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Only an improbable NRR swing can deny champions an automatic return to Lord’s after 22-ball win

ECB Media25-Aug-2025

Jordan Cox continued his good form with a 27-ball 47•Getty Images

Oval Invincibles all but booked their place in The Hundred Final at Lord’s next Sunday, with a crushing victory over London Spirit in a one-side Bank Holiday clash at the Kia Oval.Sam Billings’ team will be there, barring a run-rate miracle later this week, without the agonies of going through Saturday’s Eliminator, having won the toss and chosen to field against their London rivals.Their day started on the back foot, as Jamie Smith launched into a habitual powerplay onslaught. He sent the first two balls of the match from Jason Berhrendorff to the boundary, but he was then out for 28 from the 20th ball of the innings, having faced 15 of them. The game never looked quite so easy after that, the highlights being a stunning one-handed catch from Will Jacks to get rid of Surrey teammate Ollie Pope from a Sam Curran slower ball, and rapid cameos from Jamie Overton and Ryan Higgins, who exactly matched Smith’s stats despite a slow start. The two put on a tournament-high sixth wicket stand of 54.A total of 152 for 7 seemed a little below-par on a decent surface, but a first-baller for Tawanda Muyeye gave the Spirit hope. Then Jacks and Jordan Cox put on 64 in 35 balls, Jacks taking the lead with some clean striking, a 92-metre maximum over extra cover off Overton the standout moment of his 27-ball 45.Sam Curran joined Cox, so often a profitable partnership this year, and they eased their way towards their target before the Spirit’s most successful bowler, Liam Dawson, tempted Curran with a wide one that he skied to point. Cox (47 from 27), the competition’s leading run-scorer, hit Overton for six and four before he was castled trying to ramp the same bowler.But that merely brought in Donovan Ferreira who again showcased his muscular hitting, ending with 24 off 9 as the Invincibles booked their passage to the final (barring an almost impossible 200+ swing) by six wickets with 22 balls to spare.Of his catch, Meerkat Match Hero Jacks said: “We were struggling to see the ball today, so I picked it up late, pure luck!”And of the batting effort: “It felt brilliant with the bat, the wicket only got better as the lights came on and Coxy made it easy for me. We’ve been looking for that top spot, we know how important it is to get straight to the final and to be able to watch the two teams play the night before. We’ve still got things to improve on… but we’re looking forward to Sunday.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now preparing a January move to sign a £53m “monster” who plays in the Champions League, having identified him as their top target in defence.

Spurs looking to sign new centre-back amid defensive struggles

Thomas Frank is well-known for being more of a pragmatic manager than predecessor Ange Postecoglou, but Tottenham have been very poor from a defensive point of view over the past few weeks, conceding 13 goals in their last four matches in all competitions.

Most recently, Spurs came unstuck against Fulham at home, with Kenny Tete and Harry Wilson finding the back of the net within just six minutes, and the Cottagers ultimately held out for a 2-1 victory, despite Mohammed Kudus pulling one back just before the hour mark.

Following a run of one win, one draw and five defeats in the last seven outings, Frank is now under real pressure, with it recently being revealed that Xavi could be brought in if results don’t improve by the end of December.

It remains to be seen whether the Dane makes it to the January transfer window, with a tough trip to Newcastle United up next, but plans are already being formulated, and ENIC are particularly keen to strengthen in defence.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Tottenham are now preparing a €60m (£53m) move for Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, who has now risen to the top of the north Londoners’ shortlist of defensive targets.

It could be difficult to get a deal done, given that Bremer is regarded as one of the Italian club’s prized assets, but they may be tempted to cash-in if they receive a bid that is simply too good to turn down.

A whole host of Europe’s top clubs could also be set to rival Spurs for the Brazilian’s signature, with Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich being named as potential suitors.

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By
Dominic Lund

Nov 30, 2025

"Monster" Bremer could be ideal addition for Spurs

It is clear that Tottenham could do with some fresh options in defence, given the sheer number of goals they have conceded recently, and the Juventus star could be the ideal addition to the backline.

Lauded as a “monster” by scout Ben Mattinson, the five-time Brazil international, who is under the same agency as James Maddison and Pedro Porro, has put in some solid performances this season, most notably in Juventus’ 2-0 Serie A victory against Parma.

Gleison Bremer’s key statistics vs Parma	Number completed
Clearances	8
Ground duels (won)	3 (2)
Passes completed	46/52 (88%)
Clearances off line	1

Not only that, but the 28-year-old is also very impressive on the front foot for a defender, having picked up eight goals and four assists in 96 outings for Juventus, setting up two goals in his side’s 4-3 victory against Inter Milan earlier this season.

Bremer has spent the majority of the current campaign out injured, and missed 45 games last season due to an ACL injury, so there may be some concerns about his fitness, but the centre-back has proven himself as a top defender on his day.

Tottenham are planning to back manager Thomas Frank with a bold January transfer swoop which would smash their winter spending record, according to a new report.

Tottenham target attacking signings amid creativity struggles

Spurs’ inconsistency and lack of creativity has been there for all to see since the Dane replaced Ange Postecoglou, with north London rivals Arsenal compounding their struggles by putting them to the sword on Sunday.

Frank’s side failed to get anywhere near troubling David Raya often enough, bar Richarlison’s stunning goal of the season contender from half way, which can be put down to a moment of individual brilliance out of nowhere.

Xavi Simons, who was brought in as the Lilywhites’ statement new playmaker signing last window, has struggled to make a consistent-enough impact in the final third with James Maddison out for most of 2025/2026 due to an ACL injury sustained in pre-season.

Dominic Solanke remains out injured as well as he continues his very slow recovery from an ankle problem, which required minor surgery, with Dejan Kulusevski also still unavailable.

Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani returned to the matchday squad against Arsenal following their recent injuries, but co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange are apparently keen to bolster Frank’s forward line.

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has dominated headlines ahead of the January window, following news of his £65 million release clause which can be triggered right after the turn of the year.

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The Dane absolutely loves him.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 9, 2025

Spurs are contenders for Semenyo in light of this contract revelation, while other reports suggest that FC Porto striking sensation Samu Aghehowa is a ‘dream’ target for Tottenham as well.

Now, according to TEAMtalk, Lange and Paratici are plotting a very bold double-swoop for both men.

Tottenham plan record-shattering January swoop for Semenyo and Aghehowa

As per their information, Tottenham want to sign Semenyo and Aghehowa in January, and they’re prepared to spend a whopping £145 million to make that happen.

This ambitious swoop would ‘shatter’ their previous January spending records, but given the club’s lack of real menace going forward, a source claims that Frank has made his wish for more firepower “crystal clear”.

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Spurs’ manager also views both Aghehowa and Semenyo as ‘perfect’ additions to his frontline, believing they can provide both quality and a real injection of pace to help exploit opposition defences.

Semenyo, who has contributed six goals and three assists for Bournemouth this term, stands out as one of the Premier League’s most in-form attacking stars right now.

The Ghanaian’s direct style and ability to terrorise defenders on the left flank has attracted strong interest, with Liverpool also monitoring his situation closely.

Porto’s Aghehowa, meanwhile, represents the clinical finisher that’s been missed from Frank’s squad this term.

The 21-year-old Spain international has been sensational this season, scoring nine goals in 15 appearances thus far and 27 goals in 45 appearances last term.

Aghehowa was once on the verge of joining Chelsea before he pulled out of a move to Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca’s loss could be Frank’s gain.

Porto value their prized asset at £80 million — the value of his release clause — and are reluctant to sell mid-season, though a bid matching his clause will force their hand.

Liverpool find themselves in a rut and under pressure to get results, something Arne Slot could help alleviate by making a club-record signing at Anfield.

Despite VAR controversy surrounding Nottingham Forest’s open goal, the Reds were well and truly second best in a 3-0 defeat to the Tricky Trees that has plunged the reigning champions into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Another abject display has left Slot’s side with six losses from their last seven top-flight matches, and the Dutchman delivered an honest reaction to a damaging defeat that may be the final nail in the coffin regarding their slim hopes of retaining the title.

He said: “Another big disappointment. We started off quite well for the first half an hour. We conceded the 1-0, and we weren’t able to play the way we did in the first half hour. I don’t know. I heard it wasn’t offside, so if it’s not offside, there’s nothing to debate. We created and were waiting for us to score a goal. The set piece changed everything, and they scored two.

“If things go well or things go bad, it’s my responsibility. We weren’t able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn’t work out. We were unable to score a goal. You never know in this stadium, if you score a goal, then things can work out.”

Another ineffective outing for record signing Alexander Isak have only added fuel to the fire regarding their poor campaign, signalling that arrivals are needed in January to steady the ship. Come January, the Reds and FSG may now be willing to do just that in record fashion with a new midfielder.

Liverpool preparing record Joao Neves bid

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are preparing a record £140 million bid for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves, someone they believe could be a pivotal piece of their engine room jigsaw as they look to catch the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in the race for silverware.

While there is belief that he may be attainable at some point down the line, Luis Enrique has insisted that the Portugal international is not for sale at any price and that he won’t be sold unless there is a drastic change in plans from the standpoint of player and club.

Joao Neves on fire in 2025/26 – all competitions

Appearances

9

Goals

6

Assists

0

Labelled “excellent” by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool view Neves as a potential era-defining acquisition, and it is easy to see why after his exploits in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning campaign last term.

Nevertheless, managing to bring him to Merseyside will be no easy feat, and the financial muscle involved would likely create headlines around the world should Slot and company be able to snap him up.

Worse than Konate: Slot must drop 2/10 Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels

UAE lost a couple of wickets in the last over, but they had done enough damage with Oman being sloppy

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025

Alishan Sharafu and Muhammad Waseem gave UAE a rapid start•AFP/Getty Images

A skillful half-century from Alishan Sharafu and a dogged one from Muhammad Waseem took UAE to 172 for 5 in their Asia Cup game against Oman on Monday.Both teams are searching for their first win of the tournament and their challenge in Abu Dhabi was to negotiate a slow and low pitch. Sharafu did so by charging out of the crease. Twelve attempts just within the powerplay fetched all six of his fours in that period. Then came perhaps his best shot, an inside out drive over cover for six against legspinner Samay Shrivastava.UAE were 11 for 0 in three overs. Then they whacked 39 runs off the next three and never looked back.Waseem was scratchy. He attempted a number of big hits and not all of them came off, indicating how he never really got the pace of the pitch. But thanks to his experience at this level, he was able to bide his time, recover from 3 off 9 to post 69 off 54. Oman didn’t help themselves in the field. They had a chance to dismiss Waseem on 27 off 22 but the fielder wasn’t all the way back on the long-on boundary and not only did he miss the catch he let it go for four. Then on 34 off 33, Shakeel Ahmed dropped a dolly at short fine leg. He came in for further punishment, hit for 12 runs (three times as many as he had given up in match) in the 15th over.Shah Faisal missed his mark in the 19th over which went for 18 runs and finished with figures of 4-0-45-0. UAE lost a couple of wickets in the last over, but they had done enough damage.

Arsenal have been the best team in the Premier League this season, but defeat at Aston Villa has put a dampener on the feel-good factor, reducing their advantage at the summit to just two points following Manchester City’s win over Sunderland.

In truth, perhaps this was a step too far for Mikel Arteta’s men. The fixture schedule has been relentless, and Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera all missed out at Villa Park due to injury.

And Villa, to their credit, are among the most in-form teams in Europe right now, claiming their seventh win in a row across all competitions against the Premier League table-toppers.

But this feels like familiar territory for the Gunners, and there were several players in particular who flattered to deceive.

Arsenal's worst performers vs Aston Villa

On many outings this season, Arsenal have repelled opponents and struck clinically to pile up the points, so balanced and secure is Arteta’s system.

But they emerged from Stamford Bridge last weekend with just a point after something of a slugfest, and the midweek win over Brentford has clearly taken something out of the Londoners, who battled tooth and nail against a well-oiled and energetic Aston Villa side but to no avail.

Up top, Mikel Merino has been an incredible moonlit success since arriving at the Emirates, with the midfield-turned-forward having scored four goals and supplied three assists when stepping up into the danger area this season. However, Unai Emery’s team marshalled him well, anonymous in the first half save for one blundered attempt to find the surging Bukayo Saka.

Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke both changed Arsenal’s attacking dimensions in the second half, but neither enjoyed the most fruitful of appearances, with Gyokeres in particular struggling for service, albeit making his physicality and mobile presence known in Merino’s stead after the break.

For his part, Arteta showcased his shrewd and calculated in-game management by making a half-time change, which swiftly paid off, Leandro Trossard coming up trumps once again after Saka’s strike was deflected.

But the Spanish manager will be frustrated that one starting member failed to make the most of their opportunity, having drifted through the opening 45.

4/10 star produced his worst game for Arsenal

Arsenal have been a world-class unit this season, and they have been reinforced with some top talent this summer. Eberechi Eze is one of the arrivals, a superstar in the English game and a £67m signing from Crystal Palace. However, he wasn’t at his best against Aston Villa.

Let’s not forget, it was a matter of days ago that Arsenal informed Eze he was their Player of the Month for November, having bagged a hat-trick in the north London Derby and settled into his berth.

But, in spite of this, the England international still hasn’t struck a consistent vein of form in the final third, and his tough afternoon in the Midlands served as evidence that he needs to raise his game, having been such a fleet-footed and talismanic force for Oliver Glasner at Palace.

Against Villa, the 27-year-old flattered to deceive, with football.london even handing him a 4/10 match rating after an ineffectual and short-lived outing, hooked at the break for Trossard, who scored. In all likelihood, he failed to showcase any of his many qualities, and for that reason, probably endured his toughest game since joining.

Eberechi Eze vs Aston Villa

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

45′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

13

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

7/9 (78%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

1/1

Ball recoveries

0

Tackles won

0/0

Duels won

2/5

Data via Sofascore

With Martin Odegaard fit once again, Eze has been forced into a wider berth. Could it be that he is at full throttle when creating and influencing from the middle? His pace lends itself to a wide role, but then so does his athleticism and physicality work well on the flank.

Eze is a passionate player. It is telling that his only goals in the Premier League this season have come against Crystal Palace, his former club, and Spurs in the derby, with Thomas Frank coming close to signing him before Arsenal swooped down.

Eze needs to channel his creativity and incisiveness in the box. He needs to iron out the wrinkles. But first, Arteta may want to relegate him to the bench, rekindling the fire to take that step up to the level he has shown he is capable of.

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England spinner stepped into big shoes for the Hundred, but has guided her side to the Eliminator

Andrew Miller30-Aug-2025Twelve months on from London Spirit’s victory over Welsh Fire in the 2024 Women’s Hundred final, Charlie Dean breaks into a grin as she recalls Deepti Sharma’s winning six over long-on, and her team’s agog reactions in the dugout by the boundary’s edge.”Every time you look at that clip, you see something different,” Dean tells ESPNcricinfo, thinking back to Spirit’s tightly fought four-wicket win, sealed in euphoric style with two balls to spare, and with Dean herself 1 not out at the non-striker’s end.Cordelia Griffith was the star of the subsequent meme: eyes out on stalks as she tracked Deepti’s shot, all the way off the bat and just out of the reach of a backpedalling Shabnim Ismail, but every player in the frame lived the moment in a different way.”There’s Eva [Gray] taking her helmet off, then putting it back on, then throwing it away,” Dean recalls. “I’d faced one full-toss and hit it straight to the fielder, so when Deepti hit the ball over the boundary there’s just a lot of relief. I’ve seen so many replays of the girls celebrating off the bench. It brings back a lot of good memories, a lot of good feelings. That’s why you play the game, isn’t it? To win big games like that. If we can replicate any of those feelings again this year, that would be amazing.”Spirit have certainly done the needful to give themselves a shot at back-to-back titles. For the second year running, they have qualified third in the table, meaning they will once again have to come through Saturday’s Eliminator at the Kia Oval to give themselves a chance to face Southern Brave in the Lord’s final.If there’s a slight nervousness about the weekend’s weather forecast, and the danger that a washout could send second-placed Northern Superchargers straight to the final without a ball being bowled, then Dean is unfazed. Not only has her team been in this position before, but now – as captain, in the wake of Heather Knight’s season-halting hamstring injury – she feels all the more ready to cope with whatever circumstances crop up in the coming days.Grace Harris opened the tournament with a blistering 89 not out•ECB via Getty Images”I’ve really enjoyed this year,” she says. “I’m in a place where I know my game quite well, and I can think about other people, and I feel like I’ve had a lot of personal development. I’ve gained a bit more confidence with my public speaking, and bits like that … things that would probably have challenged me a lot more in previous years.”The core group of girls is pretty similar to last year and the year before, with a few brilliant changes, so be able to lead this group is a bit of an honour,” she adds. “It’s lovely to have Heather still here with us, offering a bit of guidance and advice, then there’s Chris Liddle – it’s his first time being head coach, but you wouldn’t know it – so I’m incredibly lucky that I’m really well supported.”We work really well as a core leadership group, and that just makes my job so much easier. I trust my gut and go with how I see the game playing out on the pitch. The girls have performed really well, and different people have stood up at different times, so it certainly makes a captain’s job easier when that is the case.”The chance to captain Spirit – untimely though it has been for Knight – has the potential to transform Dean’s standing within English cricket. Back in March, when Knight left her role as England captain, Dean’s name had been one of many tentatively mentioned for the succession, but everywhere you looked, the problem was the same. Knight’s sheer longevity – eight years in the role – had inadvertently prevented anyone else within the England set-up from honing their leadership skills.Related

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It’s an issue Dean recognises and accepts. “It’s hard, as an England player, to be in and out of domestic teams and still be a leader. You can’t captain a domestic team if you’re not there all the time. So opportunities to captain are few and far between, but I always relished the chance to step up in other leadership ways. This has been a perfect opportunity for me to test out how I’ve grown, and see where it takes me.”In the immediate future, Dean hopes it will take her north of the river once again, after this afternoon’s Eliminator, and back to the base-camp that she has been proud to call her midsummer home for the past five seasons.”Lord’s massively feels like home for us,” she says. “It really does feel like the norm to be able to go out and play there, which is crazy when you think, 5-10 years ago, you really wouldn’t be able to say that at all. Women’s cricket deserves that platform … the skill levels are increasing, day in, day out, with more professionalism and the chance to showcase our skills.”Even so, the Lord’s factor is a very real aspect of Finals Day, and so the chance for Spirit to have familiarised themselves with the surroundings, and the ground’s idiosyncrasies (“I don’t know if you know, but there is a slope here,” Dean jokes…) is undoubtedly a bonus.Lord’s ‘massively feels like home’ for London Spirit women, Dean says•ECB/Getty Images”It does give it a little home advantage, but a final is a final,” she adds. “You have to be the better team, but you also have to be smart. It’s not like The Oval or Headingley, where it’s a batter’s paradise most of the time. But equally, those are the games of cricket that really excite you as a player, when you have to engage a bit more, and plan for different scenarios – left-hand, right-hand, a smaller boundary, or whatever it is. Those are the things that really excite me as a player. It gets the brain ticking.”As Dean acknowledges, many of the same characters from the 2024 victory are still present in the Spirit dressing-room, from Georgia Redmayne at the top of the order, via Griffith and Dani Gibson in the middle, through the spin duo of Dean herself and Sarah Glenn, and with Gray topping their averages with nine wickets at 17.77.But Kira Chathli’s arrival as Knight’s replacement has been a revelation – 214 runs at a strike-rate of 150 has helped to propel their powerplays – while the return of Grace Harris alongside the marquee signing of Issy Wong has given Spirit a sprinkling of extra impetus as they seek to become only the second team after Oval Invincibles to land back-to-back women’s Hundred titles.”We picked up Kira before the wildcard draft, and that was gold-dust, really,” Dean says. “She’d had brilliant form in the Vitality Blast for Surrey, so it was a no-brainer for us to promote her to the top of the order and just encourage her to play the way that she’s been playing for Surrey.”As for Harris, she announced her return in irrepressible fashion in the tournament opener against Invincibles, where she clubbed a matchwinning 89 not out from 42 balls. Her returns since then may have been more hit-and-miss, but her threat has been ever-present, along with her indefatigable dressing-room attitude.”She’s a fantastic cricketer to have in your team,” Dean says. “The energy that she brings and the way she goes about her business, she just cracks on and gets it done. She set the tone with that opening game, and has been just fantastic for us. We let her go and express herself. And she does it really well, even though at times you may be like, ‘Wow, she really doesn’t stop!’ But it is fantastic to have someone in your dressing-room who just exudes energy, because it really brings everyone up with her.”And then there’s Wong, a player whose personal journey in recent seasons has arguably epitomised that of the women’s game as a whole. The huge promise, the inflated expectations, the inevitable dip in performance amid the glare of ever-building scrutiny. But now, still only 23, she’s been on the comeback trail for Warwickshire, England and Spirit all season long, and after a series of critical contributions with bat and ball alike, Dean believes she’ll be ready to deliver when her team needs it most.”Issy is someone that will always stand up under pressure,” she says. “That’s one of the qualities you really want in a player. She thrives in the battle and she’s really become resilient, and developed ways of bouncing back, because she’s had a few struggles.”She’s a fantastic bowler to have in our armoury. She’s come in and really owned what she’s doing, and she’s back with a bang, which is so exciting for English cricket. And for her, on a personal level, knowing how much work that she’s put in over the past couple of years.”

Stand-in New South Wales captain Nathan Lyon provided stubborn late-order resistance that might prove crucial as the bowlers continued to dominate the Sheffield Shield match in Perth after debutant Will Salzmann shone againAfter 13 wickets fell on day three at the WACA Ground, openers Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman survived four overs late on Monday. That left the home side nine without loss, needing 222 to win this Sheffield Shield opener.Related

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Salzmann, making his first-class debut, compiled an excellent 72 to top score for the second time in the game, adding 76 with Charlie Stobo to lift the visitors from 79 for 6.NSW and Australia opener Sam Konstas failed again as he tries to shore up his berth for the first Ashes Test, but he had plenty of top-order mates.So far, the highest total at the fall of the third wicket in the match has been a paltry 23, while Sunday’s play featured 14 dismissals.Konstas fell for 14 on Monday after making four in the first innings, while No .3 Kurtis Patterson also did not advance his national cause with scores of 8 and 4.Bancroft is another Test hopeful needing a major knock after being fired out for 10 in WA’s first innings.Typical of how the match has gone, the first delivery of the morning from NSW paceman Ryan Hadley was a perfect yorker that bowled Matthew Kelly for 20.That left WA 116 for 8, with rearguard knocks from Ashton Agar, Cameron Gannon and Corey Rocchiccioli helping the final score to 161. Hadley claimed 5 for 38, his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.WA suffered a blow when opening bowler Joel Paris only managed one over before departing with a left hamstring injury. Had the injury occurred before the end of the second day, WA could have brought in substitute under the new trial being run by Cricket Australia.Test allrounder Cameron Green also did not bowl on Monday as he continues to return from back surgery.But Kelly stood tall with 5 for 43. When he bowled Liam Hatcher for a duck, NSW were 189 for 9. Lyon then dug in, with the Test offspinner scoring 40 from 57 balls, featuring six fours and a six.While the pitch appeared to be playing better late on day three, Lyon’s knock added some crucial meat to the bare-looking NSW bones.Another notable feature of the day was an incident involving Chris Green who was initially given caught behind when he duck a bouncer but was eventually recalled to the crease. Umpire Gerard Abood even gave Green out a second time having chatted with the square-leg official before reverse the decision

Selectors name 14-man squad for three matches on September 17, 19 and 21

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2025Ben Calitz, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, is in line to make his senior Ireland debut against England later this month, but senior seamers Josh Little and Mark Adair are both absent from their 14-man squad for the three-match T20I series at Malahide.Calitz moved to Ireland in 2022, having been born in Vancouver, Canada, and has since represented Munster Reds and Northern Knights in the Inter-Provincial Series, before being selected for the Ireland Wolves tour of the UAE in April.He is the only uncapped player in the squad, captained by Paul Stirling, that includes three returning players in Gareth Delany, Curtis Campher and Craig Young, all of whom proved their fitness in the recent Emerald Challenge series.However, Little and Adair are notable absentees. Little, the left-arm quick, has been struggling with a side injury that he aggravated while playing for Middlesex in the One-Day Cup, and has played just one competitive fixture since July.Adair, meanwhile, underwent knee surgery in August, with a view to being fit for Ireland’s Test tour of Bangladesh in November. Fionn Hand, the seamer who featured in Ireland’s one-off Test against England at Lord’s in 2023, is also absent through injury.The squad will play three T20Is on September 17, 19 and 21, against an England team that will be led for the first time by Jacob Bethell, the 21-year-old who is fresh from scoring his maiden professional century in the third ODI against South Africa on Sunday. Although the matches form part of the build-up to the forthcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February, England’s squad will be lacking several senior players who are being rested ahead of the Ashes tour of Australia, which gets underway in November.Andrew White, Ireland’s national men’s selector, said: “While every match against England is a special occasion, this series takes on extra importance given we are less than six months out from the next T20 World Cup. These matches against England offer us an opportunity to test ourselves against one of the world’s best teams as we build-up to that tournament.”As it stands, we are set to play as many T20I matches in the next five months as we have already played in this cycle to date, but we’ll transition to Asian and Middle East venues to better prepare the squad for conditions they will likely face on the subcontinent.”While it’s unfortunate that Mark [Adair], Fionn [Hand] and Josh [Little] are not available, this series will give several other members of the bowling group the chance to step up and challenge for World Cup spots.”While we have excellent cover at the top of the order, it is the middle order batting where we are looking to increase our depth. As part of this focus, we welcome Ben Calitz into the squad – who gives us a left-handed batting option, as well as wicketkeeping cover – and Jordan Neill returns as cover for Mark Adair, as he did in the West Indies ODI series earlier this summer before injury cut his debut short.”The series will be the first in which Ireland has hosted England in T20Is, and the Sunday fixture is already sold out. The two teams have only met twice before in the format; a wash-out during the 2010 World T20 in the Caribbean, and a five-run victory for Ireland at Melbourne during the 2022 T20 World Cup. Coincidentally, England went on to lift the trophy on both occasions.Ireland squad: Paul Stirling (capt), Ross Adair, Ben Calitz, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Barry McCarthy, Jordan Neill, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young

India impressively defended what had initially seemed a slightly light total on the Gold Coast

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2025

Axar Patel used angles to take his wickets and then to celebrate them•Getty Images

Led by their spinners and a vital pair of inroads from Shivam Dube, India impressively defended what had initially seemed a slightly light total to take an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20I series on a Gold Coast surface that both sides agreed had shades of the subcontinent about it.From 121 for 2 after 14 overs, India were only able to post 167 largely due to the key breakthroughs provided by Adam Zampa, back in the side after the birth of his second child, and late-overs brilliance of Nathan Ellis.But Australia shed wickets at regular intervals in the first stage of their chase before collapsing in a heap to lose 7 for 28. Axar Patel conceded just 20 off his four overs, including 12 dot balls, while Dube claimed the key wicket of Tim David. Varun Chakravarthy’s final delivery of the evening all but sealed the contest when Glenn Maxwell, returning from his broken wrist, completely failed to pick a googly.The result left a large proportion of the 20,470 crowd delighted and meant that the best Australia could hope for is a share of the series in the final game at the Gabba on Saturday.Shivam Dube took over with his seemingly magical wicket-taking ability•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Axar ties up AustraliaAxar only had a limited role with the ball in the first three matches of the series; India didn’t bowl in Canberra, he wasn’t used at the MCG, then he returned 0 for 35 in Hobart. Here, however, he came to the fore, as his darting left-arm spin proved very difficult to combat.Matthew Short, back in his favoured opening role but one he has conceded is probably not realistic to have at the T20 World Cup, had dominated the early stages of the chase before falling lbw sweeping at Axar when India successfully reviewed the not out decision. Axar then defeated Josh Inglis, a player who looked rusty after a period on the sidelines, when he charged down the pitch.Dube at the doubleAs in the previous match, Mitchell Marsh had not had a huge amount of strike early in the chase but was starting to move through the gears. Dube dropped a slower delivery in short, it was very much in Marsh’s wheelhouse, and the pull went flat towards deep square leg where Arshdeep Singh took an excellent running catch around the boundary. However, Dube’s big moment was to come.David launched him for a huge six over long-on – it wasn’t far from striking the overhanging roof – but Dube’s revenge only took one delivery. Banging the ball in short, David was hurried into a pull and top edged into the covers.When Josh Philippe spliced to short midwicket two overs later it was another game that needed Maxwell to salvage it but having not batted in the middle since mid-September, that was always a tall order. The dominance of the visiting spinners was perhaps a little warning to Australia ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka early next year where the types of surfaces on offer could vary.Josh Inglis claims a catch off Tilak Varma•Getty Images

Zampa back with a bangAbhishek Sharma had been dropped second ball of the match by Xavier Bartlett, a running chance at deep point where he may have been distracted by another fielder, and when Abhishek deposited Zampa’s second ball of the series straight down the ground for six India were a healthy 56 for 0 in the seventh over. However, two balls later Zampa evened the ledger when Abhishek tried to repeat the stroke against a googly and was safely held at long-on by David.Zampa was then held back until the second half of the innings and it threatened to be a rough night. In the 13th over Suryakumar took him for two sixes over deep midwicket as the India captain looked set to kick start a late surge for his team. However, Suryakumar picked out David in the deep – who held on his with fingertips – and when Zampa returned for his final over in the 17th of the innings he had an impact.Tilak Varma gloved a sweep which popped up for Inglis to gather, then three balls later Australia successfully reviewed for an lbw against Jitesh Sharma when he missed a sweep.Ellis shines againIt is nothing unusual for Ellis to impress in this format, but this was another outstanding display of his T20 skills. The final figures of 4-0-21-3 were made even more noteworthy by the fact his first four deliveries cost 10 as Shubman Gill took him on the powerplay. That meant his 21 deliveries cost just 11, and he bowled three of the last nine overs.His first wicket ended Dube’s experimental innings at No. 3 when he played across a slightly slower delivery. Then at the start of the 15th over he finished Gill’s rather laboured stay, although which grew in value as the night wore on, with a back-of-the-hand slower ball. He closed out with the 19th over, homing in outside off with wide yorkers and changes of pace. Occasionally he got a little too wide and was called, but none of the batters could get him away. In the end, however, as the pitch continued to slow up, India still had more than enough.