Still on the hunt for their next manager, Celtic have now reportedly been “granted permission” to take a major step towards hiring Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy.
The Hoops have been in no rush to make what is a crucial decision, but the November international break has at least given them the opportunity to advance their search for a permanent long-term manager. In the meantime, of course, Martin O’Neill has been doing an excellent job as interim boss — rolling back the years to get his side back on track in the Scottish Premiership.
It’s always a sign of just how well an interim manager is doing when rumours arrive that they could yet take the job on a permanent basis and those very rumours have arrived regarding O’Neill. The 73-year-old, however, has consistently distanced himself from the role.
As impressive as he’s been, it looks unlikely that O’Neill will be taking the permanent position. Instead, it could be the likes of Kieran McKenna, Kjetil Knutsen at Bodo/Glimt or other standout options.
With the Scottish League Cup final coming up against St. Mirren on December 14, Celtic will hope to have made their all-important decision in time to be ready to seal even more silverware and perhaps the first of their manager’s tenure.
Celtic "granted permission" to take Nancy step
As reported by Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, Celtic have now been “granted permission” to speak to Nancy by current club Columbus Crew. The MLS side are not standing in the 48-year-old’s way, and he’s now set to “hold discussions” with the Bhoys as early as this weekend.
Whilst not many saw Nancy as an option at the start of Celtic’s search, his reputation in America speaks for itself. Thierry Henry, who made the 3-4-2-1 manager his assistant at Montreal, previously told reporters: “I kept him because I knew the great brain that he has.
“I knew where he wanted to go. My philosophy is very close to his philosophy, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a clash or so right from the start. One thing that was very important for me was to keep the core of the club. Wilfried was happy because of my philosophy; we played with a back three.”
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Following Henry’s praise and a productive career across the Atlantic thus far, it appears Nancy could well be heading to Glasgow.
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Aston Villa are now leading the race to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Julian Brandt, who could be available for a bargain fee in the January transfer window.
Villa have been much-improved since the end of September, winning eight of their last ten matches in all competitions, having started to be much more clinical in front of goal, as showcased in the 4-0 victory against AFC Bournemouth at the weekend.
Emiliano Buendia was particularly impressive against the Cherries, receiving the Player of the Match award after opening the scoring with his third Premier League goal of the season, while the Argentinian also has two assists to his name.
UnaI Emery certainly isn’t short of top-quality options in attacking areas, and the manager will no doubt be extremely pleased that one of his key players recently put pen to paper on a new deal.
However, despite having a breadth of talent in forward areas, with Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen also getting on the scoresheet against Bournemouth, the Villans are now looking to sign a new attacking midfielder.
Aston Villa now leading race for Julian Brandt
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are now leading the race for Borussia Dortmund star Brandt, who could be in line to leave the German club in the January transfer window, given that he is yet to extend his contract beyond the end of the current campaign.
Talks over a contract extension are ongoing, but the 29-year-old is open to a move, and he is regarded as a ‘creative upgrade in midfield’ by Villa.
With the German’s contract set to expire in the summer, he could be available for a bargain fee this winter, but there could be competition, as rival Premier League sides are also in the race, alongside clubs from the Serie A and La Liga.
The Bremen-born attacking midfielder is yet to test himself outside his home country, but he has proven himself as a reliable source of goals and assists over a number of years with Dortmund and former club Bayer Leverkusen.
Julian Brandt’s attacking record
Goals
Assists
Borussia Dortmund (279 games)
50
68
Bayer Leverkusen (215 games)
42
52
Lauded as “incredible” by journalist Manuel Veth, the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man has averaged 0.47 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the top 2% of all attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues.
As such, Brandt clearly has the talent to succeed in the Premier League, and he could be a solid signing for Villa, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they miss out, considering Emery already has the likes of Rogers and Buendia at his disposal.
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The American League Championship Series comes down to one game to decide who will meet the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2025 World Series.
What follows is a look at the five players who will decide the outcome of Game 7 on Monday night.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Vladdy Jr. has been on fire in the postseason, hitting .462 with a franchise postseason record six home runs and 12 RBIs. He's posting a ridiculous OPS of 1.532 in October, but has hammered Mariners pitching in this series. In the last four games, he's 9-for-15 with three home runs, three walks and one strikeout. He has also done some crazy things. There isn't a baseball player on the planet hotter than Guerrero right now. He'll have his say on Monday night.
Cal Raleigh
Like Guerrero, Raleigh has been big in the playoffs. He's hitting .302 with four home runs and seven RBIs, and also boasts an OPS of 1.028. Aaron Judge's only challenger for the AL MVP award, Raleigh has been mostly bottled up in this series. The 60-homer man is 5-for-22 with two home runs against the Blue Jays. In his career against Toronto's Game 7 starter Shane Bieber, Raleigh is 2-for-8 with a pair of singles and a strikeout. Seattle needs him to break through against the righty. If he doesn't, Seattle's offense may not have the punch it needs to win.
Shane Bieber
Speaking of Bieber, who would have thought he'd be here? He spent most of the season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, then the Guardians sent him to Toronto at the trade deadline before he'd pitched a big league game in his return. Now he's starting Game 7 of the ALCS. The former Cy Young winner has made two postseason starts and is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP and 10 striekouts against two walks in 8 2/3 innings. He took the win in Game 3 of the series, as he went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out eight. Toronto would take that performance again in a heartbeat.
George Kirby
Kirby took the loss in Game 3 and had the opposite performance of Bieber. He surrendered eight runs on eight its in four-plus innings and the Blue Jays hit three home runs on him. Before that, the 27-year-old righty had allowed three runs on nine hits in 10 postseason innings. His lone ALCS start ballooned his playoff ERA to 7.07. The Mariners need him to bounce back and put his Game 3 disaster behind him. If he can't, the season may end Monday night.
Josh Naylor
Naylor has made himself a lot of money in the postseason. The Mariners acquired the impending free agent from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline and he has been oustanding when it has mattered the post. His has three postseason home runs and is hitting .341 with a .974 OPS in October. He has hammered Toronto's pitching in this series as well. Naylor is 9-for-21 with all three of his postseason homers in the first six games of the series. In the last three games, he's 6-for-10 with two bombs. If Seattle is getting a big hit in Game 7, there's a good bet Naylor will be the one delivering it.
He scored crucial runs down the order and took five wickets but the visitors are still staring at an innings defeat
Mohammad Isam27-Jun-2025Sri Lanka are on the cusp of a big win against Bangladesh in the second Test in Colombo. The visitors are still 96 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat, and with just four wickets in the bag, a big loss is very much on the cards with two days left.While not a lot of positives have come out of the Bangladesh camp, particularly in this second Test, left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is among their few success stories. Taijul battled on the second morning with the bat to give the Bangladesh total some respectability. The eventual 247 wasn’t substantial, but that they even got there was down to Taijul’s 33 off 60 balls.He then bowled seven spells of varying lengths to grab his 17th five-wicket haul, and fifth in an overseas Test, putting him on par with Shakib Al Hasan. Taijul’s 5 for 131 in Colombo was the umpteenth example of his doggedness and consistency. He also showed what a technically sound left-arm spinner he is. Taijul demands batters’ attention till the last moment they play or leave the ball. It adds a measure of thrill to his long spells.Related
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In both Galle and Colombo, he kept his end of the bargain by bowling as tightly as possible. At times, wicketkeeper Litton Das would remind him to toss the ball a little higher or come a little straighter. And Taijul was mostly on the money.In Colombo, Taijul was a study of patience. He shared the new ball and bowled 23 overs on the trot. Nahid Rana and Ebadot Hossain went for plenty from the other end, so he had to be the captain’s banker. Taijul took one wicket in that spell. He bowled nine more overs on the second day, each time keeping his consistency intact. All this with an elbow injury he picked up while batting.When Najmul Hossain Shanto handed him the ball early on the third morning, it was to stop the bleeding. Sri Lanka had made an impressive start, so Bangladesh couldn’t afford to give runs freely. Taijul removed overnight centurion Pathum Nissanka early with the second new ball. He got one to skid rapidly, with the ball holding up ever so slightly for Sri Lanka’s centurion to chip to short extra cover. Taijul then beat captain Dhananjaya de Silva with his flight, building up to a delivery that had a hint of inward drift, beating his front-foot prod.Taijul was taken off after just four overs on the third morning, for Mehidy Hasan Miraz to bowl against the left-hand batter Kamindu Mendis. The match-up didn’t work and Mehidy had to be taken out of the attack soon. Taijul later came back to take two of the last three wickets to fall. It took his tally to 237, nine short of Shakib’s record 246 for Bangladesh. At the press conference after stumps, one couldn’t draw Taijul into that conversation, such is his introverted nature. He would rather talk about his seam position.Taijul Islam added some crucial runs during Bangladesh’s first innings•Associated Press”I did what comes naturally to me, from the start of my career,” he said. “There is always the odd variation for the spinner. Like sometimes you will check how the ball behaves in certain pitches or seam positions. I was trying that only. I prefer bowling in long spells. I am used to bowling long spells. I never think that I can’t bowl long spells. That’s how I bowl in the nets, too.”Taijul said that Nissanka’s wicket helped Bangladesh restrict Sri Lanka when they looked like running away with a mammoth total on the second day. “He [Nissanka] is in great shape. He has struck two big knocks. He was an important breakthrough for us. I think his wicket helped us bowl them out reasonably quickly.”Taijul lamented Bangladesh’s batting performance in the game, too, and he may yet have to put up another rearguard action on the fourth day, with the visitors struggling.”I am a bowler, but I bat as well,” he said. “Our batting wasn’t that good. In the first innings, the wicket was good. Each batter got out after getting set. Had there been two hundreds or two fifties, the situation might have been different.”Weather could have a say on the fourth day, but Sri Lanka only have to dismantle Bangladesh’s lower order on their way to the series win. Taijul will make way for the white-ball specialists and will get back to training in Dhaka, and maybe get to play some red-ball cricket when the 2025-26 season opens in October.He will eye Shakib’s record against Ireland, though it will likely pale in comparison to the attention that Mushfiqur Rahim will get as he is projected to complete 100 Tests in that series. Taijul probably wouldn’t mind the limelight away from him even then.
Manchester United’s run of five games unbeaten in the Premier League is evidence that Ruben Amorim is certainly starting to get the best out of the current crop of players Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old’s stint in England has been nothing but plain sailing, as seen by his inability to lead the club to a respectable finish in 2024/25 – subsequently ending the year in 15th place.
However, the hierarchy have shown faith in the former Sporting CP boss, as seen by his £200m spending spree during the recent summer transfer window.
The likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have all joined the Red Devils in the last few months, with the latter of the trio already scoring six combined goals in England’s top-flight.
Despite the mammoth investment within the attacking department, the manager is still craving a new central midfielder to help take his side to the next level in the years ahead.
Man United’s hunt for a new central midfielder in January
Over the last couple of weeks, Elliot Anderson has been the name on the lips of all United supporters, with rumours rapidly starting to circle over a move for his signature.
The Nottingham Forest star has risen to stardom over the last 12 months, with the 23-year-old featuring in every league game in 2025/26, even earning him a spot in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel.
It’s been reported in recent days that the Red Devils have already reached out to the Reds over a potential deal for the youngster, but have been quoted a fee in the region of £100m for his services.
However, Anderson isn’t the only midfielder currently in their sights, with the hierarchy also closely monitoring German star Angelo Stiller ahead of the upcoming window.
According to one Spanish outlet, Amorim’s men are preparing an offer in the region of €60m (£53m) for the Stuttgart star, with Real Madrid also interested in a move for his signature.
The report claims that his current employers don’t want to lose the 24-year-old in the near future, but they could be forced to if an acceptable offer is presented by the likes of United.
Why Stiller target would be their own Anderson
United fans have seen first-hand the talents that Anderson currently possesses, after the Forest star managed to run the show in the recent meeting between the sides at the City Ground.
He featured for the entirety of the contest and thrived in and out of possession, as Sean Dyche’s men secured a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils in the East Midlands.
The 23-year-old managed to create three chances for his teammates – offering a threatening option with the ball – whilst also making 14 recoveries and preventing Amorim’s men from extending their winning run.
Anderson’s ability to complete 100% of his dribbles and register 15 passes into the final third further showcases his phenomenal talents – with such a performance leaving the United fanbase demanding his signature.
However, English talents are always more expensive in the modern transfer market, as seen by the current £100m price tag that has been placed on his head at present.
Given the money spent in the summer, it’s unclear if the United hierarchy would splash such a sum, with a potential deal breaking their club-record transfer fee set by Paul Pogba in 2016.
As a result, a move for Stiller could prove to be a more realistic proposition, but that’s not to say he’s a lower quality talent than England international, Anderson.
The German has been labelled as a similar player to the 23-year-old by FBref in the Europa League this season, with the Stuttgart star even bettering him in numerous key areas to date.
Stiller, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more key passes per 90, whilst also making more passes into the opposition box per 90.
How Stiller & Anderson compare in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)
Stiller
Anderson
Games played
10
11
Goals & assists
4
2
Progressive carries
2.2
1.3
Pass accuracy
86%
83%
Key passes
2.1
1.3
Passes into opposition box
2.3
1.2
Interceptions made
1.1
0.9
Clearances made
1.4
0.8
Take-ons completed
73%
50%
Stats via FBref
Such numbers are no mean feat, especially considering Anderson’s talents in possession, subsequently showcasing the phenomenal talent that the Stuttgart talent currently possesses.
He’s also registered more progressive carries per 90, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such figures highlighting his dominance over the Forest star with the ball at his feet.
Angelo Stiller for Stuttgart
Stiller has managed to provide key talents out of possession too, even bettering the Englishman in terms of interceptions and clearances made per 90 in 2025/26.
The aforementioned figures could certainly make the German the perfect number six in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, which could finally end the club’s hunt for a new midfielder.
Anderson may remain as many supporters’ number one choice for the role, but ultimately, his current asking price is way above the range United would spend in January.
As a result, Stiller could offer a cheaper yet more effective option to the Red Devils, potentially helping the side make a top four push come the end of May.
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Vitor Pereira had penned a new contract at Wolverhampton Wanderers back in September.
Yet, as we now enter November, the Portuguese boss is no longer occupying the Molineux hot-seat, with the Old Gold yet to collect a Premier League win this season from ten matches.
It is going to be a huge task for whoever takes on the reins after Pereira to try and turn around Wolves’ miserable season, with a surprise return for Gary O’Neil reportedly once on the cards.
However, despite allegedly entering talks about coming back to the top-flight’s basement club, the ex-Wolves manager pulled out of a shock reunion.
This could be a blessing in disguise in the West Midlands, with O’Neil enduring a tough end to his previous Old Gold spell…
Where things went wrong for O'Neil at Wolves
Going back in for a previous manager to try and turn around a sinking ship very rarely works out.
O’Neil did manage to keep Wolves up during his first campaign in charge during the 2022/23 season, as a depleted Old Gold side that no longer had the likes of Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez on their books soared to 14th in the league standings.
It’s the woeful start to his second campaign in charge that would likely have not made this an appointment to go down well with the already disgruntled Molineux masses.
Indeed, Wolves only managed to collect a dire two wins from 16 games before he was given his marching orders, having also conceded a calamitous 40 goals along the way.
Games managed
100
Wins
31
Draws
17
Losses
52
Goals scored
135
Goals conceded
178
Points accumulated
110
Therefore, expecting O’Neil to return and be a transformative appointment would have been viewed as far-fetched, with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi even admitting when he got rid of the 42-year-old that he had “cut ties too late.”
Thankfully, Pereira worked out in the short term. But, now, Wolves need another fresh set of ideas to get them out of a similar mess, as a former Old Gold player turned successful manager continues to be linked with the vacancy.
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Wolves' outstanding O'Neil alternative
Wolves have been linked with a whole host of different and unique names, with ex-Molineux goal machine Robbie Keane even throwing his hat into the ring.
But, it appears now that current Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is high up on the priority list to replace Pereira, with talkSPORT naming Edwards as a ‘strong contender’ to get the job.
It’s noted that former Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, is also on their radar, although Edwards is currently ahead of the Dutchman to get the job.
The current Boro boss has a release clause in his contract at the Riverside and could soon make a return to the Premier League.
Immediately, with his previous connections to the club as a player and as a former U21 coach, it could be a good fit.
That’s before you even take into account the admirable job he did at Luton Town, who were rooted towards the foot of the Premier League division throughout the 2023/24 campaign.
Against all the odds, the much-loved Edwards nearly kept Luton afloat in the Premier League, as the Boro boss made the Hatters a stern team to try and break down.
That led to the minnows picking up a 1-1 draw against Liverpool that season, and saw them compete with Arsenal all the way at Kenilworth Road in a 4-3 defeat. Remarkably, that is the last time the Gunners have shipped three goals in any game of football.
Mikel Arteta even commended Edwards for how “difficult” he had made Luton to beat, with Wolves in some dire need of the same grit and application to try and get them out of their horrible hole.
It wasn’t all just attritional performances, though, as Edwards also managed to turn Carlton Morris into an 11-goal hero in the top-flight. That will be music to the ears of a misfiring Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has only one league strike next to his name this season.
But, as can be seen watching the highlight reel above, the imposing Norwegian did manage to fire home 14 goals last campaign, as he attempts to become Edwards’ next focal point, if the ex-Luton manager is handed the reins.
Described as an opportunity that will be “hard for him to say no to” by journalist Graeme Bailey, it will be intriguing to see if Edwards does end up swapping a top-of-the-table position in the EFL for another basement battle in the league above.
With a bit between his teeth now at the Riverside Stadium, it could be time for Edwards to mount a Premier League return, having also previously been lauded as “one of English football’s brightest and best young coaches.”
Doesn’t that sound good, Wolves fans?
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India went from 294 for 4 in the 43rd over to 330 all out, a total that proved inadequate
Vishal Dikshit12-Oct-20253:54
Review: Healy’s 142 was Australia’s bedrock
India’s famed top five finally came to the party at the Women’s World Cup 2025 to put on a staggering total of 330 but such was their lower-order collapse, the flatness of the pitch, and the might of the Australians that India fell “30 to 40 runs” short.It was the first time any team had scored over 300 while batting first against Australia but India believe they could have got much more after they were placed at 294 for 4 in 42.5 overs. As it happened, they lost the next six wickets for 36 runs to be bowled out with seven balls to spare. After their openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal scored half-centuries, India’s middle-order batters got off to starts but they and the lower order couldn’t cash in on the promise.”The way we started we thought if we could have added more 30-40 runs on the board, we missed runs in the last six-seven overs,” captain Harmanpreet Kaur said at the presentation. “We kept losing wickets and that really cost us because today’s pitch was totally different. We knew it was a good batting wicket, but those last six overs where we were not able to capitalise really cost us.Related
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“Today the first 40 overs were really good and in the last 10 we were not executing well. In matches these things are going to happen, we are not going to be 100% all the time but it’s very important how you come back.”Head coach Amol Muzumdar concurred with his captain that India had to finish better to get over the line. He pointed to the defeat to South Africa, where they couldn’t defend 251 despite being in a strong position, to highlight that the team have issues with the ball as well.Both Harmanpreet Kaur and Amol Muzumdar felt India did not finish well with the ball•Getty Images
“Look, in my opinion, the finish is very important in a cricket game,” Muzumdar said at the press conference. “I always say, even in this dressing room, that yes, we need a good start, but we need a better finish. So, if you see the finish that we had in the South Africa game, as far as bowling is concerned in the last five overs, we ended up losing that game. And, even today, basically, if we would have got another 20 runs, maybe things would have been different. But, at the same time, it’s been a gradual progress for us. And there are a lot of learnings. I keep talking about positives and learnings. One of the things to learn is to finish well.”India have struggled to defend competitive totals in their last two games, losing both with seven and six balls remaining. They have played these games with only five bowlers in batting-friendly conditions. Their next match against England is in Indore, which tends to offer plenty of runs as well. Will India look to bolster their attack?”Obviously, after this game, we will have a look at it,” Muzumdar said. “I am sure the team management will have a proper discussion about this and then we will take a right call as we approach the next game. I am sure about that.”Harmanpreet, however, did not sound too keen to change India’s combination which has five frontline batters, a wicketkeeper-batter, three allrounders and two frontline bowlers.”We’ll sit and discuss [about five bowlers] because this combination has given us a lot of success in the past,” she said. “Two bad games are not going to make a big difference for us. Going forward there are a lot of things we need to sort it out and hopefully we’ll come up with the best approach.”One of the other issues for India, compared to teams that have been doing better, is their consumption of dot balls. It was a much larger issue in their first three games of the World Cup before they addressed it against Australia where five of their top seven had strike rates in excess of 100.”Well, to be honest, after the previous game, we had an elongated discussion about how we are going to approach the batting innings,” Muzumdar said. “That was one of the things that was discussed about the dot-ball percentage. So far, in the last year-and-a-half, we have been playing very aggressive cricket. I thought today was a good display. Yes, the dot-ball percentage has come down. But, we will have a closer look at it, I don’t know what the percentage is (48% against Australia), but we would like to get it down.”
Tahuhu’s two-for reduced Pakistan to 92 for 5 and leave their chances of progressing hanging by a thread
Vishal Dikshit18-Oct-2025
New Zealand’s fate will be decided by their games against England and India•Getty Images
No result Pakistan 92 for 5 (Riaz 28*, Tahuhu 2-20, Carson 1-7) vs New ZealandColombo handed a second washout in four days to Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup 2025, leaving their chances of progressing to the knockouts hanging by a thread. As Pakistan and New Zealand shared points, South Africa became the second team to progress to the semi-finals, after Australia, as even a finish on eight points in the league stage will take them through.If two or more teams finish on the same points, it will first be seen who has more wins, and South Africa will progress with four wins already from five games.With Saturday’s washout, Pakistan continue to remain winless in the tournament while New Zealand keep themselves in the running for the knockouts, still placed fifth with just one win and two abandoned games so far. Their next two matches, against India and England, will now decide their fate.Related
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A fired-up New Zealand side laid the foundation after winning the toss in overcast conditions on Saturday. While their experienced quick Lea Tahuhu returned to the XI to strike twice in her first spell, the Kerr sisters and Eden Carson picked up a wicket apiece to leave Pakistan reeling at 92 for 5 before the second rain break sealed the outcome of the match.Tahuhu was the first to strike and she did it in her first over when Omaima Sohail, who had crawled to 3 off 14, was trapped lbw before two sharp catches dented Pakistan further. Muneeba Ali had dispatched a few boundaries and had been handed a life on 8 when wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze put down a low chance off Jess Kerr. But when Muneeba pulled a short delivery off the same bowler on 22, Suzie Bates threw herself to her left at midwicket to take a stunner. No. 3 Sidra Amin then saw a similar effort from Carson at point when she scythed a short ball from Tahuhu, and Pakistan were 52 for 3. It had been drizzling then for a few minutes, and as soon as Amin walked back after 12.2 overs it got heavier for a break.Pakistan now have two washouts in five games•ICC/Getty ImagesPlay resumed after 95 minutes in what was shortened to a 46-overs-a-side contest as Natalia Pervaiz joined Aliya Riaz. The more experienced Riaz soon charged down to crash Tahuhu to the square-leg boundary even as Pervaiz lived dangerously against Melie Kerr’s variations. Pervaiz even got a life on 9 when Sophie Devine put down a sharp catch at slip off Melie Kerr but lasted only five more balls by holing out off Carson for the simplest of catches to Devine at long-on.Melie Kerr then foxed the new batter – captain Fatima Sana – with a wrong’un which rattled the stumps to leave Pakistan on 80 for 5. Rain interrupted again after five overs and the players walked off with the score on 92 for 5 after 25 overs.It stopped raining within an hour with some lightning also around, and the game was soon reduced to 36 overs per innings. But the drizzle soon returned, turned into a heavy shower to make the ground staff cover the whole field, and the game was eventually called off.
Young batter puts herself in Ashes frame with seamless move into the international ranks
Valkerie Baynes09-Jan-20251:51
Georgia Voll talks Women’s Ashes
“A little bit of nice backyard space – enough for a footy field.” It’s the sort of childhood home many budding sports stars dream of, and Georgia Voll made the most of it.As spring broke through the chill in Highfields on the outskirts of Toowoomba, two hours’ drive west of Brisbane, Voll and her brother would mow themselves a cricket pitch in the middle and rugby league gave way to cricket. Any big shots to hit the goalpost as it stood in situ through the summer would invariably break it, sparking a search for more pipe to fix it ahead of the next winter.For a long time, it was all about rugby league for Voll. But beyond the under-12 level, she wasn’t allowed to play in the boys’ team and a lack of opportunities for girls at the time meant she had to look elsewhere. And found cricket. She juggled both for a time when girls’ pathways opened up and she was selected in the Queensland Rugby League Under-18 Girls Performance Programme as a 16-year-old.Around the same time, Voll moved to Brisbane with her family and made her cricket debut for Queensland. Armed with her first state cricket contract by the time the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the choice was finally made.Related
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Annabel Sutherland – Victoria's own makes the 'G her home
Voll, Perry tons and Sutherland four-for seal series for Australia
“I got a lot of questions asking, ‘what are you going to pick, how are you’re going to make the decision?’ But it sort of made itself for me when I moved to Brisbane in 2020,” Voll told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “I was fortunate enough to actually pick up a contract that year. Otherwise, I probably would’ve not really been sure what I would’ve done. That decision was made for me as the footy pathways got closed down and the cricket professional stuff hadn’t closed down.”The choice was almost as straightforward when Alyssa Healy suffered a knee injury ahead of Australia’s home ODI series against India in December. After scoring 98 off 84 balls for Queensland against Western Australia in the WNCL, Voll smashed 92 off just 55 and an unbeaten 97 off 56 for new WBBL team Sydney Thunder, whom she had just joined from Brisbane Heat.A powerful right-hander, Voll was picked to open for her country alongside fellow 21-year-old and Thunder team-mate Phoebe Litchfield. And, just like in the backyard at home, Voll made the most of it.An impressive 46 not out at nearly a run-a-ball on debut was followed by 101 off 87 in just her second game, and then 26 as Australia swept India 3-0.
“I’m not the sort of person to let it hit me,” Voll said of her international debut. “I didn’t want to let the moment and how special it is get to me and make me more nervous or worried about what the outcome was. It was just to enjoy myself and play the way that I had been playing to get me to that position.”For that to work out and come off the way it did was pretty awesome. But my mindset was just to back myself and watch-the-ball-hit-the-ball. That was my role coming into it and I wanted to do that the best I could.”Having close friend Litchfield there made the moment all the more special, but it also allowed Voll to retain a sense of normality.”We’re really good mates from [age-group] cricket and it was sort of a ‘pinch me’ moment when we could walk out there a couple of weeks ago and opened the batting for Australia,” Voll said. “That’s something I’ve dreamed of doing and she would’ve dreamed of as well. That we are both there after doing it in Under-15s five, six years ago, to do it at the highest level is awesome.”Litchfield, who scored 60 in a 130-run partnership with Voll as she scored her maiden international century, was delighted for her friend but not surprised.”I know how good she is,” Litchfield said. “There’s so many batters in domestic cricket at the moment who could easily play international cricket, it’s just who is the best one and Volly has definitely earned her place and it’s tough to keep her out of the side.”She’s really just taken her opportunity. You don’t really know long you are going to play for with Midge [Healy] coming back from injury, so to take her opportunity and earn a spot in an Ashes squad is so awesome. It’s a credit to the Cricket Australia pathway, really, domestic cricket is world-class and she’s fitted seamlessly into international cricket.”Georgia Voll was drafted into Australia’s white-ball squads for the Ashes•Getty ImagesVoll was drafted into Australia’s white-ball squads for the Ashes when allrounder Sophie Molineux went out with a knee injury. Healy returned in a batting capacity in New Zealand as Beth Mooney kept wicket, and Voll’s Ashes role could be limited, but a 42-ball 57 for the Governor General’s XI on Thursday opening alongside Healy, who scored 38, will have done her chances of making an appearance no harm.Alongside the likes of Litchfield and in-form 23-year-old allrounder Annabel Sutherland, Voll is at the core of a bright future for Australia which, coupled with a wealth of experience remaining in their line-up, has the hosts looking dangerous ahead of the first ODI against England on Sunday at North Sydney Oval.”That’s something we’ve been speaking about, our depth,” Litchfield said. “It’s allowed me, Alyssa Healy and Georgia Voll to go out there and actually play shots. Traditionally you use the first ten [overs] to consolidate, but we are actually going at sixes and taking the game on to know our depth will back us up.”And Voll is ready to continue her development from the best position imaginable, whether that’s in the dugout or middle.”I’m just there and waiting if they need me,” Voll said. “Obviously it’d be super, especially if I could get out there, but I’m also happy just to be around the group and soak it all up as it’s such a big and special occasion.”You always sit back at home and you watch it and you hope one day that you’ll be there. To be here as a player is pretty special, something that you dream of, and the rivalries between Australia and England are big in all sports, but to have the chance to be a part of an Ashes series is special, especially being at home. I’m looking forward to getting in amongst it and hopefully we can get some wins as well.”
Tottenham Hotspur are now closely monitoring Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, viewing him as an ideal fit in Thomas Frank’s system.
Frank has set out to improve Tottenham’s defence since succeeding Ange Postecoglou as manager in the summer, with Gary Neville claiming they have made improvements at the back after the recent 3-0 victory against Everton.
Neville said: “They did things certainly last season they weren’t capable of doing, and that’s being reliable when they’re not playing well.
“Can they withstand pressure? Can they soak up teams putting balls into their box? They did that today. I think they defended really well.”
Spurs are faring much better than last season in the Premier League, despite the 1-0 loss against Chelsea on Saturday, having taken 17 points from their opening 10 games, and Micky van de Ven has caught the eye, scoring a brace against Everton.
However, Van de Ven is now attracting attention from elsewhere, which could pose a problem for the north Londoners, who have set a minimum asking price of £88m amid interest from Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Tottenham closely monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite
With their captain being linked to other clubs, Tottenham are now looking to sign a new centre-back, and a report from Caught Offside has revealed they are closely monitoring Branthwaite, viewing the defender as an ideal fit in Frank’s system.
The Toffees are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure, but they have set an asking price of £70m, which means a deal could be possible if Spurs are willing to break their existing transfer record.
The 23-year-old, who remains under contract until 2030, is happy at Everton for the time being and not pushing for an exit, but interest is growing, with Manchester United also in the race for his signature.
Injuries have hampered the Englishman as of late, meaning he is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League this season, but he has certainly caught the eye in the past, notably putting in a top performance against Spurs in 2024.
The Carlisle-born defender is now very experienced in the Premier League, having made 75 top-flight performances, and he averaged a 7.02 SofaScore match rating last term, the fifth-highest of any Everton player to feature in at least 50% of their matches.
Branthwaite is at a good age to be a long-term success at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium, but £70m would be a lot to spend on a player who hasn’t proven himself at the highest level, with the centre-back yet to play for England or in the Champions League.
What Thomas Frank said after snub from van de Ven and Spence What Frank said on snub from van de Ven and Spence after Tottenham loss