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Nottingham Forest are preparing for their first campaign back in European competition since 1996, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side marking themselves out as last season’s surprise Premier League package.

Nottingham Forest now rivalling Chelsea to sign "complete" £25m midfielder

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 20, 2025

Forest were serious contenders to qualify for the Champions League for a large portion of 2024/2025, but they fell just short on a dramatic final day which eventually saw Newcastle United and Chelsea pip them to a place in the top five.

Aston Villa took the final Europa League spot in sixth, meaning Forest ultimately had to settle for a place in the Conference League, and the far less lucrative prize pool.

In any case, Forest certainly weren’t initially tipped to qualify for Europe and end their near-two-decade-long wait to compete outside English shores, so we can safely call last term an undoubted success for Nuno.

It is now the task of Evangelos Marinakis and the Forest board to build upon their excellent campaign in the transfer market, with Forest also under less PSR pressure than this time last year after earning an extra £32.4 million in Premier League prize money.

Their seventh-placed finish and place in Europe means Forest could “fall a decent way short” of the £85 million they’re permitted to lose this financial year without breaching PSR (The Athletic), meaning Nuno’s side have more wiggle room to spend on summer recruitment.

Forest could still be forced to sell star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, considering the England international has just two years remaining on his contract, and he’s shown zero indication that he’s willing to pen an extension at the City Ground (The Mail).

Gibbs-White’s potential sale, combined with both their league and European earnings, looks likely to fund Forest’s summer transfer window as they gear up for a crucial 2025/2026 campaign.

“Nottingham Forest will look to strengthen,” said ex-Premier League chief scout Mick Brown to Football Insider this week.

“Their recruitment has been excellent recently, and they’re able to bring players into an environment where they all work together for the club.”

Forest are targeting new forwards to complement Nuno’s squad and back the Portuguese with more firepower, as they look to compete on multiple fronts, with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović a serious option for them.

Nottingham Forest hold talks with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović

The Serbia international is out of contract next summer as things stand, and if the Old Lady cannot agree to extend their talisman’s deal, he could be allowed to leave for as little as £26 million.

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who also told TEAMtalk this week that Forest have contacted Vlahovic’s representatives for discussions in an effort to tempt the centre-forward with a Premier League switch.

The Tricky Trees are described as favourites to sign Vlahovic, who is very keen on a move to England. Despite interest from Serie A heavyweights AC Milan, Forest stands out as the most “concrete” option for him.

Called a “superstar” striker by members of the Italian media, Vlahovic has hit double figures in every single season since 2020/2021, across spells at both Juve and Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old, who won Serbia’s Footballer of the Year award in 2024, would be a bold statement of intent from Forest, but his reported £200,000-per-week wage demands prove a major obstacle.

Leeds United needed a late goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin to salvage a point against Brentford away from home in the Premier League on Sunday.

That result extends the Whites’ unbeaten run to three matches after the 3-1 win over Chelsea and the 3-3 draw with Liverpool, both at Elland Road, in the previous two games.

Daniel Farke’s side have excelled in the new 3-5-2 system, which was used from the start for the first time against Chelsea, and the manager will be learning more about how his players suit it with each passing game.

For example, Wilfried Gnonto’s cameo against Brentford suggests that it may be worth trying him in a new position as a right-sided wing-back.

Why Wilfried Gnonto should play as a wing-back

The Italy U21 international was introduced as a substitute in the 73rd minute to change the formation back to a 4-3-3, with Jayden Bogle moving to right-back and Gnonto playing on the right wing.

However, it could be worth utilising the Italian’s talents in a right-wing-back role in future matches, perhaps ones against teams that Leeds should be expected to have more of the ball in than against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, because of the quality that he can provide.

In 73 minutes as a wing-back, Bogle failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for the team, per Sofascore, before Gnonto created a ‘big chance’ to assist Calvert-Lewin with a brilliant ball into the box.

Now, imagine the former Inter starlet being in positions to put crosses like that into the box on a regular basis as a wing-back. It could be a position that gets a lot out of him, whilst also giving him extra responsibility defensively to help develop the out-of-possession side to his game.

With this potential tweak in mind, central defender Jaka Bijol may already be on thin ice in this new formation after his disappointing performance against Brentford.

Why Jaka Bijol may be on thin ice

The £15m summer signing from Udinese has been one of the biggest winners from the change in formation because it created an extra centre-back position for him to slot in between Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Bijol had a nightmare for Brentford’s opening goal, though, because he firstly played Rico Henry onside by failing to step up, then failed to clear the ball away from danger, and, crucially, left his boot in to divert Jordan Henderson’s shot past Lucas Perri.

It was far from a completely dismal performance, despite those errors for the goal, because he did do well against in-form centre-forward Igor Thiago for most of the match. Journalist Beren Cross even noted that he “bodied Thiago” in the first half.

Bijol won six of his ten duels, per Sofascore, whilst Thiago, who has scored 11 Premier League goals this season, lost 15 of his 21 duels in the match, which shows that he coped well with Brentford’s star man.

However, his errors for the goal and the potential of Gnonto playing as a wing-back could see him on thin ice and potentially dropped from the starting line-up, as it would allow Joe Rodon to play centrally, with Jayden Bogle slotting in as the right-sided centre-back.

Bogle could play as a right-back in possession, supporting Gnonto, and as a right-sided centre-back out of possession, making the new Leeds system a bit more fluid than it has been in recent games.

Appearances

16

7

Goals

2

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

1.9

2.6

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.4x

Clearances per game

6.3

5.0

Blocks per game

0.6

0.1

Ground duel success rate

69%

62%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, Rodon has outperformed Bijol in most defensive metrics this season, which suggests that he may be more suited to playing as the central centre-back, tasked with the majority of the defending in the back three.

Moving Rodon into the middle, with Pascal Struijk on the left and Bogle on the right, could make Leeds more solid, due to the Welshman’s strong box defending, and fluid, due to Bogle’s flexibility, which could improve the team overall.

AC Milan player now "set to leave" with Leeds one of two clubs who can sign him

Leeds want another striker to partner Calvert-Lewin…

ByBen Goodwin 3 days ago

Therefore, Bijol’s error combined with Gnonto’s impressive cameo could leave Farke with a big decision to make over the Slovenian’s place in the starting line-up.

He had been appointed to the post in October 2016, and was on a two-year contract, but has now quit five months before the World T20 in the Caribbean

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2018Hemantha Devapriya has resigned as Sri Lanka women coach with immediate effect, citing personal reasons. Devapriya had been appointed to the post in October 2016, and was on a two-year contract, but has now quit five months before the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.Under his tenure, Sri Lanka managed to win only seven out of 34 internationals. In the World Cup last year in England, Sri Lanka won just one match out of seven. More recently in the Asia Cup in Malaysia, they got only two wins in five matches and finished fourth on the points table – having suffered a shock loss to Thailand.Sri Lanka’s next assignment is a home series against India in September. “Whilst thanking Devapriya for his services, SLC will start the process of engaging a new coach to take the women’s team forward,” Ashley De Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, said.A coach for the past 17 years, Devapriya had roles with Colombo Cricket Club, Nondescripts and Fingara Cricket Academy, before working with Sri Lanka A and Sri Lanka women. Devapriya made his first-class debut against Australia in 1980 before the Sri Lankan team was given Test status. He also toured England in 1981 before his participation in the rebel tour to South Africa ended any chance he had to play for his country. He ended his first-class career with 1761 runs in 70 matches.

At the start of May earlier this year, Leeds United made the decision to part ways with Victor Orta and relieve him of his duties as the club's sporting director.

It came with the Whites struggling at the bottom of the Premier League table and they were eventually relegated down to the Championship, despite Sam Allardyce being appointed in a late attempt to secure survival after the Spanish director was sacked.

Orta, who has joined the Yorkshire-based side in 2017, had a mixed spell in charge of the footballing operations at Elland Road and supporters could pick out many examples of both good and bad pieces of transfer business from his tenure.

One move that the sporting director may look back on with immense regret was his decision to cash in on young goalkeeper Elia Caprile, who has gone on to forge a very promising career for himself since his exit last year.

How many appearances did Caprile make for Leeds?

The youngster was signed from Chievo's academy set-up at the start of 2020 and he was not given a single opportunity to play a first-team match for the club during his time at Elland Road.

He was 18 at the time of his move to England and put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Whites, that would have expired at the end of last season.

Caprile had played 40 matches and kept seven clean sheets for Chievo's reserve team but had not made his senior bow for the Italian side.

The teenage titan also kept seven shutouts in 25 U17 outings for his former club and this form convinced Leeds and Orta to swoop for his services ahead of the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.

His only appearance for the Whites that term came in the EFL Trophy and the 18-year-old ace caught the eye with eight saves and a Sofascore rating of 8.2, which was boosted by a penalty shootout save.

Caprile was then promoted to the U21 team for the following season and kept five clean sheets in 18 Premier League 2 games throughout the 2020/21 term.

He was also an unused substitute in five Premier League matches for Marcelo Bielsa that season, which suggests that the talented youngster had impressed the Argentine coach enough to be trusted to be there as a back-up.

How much was Caprile worth at Leeds?

The impressive young ace left Elland Road prior to the start of the 2022/23 campaign and was valued at just €275k (£238k) by Transfermarkt at the end of his spell in England.

This valuation came after Orta and Bielsa had allowed the Italian prospect to spend the previous season on loan with Pro Patria in the third division of football in his home country.

He made 39 appearances for the club in all competitions throughout the 2021/22 term and conceded 46 goals to go along with 13 clean sheets. This included 13 shutouts in 36 Serie C games during his first consistent run of first-team matches in his career at that point.

His form attracted interest from Serie B side Bari and they swooped to sign him on a permanent basis in the summer of 2022, as Orta and then-boss Jesse Marsch seemingly decided that he did not have a long-term future at Leeds.

How did Caprile perform last season?

That decision turned out to be a blunder by the former Whites sporting director as he had a mare with the shot-stopper, who went on to enjoy a fantastic 2022/23 campaign with his new club.

Caprile played a crucial role in Bari's season with a string of outstanding performances between the sticks after his move from the English side.

The 22-year-old ace, who was described as a "superstar" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 37 Serie B outings as he saved 77% of the shots against his goal throughout the season.

Per the aforementioned Kulig, Caprile had prevented 2.93 more goals than the xG of the strikes against him suggested that he should have by March, which shows that the former Leeds man was an above-average performer as a shot-stopper.

How much is Caprile worth now?

At the time of writing (10/10/2023), Transfermarkt have his market value at €4m (£3.5m) and this means that his price has soared over the last 15 months.

His value has rocketed up by a staggering 1,355% from the initial €275k that Transfermarkt placed it at when Leeds opted to sell him to Bari last year.

Since then, Caprile has proved himself to be an outstanding performer in the Serie B for his new club and earned himself a big move to Serie A champions Napoli this year.

The league winners swooped to sign him on a permanent basis from Bari and immediately loaned him out to fellow top-flight side Empoli, where he has made two appearances so far.

Appearances

168

Goals conceded

212

Clean sheets

48

His fantastic development since Orta sold him in 2022 suggests that the former Leeds sporting director had a big mare, particularly when you consider that the club's current number one has underperformed in that time.

How has Illan Meslier performed for Leeds?

The French shot-stopper has had a disappointing start to the current Championship season as the 23-year-old dud has conceded 1.73 more goals than expected across the first 11 matches, as per Sofascore.

This comes after the Leeds lightweight let in a whopping 13.14 more goals than expected and had a save success rate of just 58% across 34 Premier League outings during the 2022/23 campaign.

These statistics show that Daniel Farke's current first-choice has underperformed as a shot-stopper since the start of last season, as he has allowed far too many shots that the average goalkeeper would be expected to save to go into the back of his net.

Meanwhile, Caprile has outperformed expectations in Italy and earned himself a transfer to the winner of one of Europe's five major leagues, and is only one year younger than the Frenchman.

Therefore, Orta had a howler with the sale of the Italian colossus due to the potential upgrade that he could have been for Leeds over Meslier as well as his soaring market value.

The PCB had acted promptly in issuing a notice of charge and provisionally suspending a different player in a case last year

Umar Farooq 09-Jul-2018Over two months on from the dope test, and three weeks since the results of that test became public, the Pakistan player who tested positive for a prohibited substance is yet to face any action.The player in question underwent a test in Faisalabad during the 50-over Pakistan Cup in the last week of April. News of a positive test only emerged through media reports, even though the adverse analytical finding from the WADA-accredited lab in India had reached the PCB in early June.The PCB was forced to tweet out a confirmation that a player had tested positive, but also said that under the ICC’s rules, it could not name the player until the chemical report was confirmed by their own government’s anti-doping agency. “We should have an answer in a day or two,” the board said in the tweet.That was on June 20, since when there has been no answer. The details of why there has been such a delay in getting the reports confirmed is unusual – one PCB official told ESPNcricinfo that the review board of the government’s anti-doping agency was doing a very thorough check of the lab results, which was causing the delay.A PCB official said that “the review board report will be out within the next two-three days”.The government’s anti-doping agency is regulated by the Pakistan Sports Board, but an official from PSB confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that, as of July 8, the body hadn’t received any request for a review from PCB.The timeline of this particular case stands in stark contrast to the last doping case the PCB handled. On October 5, 2017, Imran Butt tested positive during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. A positive finding was confirmed by November 6, a review panel was set up the same day, he was provisionally suspended the following day and by November 15, a notice of charge had been issued.In this case, the PCB is yet to confirm the name of the drug or the prohibited substance found in the player’s urine sample. But if the review board confirms that a prohibited substance was indeed present in the sample, then the player will be ineligible to take part in the game for four years, given it’s his first offence. That sanction can be reduced only if the player manages to establish that he had no significant fault, or negligence, about the doping violation.

Andre Onana was subjected to an “are you going to save one?” jibe from a Manchester United youngster during his error-strewn start at Old Trafford.

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Cameroon international moved from InterEndured early struggles in EnglandHas played his way back into formWHAT HAPPENED?

The Cameroon international goalkeeper found the transition from life at Serie A giants Inter to that under the brightest of Premier League spotlights tough following a £48 million ($62m) transfer in the summer of 2023. Mistakes crept into his game, leading to questions being asked of whether United had made the wrong call in their decision to replace David de Gea.

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According to , the taunts aimed in Onana’s direction were not restricted to those in the stands and press, with it claimed that one inexperienced first-team squad member bellowed “are you going to save one or what?” at the 27-year-old keeper during a training session in which his standards were not considered to be up to scratch.

WHAT STEELE SAID ABOUT ONANA

Onana has worked his way through those struggles to add greater consistency to his game in 2024, with United’s former goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele, saying of that process: “He has followed a similar path to David and even Peter Schmeichel. A difficult first few months, but you have to understand why. Onana came from Italy where the pace and tempo are different. There’s no league in the world where you have the variation in games that you get in the Premier League and it catches new goalkeepers out. You play against a possession team one week — Liverpool, Brighton, Villa or Manchester City — and then you have counter-attacking teams and sides mixing it up far more than you see in Serie A. You’re playing with fans right on top of you in full stadiums that hold 74,000 or 11,000. There are so many variables to get used to and the fans are looking for big saves, which is what you want when you’ve paid so much for a goalkeeper.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

Onana has always put on a positive face in public, with a proven performer sticking by the mantra that form is temporary and class is permanent. He has started to prove as much of late and will be eager to keep making a point to those that were quick to write him off both in and outside of Old Trafford.

Newcastle United have started the 2023/24 campaign in encouraging fashion, as Eddie Howe’s side bid to improve on their successes of last season both in the Premier League and in Europe.

The Magpies recorded their first top-four finish in the top-flight since the 2002/03 campaign, when Sir Bobby Robson was in charge of proceedings at St James’ Park.

Since then, the Geordies have been relegated twice and returned to become the affluent side they are today, as Howe continues to direct his current squad in the direction of stardom, however the latest rumours suggest that the Englishman may look to bolster his side further.

In the summer, Newcastle welcomed five new faces to the North East, with the most prominent capture being the £55m club-record capture of former AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.

While the summer window was a positive one on the business side for the Magpies, there is still work to be done, particularly with reference to Tonali, whose arrival at St James’ has been short-lived so far, as he prepares to begin his ten-month ban from football.

Newcastle United need a replacement for Tonali

Nearly four months after his arrival in England, Tonali is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after being found guilty of betting breaches.

The scandal involves his international teammate Nicolo Fagiolo, who has accepted a seven-month ban, while Aston Villa forward Nicolo Zaniolo is being investigated and awaiting his fate at present.

Tonali’s ban will see him miss the remainder of the 2023/24 season, as well as the 2024 European Championships, seeing the highs of his summer move to the Premier League left decimated by his actions prior to the transfer.

As a result, Newcastle may need to head back into the transfer market to seek additional reinforcements for their midfield for the season ahead, with a host of names already speculated to be in the viewpoint of the Geordies.

Newcastle United transfer news

According to news in Spain, one midfielder that could be eyed by the Magpies is Real Madrid outsider Dani Ceballos, who already has Premier League experience from his time on loan at Arsenal.

While the Spaniard could restore the strengths in distribution lost from Tonali’s absence, the defensive elements to his game need further work, which is where another target with Premier League experience could fulfil the Italian’s role perfectly.

As reported by the Daily Star, Manchester City dud Kalvin Phillips could be available in January after playing just 760 minutes for the treble winners since his arrival last summer.

The Englishman would be a strong fit for the player that Howe could explore in the January window to replace Tonali, however his lack of game time would have left him somewhat out of practice, paving way for an even more suitable candidate to take centre stage.

CaughtOffside revealed that Conor Gallagher could be a player of interest to Newcastle in their quest to replenish their midfield, with the Chelsea midfielder showing fine form so far this season.

The report documents that there could be approaches from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle in January for the 23-year-old, who looks to be enjoying his football under Mauricio Pochettino.

Conor Gallagher’s market value has risen

Currently valued at €50m (£44m) by CIES Football Observatory, Gallagher has seen his market value rise dramatically over the past two years, with a lot to thank for his stellar loan spell at Crystal Palace.

As documented by Football Transfers, Gallagher sported an expected transfer value (xTV) of €22.8m (£19.8m) at the point of his arrival at Selhurst Park in July 2021, a figure that rose by over £10m by the time he returned to Stamford Bridge.

In May 2022, the Englishman had an xTV of €35.6m (£31m), and with his current value listed at £44m, the rise in his expected price tag portrays the improvement in his game, making him a potentially strong acquisition for Newcastle to target.

Conor Gallagher is Chelsea’s top performer

As highlighted in the table below, Gallagher is Chelsea’s top performer in the Premier League this season, securing the highest average match rating with 7.16 via WhoScored.

Conor Gallagher vs Chelsea teammates Premier League 2023/24

Statistic

Average

Rank in squad

Match rating

7.16

1st

Tackles

3

2nd

Key passes

1.1

5th

Assists

2

=1st

Pass success %

90.4%

4th

Through balls

0.2

3rd

Per game averages via WhoScored

The midfielder has been praised by Pochettino for his versatility in the middle of the park, with the manager dubbing him a “great professional”, who can play as a “No8, No10 or a No6” when called upon.

Such qualities and the ability to play throughout the core make him even more of an ideal replacement for Tonali, who has been described as having a similar skillset by The Athletic’s Jacob Whitehead.

Whitehead explained in a column that the Italian is ‘capable of playing all three positions’ in midfield, identical to the traits of Gallagher who could prevail to be Howe’s best-suited target to fill the void left by Tonali.

Conor Gallagher could be the perfect Sandro Tonali replacement

When it comes to actually comparing Tonali and Gallagher, the statistics make for interesting reading, as the Englishman showcased a better passing ability than the Italy international during their respective 2022/23 league campaigns.

As communicated in the table below, Gallagher came out on top over a range of skills relative to the requirements of a midfielder in the Premier League, both with reference to distribution and defensive actions.

Tonali v Gallagher per 90 league stats 2022/23

Sandro Tonali

Conor Gallagher

Pass completion %

75.7%

81.1%

Progressive passes

5.27

5.83

Progressive carries

2.02

2.22

Tackles

2.12

2.55

Passes into final 3rd

4.11

3.72

Shot creating actions

3.36

2.61

Figures via FBref

Once lauded as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the England international has also displayed a stronger level of performance in comparison to the Geordies’ £55m man in the 2023/24 Premier League.

As highlighted by Sofascore, the most prominent difference in their games is their desire to be on the ball, with Gallagher averaging 69.9 touches per game to Tonali’s mere 39.8, as well as showcasing a far greater combative presence with an average of 3.0 tackles per game to his 0.9.

While Howe will be looking to identify a figure to fill the vacancy during the former AC Milan star’s absence, introducing Gallagher could actually hand the manager an upgrade on the banned midfielder, which would only bolster Newcastle’s options for the remainder of the season.

Alisha Lehmann has been filmed gulping down kebabs with Arsenal favourite and fellow Baller League boss Lukas Podolski.

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Lehmann enjoying time in GermanyHas taken up a managerial role in Baller LeagueWorking with former Gunners player PodolskiWHAT HAPPENED?

The Swiss international let her hair down in Germany in a kebab joint along with a group of friends and Podolski. Lehmann was spotted enjoying several types of kebab rolls and other delicacies at the restaurant.

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Lehmann signed up for a managerial role in the Baller League, a project spearheaded by World Cup winners Podolski and Mats Hummels back in December 2023. Despite being in the midst of a Women's Super League campaign, Lehmann has eagerly taken on the challenge, bringing her tactical acumen to the forefront.

The Baller League is characterised by its fast-paced six-a-side format, featuring squads of 11 players, with nine selected during the draft and two designated as wildcards. With 11 match days scheduled, each fixture consists of two 15-minute halves, culminating in the crowning of the Final Four on April 6.

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Getty/InstagramWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

Lehmann has been doing a great job in balancing both her roles – as a Villa player and being the manager with Streets United. She will be back in action on the pitch against Arsenal on Sunday evening in the WSL.

Wicketkeeper Jones hit eight fours and three sixes to post comfortably her best score in three seasons with Lightning but maintaining a run of improved performances with the bat

ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2018
ScorecardLoughborough Lightning booked their place at finals day in the third Women’s Kia Super League with a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Lancashire Thunder, knocking off a target of 137 with 33 balls to spare.England’s Amy Jones led with the way with a sparkling unbeaten 66 off 39 deliveries, backed up by an unbeaten 40 from Australian opener Rachael Haynes in an unbroken partnership of 110 in 11 overs.Wicketkeeper Jones hit eight fours and three sixes to post comfortably her best score in three seasons with Lightning but maintaining a run of improved performances with the bat, which included two 50-overs half-centuries for England in their series against New Zealand earlier this summer.The win means that Lightning complete their fixtures at the Haslegrave Ground with a 100 percent record before decamping to Edgbaston for their final ‘home’ match, the televised showdown with Western Storm that may well decide who finishes top of the table.Thunder, who had chosen to bat first after winning the toss, had looked on for a more substantial total after Georgie Boyce and Amy Satterthwaite had built on a productive Powerplay with a stand of 47 for the second wicket.Boyce, who had been part of the Lightning squad in 2016 and 2017 without making an appearance in the KSL, looked at home on the Haslegrave Ground pitch. Replacing Evelyn Jones in the Thunder line-up and pushed up the order to open with the Australian Nicole Bolton, Nottingham-born Boyce calmed any nerves with a couple of early boundaries and had the confidence to take the initiative after Bolton had been leg before to left-arm spinner Linsey Smith for 19 in the sixth over, at the end of which Thunder were 40 for 1.Boyce launched a straight six off Lightning skipper Georgia Elwiss’s medium pace. Her luck ran out when Jenny Gunn, who had dropped her in the previous over, held a catch at deep midwicket in the 12th over but her 38 off 41 balls was comfortably her best KSL score and her partnership with Satterthwaite had added 47 in 6.1 overs.Having been 81 for 1, Thunder looked to have a platform for a more challenging total but although the tall left-hander Satterthwaite maintained her consistent form with the bat, no one could provide the supporting role the innings needed as Lightning’s spinners built pressure through the middle overs.Harmanpreet Kaur gave an easy return catch to Elwiss and Natalie Brown was lured down the track by Kirstie Gordon to give Amy Jones a straightforward stumping.Satterthwaite had success against most of the bowlers but Thunder’s attempts to push up the scoring rate became desperate in the end and four wickets fell in the final three overs of the innings, including Satterthwaite, caught off a thick edge by Smith at cover off seamer Sophie Devine, whose two wickets took her to 13 for the series as KSL 2018’s leading wicket-taker.In typical style, Devine was quick to find the boundary at the top of the Lightning innings before a rare mix-up with partner Haynes resulted in a run-out in the fourth over. Nonetheless, with Jones picking up the temp immediately to pull Emma Lamb for six, Lightning were 46 for 1 after six overs.Hazell and Brown managed to slow the scoring pace but a couple of costly overs by Alex Hartley and Kate Cross tipped the balance back with Lightning comfortably on track at 89 for 1 after 10 overs.Jones reached her fifty off just 30 balls with a couple of boundaries off Hazell and Lancashire’s afternoon was summed up when Hartley managed to bowl Haynes only for the left-hander to be recalled when the umpires pointed out that there were four fielders inside the circle.Jones levelled the scores with her third six off Sophie Ecclestone, hit high over extra cover, before pushing another single to complete the win.

Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dananjaya and Dhananjaya de Silva rolled South Africa over for their lowest ever T20I total, but the home side’s chase was by no means straightforward

The Report by Firdose Moonda14-Aug-2018AFPSri Lanka ended South Africa’s tour of the island as they started it: by strangling their visitors with spin to win the only T20I in front of a sell-out crowd. But they made hard work of a small chase and lost seven wickets in a tense low-scoring affair, which also served as Dinesh Chandimal’s comeback match.Chandimal was returning from a six-game suspension and played as though he had never been away. He was there at the end and held firm through sustained pressure from the South African pack to see Sri Lanka home. Kagiso Rabada built up a good head of steam, Junior Dala used the short ball well and Tabraiz Shamsi claimed a T20I best of 2 for 26 but their batsmen had not given them enough to work with.South Africa slumped to another batting low; after being dismissed for their lowest Test score since readmission (73) and lowest ODI score in Sri Lanka (121), they were bowled out for their lowest T20I score and literally fell on their sweeps. As a collective, South Africa’s approach to spin appears to have 99 problems and needs more than an annual camp to India to solve.South Africa’s innings started promisingly when Quinton de Kock took three boundaries off the opening over – and only one of them was laced with luck. De Kock inside-edged the first ball from Kasun Rajitha past leg stump before stroking two gorgeous drives.But the sign of things to come was clear in the next over. De Kock was almost run-out at the non-striker’s when Hashim Amla sent him back after initially agreeing to a single. Amla was caught at extra-cover two balls later, trying to scoop a Dhananjaya de Silva delivery over the in-field and bagged a second duck in succession and third on the tour and South Africa’s slide started. De Kock was run out in the next over, trying to sneak a leg bye after he failed to connect to a slog-sweep and he finished as South Africa’s top scorer.Reeza Hendricks’ 29th birthday celebrations were limited to a six off a de Silva half-tracker and back-to-back boundaries off Rajitha before he tried to sweep an Akila Dananjaya’s legbreak, which turned away to hit the top of off stump.Rain interrupted the innings for two minutes at the end of the seventh over, but did not change South Africa’s fortunes. JP Duminy was out lbw on review when he missed a reverse-sweep, giving David Miller the opportunity to build an innings. But that chance was taken away in Lakshan Sandakan’s third over, a triple-wicket maiden.Heinrich Klaasen tried to send a wrong’un over the covers but outside-edged to point, Andile Phehlukwayo pulled out a reverse-sweep off the fourth ball he faced and dragged it onto his stumps, and Kagiso Rabada was struck on the back pad as he misread a googly. Rabada reviewed, in vain.South Africa were 73 for 7 after 11 overs and Miller only had the tail to work with. Under pressure, he tried to sweep Akila but top-edged to short midwicket to leave South Africa in shambles.Sri Lanka would have had some early nerves when Kagiso Rabada struck twice in the opening over of their reply. Kusal Perera gifted Tabraiz Shamsi a catch at mid-on and Kusal Mendis was out lbw on review to an inswinging yorker that would have gone on to hit leg stump.De Silva counterpunched with a pull behind square in Rabada’s next over to get Sri Lanka going. He went on to plunder 14 runs off Lungi Ngidi’s second over, a top-edge over third man for six and drives off the front and back foot.Chandimal got in on the act when he flicked a low Rabada full-toss for four and then showed South Africa how to sweep successfully, smacking a six and a four off Shamsi. The de Silva-Chandimal partnership grew to 53, giving Sri Lanka more than half of what they needed to win, when they were rocked again.De Silva did not get hold of a Junior Dala short ball and gave Phehlukwayo a simple catch at midwicket and five balls later Angelo Mathews was out for a duck, brilliantly caught by Klaasen at short leg, diving one-handed to his left.Dasun Shanaka joined Chandimal and played with the same aggression he showed in his ODI cameos. He struck a hat-trick of boundaries off Shamsi but holed out to deep square leg off a Dala short ball. Shamsi had one more moment in the spotlight, when he burst through Thisara Perera’s defences with a googly.South Africa would only really have started believing when stand-in captain Duminy brought himself on in the 15th over and took a wicket with his first ball. Duminy bowled a slider, Akila tried to smash it through the covers and middle stump was rocked. Sri Lanka only needed 11 runs to win at that stage, though, and Chandimal kept his cool to rotate strike before Isuru Udana drove Ngidi down the ground to end the match with four overs to spare.