CSK got off to a good start before swirling into a procession on two-paced black-soil pitch
Karthik Krishnaswamy30-Apr-20251:47
Finch: CSK needed a player like Brevis in middle order
A 47-ball 88 from Sam Curran put Chennai Super Kings on course to breach 200 for only the second time in IPL 2025 and the first time at home, only for Yuzvendra Chahal to send their innings spiralling to an early close with four wickets in the 19th over including a hat-trick.It left the match curiously poised: this black-soil pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium seemed two-paced through most of CSK’s innings, so 191 may well be a testing target for Punjab Kings. CSK could have ended up with a significantly bigger total, though, and PBKS have a line-up of serious depth.The finish of CSK’s innings was an extraordinary one. Chahal had only been used for two overs up to the start of the 19th, with PBKS reluctant to use him or the left-arm orthodox spinner Harpreet Brar against CSK’s left-hand batters. But with the famously spin-shy MS Dhoni new to the crease, Shreyas Iyer threw his legspinner the ball.Dhoni hit a six off his first legal ball, only to hole out next ball. A procession followed, with Chahal dismissing Deepak Hooda, Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad off the last three balls of the over.Through all this, Shivam Dube, CSK’s best spin-hitter, was stuck at the non-striker’s end. He may even have wondered if he should have refused a second run off the first ball Hooda faced, and kept the strike against Chahal. Dube picked up an inside-edged four off the first ball of the final over but holed out next ball, which meant CSK had lost their last five wickets for six runs, in the space of seven balls.Until that harebrained passage of play, CSK might have been the happier side by far. They had lost both openers early, but Curran had defied the two-paced pitch and sapping humidity to play an innings of some substance. His 47-ball innings included nine fours, four sixes and just ten dot balls.The defining passage of his innings came in the 16th over, when Iyer chose to give the military-medium Suryansh Shedge a third over rather than risk bowling Chahal or Brar against the two left-handers at the crease. Shedge had conceded just 14 off his first two overs, but Curran kept pouncing on his errors now, hitting him for two sixes and two fours in a 26-run over.That Shedge had to bowl that over was also an effect of PBKS losing Glenn Maxwell – possibly for the rest of the season – to a broken finger. Maxwell has had a difficult IPL with the bat, but has contributed significantly with his offspin, which PBKS would have welcomed against CSK’s left-handers.
There is no hiding away from the fact that Glasgow Rangers have had a horrendous start to the 2025/26 campaign, domestically and in Europe, under Russell Martin.
The Light Blues swooped to appoint the former Scotland international, who had been out of work since being sacked by Southampton last season, but he has failed to win the supporters over yet.
It has been the worst start for the club in the Scottish Premiership in 47 years, with four draws and one loss in five games, after the 2-0 loss to Hearts on Saturday.
Lawrence Shankland, who was a reported target for Rangers last year, scored both of the goals for the Jam Tarts, as the Light Blues failed to offer a threat of their own at the other end of the pitch.
The Ibrox giants made 14 additions to their first-team squad during the summer transfer window, which means that there does need to be a degree of patience with some individuals as they get up to speed in a difficult environment, created by the team’s performances.
Rangers have seen it plenty of times in recent years when a player has a slow start to life at Ibrox before exploding into life. Malik Tillman is one notable example of that.
Rangers hit the jackpot with Malik Tillman
The Light Blues swooped to sign the USA international from German giants Bayern Munich on a season-long loan in the summer of 2022 to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
At the time of the announcement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst said: “He is an exciting young talent who will further add to our attacking options and myself and the coaching staff are looking forward to working with him.”
The Dutch head coach made it clear that he was a ‘young talent’ whom the coaching staff would work with, which is why it was not a surprise when he had a fairly slow start to life at Ibrox.
Tillman managed two goals and one assist in his first 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues, as he struggled for consistency early on in his Glasgow career, per Sofascore.
However, the German-born star went on to end the campaign with 12 goals and five assists in 43 outings for the Scottish giants, which shows that he improved his output at the top end of the pitch as the season went on.
22/23 SPFL
Tillman
Percentile rank vs AMs
xG
6.35
Top 9%
xG on target
6.59
Top 8%
Goals
10
Top 6%
xA
4.60
Top 15%
Assists
4
Top 33%
Chances created
46
Top 9%
Successful dribbles
43
Top 9%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Tillman ended up being one of the most impressive attacking midfielders in the Premiership in the 2022/23 campaign, as he ranked highly as a scorer, a creator, and as a dribbler.
This shows that the Gers hit the jackpot with the USMNT talent because they were willing to be patient with him as a loan player, which is something to keep in mind when judging the current squad.
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Whilst you may jump to Thelo Aasgaard as a direct comparison to Tillman, given that he is also an attacking midfielder and has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in his first three outings in the Premiership.
However, Martin is brewing the club’s next version of Tillman at Ibrox in a different underperforming Light Blues attacking signing – Mikey Moore.
Why Mikey Moore is the next Malik Tillman for Rangers
Unlike Aasgaard, Moore is similar to the former Rangers star in the sense that he is also a loan player from a big European club, Tottenham Hotspur instead of Bayern Munich, and is a young and inexperienced player.
Whereas Aasgaard is 23 and played 163 first-team matches for Wigan, as well as 17 for Luton Town, before his permanent move to Ibrox during the summer transfer window.
Moore arrived in Glasgow this summer with just three league starts in first-team football under his belt during his time with Spurs, as this is his first loan move away from the Europa League champions.
This is why it should not be a surprise to anyone that the 18-year-old talent has had a slow start at Rangers, despite his claim that he would like to be one of the best players in the world.
Moore has delivered no goals and one assist in five appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season, per Transfermarkt, assisting Nedim Bajrami for the opener in the 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the League Cup.
All of the teenage talent’s appearances for the Light Blues so far this season have come on the left wing, per Transfermarkt, but his career statistics suggest that he should be used more centrally.
Mikey Moore’s career (U18, U21, and first-team)
Position (appearances)
Goals
Assists
Left wing (18)
4
6
Attacking midfield (8)
6
4
Centre-forward (7)
11
4
Right wing (6)
1
0
Left midfield (3)
0
1
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, Moore has scored 17 goals and delivered eight assists in 15 outings as an attacking midfielder or striker, compared to five goals and seven assists in 27 games as a winger, on the right and left combined.
These statistics suggest that the English whiz, who was described as “fearless” by teammate James Maddison, would be far more effective for the Gers if Martin utilised him as an attacking midfielder or perhaps as a second striker behind Bojan Miovski or Youssef Chermiti.
Moore has looked a little lost on the left wing in the Premiership, completing 17% of his attempted dribbles this season per Sofascore, and playing him centrally could help to simplify his game and allow him to concentrate on making an impact in the box, rather than trying to beat three or four players with the ball.
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Therefore, there needs to be a degree of patience with Moore whilst he finds his feet at Ibrox and Martin finds out how best to utilise his talent within the team, because his statistics in central positions suggest that he has the potential to explode in the same way that Tillman did.
While Chelsea have made more than their fair share of transfer mistakes over the last few years, they’ve also signed several outrageously talented players.
However, while Moises Caciedo, Enzo Fernández and Pedro Neto are all examples of great signings, there is one player who stands head and shoulders above the rest: Cole Palmer.
The England international joined the Blues from Manchester City in the summer of 2023, and since then has amassed a sensational tally of 72 goal involvements in 98 games for the club.
Therefore, the Stamford Bridge faithful should be very excited about reports linking them to someone who could become their next Palmer.
Chelsea target their new Palmer
While their draw to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon has put a bit of a dampener on things, Chelsea have had a brilliant summer in terms of transfers so far.
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The board have been able to get rid of a host of players who weren’t at the level required, while also bringing in a handful of young and hungry talents who could develop into superstars, like Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jorrel Hato.
Yet, with just under two weeks to go until the window slams shut, the West Londoners are still keen to add to their squad, and are now moving for someone who could be the next Palmer.
At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Chelsea are very interested in signing Rico Lewis.
In fact, the report goes further than that and reveals that the Blues have already made contact with City about a deal for the youngster this summer.
It’s not clear how much the Englishman would cost, but the report has also revealed that Nottingham Forest have already made an offer of around €30m for the youngster, which is about £26m.
While it will likely be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line this summer, Lewis has shown enough in his short career that Chelsea should do what they can to get him, especially as he could be another Palmer.
Why Lewis would be another Palmer
The first thing to say is that, yes, Lewis and Palmer play in entirely different positions on the pitch, and, as a result, play the game in different ways.
However, that doesn’t mean the former couldn’t be a new version of the latter, as the comparison isn’t really about their position on the pitch.
Instead, if this transfer were to happen, it would be another example of City willingly selling one of their young and exciting academy graduates to the Blues.
Not only that, but one who has likely got a future in the senior England setup, as he’s already won five caps for the side at just 20 years old.
In fact, not only would Pep Guardiola and Co be allowing another talented player to move to Stamford Bridge, but they could be letting a genuine superstar in the making move to a rival.
Manchester City'sRicoLewisin action with Paris St Germain's Achraf Hakimi
We say this as, when you take a look under the hood, at the right-back’s underlying numbers, they are sensational.
For example, FBref rank the Bury-born gem in the top 1% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, the top 4% for through balls, the top 7% for carries, the top 2% for progressive passes, the top 9% for passes into the final third and more, all per 90.
Pass Completion %
91.9%
Top 1%
Passes Completed
59.83
Top 4%
Pass Completion % (Long)
65.2%
Top 4%
Through Balls
0.24
Top 4%
Passes Received
53.11
Top 6%
Carries
43.58
Top 7%
Progressive Passes
6.03
Top 8%
Live-ball Passes
58.86
Top 8%
Passes into Final Third
4.88
Top 9%
Total Carrying Distance
219.04
Top 10%
Touches (Att 3rd)
24.21
Top 11%
In other words, the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by Guardiola, is showing serious signs that he could be a world-class player in time, much like there would have been signs that Palmer was something special before his move two years ago.
Ultimately, even if the final fee ends up substantial, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Lewis this summer, as he could be an unmissable market opportunity.
Fewer touches than Sanchez: 5/10 Chelsea star was even worse than Palmer
Chelsea were held to a disappointing draw by Crystal Palace in their opening game of the Premier League.
Chelsea are continuing their serious progress when it comes to selling players this summer, with talks ongoing to offload another star with Lesley Ugochukwu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka.
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In the last 72 hours, Enzo Maresca’s side have raised around £65 million in outgoings, starting with Armando Broja, who’s completed a move to Burnley (Fabrizio Romano).
Cole Palmer
7.33
Moises Caicedo
7.02
Enzo Fernández
6.95
Nicolas Jackson
6.88
Noni Madueke
6.82
via WhoScored
Since then, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall has agreed a switch to Premier League rivals Everton and Ugochukwu has agreed to follow Broja to Turf Moor. Once all of those deals are announced, the club are expected to raise their total transfer income to far north of £200 million.
As things stand, Chelsea are around £58 million away from completely balancing their books, which is imperative considering their pact with UEFA.
Their seismic financial windfalls from winning the Club World Cup and qualifying for the Champions League next season have already put Chelsea in solid financial stead when it comes to PSR, but it is an entirely different case when it comes to FFP.
The Blues were fined for breaching FFP rules last month and must produce a ‘positive transfer balance’ if they want to register new signings for the Champions League next season, which explains their impressive hustle in agreeing a host of exit deals recently.
Amid Chelsea’s talks to sign both RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho, the need to make sales won’t stop here.
Borussia Dortmund are in talks to sign Carney Chukwuemeka again, so there could be yet another opportunity for Chelsea to seal another quick-fire exit this week.
Alongside the aforementioned quartet who have played their last games in Chelsea blue, £195,000-per-week attacker Christopher Nkunku can still leave Stamford Bridge before deadline day.
Chelsea in talks to sell Christopher Nkunku
That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who says Chelsea are in ongoing talks over selling Nkunku after a mixed campaign.
The Frenchman still managed to rack up 15 goals in all competitions, despite not being a key player under Maresca last season, and there is a belief that United are still targeting Nkunku among other interested sides.
Called a “top player” by ex-teammate João Félix, Chelsea have apparently been forced to reduce their asking price for the ex-Leipzig sensation too, so clubs will certainly be tempted to bite the bullet.
Fabrizio Romano has shared an encouraging Tottenham transfer update after the club unfortunately missed out on a deal for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.
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Spurs head coach Thomas Frank was dealt his first blow as Lilywhites manager with the surprise Saturday announcement that Gibbs-White signed a new deal at the City Ground.
Just over two weeks ago, the England international was on the verge of joining Frank’s side. Chairman Daniel Levy was ready to trigger his £60 million release clause in another quick-fire, statement deal right after they signed Mohammmed Kudus for £55 million from West Ham (ESPN).
The move was so advanced, in fact, that Spurs scheduled a medical for the attacking midfielder on July 11 – but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis somehow managed to block his transfer in unprecedented fashion.
Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025
Average match rating
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Marinakis threatened legal action against Tottenham for an alleged ‘illegal’ approach for Gibbs-White, accusing them of both tapping up the player and breaching confidentiality rules surrounding his release clause (Sky Sports).
Since then, Marinakis did what he hasn’t been able to do for the last 12 months – convince the 25-year-old to agree a contract extension.
With Gibbs-White now committing his future, Frank, Levy and technical director Johan Lange are now forced to enter the market for an alternative number 10 – which they’re in serious need of.
Tottenham really struggled for creativity against League One side Luton Town last weekend, and while it’s important not to read too much into pre-season preparations, Frank will be hoping it isn’t a sign of things to come.
James Maddison is still coming back from a knee injury which has kept him out of pre-season so far, but the Englishman has been included in Tottenham’s squad list for their imminent tour of Asia.
Tottenham working on signing Morgan Gibbs-White alternative
According to Fabrizio Romano, writing in GiveMeSport’s newsletter, Spurs are very much still on the look-out for another creative midfielder after missing out on Gibbs-White.
Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White
While no names have come up just yet, Romano states that Tottenham are actively “working” on signing a Gibbs-White alternative right now – coming as some much-needed good news after what was a waste of two weeks.
“They’re working on it [alternative targets for Gibbs-White],” said Romano. “As soon as I know, I will tell you.”
In terms of quality candidates, we believe that Spurs should look no further than Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
Arsenal are believed to be pursuing a deal for Eze, but nothing is done yet, and Spurs have been credibly linked with the 27-year-old this window (talkSPORT).
The England international, who commands a £60 million release clause which could rise to £68 million through bonuses (Sky Sports), would come at a similar price to what Levy was willing to pay for Gibbs-White.
Eze also bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last term, including the FA Cup final-winning goal against Man City, would undoubtedly upgrade Frank’s options, and he’s almost a no-brainer to at least consider.
Striker appears ready for the upcoming rivalry clash against Chivas
Jonathan dos Santos missed Tuesday’s session
Allan Saint-Maximin could start against Chivas
América trained without their internationals
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Henry Martín looks to be finding light at the end of the tunnel after a frustrating stretch of injuries – from Achilles issues last season to recurring muscle problems and, most recently, a knee setback. The América captain has endured the toughest run of his career, limited to just 20 appearances and two goals so far in 2025. But signs point to the No. 9 being ready for Saturday’s Clásico Nacional against Chivas.
The 32-year-old returned to full training Tuesday, a key step for a striker who has scored 97 goals for América since arriving in 2018. He also played in his club's friendly against D.C. United on Sunday – a 3-1 loss.
@soyalexorellana
Henry Martín apunta al Clásico este fin de semana contra Chivas El capitán sigue realizando algunos trabajos por separado de sus compañeros pero entrenó al parejo este martes No deberían existir contratiempos 🔥 #clubamerica #clubamerica🦅💛💙 #LigaMX #chivas #henrymartin
♬ sonido original – Alex Orellana
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Las Águilas head into the clásico sitting second in Liga MX with 17 points, while Chivas languish near the bottom on just four. Still, history shows the Clásico rarely follows form – often, the bigger the gap between the clubs, the likelier the upset.
At Tuesday’s session in Mexico City, several regulars were missing. In addition to internationals Luis Ángel Malagón, Erick Sánchez, Brian Rodríguez, Rodrigo Aguirre, Sebastián Cáceres, and Alejandro Zendejas, veteran midfielder Jonathan dos Santos was absent for a routine medical check. Club sources stressed Dos Santos' availability for Saturday isn’t in doubt. Jardine expects to have all of his call-ups back by Thursday to rejoin the squad ahead of the match against Chivas.
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DID YOU KNOW?
One of the biggest storylines could be French winger Allan Saint-Maximin. Fresh off scoring two goals in two substitute appearances, he earned a start against D.C. United Sunday and may well feature again from the opening whistle against Chivas.
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WHAT NEXT FOR CLUB AMÉRICA?
The 262nd edition of the Clásico Nacional between América and Chivas, set for this Saturday, could mark a historic milestone in Mexican football’s biggest rivalry.
América enter the match with the chance to record their 100th victory over their archrivals. The all-time head-to-head currently stands at 99 wins for Las Águilas, 80 for Chivas, and 82 draws across official competitions.
Easwaran made a back-to-the-wall ton to reduce India B’s deficit
Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2024Like he did in the previous match, Abhimanyu Easwaran waged a lone battle for India B as they stare at a substantial first-innings deficit in the final round of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy in Anantapur.Easwaran backed his unbeaten 157 in the previous game with a second-straight century, a 170-ball 116, before being adjudged caught behind. Easwaran, who went for a hook shot, seemed to suggest the ball had deflected off his arm guard.He couldn’t contest the decision because the BCCI has enabled DRS only for the other fixture, between India A and India C, which is being broadcast.The runs couldn’t have come at a better time, given India will be looking to possibly narrow down on a reserve openers’ slot while looking ahead to the India A tour to Australia, followed by the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy, also in Australia.Related
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Prior to Easwaran’s typically gritty knock, it was Sanju Samson who brought the thrill, racing to what was only his 11th first-class century, in 105 innings, at better than a run-a-ball. Samson hit 12 fours and three sixes in his 101-ball 106 that formed the bedrock of India D’s 349.Navdeep Saini had a second impressive outing, picking up 5 for 74, to go with his five wickets and a half-century in the opening round of matches.Already out of the reckoning for a trophy having lost both their games so far, India D hit back with the ball courtesy Arshdeep Singh and Aditya Thakare. Arshdeep, who is looking to build his way up the red-ball charts after becoming a white-ball regular for India, picked up 3 for 30 across 12 overs.This included the big wickets of Suryakumar Yadav (5) and the in-form Musheer Khan (5). Nitish Kumar Reddy, among the BCCI’s target pool of players, bagged a third single-digit score in the tournament, two of them ducks, when he was nicked off by Arshdeep.Washington Sundar batted with composure to remain unbeaten on 39 at stumps. He’ll have to do a bulk of the scoring on Saturday if India D are to minimise what could be a massive first-innings deficit.
With Callum Osmand signed and delivered, Celtic have now reportedly turned their attention towards another young talent in what is a hectic race for his signature.
Osmand "really excited" by Celtic move
Following Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren and Ross Doohan through the door, Osman officially put pen to paper at Celtic earlier this week. Arriving from Fulham, the 19-year-old will have his sights set on breaking into Brendan Rodgers’ first-team plans as soon as possible in Scotland.
After arriving, the young striker told Celtic’s official website: “It’s a massive move. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to step out at Celtic Park in front of all the fans.
“The winning mentality at Celtic is obviously unbelievable and I want to win trophies here. Every game that I step into here, I want to win, and I feel like we have all the facilities, players and staff to do so.”
The former Fulham man is also not the first to swap the Cottagers for Celtic Park, with Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley paving the way before Osmand, who took the chance to mention both players: “Obviously, there has been multiple names that have come to Celtic like Moussa Dembele and Matt O’Riley.
“I have spoken to Matt on the phone, so he has given me advice. He talked me through some stuff, that I knew about too. He was telling me about how big the club is, how amazing the fans are and it’s a new life really. So excited is definitely the word for me.”
Following Osmand’s arrival, Celtic’s focus isn’t destined to change anytime soon. Reports are now indicating that they’ve now instantly turned their attention towards signing another impressive young talent.
Celtic join race to sign "special" O'Sullivan
According to the Irish Independent, Celtic have now joined the race to sign Cathal O’Sullivan from Irish club Cork City this summer. It will be a complex deal to do, as the Scottish champions have joined the likes of Brentford and Preston North End in an already hectic battle to land the 18-year-old midfielder.
Like Osmand, O’Sullivan is full of talent and has often found himself at the centre of praise as a result. When speaking about one of Ireland’s top young talents, former Preston and current Cork City forward Sean Maguire told reporters: “He’s one of the best young fellas I’ve played with, and that includes in England. Not just because of his talent, it’s just his attitude towards everything.
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“That’s what teams in England will look for first, because you can just see it clear as day how good he is on the ball. He’s a joy to play with. When he eventually goes to England, I’ll be gutted not to play with him again, because of how good he is. “
“But I’ll be keeping tabs on his career, because he’ll definitely play for Ireland. He’s that good. I genuinely think he’s special… Whatever the club gets from him, he probably should be worth 10 times more.”
Deandra Dottin has come out of international retirement, making herself available for West Indies selection once again, nearly two years after a sudden decision to quit while leading Barbados in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.The development is a boost for West Indies ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October this year.”Representing West Indies in international cricket has always been a matter of great pride and passion for me,” Dottin, 33, said in a letter to Cricket West Indies (CWI) that was part of the board’s statement. “After a period of reflection and thoughtful dialogue with various parties within Cricket West Indies, including Cricket West Indies President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, I am pleased to inform you that I am eager to return to the game that I love, and contribute my utmost to the West Indies women’s team across all formats, with immediate effect.”I am confident that my experience, maturity, and skills will add value to the team as it has done in the past, and I am prepared to furnish my best efforts in every match and training session to ensure the team’s winning trajectory in international cricket. Moreover, I am enthusiastic about mentoring younger players and contributing to the overall development of women’s cricket in our region.”Related
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CWI welcomed Dottin’s decision. “Deandra is a player of immense ability and experience,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “We are pleased with her decision to return to international cricket and be eligible for selection. There is no doubt that she could add significant value to the West Indies Women’s teams.”When Dottin announced her retirement in August 2022, citing a “non-conducive” environment within the West Indies set-up, she had played 143 ODIs (3727 runs at an average of 30.54) and 127 T20Is (2697 runs). She holds the record for the fastest century in women’s T20Is – a 38-ball hundred against South Africa in the 2010 T20 World Cup. She also has 72 wickets in ODIs and 62 in T20Is.”It has a lot to do with the board, how they handle stuff and how they handle players and how they actually speak to players,” Dottin said in August 2022 about her decision to retire. “Certain people take things different, so it is a lot of work that West Indies Cricket will need to be done and I think they need to do it as fast as possible because it’s not going to end well for West Indies Cricket or cricket in the Caribbean.Dottin was active on the T20 league circuit after her retirement but hasn’t been in competitive action since September 2023. She will captain the Trinbago Knight Riders team in the upcoming women’s Caribbean Premier League, ahead of a West Indies camp in August in the lead up to the T20 World Cup.
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ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2024
Peter Handscomb continued his prolific County Championship season•Getty Images
Sussex 442 (Simpson 183*, McAndrew 53 Holland 4-64) and 66 for 2 lead Leicestershire 275 (Handscomb 92, Mulder 53, Hunt 4-70) by 233 runsPeter Handscomb continued his fine form with 92 but Leicestershire are up against it against second division leaders Sussex at Hove.The Australian took his tally to 640 runs in this season’s Vitality County Championship, but the visitors lost their last four wickets for 18 runs after Handscomb was seventh out with the score on 257.Left-armer Sean Hunt profited handsomely after switching to bowl down the slope at the 1st Central County Ground, picking up Handscomb, Ben Mike, Scott Currie and Josh Hull in 11 deliveries as Leicestershire were bowled out for 275.It gave Sussex a lead of 167 but they elected not to enforce the follow-on and in 15 overs before stumps they lost Oli Carter – squared up by Ian Holland – and nightwatchmer Jack Carson, closing on 66 for 2 – a lead of 233.The second day had started encouragingly for the Foxes after they took Sussex’s last three first-innings wickets for 11 runs in 23 balls with skipper John Simpson finishing unbeaten on 183, although he was only able to add three runs to his overnight score in a total of 442.Holland finished with 4 for 64 after claiming last man Hunt but his day took a turn for the worse when Ollie Robinson removed him during a high-class new-ball spell of 3 for 23 from eight overs by the England pace bowler.Bowling a fullish length, Robinson found enough movement to find Holland’s edge in his second over. Lewis Hill and Rishi Patel took advantage of some wayward bowling by Hunt before 45 for 1 quickly became 51 for 4. Hill was leg before trying to work Robinson through the leg side and Robinson struck again when he found some extra bounce and Lewis Goldsworthy gave Tom Alsop the first of four catches at slip. In between, Nathan McAndrew picked up the important wicket of Patel who lost his off stump shouldering arms to an in-ducker.Handscomb and Wiaan Mulder rebuilt the innings during a hot afternoon, adding 108 in 20 overs with few alarms although Handscomb had an absorbing battle with fellow Australian McAndrew. Robinson bowled another five-over spell without reward, and it was Fynn Hudson-Prentice who made the breakthrough when Mulder edged the next ball after reaching his fifty low to second slip.Sussex belatedly introduced offspinner Carson in the 50th over and he struck with his 11th delivery, an arm ball which Louis Kimber – who dropped down the order after struggling in the opener’s role – fatally played back to.Simpson dropped a difficult chance offered by Ben Cox on 1 and he and Handscomb put on 57, including five penalty runs awarded by umpires Paul Baldwin and Neil Pratt when Handscomb was hit by an errant throw from James Coles as he turned his back, having stepped out of his crease.Handscomb looked untroubled but Hunt, whose first nine overs cost 62 and included eight no balls, was a totally different proposition when he came back on at the Cromwell Road end.Handscomb made a rare misjudgement playing too far away from his body and giving Alsop an easy catch before Hunt swept away Leicestershire’s tail. Extra bounce defeated Mike’s defensive prod and Simpson took an outstanding one-handed catch diving to his left to remove Scott Currie. In his next over Hunt had Josh Hull leg before and walked off with figures of 4 for 70.