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Crystal Palace have had a solid first season under the management of former France midfielder Patrick Vieira.

The 45-year-old steered his side to an FA Cup semi-final in his maiden campaign in charge at Selhurst Park and has the team well placed for a top-half Premier League finish, which would be an excellent base to build from looking ahead to next season.

This weekend, Palace travel to the Midlands to take on Aston Villa, who only sit a point behind them in the table in the race for a top-half spot.

With both teams enjoying decent runs of form, it’s hard to predict a winner, although Vieira has been handed a big lift which will please Eagles supporters.

Speaking about the availability of his squad for Sunday, the 45-year-old said: “Everyone trained this week and the only one out is Nathan Ferguson who is following his induvial training on the field.”

This will be a boost to the Palace faithful as the final three fixtures of the campaign loom on the horizon. With a fit and firing squad, Vieira will have plenty of options to choose from as they look to make it three wins on the bounce.

The Frenchman will be seeking some form of revenge against Steven Gerrard and his side following a 2-1 reverse in November in the 41-year-old’s second match in charge of the Midlands club.

Vieira will be looking at Wilfried Zaha for inspiration, with the winger arguably one of the Eagles’ finest players this season, scoring 14 goals in all competitions and registering two assists.

Whatever happens on Sunday, it has been an encouraging start for the 45-year-old in his first managerial role in England. There’s no doubt that he possesses a winner’s mentality from his hugely successful playing career, and next season could be an exciting one for Palace, who may feel they have every chance of a victory this weekend after this weekend’s good news squad-wise.

AND in other news, Vieira eyeing bid for £14k-p/w gem with “world at his feet”, imagine him & Zaha

Smith’s ominous form, Boland’s metronomic accuracy augur well for the side as they dust off the cobwebs in style

Andrew McGlashan12-Jun-2023David Warner is okay…for nowEven a pair at The Oval was unlikely to have stopped Warner from featuring at Edgbaston, although it would have turned up the pressure a good few notches. Instead, he goes into the Ashes having played well in the first innings, battling through a difficult first hour before flourishing by putting the pressure back on India’s attack. The around-the-wicket line got him again, although this time a feathered pull down the leg side didn’t quite add to the narrative. In the second innings, he drove flat-footed at Mohammed Siraj for 1. We might have a clearer idea of Warner’s chances of making his Sydney farewell by the time the Ashes reaches the end of the Lord’s Test.Steven Smith is in gearSmith’s biggest problem was falling into the deep guard marked by Warner. He compiled a classy hundred in the first innings to lay down an early marker as he looks to go somewhere near repeating the prolific returns of 2019, where he made 774 runs in just four Tests having missed one with a concussion. Such is Smith’s skill that he has flicked techniques again, deciding that the more extreme back-and-across movement he used in 2019 was worth returning to after his first two county matches for Sussex, which may fuel the views of those who thought he shouldn’t have been signed. In reality, Smith would have worked things out anyway. It is likely his final Ashes tour. Only a brave, or foolish person would expect anything other than plenty of runs.Related

Cummins coy on Australia bowling attack and Bazball plans

McDonald: Moeen replacing Leach presents 'a challenge' for England

'They said my method wouldn't work at Test level. I fit the Bazball mould'

Win toss, bat first? Not necessarily, say Australia

Scott Boland and the problem Australia like to have

Don’t wait too long to go shortTravis Head has been one of the stars of this WTC triumph. He started it with a blazing hundred against England at the Gabba and set up the mace-sealing victory with a blistering 163 at The Oval. But India missed a trick, with bowling coach Paras Mhambrey admitting as much. They did not go for a sustained short-pitched approach early enough. Head eventually gloved down the leg side on the second day and did not look entirely comfortable in the second innings. Expect England to test him out early, particularly if they have Mark Wood in the attack. However, they will need to get it right. Anything off line and Head will throw his hand into it, either slashing over point or carving towards deep third. Do not be surprised to see England post deep fielders as catchers for those shots.1:54

What makes Boland so lethal?

Scott Boland has to playDoes much more need to be said here? An average of 14.57 from eight Tests, six times taking two or more wickets in an over. Australia have won seven of those matches. Perhaps the only question is whether his metronomic accuracy could play into the hands of England’s ultra-aggressive batters who may try and line him up. But he is a shrewd operator able to nip the ball both ways.Shaking off the cobwebsIt wasn’t a warm-up match. It certainly wasn’t, but the miles in the legs won’t have hurt Australia’s bowlers and, barring Usman Khawaja, all the batters had a good time in the middle. Pat Cummins was able to spread the load among his quicks with Boland’s 36 overs the most sent down. After the third day, Mitchell Starc conceded that despite feeling good coming into the match, the quicks had lacked game rhythm. Cummins’ nine no-balls stood out, but he wasn’t concerned. “I wasn’t doing my best with the front foot this game,” he said. “Rhythm felt really good, just kept overstepping, which I don’t normally do so I’m not overly worried.” The overall performance on the final morning was very polished to suggest the rust was coming off.Australia still like a reviewThey didn’t prove costly in this match, but it wasn’t Australia’s best game with the DRS. In India’s first innings, they reviewed for an edge against Shardul Thakur moments after Cummins had a wicket scrubbed off by a no-ball. In the second, Marnus Labuschagne convinced them to go upstairs for a non-edge against Virat Kohli (although he nicked Boland to slip two balls later) then they reviewed an lbw against Ajinkya Rahane that never looked out. There doesn’t need to be much reminding of how it came back to bite them in 2019.

In our second batch of report cards for 2022: Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, Ireland, Netherlands and more

03-Jan-2023Australiaby Andrew McGlashan
A year of significant success in Australian international cricket, with one notable exception. Another World Cup won for the generational women’s side, plus a Commonwealth Games gold medal and Ashes; dominant home Test form for the men, capped by a series win over South Africa for the first time in 17 years, a victory overseas in Pakistan, and a likely place in the World Test Championship final.The year began with Pat Cummins’ Test side completing a 4-0 Ashes victory over a demoralised England (but how that changed in the months ahead) with a lone wicket standing between them and a whitewash. Though Australia would later in the year surge through their home Test summer against West Indies and South Africa, their most significant result came in Pakistan, where, having billed it as a 15-day marathon, they grabbed a historic series win on the final day.Expanding on the theme of re-engaging as good tourists, the men’s team also earned significant plaudits for completing the tour of Sri Lanka amid the country’s crippling economic crisis. The scenes in Galle, where a Test match took place against the backdrop of anti-government protests will not be forgotten in a hurry. On a purely cricketing level, having taken a 1-0 lead on a raging turner, it was something of a missed opportunity when they lost the second match.It was the all-conquering women’s team who, almost inevitably, won the global prizes. They went unbeaten through the ODI World Cup in New Zealand, capped by Alyssa Healy’s stunning 170 in the final, then followed that by taking the gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The Ashes Test in Canberra was a classic. Their depth is astonishing and Meg Lanning will also be back early in 2023 for the T20 World Cup.For the men, the major prize that escaped was the big disappointment of the year. Their T20 World Cup campaign never got going after a huge defeat to New Zealand in the opening game and it’s likely to be a very different team that fronts up in 2024. However, before then, it’s eyes on the ODI World Cup and a year that will define how great this Test side is.High point
It would have been a surprise if Australia had not held aloft the World Cup in Christchurch in April, but that in itself brings significant pressure. The women’s team, though, show little sign of losing their aura. For the men, winning the deciding Test of the Pakistan tour was a huge feather in Cummins’ cap – it was his and Mitchell Starc’s brilliant reverse swing that finally burst open the series.Low point
A home World Cup brings so many opportunities, but this year’s men’s T20 event fell flat for Aaron Finch’s team. In one sense they were caught out by the format’s fine margins – they lost fewer games than Pakistan – but a muddled build-up permeated the campaign and they could not haul in the huge run-rate hit they suffered against New Zealand at the SCG. Interestingly, and perhaps significantly, their exit did not damage the tournament itself, which was a compelling three weeks.ResultsMen
Tests: P11 W7 L1 D3
ODIs: P17 W11 L6
T20Is: P21 W13 L7 NR 1Women
Tests: P1 D1
ODIs: P12 W12
T20Is: P16 W12 L1 NR3Sri Lanka Women reached the final of the T20 Asia Cup after beating Pakistan by one run in Sylhet•Asian Cricket CouncilSri Lankaby Andrew Fidel Fernando
This is not something we are used to saying about Sri Lanka’s international sides over the past few years, but in 2022 there were genuine moments of joy. Across both the men’s and women’s sides, there were heartening tournament runs, and emerging stars who suggested they could be consistent for years to come.In the women’s side, Sri Lanka seemed to be moving past their long-term overdependence on Chamari Athapaththu through Harshitha Madavi. In Sri Lanka’s excellent Asia Cup, she was easily the team’s highest scorer, with 202 runs (almost double Athapaththu’s tally), which was enough to place her second overall. With the ball, 21-year-old offspinner Kavisha Dilhari also had a good tournament, though Sri Lanka’s best was 36-year-old left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera.For the men, Pathum Nissanka put his mark on the T20 format, having initially emerged in Tests, while others such as allsorts fingerspinner Maheesh Theekshana and left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka also promised plenty – Theekshana outperforming the world-class Wanindu Hasaranga in some matches.While the year’s best moments came in white-ball matches, Sri Lanka weren’t particularly awful in Tests either, though they were hardly spectacular. They lost badly in India, as expected, but they will be hurt more by the Test match losses at home to Australia and Pakistan. They did bounce back in both those series to draw, but their hopes of making the World Test Championship final are very slim.High point
For both men and women: the Asia Cup. The women made a run into the final, despite their board having essentially forgotten they existed through the course of the pandemic. They lost to India in the title match but won five of their eight matches in the tournament, beating Bangladesh, and then Pakistan in the semi-final.The men’s charge to the trophy was spectacular. They lost to Afghanistan in the first game but then scorched their way to the final, winning close games initially, before speeding past Pakistan in consecutive games to win the title. Given the difficult year Sri Lanka has had with its economic crisis, this was a victory that boosted the national mood. Beating Australia in a five-match ODI series (albeit one that didn’t count toward the Super League) had a similar effect.Low point
Having won the Asian title, Sri Lanka had serious hopes of making a run at the men’s T20 World Cup. But they lost their first match, to Namibia, and then lost to New Zealand, Australia and England in the main competition. That they had lost most of their top-choice seamers to injury made it all seem worse.ResultsMen
Tests: P8 W3 L4 D1
ODIs: P11 W6 L4 NR1
T20Is: P25 W11 L14 Women
ODIs: P6 W1 L5
T20Is: P21 W10 L11South Africa have had heartbreaking exits from World Cups before, but the 2022 one ending with a defeat to Netherlands will sting the most•ICC via GettySouth Africaby Firdose Moonda
A year that started off with much promise spiralled downwards alarmingly and South Africa ended 2022 at a crossroads. The national set-up, including the teams and the administration, is floundering, while a new franchise T20 league, the SA20, has been launched in a bid to save the game from a financial abyss. The question on everyone’s minds is whether the SA20 can inject new life into the game, especially the domestic game, which has been completely neglected.After beating India and Bangladesh at home and drawing the series in New Zealand, South Africa rose to the top of the World Test Championship points’ table, but they could not sustain their run. With injuries robbing them of at least one main batter on their next two tours, and inexperience rife in the line-up, they were dismissed for under 200 in seven successive Test innings and lost series in England and Australia.South Africa have only four Tests scheduled for this year. With a diminishing first-class structure, the future of the red-ball game is under scrutiny in the country. The white-ball game isn’t faring much better. After losing series to Bangladesh and India and forfeiting a rubber in Australia to accommodate the SA20, South Africa remain out of contention for automatic qualification for the 2023 ODI World Cup.The women’s team followed a similar trajectory. They started the year well, with an ODI series win over West Indies. They lost only one match in the round-robin stage of the 50-over World Cup and looked set to challenge for their first final but fell away completely in the semi-final against England. The team went on to lose ODI and T20I series in England, were disappointing at the Commonwealth Games, and said goodbye to two key players, Lizelle Lee and Mignon du Preez. The 2023 T20 World Cup, at home, will be a tough test.The person tasked with dealing with these multiple problems is director of cricket Enoch Nkwe, who began work in July. His most pressing task is to appoint national coaches – the men’s team need a replacement for Mark Boucher, while the women’s team coach Hilton Moreeng’s contract runs out at the end of March.High point
Back-to-back successful chases against India suggested South African cricket was on the up at the start of 2022: they scored 240 to hand India their first Test defeat in Johannesburg and 212 in Cape Town to complete a morale-boosting victory. Keegan Petersen, the Player of the Series, scored three fifties in four innings, suggesting South Africa had found a new mainstay at No. 3.Low point
In what could well be remembered as the lowest point since readmission, South Africa were booted out of the T20 World Cup after losing their final group match to Netherlands. After beating India in what was considered their toughest match, South Africa sleepwalked through what should have been their easiest, failing to chase 159. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi went at more 11 runs an over each and none of the batters scored more than 25. It was a result that beggared belief and brought an ignominious end to Boucher’s term as the national men’s coach.Results
Men
Tests: P11 W6 L5
ODIs: P12 W6 L5 NR1
T20Is: P18 W9 L7 NR2Women
Tests: P1 D1
ODIs: P18 W10 L6 NR2
T20Is: P9 W3 L6Finn Allen batted at a strike rate of over 260 in New Zealand’s 89-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup•Associated PressNew Zealandby Deivarayan Muthu
The last year was one of unprecedented change in New Zealand cricket: Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham and Martin Guptill all turned down their central contracts to pursue gigs in T20 leagues around the world. Boult’s partner-in-swing, Tim Southee, took over the Test captaincy from Kane Williamson, who is still in charge of the white-ball sides. The women got match-fee parity with the men in a new five-year deal.On the field, however, it wasn’t as rosy as in 2021. The World Test champions of the inaugural cycle suffered a sharp decline, losing five of eight Tests they played, including a 3-0 whitewash in England.But New Zealand men enter the ODI World Cup year in better health: they are the No. 1 team in the format and have beefed up their spin resources for the tournament in India. Wellington allrounder Michael Bracewell has emerged from the fringes to become a vital member of the side.On the T20I front, New Zealand surprised Australia en route to progressing to the knockouts of the men’s World Cup for a second successive time, but Pakistan raised themselves from the dead and stopped them in their tracks in the semi-final.Overall New Zealand men navigated the changing landscape well, as their win-loss ratio of 1.80 suggests; only India and Australia are above them on this list among Full Members.The women finished third from bottom in an eight-team ODI World Cup, but they bounced back strongly in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where they toppled England to bag the bronze. They also won T20I series against Bangladesh at home and against West Indies away.High point
Finn Allen’s no-holds-barred assault that produced 42 runs off 16 balls set the scene for New Zealand’s first victory against Australia in Australia since 2011. At the SCG, Devon Conway dovetailed beautifully with Allen to propel New Zealand to 200 for 3 in the opening game of the Super 12s in the T20 World Cup. Mitchell Santner, Southee and Boult then skittled the hosts for 111. It put Australia on the path to an early exit and New Zealand into the semi-finals.Low point
From the zenith of their WTC win in England in 2021, New Zealand hit a nadir when they were swept 3-0 on their return to the country in 2022. Southee and Williamson looked cooked at different points, but there was a bright spot: Daryl Mitchell notched up three centuries in as many Tests on that tour.ResultsMen
Tests: P8 W2 L5 D1
ODIs: P16 W10 L4 NR2
T20Is: P22 W15 L6 T1Women
ODIs: P18 W10 L6 NR2
T20Is: P14 W11 L3Pakistan made it to the final of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup, but couldn’t get over the line in either•ICC via Getty ImagesPakistanby Danyal Rasool
Pakistan drew a clear line between white- and red-ball cricket in 2022. T20I success headlined the narrative again – Babar Azam’s side continued to lay strong foundations in the format, reaching the final of the Asia Cup, and then of the T20 World Cup, though defeats in each, as well as a 4-3 series defeat to England left Pakistan frustrated at multiple final hurdles. A tri-series win in New Zealand did not seem to adequately compensate.The 8-1 record in ODIs in 2022 is encouraging going into a World Cup year, though a dismal showing in Test cricket cast a shadow. Just one win in nine Tests killed their WTC final hopes; they were second on the table this time last year. There were no home wins all year, and they suffered their first ever home-series whitewash. Throw in yet another administrative shake-up, with Ramiz Raja out and Najam Sethi back in, and Pakistan look to be in transition both on and off the field heading into 2023.The women’s side generally fell in line with expectations, with the odd surprise result. Their performances in international tournaments let them down, with just one win in seven at the 50-over World Cup, as well as defeats in all three Commonwealth Games matches. A win over India that carried them to the Asia Cup semi-final provided the brightest spark, though a defeat to Thailand, as well as a home T20I series loss to Ireland, offered stark reality checks.High point
Pakistan needed a Netherlands win to avoid elimination from the T20 World Cup, and when that happened, their campaign burst into life. They beat Bangladesh to make the final four, then swept New Zealand to reach a World Cup final – a showing that seemed unlikely at the start of their campaign.Low point
A fortnight after England bested them in the World Cup final, they arrived to play a three-match Test series in Pakistan. They had only ever won two Tests in the country, but a Pakistan bereft of ideas and inspiration were blown away in all three Test matches, their dynamism throwing Pakistan’s stale approach to the format in sharp relief.ResultsMen
Tests: P9 W1 L5 D3
ODIs: P9 W8 L1
T20Is: P26 W14 L12Women
ODIs: P13 W6 L7
T20Is: P17 W10 L7FTW: Ireland celebrate knocking England over at the T20 World Cup•AFP/Getty ImagesIrelandby Peter Della Penna
The bar had been set quite low in 2021 by both the men and women – losses to UAE, Netherlands, Namibia and USA for the former; finishing runner-up in the T20 World Cup European Regional Qualifier to Scotland for the latter – so any sort of improvement in 2022 would have been seen as a success.Both sides managed to put the previous year behind them, and how. The men began the year pulling off an improbable 2-1 ODI away series win over West Indies with a Covid-depleted squad. A month later, they exorcised some of their demons from the T20 World Cup in 2021, besting the qualifier hosts Oman in a knockout semi-final to secure their spot at this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.When they got there, not only did they beat West Indies at the end of the opening round to secure a spot in the Super 12s – their first time in the second phase of the tournament since 2009 – they went on to hand eventual champions England their only loss of the tournament.The women kicked off 2022 with their first T20I win over South Africa since 2016. At the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi in September, they not only exacted revenge against Scotland, they then knocked out Zimbabwe in a semi-final to clinch a place at the T20 World Cup for the first time since 2018. To underscore that these results were not a fluke, they ended the year beating Pakistan 2-1 in a T20I series in Lahore.High point
Captain Andy Balbirnie making a half-century to guide his side to an epic upset of England at the T20 World Cup.Low point
Craig Young giving up 24 off the final over to Michael Bracewell as New Zealand chased a target of 301 to win by one wicket in the first ODI, in Malahide in July.Results
Men
ODIs: P6 W2 L4
T20Is: P27 W11 L16Women
ODIs: P9 W3 L6
T20Is: P16 W8 L8Netherlands booked their berth at the 2024 T20 World Cup by knocking South Africa out of the 2022 tournament and finishing in the top four in their group•Getty ImagesNetherlandsby Peter Della Penna
It was a tale of two halves in 2022 for Netherlands. Not only did the men go winless in 12 ODIs across the first half of the year, head coach Ryan Campbell had a close brush with deathRoelof van der Merwe’s running catch to dismiss David Miller, a catalyst for the team’s first ever win over South Africa, which secured them an automatic berth in the 2024 T20 World Cup.Low point
Going winless in 15 ODIs, and in the process falling out of contention for an automatic berth on rankings points in the World Cup ODI Super League.ResultsMen
ODIs: P15 W0 L15
T20Is: P15 W8 L7Women
ODIs: P7 W0 L7
T20Is: P9 W4 L5Namibia kicked off the T20 World Cup with a shock win over Sri Lanka, but it was mostly downhill from there•Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Associated PressNamibia, USA, Nepal, Papua New Guineaby Peter Della Penna
After a series of historic firsts in 2021 – including maiden T20 World Cup appearances for Namibia and Papua New Guinea, and a maiden T20I victory over a Test nation recorded by USA over Ireland – 2022 represented a mixed bag for the next rung of Associate teams.Having made it to the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021, Namibia looked like they would repeat the feat in 2022, having started the opening round with a thumping win over Sri Lanka. But they then managed to stumble against the two Associate sides, including a previously winless UAE on the last day when a simple victory would have taken them through to the Super 12s.USA’s lack of consistency harmed them throughout the year and eventually led to head coach J Arunkumar’s contract not being renewed. They scored victories over Scotland and Oman in ODIs, but fell short against both Zimbabwe and Netherlands in the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. It means their T20 World Cup debut will have to wait until 2024, when they co-host the event with West Indies.Nepal went undefeated in the group stage of their T20 World Cup Qualifier field in Oman, only to be tripped up by UAE in a semi-final contest with a spot in the T20 World Cup on the line. Head coach Pubudu Dassanayake’s second stint in charge of the national team ended abruptly in July, when he was released from his contract early to take a head coaching role closer to home in Canada.Papua New Guinea’s streak of 18 straight ODI losses was finally broken when they beat UAE in March. Still, their woeful record in Cricket World Cup League Two (two wins out of 28 matches with eight matches remaining) resulted in the dismissal of Carl Sandri as head coach and means they may struggle to retain ODI status when pitted against Canada and Jersey, who will be coming up from the ICC Challenge League to compete in the six-team repechage tournament ahead of the ICC World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in 2023.High point
Namibia demolishing Sri Lanka by 55 runs in the opening encounter of the T20 World Cup at Geelong.Low point
Nepal captain Sandeep Lamichhane being arrested and held in custody without bail over allegations of sexual assault.Report cards for the other top teams. More in our look back at 2022

Arsenal have a brimming pipeline of exciting young talent and could be set to add prodigious Montpellier gem Laciné Megnan-Pavé to their ranks if they can fight off competition for his services.

Fighting on all fronts, the Gunners have began to call on the strength of their squad in recent times, evidenced in the fact that Andre Harriman-Annous starred in their victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek.

Clearly, there is room for developing talent to feature under Mikel Arteta should youngsters impress at underage level. With his side top of the Premier League and seeking to go deep into multiple competitions, domestic matches outwith the top-flight may be the breeding ground to blood more of their academy.

However, chances for Hale End prodigies may dry up amid positive injury updates on Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz. Strength in depth is key for the Gunners, and supporters will be delighted that the Spaniard will soon have added flexibility ahead of the festive fixture list.

Adding context, he added: “I see them work every single day, how desperate they are to be part of the team, the huge boost that is going to be for the squad to have those players available again after such a long time. I’m really happy that I think it’s going to be very soon.”

His happiness may be about to multiply, given Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta already appears to have one eye on the next youngster to enter the conveyor belt of bristiling talent at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal fighting Barcelona for Montpellier sensation Laciné Megnan-Pavé

According to Sport.fr, Arsenal are looking to sign Montpellier youngster Laciné Megnan-Pavé and sporting director Berta will look to beat the might of Barcelona to land the services of the exciting goalscorer.

At just 15 years of age, he is already captain of France’s Under-16 squad and has shown a demonstrable track record of hitting the target after notching 15 goals and 12 assists in 24 games last season.

Now under observation due to his ‘explosive’ profile, murmurs insist that Montpellier will offer him a three-year professional contract once he turns 16, albeit the notion of making your name at an elite club like Arsenal may be difficult to turn down.

Physically, he stands at 6ft 1in and is more than a match for defenders despite still having plenty of years to grow, adding another layer of intrigue as the Gunners look to secure his services.

This marks an increase of almost four times the money awarded in the 2022 World Cup, which had an overall pool of USD 3.5 million

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2025The upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup will have a prize pool of USD 13.88 million. This marks almost a fourfold rise from the previous ODI World Cup, held in New Zealand in 2022, which had an overall pool of USD 3.5 million, and also marks a significant increase from the USD 10 million pool for the Men’s ODI World Cup in India two years ago.This World Cup, the 13th edition, will have the highest prize money for the winners of a women’s global tournament: USD 4.48 million, a 239 percent increase from the USD 1.32 million awarded to Australia in 2022. The runners-up will receive USD 2.24 million – an increase of 273 percent in comparison to the USD 600,000 England won three years ago. The losing semi-finalists will receive USD 1.12 million each – up from USD 300,000 in 2022 – while the group-stage participants are guaranteed to earn USD 250,000.For each group-stage win, teams will earn a further USD 34,314. At the end of the group stage, the teams that finish fifth and sixth will be awarded USD 700,000 each, while those who finish seventh and eighth will earn USD 280,000.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Our message is simple, women cricketers must know they will be treated on par with men if they choose this sport professionally,” Jay Shah, the ICC chair, said in a statement. “The uplift [in prize money] underscores our ambition to deliver a world-class ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and to inspire the next generation of players and fans. Women’s cricket is on a remarkable upward trajectory, and with this step we are confident the momentum will accelerate.”This edition of the World Cup will take place in India and Sri Lanka from September 30. Though the opening match of the tournament, between India and Sri Lanka, is less than a month away, tickets are yet to go on sale. However, the ICC has said that tickets are expected to go on sale online this week.The tickets for the 2022 World Cup were available six months ahead of the tournament.

Ruben Amorim reportedly "canvassed opinion" on Tyrell Malacia's reintegration from several Manchester United first-team players after the Dutch full-back became the only player from the club's 'bomb squad' who failed to secure a move away from Old Trafford during the summer transfer window. Other outcasts like Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony were shipped off as Amorim overhauled the squad.

Lone 'bomb squad' survivor

The last time Malacia played for United was back in January 2025, when he featured in Amorim's starting lineup in a Europa League clash against FCSB, but the defender played only the first half. In February, the Dutchman was shipped off on loan to PSV, where he appeared in eight Eredivisie matches. Malacia, along with other loanees like Sancho, Rashford and Antony returned to Old Trafford in the summer, but those players, along with Garnacho, were then informed that they were no longer needed in the team. While the other four players successfully secured moves away from the Premier League club before the transfer window closed, Malacia failed to do so, and his future seemed uncertain.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim took player poll on Malacia

After deadline day, Amorim "canvassed opinion" on Malacia's reintegration and several players spoke in the Dutch defender's favour, according to . The report adds that the Portuguese coach heeded the feedback and slowly allowed the 26-year-old to return to the squad. He was an unused substitute when United beat Brighton 4-2 at Old Trafford on October 25.

Fitness remains a concern for Malacia

Malacia’s journey in England has been far from smooth. The Dutchman was Erik ten Hag’s first signing at Old Trafford in 2022, as he arrived from Feyenoord for a £13 million ($16m) fee with €2m in add-ons. His debut season at Red Devils was promising as he made 39 appearances across all competitions. However, disaster soon struck as a brutal knee meniscus injury halted his progress in the Premier League and kept him sidelined for a staggering 550 days. He only re-emerged last season, but was nowhere close to the player he used to be and soon fell out of favour under Amorim. 

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AFPHow are other 'bomb squad' members faring?

Antony and Rashford have taken La Liga by storm as they have cemented their places in the starting lineups of Real Betis and Barcelona, respectively, although the latter is only on loan at Camp Nou. Garnacho, meanwhile, has registered four goal contributions in his first 10 games for Chelsea. Sancho is the only former United bomb squad member still struggling in new surroundings, with the winger finding regular minutes hard to come by on loan at Aston Villa.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series on Wednesday night, beating the New York Yankees 7-6 in Game 5 to clinch the franchise's eighth championship. After recording the final out, the Dodgers all poured onto the field to celebrate. Eventually they moved to the locker room to cover the visitor's clubhouse in beer and champagne.

Sometime in between those two traditional baseball celebration moments, the public address system at Yankee Stadium played Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," a song usually played after victories by the home team. Here's video of impending free agent Juan Soto watching the Dodgers while the song plays in the background.

Unsurprisingly, this shocked or bothered some people.

The thing is, who cares? The Yankees play the song after losses, too. At this point it's apparently just used as a way to drive people towards the gates so they no longer have to hear a song so old it was released back in the '70s when the Yankees used to actually win World Series. The only people who should have been bothered by "New York, New York" playing was the Dodgers, because it was a reminder that they had a six-hour flight ahead of them.

Chelsea have now joined the race to sign a “hugely impressive” £70m forward, who recently broke a Champions League record.

Blues' winning streak ended by Sunderland

After winning four games on the spin in all competitions, Chelsea fans could be forgiven for expecting a comfortable victory at home against newly-promoted Sunderland, but their winning streak was brought to an abrupt end.

Chemsdine Talbi’s stoppage-time winner secured all three points for the visitors, with the Blues hardly laying a glove on their opponents, recording an xG of just 0.90 throughout the match, which will no doubt be a concern for Enzo Maresca.

It was a very poor performance from the hosts, and perhaps the only slight positive was Alejandro Garnacho’s performance, with the summer signing scoring his first goal since arriving from Manchester United.

It is still early days, but Garnacho will now be hoping he can kick on and silence the doubters, with journalist Ollie Holt not convinced the winger’s move to Stamford Bridge will pan out.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have also joined the race for another young forward, having sent scouts to watch Bayern Munich forward Lennart Karl in action, but a deal is expected to be on the expensive side.

Indeed, Bayern value their break-out youngster at around €70m – €80m (£61m – £70m), which means the west Londoners may need to shell out a huge fee to tempt the German club into a sale.

Having recently smashed the previous record to become Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer, a number of top clubs have joined the race for Karl, with Arsenal and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

"Hugely impressive" Karl could be future star

It is a very promising sign that the 17-year-old has managed to force his way into Vincent Kompany’s plans at such a young age, featuring six times in the Bundesliga this season, during which time he has chipped in with two goal contributions.

Having also gotten off the mark in the Champions League, the teenager has proven he could be a future star, but there are doubts over whether he is the type of signing that Chelsea need at this stage.

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The Blues added Jamie Gittens and Garnacho to their ranks this summer, so it is questionable whether they need to bring in another young winger, with Paul Merson recently emphasizing that a lack of experience is a real issue.

Merson said: “The team is too young. The oldest player there is 23, 24? When you get a young team, you’re up and down, they have wingers who are very inconsistent.”

As such, rather than signing Karl, who has been described as “hugely impressive” by scout Ben Mattinson, Chelsea could do with bringing in players with more experience, instead of being so hell-bent on only signing young players.

Premier League legend Rory Delap has revealed that his son Liam was reduced to tears as a child as overzealous parents accused him of "ruining the game" with his long throws. The 49-year-old was the long throw-in king during his playing days, and as a result, his offspring appear to find it hard not to be tarred with that same brush. And when Liam was at primary school, one incident stung the Delap family.

Delap a throw-in legend

The 49-year-old became synonymous with long throws during his days at Stoke City, as defences quivered in fear at his javelin-like delivery into opposition boxes. While Delap senior became a cult figure for his howitzer set pieces in the 2000s, there appeared to be a negative knock-on effect for his son. Rory recalled how he agreed to stand in for Liam's coach for one game when he was at primary school – and it left a lasting impression. 

Talking to the Derbyshire FA/DerbyUniFootyJournos podcast On The Grass, Delap recalled: "The coach wasn’t able to be there and the game would have been postponed, so he asked me to take it for him. Unfortunately, in the game, the team was losing. And then there was 30 seconds left or something. Liam took two long throws, I’m talking aged seven or eight. We scored from them. Their parents are going berserk: ‘You’re ruining the game!’ So Liam was in tears even though they’ve won. That’s probably the last time he took a throw in. And that was the end of my grassroots coaching career.”

AdvertisementAFPDelap 'proud' of his son Liam

The 22-year-old has had a bright start to his career, graduating from Manchester City's academy to their first-team, securing a move to Ipswich Town, where he impressed in the Premier League, and then sealing a £30 million ($39.5m) summer move to Chelsea. Naturally, the former Southampton and Derby County man is very proud of what the striker has accomplished thus far.

"I’m immensely proud of Liam, of all three of my sons and my daughter," he said. "People think Liam’s had an easy route, and it’s anything but. He’s had his ups, his downs, but he’s always stayed focused that he could make it. He had to leave home, make a decision to leave home at 16, go to Manchester not knowing really what the situation was, but he’s always backed himself. I’ve always said, ‘if you work as hard as possible so there’s no excuse, you never know where it’s going to get you – treat people with respect, see where it takes you’. He’s not there yet. He’s had a big move in the summer to Chelsea, a big opportunity for him. Liam’s been unfortunate with the (hamstring) injury, he started well in America and then the start of the season, but he’s got a lot to do to force his way into the team now."

Success of long throws a consequence of Guardiola's style

Among many talking points this season, the return of long throw-ins has been a big one. Arsenal, Brentford, and Sunderland have utilised the tactic well as teams look to find other ways to unlock defences. And according to Delap, this trend is partly in response to Pep Guardiola's tactics being so effective in the past 15 years or so.

He added: "If you look over the last 10 years, Pep’s had a big influence on how teams, not just in the Premier League play, but across the board. Pep’s always had the best players in the world to work with, which makes things a lot easier. You can go down to the non-league divisions and see it there as well – where teams are trying to play their way out. It’s the same with academies, the majority of the teams will look to play out and they want technical players. The consequence of that is you end up with the defenders that can’t defend and head the football. That’s become prevalent, that people are putting more long balls in because the lads that have come through the academies don’t understand how to defend that type of situation. So you’re seeing the longer balls, throw-ins, set plays. There’s a correlation in a lot of teams having set play coaches, but it’s a bit disrespectful to say that’s a new thing, because it’s not. It was just that before it was the coach’s or the manager’s job to do it as part of the plan, the programme. So it’s no less or no more important today than it was. Teams are doing it because they’re getting success."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Delap, who has just returned from a hamstring injury, is not on long throw-in duty for Chelsea. However, he will hope to be very effective for Enzo Maresca's team when they host Premier League basement side Wolves on Saturday.

All you need to know about how balls land up in the ball library, and how they are selected for replacement

Sidharth Monga16-Jul-20255:19

Kumble: There can’t be so many ball changes in a Test match

A common theme during the England-India Test series has been the frequently replaced balls because the original ones are losing shape. Ever wondered where the replacement balls come from, how they are sorted and selected? Here is all you need to know.Where do the replacement balls come from?Two or three days before the Test, the host association provides used balls from first-class matches played in its venue. If it is Old Trafford, for example, Lancashire provides these balls to the fourth umpire, New South Wales for SCG, Mumbai Cricket Association for Wankhede, and so on.The fourth umpire then inspects the balls putting them through the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, it is considered eligible to go into the “ball library”, which is the box you see coming out when a ball is changed during a Test match. Any ball that goes through both the rings is ineligible to start playing with in the first place. So if it goes through both, it is too small to be in use. If it goes through neither, it is too big. If it goes through one and not the other, it is the right size. The number of these potential replacements depends on venues. Tests in India, England and Australia generally tend to have about 20 replacement balls, but in some countries the number can be as low as 12.Related

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Why teams need big nuts for the Test series

If the fourth umpire sees an issue with most of the balls or doesn’t see enough eligible balls, they bring it up with the rest of the officiating team – on-field umpires, third umpire and match referee – and then they collectively ask the association to provide for more. The same process is followed for new balls. Every new ball is put through the rings before the Test.The endeavour is to have the largest possible range available from semi-new to old, but they are not batched according to age. A ball that has been used for 60 overs on a lush outfield could well be a replacement for one used in a Test on a drier outfield for just 30 overs.The umpire puts the ball through the ring•Getty ImagesSo are we covered for all contingencies?No, it is not possible to bring an exact like-for-like replacement. The best they can hope to do is get a replacement ball that is nearest to the original ball in wear and tear. It could be older or it could be newer.This is why the umpires are reluctant to change the ball unless it has gone completely out of shape. To maintain the integrity of the competition, the rule of the thumb is to change it only when there is no other way to continue with the existing ball. The teams of course want a ball that suits them; any change is liable to leave one of them unsatisfied.Also remember that the laws doesn’t provide for a ball change for softness. The ball is changed if there is clear damage, wetness or loss of shape. Even with the shape, nowhere do the laws mention the ball has to be round. The only shape criterion for a ball change is that if it goes through neither or both of the rings on the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, and if its seam is in place and the ball is dry, you have no option but to continue with it no matter how soft it feels.Are local first-class matches the only source for replacement balls?No, the match officials have to act on their feet sometimes. If they feel they are running out of replacement balls rapidly, they can ask the teams to provide used balls from their nets. They are run through the same tests before they are sent into the ball library.Another source is match balls from earlier in the series. If an innings in an earlier Test in the series has lasted 45 overs, that ball can sent into the library provided it passes the quality checks and no bowler wants to keep it as a souvenir for a five-for.Umpire Paul Reiffel looks for a replacement from the ball library•Getty ImagesThere have also been cases where the match balls have gone out of shape rapidly and the match referee has had to send for more from the neighbouring county or state association.Hang on, so a good swinging ball that inflicted damage earlier on in the series can come back into play later?Yes, but nobody knows which ball is which. There is no marking done on the ball, and once the balls go into the library it is near impossible to tell them apart.Can umpires change the ball without the involvement of the bowling team?Yes they can, but they do it only when they suspect ball tampering or if they ball is damaged to the extent that just tidying up with a pair of scissors is not enough.The thing with ball tampering is that since it is an accusation of cheating, it needs visual evidence. The umpires avoid making such explicit charges, but do quietly change the ball if they see something is off.Umpire-led changes of the ball are, however, rare. The ball goes to them for a check at every dismissal, during drinks break, if it has hit an LED board or been in the crowd, and during longer intervals. They don’t check it between overs or during overs.5:34

How the Dukes ball is made and why it’s going out of shape

So, the ball change on the second morning at Lord’s – when the ball was clearly out of shape but was also doing a lot for India – would not have eventuated had India not asked for it. As it turned out, the replacement ball did nothing for them and went out of shape in eight overs.Is balls losing shape an issue with a specific brand?Test cricket uses three brands of balls: SG in India, Dukes in England and the West Indies, and Kookaburra elsewhere. Balls losing shape is not limited to any particular brand.There was a time in the late 2010s when SG used to lose shape often, and the Indian players used to bring it to notice despite being sponsored by SG. Kookaburra has often being criticised for the least prominent seam of all three, but its manufacturing process has reinforced the seam in recent years. Dukes just happens to be in the eye of the storm now with frequent complaints from both sides. Even in the concurrent series in the West Indies, especially in the first Test, the players didn’t quite like the ball.However, a lot of it is also gamesmanship. You usually see complaints only when the wickets are not falling. On the last day of Lord’s, when it was in England’s interest to bowl with a softer ball to deny Ravindra Jadeja striking opportunities, the shape of the ball was never brought into question. Often, bowling sides just take a punt when nothing is happening for them in the hope that the library doesn’t have a ball that will be any worse than the one than they have in hand.Dukes has an advantage over the others when it comes to being replaced. The ball has a stamp, the equivalent of a batch number, to identify the year of manufacture. So it is not possible to be playing in 2025 with a Dukes ball that was, say, last used in 2023 or was part of another production batch. SG and Kookaburra don’t have such identification markers.