individual, which is exactly what we need at the start of the season.”We’re really excited to welcome Gabe and his family to Bristol in early April.”

Ashes tracker: Weatherald makes a statement as Boland primes for Perth

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Marnus Labuschagne’s early-season surge continued while legspinner Mitchell Swepson sent a reminder of his skills

Andrew McGlashan20-Oct-2025

Victoria vs New South Wales

A match of two significant storylines and plenty others of interest. Sam Konstas bounced back from a first-innings duck, where he again fell to Scott Boland, to make a well-constructed half-century the second time around. But just when something more substantial was in the offing, he chopped on against Todd Murphy during a period where the game turned back in Victoria’s favour.Related

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Konstas’ second innings included a scoop over the slips for six off Boland alongside some nicely controlled batting. However, with just one round of Shield matches remaining before the Test squad is selected, it feels as though he is struggling to make the cut. “[Konstas] is a baby cricketer in terms of experience as a number of batters in the game are on both sides,” NSW coach Greg Shipperd said. “There’s a lot of learning to be done and he’s learned a couple of lessons today.”If Pat Cummins is ruled out of the first Test, there is little doubt Boland will slot straight in. He became Victoria’s match-winner when he claimed the last five wickets to transform unusually expensive figures. Boland wasn’t quite at his best but has tuned up nicely in the first two games of the season. If the Perth pitch is anything like the one for the ODI against India, he could be a mighty handful.Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon continued his build towards the Ashes with 31 overs in the match, although with games having been pace-bowler dominated it will be interesting to see whether he now wants all four Shield matches before the opening Test.Sean Abbott became the first player to be subbed out under Cricket Australia’s new trial when he split his webbing, but it shouldn’t impact his Ashes prospects.It wasn’t a great game for two experienced batters hoping for another chance in Test cricket. Kurtis Patterson made 5 and 1 while Marcus Harris fell for 4 and a hard-working 20. Fergus O’Neill did all he could to keep his name in the conversation of back-up quicks with 5 for 26 in the first innings.Back to his best: Marnus Labuschagne keeps churning out the runs•Getty ImagesSouth Australia vs Queensland

Barring injury, it’s impossible to see a world where Marnus Labuschagne isn’t playing the first Test. He piled up a supreme 159 at Adelaide Oval to make it four centuries across formats this season. However, the debate rumbles on about whether he will bat No. 3 or open.Speaking to during the first ODI, having been called up following Cameron Green’s injury, he insisted he was happy to bat anywhere, but did note that first drop had been his spot.”It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs,” Labuschagne said. “You probably walk a bit taller, you’ve got that confidence, and it’s probably a nice reminder for yourself after struggling for a couple of years that you’ve still got it. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how many runs you’ve scored, when you don’t score runs for a while, those doubts creep in.”Usman Khawaja played neatly for 46 in the first innings before falling cheaply in the second. He may play one more game before the first Test, where all eyes will be on how he starts the series. Michael Neser, meanwhile, put in another big shift to suggest he’s well placed to provide support if the attack requires it.Mitchell Swepson has drifted down the spin pecking order in the last couple of years, but he bowled superbly to suggest he could still play a role when conditions allow. He barely put a foot wrong across 60 overs of expertly controlled legspin to finish with a career-best 10 for 159 in the match. Spin has played a major part in the two games at Adelaide Oval, which will be a day Test this year.Alex Carey, who played this round of Shield cricket ahead of the first ODI against India, picked out mid-off cheaply in the first innings but looked in decent order when making 43 in the second, although his dismissal early on the final day all but ensured Queensland’s victory. Jason Sangha, who has been back in the Australia A mix, made twin fifties but will need hundreds to bang the door down. Nathan McSweeney will rue not building on two starts.Jake Weatherald’s aggressive 94 was a timely performance•Getty ImagesTasmania vs Western Australia

One of the great Shield games could have included one of the more significant early-season performances. Jake Weatherald made 94 off 99 balls in conditions where runs were hard to come by. It was the sort of momentum-seizing innings that will certainly have been noted. One of the debates around Australia’s opening combination is what style of player partners Khawaja.”I was really impressed with Jake’s innings in Tassie this week,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “Again, it was reasonably low-scoring in that first innings and I just thought the method and the decisiveness around the way he wanted to play and then the execution of that was really pleasing.”There could be a huge game ahead for Weatherald in the next round when Tasmania face Victoria at Junction Oval. That match should also see the return of Beau Webster from an ankle injury.The Hobart thriller did not include much else of immediate Ashes relevance. Matt Kelly is the early leader of the pack among the bowlers with 16 wickets at 12.37 but will likely be one of those players who fall short of higher honours.

Injured Ross Adair ruled out of Bangladesh T20Is

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Ross Adair, the Ireland opener, has been ruled out of his team’s upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh due to a bone stress in the knee. Jordan Neill will stay on after the upcoming two Tests and replace Adair in the T20I squad.Adair, who scored a memorable 58-ball hundred against South Africa last year, has had to overcome a few injury concerns in recent months. In his three T20Is this year, he had found some form with 48 against West Indies, and 26 and 33 against England. However, his withdrawal from the Bangladesh tour will now likely see him return to the national fold only in time for next year’s T20 World Cup.Related

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Neill was selected as part of the 15-man Test squad for the upcoming Bangladesh tour, and now will stay on to be part of the T20I squad. Neill made his international debut for Ireland in May this year, however suffered an injury in the field and missed a decent part of the home season.”It’s very unfortunate to have lost Ross on the eve of the Bangladesh tour, he really demonstrated his value at the top of the T20I order during the few chances he had in 2025, and we were looking forward to seeing him perform against Bangladesh,” Andrew White, Ireland s national selector, said.”There are a couple of combinations that we are keen to explore as we build up to next year’s T20 World Cup. Jordan Neill will stay on as part of the T20I squad to provide valuable cover to the wider group. We have players that in the past showed they are capable of deputising at the top of the order – this allows us to adjust the batting line-up and create greater flexibility through the middle and late overs.”The left-handed Ben Calitz coming into the middle order will provide us with the variety we have struggled with over recent years – and this tour gives us a much-needed opportunity to see how a number of players adapt to different situations and conditions.”Ireland will kick off their tour of Bangladesh with the first Test in Sylhet on November 11, before moving to Mirpur for the second Test on November 19. The two teams will then play a three-match T20I series starting November 27.

Alongside Dowman: Arsenal suffer two bigger injury setbacks before Brugge

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It’s safe to say it has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

A few weeks ago, the Gunners had played out an unbeaten week against Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Well, it would appear that the intense period has rather taken it out of them. The Gunners did beat Brentford but a defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday, their first loss in 18 games, has raised questions.

Arteta’s squad may be full of depth but any team would struggle with the number of injuries they have suffered this season.

Sadly, that trend is only continuing ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

The latest injury news from Arsenal

Arsenal headed to Villa Park last weekend without a number of key players. Kai Havertz was absent once again, while William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes were both unfit to play.

Arteta stressed over a week ago that Saliba’s injury was only a ‘matter of days’ but he is still missing from the squad ahead of Arsenal’s encounter with Brugge in midweek.

Given the club’s defensive frailties against Villa a few days ago, another missed match for Saliba is a hefty blow. Arsenal need to return to form and without their two defensive warriors, they are struggling.

Also missing from the squad to face Brugge will be Leandro Trossard. The Belgian has been one of Arsenal’s key men this term, scoring six goals and supplying five assists in 17 matches. It’s a huge blow, really. He’s been a clutch player for a long time but he’s been in the form of his life throughout 2025/26. Dare we say it, he may well be the club’s most important forward right now.

The Belgian returned to the squad following a small injury against Villa and did score, although he has now suffered another setback.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said: “Obviously when you are missing players, you are loading other players and there is a consequence to that, and it’s a really dangerous circle.

“You have to separate the kind of injuries. Some of them have been long-term, and some have been acute injuries. It’s something that we are constantly looking at. We have played a lot of games with a lot of players missing and that puts a lot of stress, and then you get more injuries.”

While setbacks for Trossard and Saliba are key blows, it’s also disappointing that Max Dowman has picked up a longer-term problem. The teenager was likely set to feature in the remaining league games of the Champions League but is unlikely to be seen again in 2025.

1. Leeds

28

2. Arsenal

26

2= Aston Villa

26

4. Crystal Palace

25

5. Chelsea

23

Commenting on that blow, the manager stated, “When you play in the position that he plays, when you play the manner that he plays, it was going to happen, and it has happened.

“It’s not ideal. He picked up weeks, it could have been worse, and we learn from that and now use this time to continue to improve in his education, in everything that is related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality as well and the understanding of the game.”

That blow has, at least, allowed the club to replace Dowman with Gabriel Jesus in their Champions League squad. He could be in line to feature for the first time in nearly a year following an ACL injury.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Brugge

With Saliba, Gabriel and summer signing Cristian Mosquera all missing through injury, the backline likely picks itself with Ben White featuring at right-back alongside a centre-back pairing of Jurrien Timber and Piero Hincapie.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal’s clash with Wolves at the weekend and thus, Arteta may use this as an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back.

In midfield, Declan Rice will be missing with illness. Martin Zubimendi is also due a rest, meaning we could see a midfield three of Christian Norgaard, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze.

In the forward line, Viktor Gyokeres could start for the first time since returning from injury, playing ahead of Mikel Merino. He is likely to be flanked by Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli with Bukayo Saka handed a rest. Expect to see him feature from the bench.

Ethan Nwaneri and Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to be in contention for rare starts but it feels more likely that they will be among the subs again.

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Tottenham readying January move for “amazing” £44m striker praised by Frank

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Tottenham Hotspur are now readying a January move for an “amazing” striker, who has been praised by Thomas Frank in the past.

Tottenham looking to sign new striker despite Richarlison returning to form

Frank managed to stave off some of the pressure by recording a 2-0 victory against Brentford on Saturday, which was his side’s first home Premier League victory since the rout of Burnley on the opening day of the campaign.

It was a comfortable win for Spurs, who never really looked threatened throughout the match, with the Bees recording an xG of just 0.29, and Richarlison continued his recent uptick in form, scoring his sixth Premier League goal of the season.

That said, some of Frank’s other attacking options haven’t been quite so prolific in front of goal, with Randal Kolo Muani still yet to open his account in the Premier League, while Dominic Solanke has featured in just three matches in all competitions, having struggled with an ankle injury.

As such, the manager may want to bring in a new striker during the upcoming transfer window, and a Premier League star has now entered the frame as a target.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states Tottenham are now readying a January move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with his future at Selhurst Park up in the air.

Palace may be forced to cash-in on the centre-forward, given that no progress has been made in negotiations over a new contract, and it has previously been revealed they could look to hold out for £44m.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke also added: “He’s under contract until 2027 but if he’s not going to sign a new deal by next summer, you would imagine Palace would be more increasingly open to selling Mateta to get a fee for him, rather than potentially letting him run down his contract.”

"Amazing" Mateta has earned move to top club

Lauded as “amazing” by Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, the Frenchman has been in impressive form this season, netting nine goals in 23 matches in all competitions, while also providing two assists.

The 28-year-old has now proven himself over a number of years in the Premier League, scoring a combined 30 goals across the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, meaning he has earned the opportunity to prove himself at a top club.

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In fact, Frank was personally left impressed by the Palace star for his performance in a 2-1 defeat against Brentford last season, describing him as “very hard to handle.”

As such, Tottenham should definitely look to capitalise on the Eagles’ stalling contract negotiations by pursuing a move for Mateta in the upcoming transfer window.

Liverpool lead race to sign Madrid star as Salah offers himself to 3 clubs

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Liverpool have now moved into pole position in the race for a Real Madrid attacker, amid Mohamed Salah offering himself to three Champions League clubs.

Salah may never play for Liverpool again after Slot comments

Arne Slot has now admitted that he doesn’t know if Salah will play for the Reds again, in the wake of the Egyptian’s bombshell interview after the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.

The manager said: “After tomorrow we will look at the situation. There is always the possibility to return for a player. I have no clue [if he has played his last game for Liverpool] – I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”

It remains to be seen whether Salah can return to the fold after AFCON, but one thing that is for certain is that he won’t be featuring against Inter Milan in the Champions League this evening.

In the wake of his comments about Slot, the forward has now offered himself to three Champions League clubs, namely Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, according to a report from Spain.

Of course, no Liverpool fan wants to see a club legend leave in this fashion, but if he does depart, Slot will need to bring in another attacker, and the Merseyside club are now leading the race for Real Madrid star Arda Guler.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states the Reds are now the frontrunners to sign Guler, despite Manchester United and Arsenal also stepping up their interest.

The Turk is viewed as the perfect addition to Slot’s attack, with the manager keen to bring in a creative forward, amid the uncertainty surrounding Salah’s long-term future, and the 20-year-old is capable of playing at both right-wing and through the middle. It’s previously been reported that Madrid values Guler as high as £130m.

Signing "magic" Guler could soften blow of losing Salah

The Liverpool talisman hasn’t reached his usual lofty heights this season, failing to make it off the bench in two of the last three Premier League matches, but it would still be a real blow to lose the 33-year-old, who has scored 250 goals since arriving at Anfield.

As such, fans will no doubt be hoping the Egypt international hasn’t played his last game for the Reds, and returns to action after he gets back from AFCON.

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That said, Salah may find it difficult to force his way back into Slot’s plans, with Jamie Carragher recently branding his comments a “disgrace.”

New attacking options may be needed in 2026 regardless, with Federico Chiesa’s future also up in the air, and Guler could be a top signing, with scout Ben Mattinson praising the impact he’s made for Turkey.

Having registered three goals and seven assists for Real Madrid this season, the 26-time Turkey international clearly has the quality to succeed at Anfield, so it is promising news that Liverpool are leading the race for his signature.