Tyler Adams made his Premier League debut for Bournemouth against Luton, 12 months after his last appearance in the English top-flight for Leeds.

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• American star looking to shine once more
• Fitness frustration has been holding him back
• Lots to look forward to with club & country

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States international figured in a 2-2 draw with Brighton on March 11, 2023, but had to wait until March 13, 2024 to grace such a stage again. A transfer from Elland Road to the Vitality Stadium was taken in along the way, as well as a 20-minute outing in the Carabao Cup, but hamstring problems have kept him stuck on the sidelines for long periods.

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• WHAT ADAMS SAID

  After seeing 19 minutes off the bench in Bournemouth’s stunning 4-3 victory over Luton, Adams told : “It felt natural. I’ve had an amazing rehab process. I played a reserve game last week and only played 30 minutes but still, just to get in the chaos of the game, look around, check your shoulder, know where you are on the field, and adapt to new team-mates; it’s been really good and it was easy to come into that game with the boys flying as soon as we got those three goals back. You could see the confidence in the team. I was so excited to be out there.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Adams, who captained his country at the 2022 World Cup, did not look out of place and was happy to direct proceedings from the middle of the park. He added on making his presence felt: “It’s just instinct. I’ve been a leader my entire life. It’s a role I don’t shy away from taking, especially on this team where there is a lot of chaos in the game. I just wanted to try to come in and have a calming presence in the game. You can see immediately — once you start communicating, it makes everything around you go dull. We wanted to slow the game down when we had the opportunity to.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS?

  Bournemouth trailed their meeting with Luton 3-0 at the interval, but turned the tie on its head to take all three points. They will not be back in action until March 30, but Adams has a chance to collect major silverware before then when heading away with the USMNT on CONCACAF Nations League finals duty.

Leeds United have made a fine start to life back in the Championship this season as they have made themselves play-off contenders so far.

The Whites are currently sitting in fifth-place and have only lost two league matches in 11 outings under German head coach Daniel Farke, who was brought in to replace Sam Allardyce over the summer.

A number of players were snapped up in order to bolster the ex-Norwich City boss' squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, following their relegation from the Premier League.

Jaidon Anthony, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Karl Darlow, Sam Byram, Djed Spence, Glen Kamara, Ilia Gruev, and Ethan Ampadu were all signed either on loan or on permanent deals.

Despite the side's strong start to the season, the upcoming January transfer window will provide Farke with an opportunity to improve his team again.

One player whom he must look to reignite his interest in is Genk ace Joseph Paintsil, who would thrive alongside Georgino Rutter if the talented whiz can adapt to English football.

Were Leeds interested in Joseph Paintsil?

The Athletic reported that Leeds made an offer of €10m (£8.7m) to sign the Ghana international during the summer transfer window.

It was stated at the time that the player's preference was a move to Elland Road after a transfer to Championship rivals Southampton had fallen through, due to Paintsil and Paul Onuachu – who was set to go the other way – opting against the switch.

However, the Whites were unable to get a deal over the line for the exciting forward and it has since been revealed, by the player, that it was due to reasons out of their control.

Paintsil claimed that he was not interested in a move to Southampton or Leeds as his dream is to play in the Premier League, or in one of the other major European leagues.

The £8.7m-rated whiz added that it was not about Farke's side being a 'bad' team but he could not be convinced to make the drop down to the Championship at that moment in time.

However, the German head coach could make a more convincing case to persuade the Genk star to join the Yorkshire-based outfit in January if his team are well in the race for promotion to the top-flight.

The player has confirmed that his dream is to play at the top level in England and Leeds could offer him a good chance to join a side that could be promoted to that level if they are in the play-off, or automatic, mix by the time that January comes around.

Why were Leeds interested in Paintsil?

Farke and the club may have been interested in a deal to sign the Ghana international due to his phenomenal form for Genk throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The 25-year-old winger showcased his ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate in the Belgian top-flight and his statistics suggest that he could have been a superb addition to Leeds' squad.

Paintsil was a regular for his side over the course of the campaign as he made 36 league appearances and started 36 times, with an average of 81 minutes per outing, as per Sofascore.

The right-footed whiz was lethal in front of goal and proved himself to be a reliable option to chip in with goals at the top end of the pitch from a wide position.

He ended the Pro League season with a stunning 17 goals from out wide, with only six 'big chances' missed in total. Meanwhile, no Leeds player managed more than 13 league goals last term and no Whites ace has scored more than 17 in a season since Chris Wood in the 2016/17 term.

Paintsil also caught the eye with his ability to carve open the opposition's defence to create opportunities for his teammates. Farke's target created 12 'big chances' and assisted 11 goals in total throughout those 36 outings.

Whereas, no Leeds player produced more than seven assists over the course of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign and no Whites star has hit double figures for assists since Pablo Hernandez did (12) during the 2018/19 Championship season.

These statistics, which were described as "sensational" by Scott Coyne of the Belgian Football Podcast, suggest that the Genk magician has the quality to be a terrific forward for the club and he could thrive alongside Rutter if Farke can snap him up in January.

How has Rutter performed this season?

The French wizard has enjoyed a fantastic start to the campaign and has proven himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch at Championship level.

Rutter has contributed with two goals and three assists in nine league starts for the Whites so far this season and has been an exceptional creator for Farke.

The former Hoffenheim prospect has produced ten 'big chances' for his teammates and only been rewarded with three assists for his efforts.

As per FBRef, the 21-year-old maestro ranks within the top 6% of his positional peers at Championship level for xAG (0.49) and shot-creating actions (4.27) per 90.

This essentially means that there are not many players in his position who are able to create high-quality chances as frequently as Rutter.

However, there is work to do with his own finishing as the talented youngster has missed five 'big chances' to go along with his two goals, which suggests that he could be more ruthless in front of goal.

Should Leeds sign Paintsil?

Leeds should, therefore, reignite their interest in Paintsil during the January transfer window as his goalscoring record for Genk suggests that he would thrive alongside Rutter.

The 5 foot 7 talent has proven himself to be a prolific scorer from a wide position and rarely misses presentable opportunities at the top end of the pitch, as shown by his aforementioned statistics from last season.

Pro League 2023/24

Joseph Paintsil

Starts

Eight

Goals

Two

Assists

Three

Big chances created

Four

Paintsil's form this season (via Sofascore)

This suggests that the Whites target would be able to make the most of the chances that the French wizard is putting on a plate for his teammates week-in-week-out.

Paintsil's creative number also indicate that he could provide Rutter with the ammunition he needs to find the back of the net on a regular basis, if the ex-Bundesliga man can find his feet and form in front of goal during the second half of the season.

Ashley Allen – CPL T20 / Getty

Guyana Amazon Warriors preserved their unbeaten start to CPL 2018 in improbable circumstances in a three-run win over St Lucia Stars at Providence Stadium. The visitors found new ways to maintain their incredible streak of futility since ditching the Zouks moniker at the start of 2017, frittering away an almost-certain victory from a position of 113 for 2, chasing 142.The Walton-Ronchi surge
Amazon Warriors’ openers sped their way to a half-century stand in just 5.4 overs to give the hosts a superb platform. Chadwick Walton, in particular, was creative with his punishment, following up his first three boundaries with a scooped six over fine leg off Mohammad Sami to start the fifth over. The pair eventually added 54 in seven overs before Stars turned to spin to shift the momentum.Qais of death

Legspinners have made a habit of striking on the first ball of their spells during this CPL, from Australia’s Fawad Ahmed to Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane. Afghanistan teenager Qais Ahmad followed in their footsteps at Providence on Saturday afternoon, beating Walton in flight after coming on in the eighth over to have the Jamaican stumped for 31.Shimron Hetmyer, who produced a sparkling half-century a few nights earlier in Warriors’ win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, was the next to fall to Qais. A thick edge on an attempted cut was held after a juggle by Andre Fletcher in the 12th over. The Afghan’s third and best of the night came in his next over when he beat Shoaib Malik through the gate with a googly as the Warriors had been cooled down by the end of Qais’ haul from 54 for 0 to 98 for 3.Duguid, the bad and the ugly
Umpire Nigel Duguid had a night to forget, standing out in the wrong way for a pair of lbw decisions. The first came late in the Warriors’ innings. Ronchi was holding firm on a sluggish wicket in spite of the damage done by Qais and was on 42 off 40 balls before the last delivery of the 16th over. Mark Chapman, who had been brought on to bowl for the first time of the night with his left-arm spin as Stars’ eighth bowler of the night, speared a skiddy delivery into Ronchi’s legs on a good length. The ball went straight on past Ronchi’s pull and looked to be clearly going down leg stump but Chapman’s appeal was upheld. With the anchor lifted, Warriors only scored two boundaries off the final four overs to claw to 141.A far more egregious error was made early in the Stars’ chase. A conservative start by Fletcher and David Warner saw them crawl to 28 for 0 at the end of the Powerplay. Imran Tahir came on for the seventh over and after a single by Fletcher, Warner got a full toss that he attempted to reverse sweep behind point. He edged the ball onto his glove as the ball trickled toward point with Ronchi more concerned about chasing after the ball to deny a single than supporting Tahir’s appeal.A stunned Warner then saw Tahir sprinting away toward the boundary as Duguid upheld the appeal. Not only had the ball never come close to striking Warner’s pad, but the impact with his gloves appeared to be outside off stump as well with the ball’s trajectory projected to carry well past off stump. The decision was compounded later in the over, when Tahir struck to trap Fletcher lbw, a straightforward decision, with a googly to leave Stars at 30 for 2.Unlucky 13
Lendl Simmons bashed five sixes after coming in at first drop to give the Stars a much-needed boost in the middle order. The Stars’ winless streak looked certain to end at 12 when Sherfane Rutherford spilled Simmons off a regulation chance on the cover boundary in the 16th off Sohail Tanvir and two balls later Simmons ended the over with a six to bring the equation down to 34 off four overs with eight wickets in hand.Yet The Curse of the Zouks is looking very very real for the Stars, having given away the match from that position. Rayad Emrit’s spell in the death snuffed out the Stars, beginning with the wicket of Simmons three balls into the 17th over. Chapman’s charge down the pitch to Chris Green’s offspin failed on the first ball of the 18th as Pollard and Rahkeem Cornwall could manage just three singles off the rest of the over to leave 23 off the final two overs.Emrit found himself on a hat-trick four balls into the 19th over when Pollard sliced to Jason Mohammed at extra cover and Cornwall was cleaned up by a yorker. Qais denied Emrit the hat-trick before slugging the final ball for a six over midwicket to leave 16 off the last over to win. Keemo Paul then yorked Kavem Hodge off the first ball to put Stars seven down before Mitchell McClenaghan scooped a six off his first ball over fine leg to make it ten off four. Two, one, two off the next three balls left Qais with a four to tie or six to win off the last ball. Paul fed him a thigh-high full toss on a middle-stump on silver platter, but Qais flubbed it to long-off for a single, taking Stars’ winless streak to a baker’s dozen.

Bitterly disappointed to be relegated from the Premier League, Leeds United's initial transition back to Championship life was bumpy.

Off-field drama saw a number of first-team players depart, a new manager in Daniel Farke had to come in and pick up the pieces and there's now an increased expectation on Leeds to do well – with those who possibly want an immediate return to the top-flight and not to be submerged in second tier football for too long.

Going without a win in their first three matches had the alarm bells ringing momentarily.

But, ever since winning 4-3 at Ipswich, Farke has managed to turn the mess around at Leeds and catapult them up to third in the table at the time of writing.

Their last performance saw Leeds pull off an impressive comeback win at Carrow Road, Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville leading by example with two late strikes to spearhead a 3-2 victory.

New personnel added into the building have stood out, Joel Piroe and Ethan Ampadu adding considerable strength to the Whites – Piroe leading the way as Leeds' top scorer, five goals from nine matches played for the Whites whilst Ampadu ensures Leeds has a competent holding midfielder.

Yet, even in spite of it all clicking at Elland Road now, Leeds could well reignite their interest in Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley as a transfer target to add in another exciting player to help with the promotion push.

Are Leeds interested in Matt O'Riley?

Branded as a "wonderful footballer" by current manager Brendan Rodgers, the two-time Celtic head coach will be hoping and praying that he can keep hold of his 22-year-old attacking midfielder for the foreseeable future.

But, as has been reported by the Scotsman, Leeds had concrete interest in the former MK Dons man this summer and fielded a bid for him which was then rejected by the Scottish superpower.

Leeds may not be deterred by this rejection of O'Riley however, the dynamic midfielder could well be integral to the Whites if he joined in further adding quality up top and helping them to become dominant at this level.

How good is Matt O'Riley?

O'Riley has been electric for Celtic ever since he made the switch from MK Dons to the Glasgow giants, with the talented gem making the Scottish Premiership his very own playground to show off his immense qualities.

He has a stunning six goals from twelve matches this season so far for Celtic – outscoring Leeds' main man Joel Piroe by one goal from the centre of the park.

In Celtic's 2-1 away win at Motherwell recently, O'Riley accumulated a fantastic 8.8 score overall from the ninety minutes on Sofascore. The 22-year-old completed seven key passes, on top of scoring in the 97th minute to help Brendan Rodgers' men clinch a last-gasp victory.

For a player who doesn't necessarily feature in a conventional attacking sense for Celtic, his shooting statistics stand out as a midfielder unafraid to contribute in that regard and help out the attackers.

He's registered an average of 1.73 shots on target per 90 minutes for the SPL frontrunners this campaign per FBRef, an option that could give Leeds even more firepower up top if he was signed by Daniel Farke.

O'Riley could even slot into an attacking midfield role currently occupied by Joel Piroe, enabling Farke to rejig his formation and start the former Swansea striker up top alongside a revitalised figure in Georgino Rutter.

O'Riley should be targeted by Leeds as he could be a remarkable talent in the second tier of English football, and the club must now go back in for the £8m-rated (via FootballTransfers) whiz.

Manchester City’s Champions League campaign is over.

On Wednesday night, Pep Guardiola’s side were hammered by Real Madrid at the Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick seeing the holders easily progress; Nico González’s first goal for the club in stoppage time scant consolation.

It’s pretty indisputable that this Champions League campaign was an abject failure for the Citizens, this their earliest elimination since 2013, with their only victories in the competition coming over Slovan Bratislava, Sparta Prague and Club Brugge.

So, once again, Man City’s transfer strategy is coming under intense scrutiny; did the reigning Premier League champions let their answer to Mbappé go?

Kylian Mbappé's Real Madrid career so far

When the world was watching on Wednesday, Mbappé really came to the fore, scoring all three as Real Madrid swatted Man City aside, the 17th Champions League hat-trick by a los Blancos player, which is a new competition record.

The Frenchman now has 27 goals to his name this season, on target every 113 minutes on average, which certainly isn’t bad, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing since he made the move to the Spanish capital.

Earlier in the season, Jonathan Wilson of the Guardian argued Mbappé’s arrival had disrupted the ‘balance of the forward line’, adding that the Frenchman ‘cut a frustrated figure’ during October’s 4-0 Clásico defeat at the hands of Barcelona, in which he was caught offside eight times, a record-breaking amount.

In November, Didier Deschamps decided to leave les Bleus’ captain out of his squad for Nations League fixtures against Israel and Italy, citing ‘non-sporting problems’, which Mbappé later revealing he’d been struggling with a “mentality issue” throughout the season.

Nevertheless, speaking on the La Liga weekly podcast, former Man United and Wimbledon striker Terry Gibson believes the concerns surrounding Mbappé’s early season form were overblown, and that expectations were merely set ridiculously high when he signed.

Now, having scored 18 goals since the start of December, he is being widely praised, with Adwaidh Rajan of BBC Sport noting he’s gone from ‘adapting’ to ‘thriving’, teammate Jude Bellingham, speaking to TNT Sports after Wednesday’s win, described him as “brilliant” and “dangerous”, while Mbappé himself says he wants to “define an era” and “make history at Real Madrid”.

Man City had no answer to Mbappé on the night, but did they recently sell their own version, a decision they’re being made to regret?

Man City sold their answer to Mbappé

Mbappé wasn’t the only big-name striker who arrived in the Spanish capital last summer because, across the city, Atlético Madrid bought Julián Álvarez from Manchester City for a reported fee of £81.8m.

Chalkboard

At the time, this was viewed as an excellent deal for Man City, with Richard Jolly of the Independent noting they got great value for Erling Håland’s ‘second-choice’, while Steve Price of Forbes added that the Argentine became the Sky Blues’ record-sale.

However, this isn’t so much the case anymore, with Dermot Corrigan and Thom Harris of the Athletic documenting that Álvarez has ‘hit the ground running’ at Atleti, adding that nobody is questioning his transfer fee anymore.

His recent Panenka penalty in a Madrid derby, that finished 1-1 at the Bernabéu, takes Álvarez’s tally to 17 goals for the season, leaving los Colchoneros third in La Liga, just a point behind both Barça and Real Madrid, hence why Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show described this as Europe’s best title race.

Interestingly, FBref deem Alvarez to be a similar player to Mbappe among La Liga forwards, so let’s analyse how their first seasons in Madrid compare.

As outlined by the table, Mbappé ranks higher than Álvarez for most metrics, but only just, with the Argentine coming out on top when it comes to assists per 90, take-on success % and touches, admitidly the latter is only marginal.

In this season’s Champions League, only one player, namely Barça’s Raphinha, boasts a higher goals – xG figure than Álvarez’s +3.8, underlining how clinical he has been; for reference, Mbappé’s figure of -1.7 leaves him 862nd, out of 870, in this statistic.

Alex Kirkland of ESPN claims Álvarez could become Atlético’s ‘next great striker’, following in the footsteps of Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao, Diego Forlán​​​​​​​ and current teammate Antoine Griezmann.

Meantime, Charlotte Coates of BBC Sport believes Guardiola made a ‘mistake’ letting Álvarez leave, with the manager himself admitting “it could be a problem”, having previously described the Argentine as “incredible”.

So, would Man City have beaten Real Madrid if they’d had Álvarez in their ranks? Perhaps not, but it is still looking more and more like a mistake to allow him to depart.

Forget Dias: Pep must axe 5/10 Man City star after "hall of shame" display

Manchester City exited the Champions League with a 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid last night.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Feb 20, 2025

Birmingham Bears fell to a 16-run defeat against the Derbyshire Falcons in a low-scoring Vitality Blast game at Derby

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2018
ScorecardIan Bell wrote his name in the record books but finished on the losing side as Birmingham Bears fell to a 16-run defeat against the Derbyshire Falcons in a low-scoring Vitality Blast game at DerbyBell passed Jonathan Trott’s total of 1,911 runs to become the Bears highest run-scorer in T20 cricket but his 65 from 51 balls on a sluggish pitch was not enough as the visitors came up short chasing 144.Grant Elliott claimed 3 for 16 as the Falcons managed only 143 for 9 with Calum MacLeod top scoring with 39 but Wahab Riaz took 3 for 27 as superb bowling limited the Bears to 127 for 9.Billy Godleman got the Falcons off to a flier by pulling consecutive balls from Ollie Stone for two fours and a six and he swung Chris Woakes for another six as 18 came from the England seamer’s second over.The game was in danger of running away from the Bears but Aaron Thomason made the breakthrough when Godleman chopped on in the fifth over and Anuj Dal was run out first ball when he failed to beat Woakes throw from mid on.Wayne Madsen lifted Jeetan Patel over midwicket for six but the experienced spinner and Elliott applied a stranglehold that restricted the Falcons to 21 from five overs.The pressure accounted for Madsen who top edged a pull at Elliott and MacLeod’s attempts to break free only ended in the hands of Thomason at long on.Stone returned to have Matt Critchley caught at mid on to reduce the Falcons to 96 for 5 and Elliott struck again when Alex Hughes skied a drive to long on.The Bears had turned the match round to the extent that only 37 had come from eight overs and after Riaz and Hardus Viljoen fell trying to clear the field, Wilson gave his bowlers something to defend by hitting Thomason for a six and a four in the final over.The slow pitch had confounded several batsmen and Ed Pollock and Adam Hose became the latest victims as top edges off Riaz and Ravi Rampaul left the Bears reeling on 4 for 2.Bell lifted Riaz over third man for six before two runs off Rampaul took him past Trott’s milestone but the Bears were finding it just as difficult to get the ball away and when Sam Hain was caught behind down the leg side off Viljoen in the eighth over, the contest was in the balance.It shifted towards the Falcons in the ninth over when Colin de Grandhomme miscued a pull at Hughes and 49 for 4 at the halfway stage of the Bears innings reflected the quality of the bowling.Elliott sliced Viljoen to third man but Bell drove Hughes for six on his way to a 40 ball 50 and two fours from Riaz left the Bears needing 45 from five overs.But after a tight Rampaul over, Bell dragged Hughes to wide long on and after Viljoen conceded just one run from the 18th over, Riaz settled it with two wickets.

A former Cricket Australia (CA) employee, sacked over a series of social media posts criticising the Tasmanian government over the availability of abortions in the state, has taken the matter to the Fair Work Commission.Angela Williamson, who had worked as CA’s government relations manager in Tasmania since 2016, was informed via formal letter on June 29 that her employment had been terminated after the Cricket Tasmania Board lost confidence in her ability to do the job due to a succession of tweets about the inaccessibility of abortions, most recently on June 18.In that message, Williamson criticised the state’s health minister Michael Ferguson, describing him as “most irresponsible … gutless and reckless” for helping the government reject a parliamentary motion to return access to abortions in public hospital. In a report published by Fairfax Media, Williamson revealed she had been compelled to fly from Hobart to Melbourne on the mainland to have a surgical abortion in February this year.”We can confirm that Cricket Australia ended its employment arrangement with Ms Williamson in late June,” a CA spokesman said. “The circumstances surrounding that decision are now the subject of legal proceedings and it would be inappropriate for Cricket Australia to publicly comment on Ms. Williamson’s specific circumstances any further.”We will continue to follow and respect the current process. Cricket Australia respects an individua’s right to their opinion. However, it expects that employees will refrain from making offensive comments that contravene the organisation’s social media policy.”Williamson’s lawyer, Kamal Faroque, outlined their concerns about events. “Our client raised an important and personal view about the need to ensure that women in Tasmania have access to appropriate reproductive health services, and that she was disappointed in how the relevant government [official] had dealt with the issue in Parliament,” he told Fairfax Media.”Those views, and her raising them, have nothing to do with Cricket Australia or Cricket Tasmania, they have nothing to do with the work that she was performing and the question needs to be asked about why she has lost her job for this. In our view the actions of Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania have gone too far. Political opinion is a protected attribute under the Fair Work Act, but in this instance an employer is seeking to constrain that opinion, with a person losing their job as a result.”

She got to fifty in 18 balls, which was the tournament’s fastest half-century, shaving four deliveries off the previous record

ECB Reporters Network29-Jul-2018Smriti Mandhana smashed the record for fastest KSL fifty•Getty Images

Smriti Mandhana scored a brilliant unbeaten half-century – and smashed the tournament record for fastest fifty – as Western Storm beat Kia Super League leaders Loughborough Lightning by 18 runs in a match reduced by rain to six-overs-a-side at Taunton.Taking the aerial route and making the most of short boundaries, the 22-year-old left-hander from Mumbai smashed 52 off 19 balls with four sixes and five fours as Storm posted an imposing 85 for 2.New Zealand international Sophie Devine top scored with 46, but Storm bowled and fielded with iron discipline to restrict Lightning to 67 for 0 and inflict their first defeat in three outings.Bidding to extend their five-match winning record in KSL games at the Cooper Associates Ground, Storm lost the toss and were put into bat on a drying pitch beneath leaden skies.Charged with the task of getting the defending champions off to a good start, the new opening partnership of Mandhana and Rachel Priest accrued nine runs from the first over, sent down by Lynsey Smith.Off the mark with a straight six, Indian World Cup star Mandhana received a let-off when being dropped at mid-on with her score on seven in the first over.How Lightning must have regretted their profligacy when Mandhana heaved Sophie Devine over long-on for another maximum in the next over. Typically forthright in her approach, New Zealand international Priest also opened up her shoulders, twice clearing the rope as Devine went for 19 in one over.Displaying impressive fluency under pressure, the languid Mandhana drove Jenny Gunn to the long-off boundary as runs continued to flow.She then unleashed a startling cover drive for four at the expense of Kirstie Gordon as Storm brought up fifty in the fourth over.Attempting to match her team-mate blow for blow, the feisty Priest lifted Georgia Elwiss high over the mid-wicket boundary, a blow equalled in ferocity when Mandhana registered a massive six over long-on in the same over.Elwiss exacted revenge when Priest top-edged the final ball of the fifth over to wicketkeeper Amy Jones with the score on 71.England captain Heather Knight played across the line to Smith and departed for a first-ball duck as Storm briefly faltered, but Mandhana kept her foot to the floor, lifting Smith over long-off to realise 50 with her fourth maximum. Determined to get in on the act herself, West Indies international Stafanie Taylor then hoisted the final ball of the innings over deep square leg to stamp Storm’s authority.The Antipodean opening pair of Rachel Haynes and Devine took 11 off the first over, bowled by England World Cup winner Anya Shrubsole, while Freya Davies proved just as difficult to score against as Storm applied pressure.Appreciating the need to break free, the progressive Devine did rather better against Knight’s off spin, helping herself to a brace of sixes to keep Lightning in the hunt.But Taylor demonstrated clever variation as the fourth over yielded a mere seven runs, leaving the visitors to score 43 from 12 balls. When Davies kept things tight from the other end, Lightning required a notional 30 runs to win off the final over, a task that proved even beyond Devine, who finished four runs short of 50 in an innings that spanned 21 balls and included 3 fours and 4 sixes.

Power couple Alisha Lehmann and Douglas Luiz enjoyed a meal out with the Brazilian's family.

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• Lehmann enjoyed a meal out with Luiz and his family
• Posed for a photoshoot
• Lehmann will be next in action against Arsenal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Lehmann shared a series of photographs on her Instagram profile from her meal out with boyfriend and fellow Aston Villa star Luiz and his family. The Swiss midfielder also posed for a toilet photoshoot.

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• WHAT THEY POSTED

  Alisha Lehmann InstagramAlisha Lehmann Instagram

• Getty Images
  

  THE GOSSIP

  The Villans couple had broken up in 2022 after Lehmann decided to release a calendar of herself. But right at the beginning of 2024, they confirmed that they had rekindled their romance by posting pictures of each other on their social media accounts once again.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ALISHA LEHMANN?

  The 25-year-old will be next seen in action on Sunday as Aston Villa take on Arsenal in a Women's Super League clash.

أكد مصدر رسمي داخل اتحاد الكرة عدم صحة الأنباء المتداولة حول تأخر سفر بعثة المنتخب الأولمبي لكرة القدم إلى فرنسا بسبب أزمة في الطائرة التي ستقلّهم.

وأوضح المصدر لـ “بطولات” أن جميع عقود الطيران قد تم توقيعها منذ فترة وتم دفع كامل تكلفتها، وأن الطائرة جاهزة للإقلاع في أي وقت بمجرد استكمال إجراءات السفر.

وأشار إلى أن سبب تأخر سفر البعثة يعود إلى عدم وصول بعض المستندات المطلوبة من السلطات الفرنسية، عبر اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية، والتي تشمل “بطاقات هوية” (ID) لجميع أفراد البعثة.

وإلى جانب ذلك، أصدر اتحاد الكرة بيانًا رسميًا يوضح تفاصيل رحلة المنتخب الأولمبي إلى فرنسا للمشاركة في منافسات أولمبياد باريس 2024.

طالع أيضًا | رسميًا.. اتحاد الكرة يحسم ملف عودة إبراهيم عادل إلى بيراميدز قبل مواجهة الأهلي بيان اتحاد الكرة المصري

أنهت بعثة المنتخب الأولمبي إجراءات استخراج تأشيرات السفر إلى مدينة بوردو بفرنسا، حيث سيخوض مباراتين وديتين ضد منتخبي أوكرانيا والعراق يومي 14 و 17 يوليو الجاري.

من المقرر استلام التأشيرات خلال الساعات القادمة بالتنسيق مع اللجنة الأولمبية والسفارة الفرنسية واللجنة المنظمة لدورة الألعاب الأولمبية.

ستسافر البعثة على متن طائرة خاصة تم حجزها وسداد تكاليفها بعد استلام التأشيرات.

ويواصل المنتخب الأولمبي تدريباته اليوم في تمام الساعة الثامنة والنصف بملعب الدفاع الجوي في إطار معسكره المغلق بالقاهرة.