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Southern Vipers captain on England radar after leading RHF Trophy run charts

Matt Roller25-Sep-2020In May, eight weeks into the UK’s lockdown, Georgia Adams didn’t expect to play any cricket until 2021. Three months later, she will captain her Southern Vipers team in a televised 50-over final, which she goes into with 420 runs in her last six innings.”It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” she laughs. “I got very pessimistic, which isn’t like me. I was convinced we weren’t going to get any cricket. Even when we got our retainer contracts and go the OK to train, we were still very much unsure what was actually going to go ahead.”Instead, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy has been a major success. All players have been paid to play, fixtures have been held at men’s county grounds, and live streams on YouTube have attracted nearly half a million views. With an average first-innings total of 220 across the season, runs have been easier to come by, with better pitches giving players value for shots.”Last year in a county game, we turned up and were playing in a farmer’s field with no sightscreen,” Adams says. “The jump from that to playing at the Ageas Bowl, Hove, The Oval is amazing for us. You get more reward for playing your shots; you’re not worrying as much that a ball is going to take off and fly over your head.”County cricket has always been a decent standard in terms of the players in it, but on some pitches 120 won you the game. That’s not what anyone wants to watch, and not what anyone wants to play in. It’s been great to see across the board that people have cashed in at these grounds.”Adams herself has been in the form of her life. She is leading the run charts heading into Sunday’s final against Northern Diamonds, and has scored consistently throughout the competition: 37 on the opening day is her lowest score, and only four other players in the tournament have even half as many runs as her 420.In a must-win game against Western Storm, she played the innings of the tournament, hitting 154 not out off 155 balls at the Ageas Bowl. “I was trying to bat and bat and bat,” she explains. “And then after I reached 100, every time I tried to hit the ball it just seemed to ping off the middle. Days like that don’t happen very often.”Her form has not gone unnoticed. Adams has consistently been involved in England development and academy squads, but is yet to make an international debut. She knows Lisa Keightley, the England head coach, from her time in those squads, and was name-checked by Heather Knight in a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo.But as Adams sees it, the major boost to women’s cricket this year is that international selection is no longer the be-all and end-all: she looks certain to be awarded a full-time contract next month, which will ensure she no longer has to work part-time as a coach alongside her playing career.Georgia Adams has captained Southern Vipers into the final•Getty Images”[Playing for] England is something that I’ve always had one eye on,” she says. “It’s always been my dream, my end goal, and if the opportunity does come around, hopefully I’ll be ready to take it.”But it’s such a tough side to get into: you look at the calibre of batters they’ve got in the side, and it’s phenomenal. They’re such a strong unit, and they’re only getting better and better.”In the last year or so, I’ve just thrown myself into enjoying the game and making the most of it. It’s an amazing thing for people to now be able to say: ‘well, I didn’t play for England, but actually I was a professional cricketer’. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever be able to say that, so it’s a dream come true that I can, however clichéd that sounds.”Adams says that batting has not been the only area of improvement for her this season; she says she has “grown as a captain tenfold” thanks to the influence of head coach Charlotte Edwards. She has been impressed by the speed at which young, amateur players have developed their tactical understanding, and is enthusiastic when speaking about their young stars.They include 17-year-old Ella McCaughan, who has opened the batting when Danni Wyatt has been away with England, No. 3 batter and gun fielder Maia Bouchier, and Charlie Dean in the middle order. Their new-ball bowlers in the final will be the tall 19-year-old Lauren Bell – who swung the ball prodigiously on KSL Finals Day last summer – and left-armer Tara Norris.Adams admits that she is not overly concerned by the fact her father, the former England batsman Chris, will be unable to attend on Sunday, with the game played behind closed doors at Edgbaston. “Apparently he’s the worst at watching games ever: he gets so nervous, pacing round, so it’s probably better that he’s at home and not stressing anyone else out,” she explains.And how special would it be to come out on top? “It would mean so much,” she says. “The type of cricket we’ve been playing, we deserve to lift the trophy. We want to inspire girls in our region to play, and lifting the trophy would really tick that box.”

The Seattle Mariners were able to edge the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, on Saturday night, but the score could have been a little different if the home plate umpire hadn't made such a bad call in the third inning.

Seattle had two runners on with two outs when Randy Arozarena was struck out on a 3-2 pitch that looked to be well out of the strike zone. Instead of the bases becoming loaded, the inning came to an end, leaving the game tied at 0-0.

Mariners announcer Aaron Goldsmith didn't hold back on the umpire, Chris Guccione, saying: "Oooh, that is not a good call! Arozarena rung up on ball four."

That's another rough look for an ump, which there have been plenty of so far this season.

The Mariners were still able to improve to 47-42 on the year and sit seven games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Tottenham Hotspur did more than just end their interminable trophy drought when defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final last season; Ange Postecoglou opened up a road to the Champions League.

Given that Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, this was quite the saving grace at the end of a campaign that left so much to be desired, and it ensured the Londoners could make a compelling case to potential signings like Xavi Simons.

While Tottenham supporters were overjoyed when signing the Dutch playmaker from RB Leipzig for £51m, after intense interest from Chelsea earlier in the summer, there’s no denying that the 21-year-old has yet to perform on English shores.

Given his big-money profile and the expectation upon his arrival, there’s a concern that Simons is echoing the likes of Tanguy Ndombele before him.

Simons' start to life at Spurs

Thomas Frank hasn’t yet established his vision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with his side struggling for form in the final third. Simons has been a part of the problem, but it’s important to remember this is a young talent who has entered a team lacking offensive coherence.

In just two years in Germany, Simons scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists across 78 matches. He was the difference-maker, and many Premier League clubs were keen.

Spurs won the race, and credit to them, but Simons has yet to prove he has what it takes to raise his game to the next level, thus prompting concerns that he might mimic Frenchman Ndombele, who became the Londoners’ club-record signing when joining from Lyon in a £54m deal in 2019.

Ndombele’s temperament and commitment were among the cruxes of his demise in English football, and Simons cannot be blamed for a lack of effort, but it’s a concern all the same, and one Frank will need to rectify quickly to get his side operating at full creative capacity.

The jury is still out for the Netherlands international, who is young and talented and settling into an outfit that lacks creative direction right now.

There’s actually another Lilywhites man with far more experience who might be deteriorating into Ndombele 2.0.

Spurs' new version of Ndombele

Frank has spoken of his players’ frustrations following their recent run of form, and this was clear to see last weekend when Fulham condemned Tottenham to yet another home defeat.

Pedro Porro was incensed, but the Portugal international might want to direct that anger inwards, given his spate of shambolic displays this year.

The 26-year-old has been in the English capital for almost three years now, and while he is among the most technically gifted players in the ranks, his awareness and accuracy in defensive phases could see him become a disappointment in a similar way to Ndombele, especially when considering he had such a furore about his signature in 2023 that Manchester City came sniffing around last year.

Porro is rudderless. Sofascore record that he has made five errors already in the Premier League this season, and he is among the most dribbled-past defenders in the division thus far.

#

Player

Stat

1.

Mats Wieffer

19

2.

Neco Williams

18

3.

Pedro Porro

17

4.

Hugo Bueno

16

5.

Matty Cash

16

In fairness, Porro sits among the top 16% of Premier League full-backs this season for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, but his defensive work has been well below the desired standard.

But his lack of focus and misuse of his own athleticism led one Tottenham podcast host to brand him “an absolute liability” last season, and that’s only been underscored since then, with Frank now facing his own Ndombele-like conundrum in working out what to do with this talented but toiling star.

Porro has enjoyed some high points across his Tottenham career, but he’s been culpable for too many poor performances over the past couple of years, and in this, it is he and not the young Simons who is shaping into the London side’s new version of Ndombele.

Just like Romero: Spurs prepare £40m bid for "crazy" Van de Ven upgrade

Tottenham are in the market for more defensive depth ahead of the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 5, 2025

Four-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enjoys one major benefit that many other big leaguers don't: Having a Baseball Hall of Fame father in his corner.

Guerrero Jr., who on Wednesday officially signed the third-richest contract in baseball history in terms of total value at $500 million, appears to have heeded the advice of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. when it comes to his new deal.

While speaking to reporters before the Toronto Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Guerrero shared the advice his father gave him during contract negotiations.

"Trust god," Guerrero said, via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "My dad told me to trust god, and to get the last penny that I could from the organization."

Guerrero did exactly that. The Blue Jays star's contract includes no deferred payments, a full no-trade clause and a very unique structure. $325 million of the $500 million will be paid out to Guerrero in a signing bonus, while the other $175 million will be paid out in salary. This benefits the Blue Jays slugger both during tax season and in the event that baseball has a work stoppage in the future.

Even as contract negotiations between the two sides hit a snag during spring training, Guerrero, seemingly ticketed for free agency, was steadfast about wanting to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career. To that end, Guerrero's daughter joined his father in making her voice heard during the process.

"That’s one of the hardest ones, right there, when your daughter comes to you and asks you, ‘Daddy, are we going to stay in Toronto?’" Guerrero said. "When you know that your family really wants to stay in Toronto, that was the hard one. All along, they wanted to stay in Toronto."

In putting pen to paper on Wednesday, Guerrero and his family got their wish.

Another international break is coming to an end, and Arsenal have yet more injuries to contend with.

On the annoying but manageable side of things, Kai Havertz will be out for a little longer after Julian Nagelsmann confirmed he had suffered a minor relapse with his knee injury.

However, the far more worrying development is that, following initial scans, Gabriel Magalhães is set to miss at least a month of action due to the groin injury he picked up playing at the Emirates for Brazil.

Thankfully, Mikel Arteta has several defenders he can call on to replace him at the back, and just maybe, Arsenal also have another international star who could pick up the slack at set-pieces and become Nicolas Jover’s new go-to man.

Arsenal's potential Gabriel replacements

Now, it should really go without saying, but losing Gabriel is a massive blow for Arsenal, as not only is he an incredible player, but a real leader.

Chalkboard

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

With that said, unlike in seasons past, Arteta does have the defensive backup to help minimise the impact of his absence and a few ways to rearrange the backline.

One solution to the problem could be to move Riccardo Calafiori in from left-back and start either Myles Lewis-Skelly or Piero Hincapie on the left.

This is the approach the manager took in pre-season, while Gabriel was recovering from the injury that ended his campaign last season.

However, while the Italian is more than capable of doing this, it would mean taking away the license he’s had to roam wherever he pleases so far this season, which in turn would make the attack far more predictable and therefore less potent.

So, another solution could be to move Hincapie into the back two alongside Saliba.

However, while this could be a solution further into the season, the Ecuadorian is still somewhat of an unknown quantity, having played just 170 minutes for the club and started one game at centre-back.

Therefore, the best bet for Arteta would surely be starting Cristhian Mosquera.

The young Spaniard has already played 597 minutes for the team this season, almost entirely at centre-back, and was brilliant against Liverpool and then Nottingham Forest there.

In all, there are options to cover the defensive deficit Gabriel’s injury will bring, but there might also be a way to cover the attacking side of his game that’ll be missed.

Jover's new Gabriel

While Gabriel certainly has the ability to influence the attacking side of the game from open play, it’s no great secret that he is phenomenal when it comes to set-pieces.

Just this season alone, he has scored twice and provided three assists, which would be a great return for an attacker, let alone a centre-back.

Therefore, his absence from the team could seriously hinder Arsenal’s potency in dead-ball situations, unless Arteta starts using Mikel Merino more often. After all, he has been described as an “aerial duel monster” by Como scout Ben Mattinson.

While there are certainly other players who could chip in more from set-pieces like Saliba, Calafiori and maybe even Viktor Gyokeres when he’s fit again, it’s the Spaniard who could become Jover’s new star.

After all, while he’s certainly not the best player in the team, the former Real Sociedad star has proven beyond all reasonable doubt over the course of the year that he knows how to score a goal.

For example, since the turn of the year, he has put the ball in the back of the net 19 times and provided seven assists for club and country, which is truly an incredible return and more than justifies Arsenal writer Adam Keys calling him “a magnet in the box.”

More than that, though, plenty of those goals have either been one-touch finishes or headers, which is generally how someone scores from a set-piece.

Now, this doesn’t mean Arteta has to start the 29-year-old game-changer in every match, but when the team are chasing a goal, this goalscoring ability should see him become one of the first names off the bench.

Ultimately, losing Gabriel is a huge blow, but with their defensive depth and the prospect of Merino becoming Jover’s new set-piece king, Arsenal should be alright.

A Saka & Madueke hybrid: £70m "monster" wants to sign for Arsenal in 2026

The Champions League speedster would be an excellent addition to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 19, 2025

Athletic Club star Nico Williams scored a magnificent goal to hand his side a slender win over Real Oviedo in La Liga. The goal has brought Williams back into the limelight, ending a long goal drought that resulted in him being questioned in the wake of the failed summer transfer to reigning Spanish champions Barcelona.

• Athletic get the better of Oviedo

  After three successive losses to Getafe, Real Sociedad, and Newcastle United across La Liga and the Champions League, Athletic are back on track with a 1-0 win over Oviedo on Sunday. It was their young, dynamic winger Williams who salvaged the solitary goal of the fixture, adding his second of the campaign to lead his team's triumph. 

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• Williams ends goal drought

  The last time Williams scored or assisted for Athletic was in their first La Liga game of the season – a 3-2 win against Sevilla. The 22-year-old missed a handful of matches due to a groin injury, failed to find the net since his return until he sparked into life against Oviedo. Williams was sharp as he went past three defenders and powered his shot into the goal, rattling the crossbar and the net in the process. 

• Williams was once a Barcelona target

  Not for one transfer window, but Williams was a top target for Barcelona across two summers. Before this season kicked off, he was almost set to travel to Catalonia after agreeing on personal terms and a six-year contract with Barca, a club that he has admired for a long time. However, Athletic were continuously hesitant to let go of their most promising young talent. Such was the rivalry that there were moments when administrators aimed to block the move. Ultimately, the move came to a surprising halt as Barcelona refused to grant a demand from his agent and the Spain international ended up signing a 10-year contract with the Basque side.

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  What comes next for Williams?

  Williams has found his foot just at the right time. After Athletic return from the international break, their first game will be against Barca. It will be the first time the two sides meet since Williams snubbed the Catalans and agreed to the Basque club's terms. The game will be played on November 22.