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Now it’s time for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United to show their ability to pass through adversity once again. But then they’ve done it before.

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford should join the St. James’ Park ranks, but there are still glaring openings in central defence, up front and out on the attacking right flank.

Stepping back into the Champions League, the 2024/25 Carabao Cup champions need more depth, especially so in the final third.

Newcastle's hunt for new forwards

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo rattled suitors when stating he would only jump ship for Manchester United this summer, turning his head at interest from Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur.

And now, Joao Pedro is set to join Chelsea having hitherto been listed as one of Newcastle’s top targets, if not the top target.

This is deeply frustrating, for Newcastle are yet to bolster their attacking ranks whatsoever, having entered the window with this principal priority. It’s not for the want of trying, at least.

West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus has since been earmarked, while an offer for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga, worth £50m, has already been rejected.

It’s Elanga who is the priority, with Football Insider now reporting that the Magpies are preparing an improved offer for the Sweden international.

Elanga, 23, has been a defining member of a Forest team who will compete in Europe next year, and the Tricky Trees are indeed proving tough negotiators, demanding £60m for the right winger.

He’d bring a lot to the United cause, with a silky skill set that practically demands to be combined with Alexander Isak’s.

What Anthony Elanga would bring to Newcastle

Pace, and plenty of it. Elanga left Manchester United to sign for Nottingham Forest in 2023 for just £15m, and he’s only gone from strength to strength since.

The fastest & slowest players in the Premier League (2024/25)

Over his two terms, he’s helped pull his club away from the relegation fodder and onto the continental stage, so electric and incisive down the right flank.

Nuno Espirito Santo hailed him a “special player” after one blistering counter-attack against Manchester United, bagging the sole goal in a 1-0 win back in March.

Elanga’s last two seasons

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.2 (0.6)

Big chances missed

10

6

Pass completion

75%

78%

Big chances created

14

9

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles*

0.9

0.5

Duels won*

2.9

3.0

Stats via Sofascore

Having kept a pretty consistent level throughout his time at the City Ground, Elanga has now proven that he’s worth the money, athletic, purposeful and reliable with his output. The stream of assists is certainly something Isak will have his eye on.

He also demonstrated an uptick in shooting accuracy, missing as many big chances as he scored (six) in 2024/25 after squandering ten chances the year prior, bagging only five times.

This must be to the delight of Isak, who is a superstar unto himself but will perhaps raise his game even higher (just pause and imagine that) with such a presence beside him, for Isak is not just a goalscorer, but a creator and an influencer; the perfect focal point.

Forest’s star winger might have only averaged 0.7 dribbles per Premier League match last term, but that’s a tactical quirk.

This is a man who self-proclaims to be “one of the fastest players in the league”, and when you observe him in his barnstorming groove, you wouldn’t argue against it.

Isak would relish the chance to play with such a pacy winger, reliant on their creativity. We’ve seen the marksman’s prowess with Murphy, now imagine that with his countryman Elanga, faster and just as tenacious.

Related More important than Elanga: Newcastle close in on signing "world-class" ace

Eddie Howe looks close to making his first summer signing at Newcastle United.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jun 30, 2025

Bangladesh needed to chase down the target of 116 in 12.1 overs, but didn’t seem to push hard enough considering a place in the semi-finals was at stake

Mohammad Isam25-Jun-20241:53

Tamim: ‘Bangladesh should’ve gone for the chase’

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said his team gave up pushing for a place in the T20 World Cup semi-finals after they lost three wickets in the first three overs of their chase against Afghanistan in Kingstown.After restricting Afghanistan to 115 for 5 in the final Super Eight game, Bangladesh needed to win in 12.1 overs to go ahead of Afghanistan and Australia on net run rate and qualify for the semi-finals from Group 1 along with India.”The plan was to try [to win in 12.1 overs] if we get a good start in the powerplay,” Shanto said after the match. “We thought that if we don’t lose early wickets, we could take the chance [to go for the semi-finals]. When we lost three wickets, we had a different plan. We wanted to see how we could win the game. The middle-order didn’t take good enough decisions, which is why we lost the game today.”Bangladesh slipped to 23 for 3 in 2.5 overs and their subsequent slowdown sparked outrage among their fans, who could not fathom such an approach from a team that had a chance to qualify for the semi-finals.Former captain Mashrafe Mortaza said in a post on Facebook that Bangladesh shouldn’t have thought about merely winning against Afghanistan. “Litton’s intent and the non-strikers’ silence suggests that there was no clear message for the batting unit. Even if there was a message, it changed every one or two overs. It ended up with the decision to try to just win the game.”Today should have been just about winning in 12.1 overs. There was no other way of thinking. Everyone would have understood if they got bowled out for 50. If we had won this game, we would have lost to our conscience. This was not like ten other matches. We could have made history today.”Related

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Bangladesh were in the hunt at 75 for 5 at the end of the ninth over. Towhid Hridoy had struck Mohammad Nabi for two fours in the eighth over before Litton Das hit Rashid Khan for two more fours in the ninth. Forty-three runs to get in 3.1 overs was tough but not impossible, but then Mahmudullah played out a Noor Ahmad over with five dot balls and just one attacking shot that yielded a boundary. Rashid took two wickets in the 11th over to end Bangladesh’s chances of progressing to the semi-finals.”We wanted to win the match. It was the initial plan,” Shanto said. “When we saw 115 runs on the board, we had a plan to win in 12.1 overs. The batting group made a lot of poor decisions. It is frustrating and disappointing. We wanted to win this game. We had the chance in our grasp. We couldn’t take it.”Litton remained unbeaten on 54, carrying his bat as Bangladesh were bowled out for 105 in the 18th over to confirm Afghanistan’s place in the semi-finals at Australia’s expense.Bangladesh had made another tactical blunder by holding back Hridoy, arguably their best batter in this T20 World Cup, to No 6. Sending in out-of-form batters like Soumya Sarkar over Hridoy was costly but Shanto said the team wanted to have a left-right combination in the middle. “We mixed up the batting order because we wanted to keep left-right combination. There was Litton in one end. They had a lot of variations in their bowling. Everyone was clear, they knew we would do this.”Bangladesh’s net run rate situation need not have been this dire had they shown more urgency in their previous Super Eight game against India. Chasing 197 on a good batting pitch in Antigua, Bangladesh had managed only 146 for 8 in response. Tamim Iqbal, an expert for ESPNcricinfo, and Shakib Al Hasan had criticised the team’s attitude and tactics, dropping Taskin Ahmed to not showing intent in the powerplay.”We gave our 100% against India,” Shanto said after Bangladesh’s loss to Afghanistan. “We picked the extra spinner in Mahedi, who bowled well. We should have scored a few more runs on that wicket [in Antigua]. We didn’t utilise it properly. The scenario would have been different had we batted better [against India].”Shanto signed off by apologising to the Bangladesh fans for letting them down. His last word at the press conference in St Vincent was “sorry”. Bangladesh’s fans, however, deserve more than a perfunctory ‘sorry’ from their captain and the team management.

Liverpool are believed to have submitted an offer for a £50m player with a big future in the game, according to an exciting transfer update.

Liverpool set for Arsenal guard of honour as FSG make summer plans

The Reds are preparing to host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, which promises to be a fun occasion for anyone associated with the Reds. Arne Slot’s champions will be given a guard of honour by a Gunners side who many fancied to go all the way in the league back in August, but have instead gone another campaign without a trophy. In truth, the result is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but Liverpool will still want to open up their lead at the top to a whopping 18 points.

The Reds also continue to be linked with new summer signings, with Slot and FSG well aware that they can’t afford to rest on his laurels, and a move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has been mooted. The Argentine has experience of the Premier League from his Manchester City days and could be a fantastic signing if Darwin Nunez departs.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo has been mentioned as a target for Liverpool, following a superb season at the heart of his side’s defence, helping them push for an unlikely Champions League finish.

Liverpool make offer for Dean Huijsen

According to Cadena SER [via Sport Witness], Liverpool and FSG have made an offer for Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, having been linked with him constantly in recent months. Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are all in the same boat, too, with Real Madrid also firmly in the conversation.

The Spaniard has a £50m release clause in his current Cherries contract, with the Reds clearly seeing him as a potential big part of their future. The English clubs are ahead of Madrid in the race, but the player’s father has passed over negotiations with them to a law firm in Spain, as they look to potentially strike a deal.

Huijsen has to be considered just about the strongest centre-back Liverpool could sign, in terms of his long-term promise as a footballer. He has averaged 5.9 clearances per game in the league this season, which is more than any Reds player.

At just 19, the Bournemouth ace already looks like a top-level player, producing brilliant performances for the Cherries, leading former Bournemouth man Joe Partington to say: “Huijsen seems to be the name on everybody’s lips if you’re a top football club in Europe at the minute.”

If Liverpool could pip their rivals to the signing of Huijsen ahead of next season, it would be a major statement of intent, with centre-back a key area of focus for them.

Huge Nunez upgrade: Liverpool plot big move for "the best CF in the world"

Liverpool desperately need to sign a new centre-forward this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 9, 2025

An eventual successor to Virgil van Dijk needs to be found at Anfield, and if the Bournemouth man continues on his current trajectory, he could be the perfect man to fill that huge void.

Already thinking about summer reinforcements, Daniel Levy is now reportedly readying a mega £50m+ bid to sign a key attacking addition for Tottenham Hotspur in the coming months.

Tottenham's crucial transfer window

After lingering in the bottom half of the Premier League this season, Tottenham can ill-afford to get things wrong this summer. Whether Ange Postecoglou is still in charge or not, Levy must ensure that there is a squad capable of breaking back into the top six when the next campaign gets underway. Just who arrives with that in mind remains to be seen, however.

Plenty of names have already threatened to steal the headlines on that front though, including the likes of Eric Garcia and Jonathan Tah. Two defensive additions who would hand Postecoglou an instant boost and two signings who would be cost effective, Spurs should push on in pursuit of both this summer.

That said, it may be easier said than done to attract new talent if the Lilywhites fail to win the Europa League and qualify for the Champions League in the process. To that end, they’ve already taken one step into the final after a 3-1 first-leg victory over Bodo/Glimt, but may well find themselves squaring off against Manchester United in an all English final.

Postecoglou was quick to reiterate that he has full belief in his side as they look to get the job done against Bodo/Glimt next week, telling reporters in midweek: “It is not about feeling calm, like I said you just get belief (from the performance). I get that Bodo away is a difficult fixture, but so was Frankfurt away and we went there knowing we had to win to get through and I thought the lads handled it really well.

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“I think in Europe this year we’ve been really good at managing whatever situation we’re in. We’ve had some games where AZ we lost away from home, but had to come back and showed real calm and composure to win to get through here. I think all those experiences give me the belief we can go there and get the job done.”

Levy readying £50m+ bid to sign Semenyo for Tottenham

Away from the action on the pitch, meanwhile, those in North London have already seemingly set their sights on an attacking upgrade. According to reports in Spain, Levy is now readying a bid worth €60m (£52m) to sign Antoine Semenyo for Tottenham this summer following his fantastic season at Bournemouth, a fee which ‘would be enough to convince his current club’ to sell.

At 25 years old, unlike Heung-min Son, Semenyo is at the peak of his powers and could take the Spurs captain’s place with the report saying he is seen as a player perfect for Spurs and Postecoglou, given his physical strength, ability in the press and output of 11 goals and seven assists this season.

Praised for his “powerful ambipedal ball striking” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Semenyo has certainly earned a move this summer and Spurs could offer him exactly that.

Leeds United have their eyes on a new centre-back signing and one who could come in to replace Pascal Struijk.

Leeds return to top of Championship with win over Middlesbrough

The Whites and Daniel Farke managed to get back to winning ways in the week after a run of just one victory in their previous six Championship games with a 1-0 triumph over Middlesbrough.

Dan James’ early goal proved to be the winner, although Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford both had goals wrongly ruled out for offside.

Leeds’ win, coupled with both Burnley and Sheffield United dropping points, ensured that they’d return to the top of the table with just five games remaining.

Talking after the game, Farke said: “I’m proud of my boys. It was a tough game, overall an excellent advert for the Championship. Both sides had periods, but in the end we found a way to win this game and it was crucial today to return to our clean sheet behaviour.

“We had to dig in, had to deal with a couple of injuries and had one day less in between games, and Middlesbrough were in red-hot form. “We had to dig in and show steel and togetherness and spirit to bring this over the line in a hard-fought game and a well-deserved win.”

Leeds (85 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (85 pts)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds won at the Riverside without Pascal Struijk, with the left-footed centre-back suffering an injury against Luton Town. There is a concern that Struijk may have a fracture in his foot and could be out for the season, which resulted in Ethan Ampadu filling in at centre-back.

Now, a transfer target has emerged on the Elland Road radar who could prove to be a replacement for Struijk.

Leeds keen on signing Modibo Sagnan

According to reports in France, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds and the 49ers are interested in signing Montpellier HSC centre-back Modibo Sagnan.

Like Struijk, Sagnan is a left-footed defender and could be on the move this summer with Montpellier bottom of Ligue 1. Leeds could take advantage of their potential relegation with a move for the Mali international.

Sagnan, 25, can also turn out as a left-back as well as a centre-back and has played for the likes of Real Sociedad, Lens and FC Utrecht before joining Montpellier.

Over the last 12 months, Sagnan has ranked in the top 10 percentiles when compared to centre-backs in the big five European leagues for both goals and take ons – he has scored five times in 39 games for his current employers.

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Struijk also has an eye for goal with Leeds, but by the looks of things, should Leeds win promotion, a move for Sagnan could be one to watch.

All the big numbers from South Africa’s collapse to 106 against Afghanistan in Sharjah

ESPNcricinfo stats team18-Sep-20244 Totals lower than South Africa’s 106 for which Afghanistan have bowled out a current Full Member side in ODIs. They have bowled out Zimbabwe under 100 three times in the format and Ireland for exactly 100 once. South Africa’s total in this match is the lowest against Afghanistan by one of the first eight Full Member teams in ODIs. The next lowest is West Indies’ 149 in Gros Islet in 2017.7 Wickets lost by South Africa inside their first 10 overs. This was the first time they had lost as many inside the first 10. Their previous worst (where information is available) came when they lost their seventh wicket inside 13 overs against India in Johannesburg last year.0 Lower scores at which South Africa have been seven down in an ODI. South Africa were 36 for 7 in this match. This was also the first time they had lost seven wickets before getting to 50 in ODIs. Their previous worst had come against Australia in 2002, when they lost their seventh wicket at the score of 50.ESPNcricinfo Ltd2 Lower totals than today’s 106 by South Africa while batting first in ODIs. Their lowest totals batting first are 83 against England at Trent Bridge in 2008 and 99 against India in Delhi in 2022.32 Runs scored by South Africa’s top six in this match – their lowest in an ODI when all of them have been dismissed. Their previous lowest was 45 against Australia in 1993-94 in Sydney.0 Fifty-plus scores in 43 innings in international cricket by Wiaan Mulder before his fighting 52 in this match. Coming in at 29 for 5, Mulder scored nearly 50% of South Africa’s total. In fact, South Africa’s 106 is the second-lowest all-out total in ODIs with at least one individual fifty. The lowest is their own 101 against Pakistan in 1999-00 when Herschelle Gibbs top-scored with 59.102 Wickets by Fazalhaq Farooqui in international cricket. He became just the third seamer from Afghanistan to take 100 wickets when he dismissed South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram in this match. Dawlat Zadran and Gulbadin Naib are the other two Afghanistan seamers with 100 or more international wickets.144 Balls that went unused in Afghanistan’s first ever win in international cricket against South Africa. This was Afghanistan’s fifth-biggest win in terms of balls remaining in ODIs and third biggest against a Full Member team. For South Africa, this ranks as their tenth-worst defeat in ODIs.1 Full-member teams Afghanistan haven’t yet beaten in international cricket. Post their win against South Africa, India are now the only team they haven’t defeated yet. They have come close twice, though. The first instance was a tied ODI during the 2018 Asia Cup. The second instance came earlier this year in a T20I in Bengaluru, where they lost in the second set of Super Overs.

“My strength is to turn the ball, to get it to dip. I strayed from that itself [in the last game],” says the legspinner

Hemant Brar15-Jun-20224:18

Jaffer: Wristspinners need to be brave and Chahal was

It’s often said that if you keep doing the same thing over and over again, you cannot expect different results. But if you want the same results, you should perhaps keep repeating the same thing. That’s what Yuzvendra Chahal found out in the third T20I against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.Chahal came into the series as India’s lead spinner. He had an excellent IPL 2022, where he topped the wickets chart with 27 scalps in 17 outings. But the returns of none for 26 from 2.1 overs and 1 for 49 from four in the first two games in the ongoing series left a lot to be desired.Related

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In the second match, especially, Chahal consistently pushed the ball through instead of looking to turn it. That allowed the South Africa batters to hit him through the line with little worry.After the game, Chahal sat with the coaching staff to figure out what he could do differently. The answer was he should revert to what had previously worked for him.So on Tuesday, Chahal was back to his tried and tested method – bowling more legbreaks and varying the pace. The desired results were back too as he picked up 3 for 20 and helped India register their first win in the series.Chasing 180, South Africa lost their openers, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendricks, inside the powerplay. But for India, it was their middle order that had been a thorn in the flesh – Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller in the first match and Heinrich Klaasen in the second.Chahal, though, ensured there was no repeat. Perhaps expecting dew later on, which didn’t prove to be the case, Rishabh Pant introduced Chahal into the attack as early as the fifth over.Yuzvendra Chahal claimed 3 for 20 in his four overs•BCCIChahal gave away only two runs in his first over. In his next, he got Rassie van der Dussen caught behind as the batter went for a cut. Dwaine Pretorius too fell in the same manner, trying to cut a fast legbreak only to edge it to Pant.That left South Africa on 57 for 4 after the ninth over but Klaasen was still in the middle.Before Tuesday, Klaasen had ransacked 74 runs off 28 balls against Chahal, at a strike rate of 264.28. In the second T20I, he smashing 30 off 13 balls against Chahal was a big point of difference after Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s three early wickets had put South Africa on the back foot.But here, Chahal kept Klaasen guessing by varying his line. When he returned in the 15th over, he tossed one up wide outside off. By then the asking rate had touched 15 and Klaasen had no other option than to go after it. He ended up miscuing and Axar Patel, backpedalling from extra-cover, held onto the catch. The match went on till the 19th over but the contest was over with Klaasen’s wicket.”In the last game, I was bowling a lot of sliders, and I was also bowling a bit faster,” Chahal said at the post-match presentation. “So even when I was bowling good balls, I wasn’t getting any turn. It was going like a flipper.”My strength is to turn the ball, to get it to dip. I strayed from that itself. So it became very easy for batsmen as the ball was just going straight.”Tonight I changed the seam position and bowled fast legbreaks in order to get some help [from the pitch]. I tried to vary my line too so that the batsmen cannot predict.”The plan was to just bowl to my strength. I was anyway going for runs, but if I bowl to my strength and still go for 40-45 runs, I would pick up at least three wickets too, which didn’t happen in the last game. And when you dismiss two batsmen in the middle order, the pressure shifts on the batting side.”If India are to secure the series, they must win the remaining two games as well. Chahal could play a big part in that, perhaps by doing more of the same.

At 16, the wicketkeeper-batsman wasn’t sure he would ever hold a bat again. Now he’s sharing a dressing room with the likes of Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis

Firdose Moonda30-May-2020Kyle Verreynne knew he wanted to become a professional cricketer the day he couldn’t play anymore.”When I was 16, I broke my hand during a hockey match. It was a really bad break, from my wrist to the knuckles – the bones had basically snapped in half,” he says. “I had to have surgery and had four metal plates put into my hand, and I missed out on selection for the school cricket side, which I really wanted to be a part of.”Verreynne’s main concern at the time was whether he would still be able to keep wicket, like his role model Quinton de Kock. A few months later, Verreynne tried. To his surprise, there was no discomfort at all. “I was lucky because it could have gone very differently, and that’s when I realised I couldn’t take risks in other sports, so I put hockey on the back-burner because I really wanted to play cricket.”Less than two years later he was part of the national Under-19 side that toured and hosted Bangladesh in preparation for the age-group World Cup in 2016. Verreynne played in that tournament and finished as South Africa’s second-highest run scorer, with 158 runs in his six matches, including two fifties. By then he had finished his final year at school and had begun a bachelor of commerce degree in business management, as a back-up to his cricket career. But there was one problem.”Quinny started playing when I was 14 or 15 and I looked up to him, but then I realised he was quite young and was kind of in the spot I would be hoping to be in, so it could be difficult for me.”That’s where the coaching staff at Newlands came in. Under the guidance of Faiek Davids at Western Province and Ashwell Prince at the Cobras, Verreynne was made to understand that if he was serious about playing international cricket, it would have to be in a different role to de Kock. “Ashwell was the one who told me if I want to play for South Africa, I would have to be able to make sure I can get picked purely as a batsman.”

“The value the MSL has had for me and other young cricketers is underrated. In the first season I was with guys like Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje. That’s how you learn”

And so he started racking up the numbers. Verreynne was ninth on the provincial three-day run charts, broke into the franchise team in the 2017-18 summer, averaged over 40 in the 2018-19 season and over 50 in 2019-20. He was also the second-highest run scorer overall in the 2019 franchise one-day cup, secured a contract for the inaugural Mzansi Super League (MSL), and was mentored by some of the biggest names in the game, starting with Hashim Amla.Verreynne and Amla shared a change room briefly at the Cobras (and played together in one first-class match in 2017). It was time enough to pick the brain of one of the country’s calmest. “I learnt a lot about his mental state,” Verreynne said. “To the public he might come across as shy or within himself, but he is always willing to share information and be supportive, and I saw that if your emotions can be level across success and failure, you can do well.”Verreynne soon experienced those two opposites first-hand. While his first MSL stint didn’t go badly, he also didn’t shoot the lights out, and his 107 runs in five matches at 35.66 for the Cape Town Blitz was not enough to get him a deal for the second season. He was not picked up in the draft (he said he “didn’t expect to be”) and only came in as an emergency replacement for Aiden Markram at Paarl Rocks.Rocks’ captain Faf du Plessis was understood to have had a strong hand in picking Verreynne, whose name was doing the rounds on the local circuit as an aggressor. And in du Plessis, he found someone else to look up to. “I was really nervous [to meet him] and I wanted to make an impression,” he said. “And then when we met, Faf pulled me aside and said, ‘Welcome to the team, we are happy to have to have you’ and I relaxed. He is genuine and down to earth and has said it’s in his agenda to help the younger guys, which you can really see.”Verreynne made his ODI debut for South Africa earlier this year, scoring 48, 3 and 50 across three matches against Australia•Getty ImagesVerreynne only played in four of the Rocks’ 12 matches, including the final, where he did not bat, but has only good things to say about the experience. “At first, I wasn’t playing much, and during that period, it was about developing my game. And then when I did play, I tried to make sure I did my bit.”His most memorable showing was a 20-ball 36 in the match in Paarl that secured the home final for the Rocks. They ended up winning the trophy, Verreynne’s “first professional cup, which was pretty cool”, and he is one of many who speak of the tournament as an important part of the local landscape. “The value the MSL has had for me and other young cricketers is underrated,” he said. “In the first season I was with guys like Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje. That’s how you learn.”He was also in the same side as de Kock, although the pair began to form a proper relationship later, when Verryenne was part of the South Africa ODI squad over the past summer. Again, he found someone else he could seek advice from. “He really helped me with my batting. I was doing quite a lot of it with Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, mostly to do with my footwork and how I was holding the bat, and Quinny could see I was struggling a bit, so he just gave me a few pointers.”That’s not all Verreynne took from his time with de Kock. “I looked at his attitude. He backs himself and he is not too worried about how he looks or what people are saying. I try and do that too.”Verreynne is not as easy on the eye as other batsmen from the Cape, like Kallis, JP Duminy, and more recently Zubayr Hamza, but he strikes the ball with great power. That is a feat in itself, considering that he once thought he would never be able to hold a bat again. The metal plates that were put into his hand when he had surgery as a teenager are still there but they aren’t stopping him from dreaming, or hitting, big.”Next season, at the Cobras, we have a lot of new guys, so I want to take a leadership role, and then in three years’ time I really want to be establishing myself in the Test and ODI side,” he said. “Playing at the 2023 World Cup is one of my goals.”

Sam Whiteman struck a century for Western Australia but the home side paced their chase perfectly on the final day

AAP07-Dec-2025

Blake Macdonald scored his maiden first-class century•Getty Images

Victoria secured a memorable Sheffield Shield victory over Western Australia, pulling off a tricky run chase of 195 late in the final session at the MCG.Unheralded opener Blake Macdonald posted his maiden first-class century to guide Victoria home by six wickets in the final minutes of day four on Sunday.Related

Marsh misfires again as rain stalls Victoria's charge

Buckingham stands out as South Australia secure handsome win

The 27-year-old, who grew up in Canberra and played for New South Wales before moving to Melbourne, capped off a breakout Shield performance to finish unbeaten on 109 off only 116 balls.Macdonald also top-scored with 79 in Victoria’s first innings of 255 to comfortably claim player of the match honours.Victoria fell into early trouble in their chase at 46 fir 3 when captain Peter Handscomb was knocked over for a duck. But Macdonald combined with Australia white-ball batter Matt Short for a 137-run stand to steer Victoria to their fifth win from six Shield matches this season.With time against them going into tea at 99 for 3, Victoria scored at five runs an over to motor to the target and avoid a draw. Going into the BBL break, they are well clear on top of the ladder and in the box seat to qualify for the final.It was only Macdonald’s second Shield match for the season, since he was dropped after scoring 45 and 30 against South Australia in October. He was averaging 26.23 with a top score of 61 in seven Shield matches before this game.Earlier, an outstanding century from captain Sam Whiteman appeared to go a long way towards helping Western Australia avoid defeat.After slumping to 52 for 4, still trailing Victoria on day three, WA were on track for a heavy defeat. But with rain halting Victoria’s charge on Saturday, Whiteman stepped up to score his 17th first-class century early on the final day.Whiteman fell for 103, while valuable contributions from veteran Hilton Cartwright (43), allrounder Aaron Hardie (33) and wicketkeeper Joel Curtis (28) helped WA to 255.Victoria seamer Sam Elliott worked tirelessly as he enjoyed one of the best games of his first-class career.It was a forgettable return to Shield cricket for Mitchell Marsh, with the Australia white-ball star making only 4 and 9. Marsh had been hoping to press his case for a Test recall, with Australia considering using him for shock value at the top of the order in the Ashes.WA will remain on the bottom of the ladder until at least the Shield’s resumption in February, virtually already out of contention for the final with four matches remaining.

England have already booked their spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and USA, with Thomas Tuchel’s side looking impressive in the qualifying stages.

The Three Lions didn’t even concede a goal in the six wins that guaranteed their place on the biggest stage, and attention will soon turn to who will be on the plane looking to win England’s first World Cup since 1966.

1970

Quarter-finals

1974

Did not qualify

1978

Did not qualify

1982

Second group stage

1986

Quarter-finals

1990

Fourth place

1994

Did not qualify

1998

Round of 16

2002

Quarter-finals

2006

Quarter-finals

2010

Round of 16

2014

Group stage

2018

Fourth place

2022

Quarter-finals

While there are some stars who are guaranteed to be on the way to North America, such as captain Harry Kane, Tuchel still has a lot to think about between now and June.

Of course, a lot could change between now and the summer, however, here is Chat GPT’s prediction of who will make England’s 26-player squad in Canada, Mexico and USA.

Goalkeepers Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, James Trafford

Providing he remains injury free, Jordan Pickford looks set to continue as England number one in 2026 for the ninth successive year.

Providing back up to the Everton star, according to ChatGPT, will be Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Man City’s James Trafford.

Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Myles Lewis-Skelly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Dan Burn

One of the big decisions Tuchel made early on was to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold, however, Chat GPT feels the Real Madrid right-back will win his place back in the 26.

Chelsea’s Reece James and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly are the other full-back options, with John Stones, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Dan Burn at centre-back.

Tottenham’s Djed Spence had been a regular in Tuchel’s squad, however, there’s no place for the full-back in the 26.

Midfielders Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Adam Wharton, Elliot Anderson, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze

Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have been a regular in Tuchel’s midfield and could be the partnership that begins the World Cup campaign, backed by Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Further forward, Jude Bellingham has been tipped to return to the squad after being left out recently due to fitness issues.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa stars Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers make up the seven man midfield selection, with no room for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White or Jordan Henderson.

Forwards Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke

Interestingly, ChatGPT thinks Tuchel will go with just one out-and-out centre-forward in captain Harry Kane. Marcus Rashford could also play centrally if required and his ‘revival in form’ at Barcelona sees him included.

Meanwhile, Anthony Gordon’s ’growing importance’ under Tuchel sees him included, alongside Arsenal stars Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke and Man City ace Phil Foden.

Notable exclusions from Chat GPT’s forward line include Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins.