A positive update has now emerged regarding Newcastle United’s efforts to sign a “special” player in the summer transfer window.

Howe in charge of transfers at Newcastle

There has been a big change at St James’ Park since the end of the season, following the departure of Paul Mitchell as sporting director, with the 43-year-old releasing a statement upon his exit.

“I’d like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their support over the last year. I’m leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales – someone who I have worked so closely with in my career – moving on soon. The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building.”

It means that Eddie Howe now has far more control of Newcastle’s summer transfer business, amid rumours that the pair didn’t get along, not least last summer when both were reportedly dissatisfied with a lack of business.

It will be interesting to see if Howe flourishes with even more responsibility, bringing in the right players who can suit his style of play, and a new centre-back will surely be a priority. Now, a new report has emerged regarding a potential signing in that area of the pitch.

Newcastle planning approach for "special" defender

According to a new report from Caught Offside, Newcastle are planning an approach for Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti this summer, with the Italian valued at £29m.

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He desperately needs a fresh start.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 9, 2025

The 26-year-old’s future in Turin is described as “uncertain” and he also likes the idea of moving to the Premier League, acting as a boost for the Magpies.

As mentioned, Newcastle must strengthen their defence this summer, considering several of their current options are in their 30s, and Gatti stands out as a strong choice for them.

The Italy international has enjoyed an interesting journey, emerging as a late bloomer rather than standing out at academy level, with Eurofoot describing his career as being on a “special” path.

Gatti enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 season with Juve, including completing 95.2% of his passes in Serie A, highlighting the quality he has in possession, and he is at a perfect age to come straight in as a key man for Newcastle.

Federico Gatti’s 2024/25 Serie A stats	Total
Appearances	30
Starts	26
Minutes played	2196
Pass completion rate	95.2%
Clearances per game	2.5
Aerial duel wins per game	1.2
Tackles per game	0.9
Goals	1
Assists	0

It may not be easy for the Magpies to get him, amid competition from the likes of Tottenham, West Ham, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, but they can guarantee him Champions League football, which could prove vital.

Arsenal’s pursuit of a new striker is set to be the main talking point of their expectedly busy transfer window, and if you ask any fan, the addition of a prolific centre-forward would be their top priority.

Arsenal working on Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres deals

At the time of writing, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres stand out as Arsenal’s top two targets for the role.

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ByEmilio Galantini Jun 5, 2025

Sesko finished 2024/2025 with a modest goal return of 21 in all competitions, which is just six more than Kai Havertz who spent half of last season out injured. However, the 22-year-old is a long-term target for Mikel Arteta.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Arsenal had a proposal to sign Sesko last summer rejected, with the Slovenia international choosing to sign a contract extension and shaking hands on a gentlemen’s agreement with Leipzig that he can leave this year or next year instead.

Arsenal also tried to sign Sesko in January, but the player and his club wanted him to see out the Bundesliga season (Ben Jacobs).

Gyokeres, meanwhile, has just fired Sporting to their first domestic double in two decades with a sensational 54 goals in all competitions – so the Swede’s appeal to Gunners director Andrea Berta is glaringly obvious.

According to the BBC this week, Arsenal were simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres, before making a final decision on which centre-forward to formally pursue.

Now, it appears they’re favouring Sesko, with talks advancing on that front, according to Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources.

Before Sesko, it was reliably reported that Newcastle United star Alexander Isak was actually Arsenal’s “dream” signing.

Arsenal back off in race for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak

However, the striker’s reported £150 million-plus price tag and Newcastle’s qualification for the Champions League make this deal incredibly difficult.

There is also the matter of Liverpool, with journalist Graeme Bailey telling The Boot Room that Arsenal are backing off in the race for Isak, partly because the north Londoners theorise that Arne Slot’s title-winners are in “pole position” if he does leave St. James’ Park.

“Isak is the dream, and I think because Liverpool’s confidence, that’s where Arsenal’s interest is waning slightly,” said Bailey.

“I’ve been told Liverpool are in pole position. If Isak leaves, Liverpool are in pole position, and I think Arsenal learned that and that’s why they backed off slightly as well. Not just because they can’t afford him, because Arsenal probably could if they wanted to.”

Isak’s 27 goals in all competitions tell just half the story, with Eddie Howe’s Swede proving an absolute nightmare for defences to deal with across 24/25.

It would surely take something very special to convince Newcastle to sell the 25-year-old, and even a record-shattering bid might not be enough.

The decision came after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help Gaekwad

PTI14-Jul-2024The BCCI has decided to release INR 1 crore for the treatment of former India batter Aunshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer at a medical facility in London.The BCCI’s decision came after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help Gaekwad.”Mr Jay Shah has instructed the BCCI to release INR 1 crore with immediate effect to provide financial assistance to India’s veteran cricketer Mr Anshuman Gaekwad, who is battling cancer,” the BCCI apex council said in a statement.”Shah has also spoken to Mr Gaekwad’s family to take stock of the situation and extend support,” the statement continued. “The board stands by Gaekwad’s family in this hour of crisis and will do whatever is essential for Mr Gaekwad’s quick recovery.”The BCCI will continue to monitor Mr Gaekwad’s progress and is confident that he will come out of this phase strongly.”Gaekwad, 71, played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987. Later, he became a selector and then the coach of the national team.

With Chelsea having secured Champions League football at the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign, things looked more positive for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Since taking over last summer, he’s done an admirable job in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, notably winning the Conference League on the way to sealing that top-four place.

It’s rare you get the chance to win major silverware over the summer too, but Chelsea have been presented with that at this year’s revamped Club World Cup.

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By
Charlie Smith

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However, in true Chelsea fashion, they’ve had a topsy-turvy time of it out in the United States.

They won their first game 2-0 against LAFC but were embarrassed by Brazilian opposition, Flamengo, 3-1 on Friday night.

“We know we could hurt them in some areas”, said former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho after the game. Having recently left Arsenal, the veteran rolled back the years against his ex-employers, notably winning possession more times (8) than Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo (7) put together.

Jorginho wasn’t the only one out there embarrassing Chelsea players, as Nicolas Jackson will testify.

Jackson’s moment of madness against Flamengo

Chelsea actually started their game against Flamengo in fantastic fashion.

Pedro Neto – who scored against LA a few days ago – was on hand once again to find the back of the net.

Sadly, it all went pear-shaped in the second half when goals from Wallace, Danilo and Bruno Henrique sealed all three points.

At 2-1 down, their cause certainly wasn’t helped by Jackson. Only a matter of months ago, the striker nearly ruined Chelsea’s top five hopes by getting sent off at Newcastle and he let his teammates down again on Friday.

Liam Delap – fresh off assisting Fernandez’s goal in their Club World Cup opener – started the game but didn’t enjoy as much success this time around, subbed off in the 64th minute for Jackson.

Well, just four minutes later, the Senegalese forward found himself back in the locker room after being sent for an early bath.

Jackson lunged in late with his studs and the referee saw no other option but to send him off. Celebrating his 24th birthday, it’s safe to say this wasn’t the happiest of occasions for the forward.

Chelsea have already been in the market for upgrades to their forward line this summer and in Delap, they have already signed a fine rival. Yet, amid links to players like Victor Osimhen and Hugo Ekitike, perhaps BlueCo just better cut their losses on the player now.

As bad as Jackson was, he wasn’t the only culprit in the defeat.

What else went wrong for Chelsea against Flamengo

Jackson will and should no doubt take much of the blame but Chelsea’s defence put in a rather shambolic performance at the back.

Starting with Flamengo’s equaliser, it was right-back Malo Gusto who failed to cover himself in much glory. He was caught out by a deep cross to the back post where Gonzalo Plata got free of every defender.

Poor positioning from Trevor Chalobah and Levi Colwill subsequently allowed Plata to head the ball back across goal where Henrique had a tap-in.

Gusto was once again caught out for the second when he was easily beaten to the ball by the aforementioned Henrique from a corner, with the ball then finding itself to Danilo who converted another tap-in for the Brazilians.

The third was largely down to Colwill, who failed to clear following a bit of pinball in the area. The result? A third and final goal for Flamengo, capping off a truly woeful day for Chelsea’s defence.

Now, while he was far from the worst defender on Friday, Chalobah certainly didn’t have a good night either. Colwill and Gusto made the big mistakes, but the central defender is only proving why Chelsea should be looking to get rid.

Chalobah came back to the club in January after half a season on loan at Crystal Palace and truth be told, that feels like his level.

Chalobah vs Flamengo
Minutes played	90
Touches	61
Accurate passes	58/59 (98%)
Key passes	0
Ground duels won	0/0
Aerial duels won	1/1
Clearances	2
Interceptions	0
Tackles	0
Stats via Sofascore.

The Express’ Sam Smith summed things up nicely post-game, handing the Englishman a 5/10 match rating.

He wrote that Chalobah will need “to produce better performances if he is to win admirers in the transfer market,” indicating that a “move for the defender seems likely” amid interest from Italian side Napoli.

Remarkably, Chalobah started ten league games after being recalled over the winter but following Chelsea’s nightmare at St James’ Park, he sat out the remaining games, wins over Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, where clean sheets were kept in both matches.

The defender also sat out of the 2-0 win against LA earlier this week, only further indicating that he should probably be on the bench.

Still, with interest from Naples brewing and the Blues looking at signing players such as Jorrel Hato, space must be opened up for upgrades.

If Maresca has any sense, this could well have been the last time we saw Chalobah in Chelsea colours. Like Jackson, a move elsewhere surely beckons.

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By
Ross Kilvington

Oct 30, 2024

Already closing in on the arrival of Jaka Bijol, Leeds United have now reportedly turned their attention towards a second defensive addition in what would be a bargain deal this summer.

Leeds to face Arsenal and Newcastle in opening run

Two months out from their Premier League return, Leeds now know who awaits them on the opening day in August. With the Premier League fixtures officially released, the Whites will square off against Everton at Elland Road on the opening day, before travelling to Arsenal for their first away game as part of a mixed opening run of games.

That first game against Everton will be Daniel Farke’s first real opportunity to see how prepared his side are for top-flight football. If reports are anything to go by too, it will be a squad full of fresh faces.

Already, Udinese defender Bijol is reportedly on the way to become Leeds’ second signing of the summer and the rumours are not stopping there. The Whites have also been linked to the likes of Rodrigo Muniz with reports even going as far to suggest that they’re prepared to spend £35m to secure the Fulham striker’s signature this summer.

In one swift move, Farke could have two new attacking options in Muniz and Lukas Nmecha, who arrived as a free agent to get Leeds’ summer business underway. The former Wolfsburg forward expressed his delight after officially joining the Yorkshire club, telling Leeds’ official media channels: “It’s just a great challenge and I’m really excited to get to know the team.

“I’ve spoken with the manager many times and I’m excited to play that style of football that they played in the Championship, even in the Premier League. I saw that there was dominance last season in terms of possession and the goals. I’m an attacking player, so obviously that’s exciting for me.”

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It’s not just attacking talents that Farke is after, either, amid reports that Leeds are also now interested in another impressive defender after Bijol.

Leeds keen to sign Lovro Golic

According to Fabrizio Romano, Leeds are now keen to sign Lovro Golic on a free transfer this summer. The 6’3 defender is set to leave AS Roma as a free agent and has attracted interest from Elland Road as well as German club Hoffenheim and Italian club Lecce.

At just 19 years old, Golic is someone who is full of potential and a player who has already been praised by the great Jose Mourinho. The young defender revealed the story of when the former Chelsea boss called him up to the Roma first-team, saying: “The team manager called me and told me that the next day I would have to train with Mourinho.

“At first I asked him if he had called the right player, I couldn’t believe it. When I entered the field, Mourinho asked Dybala what he thought of me, he replied that I seemed a real wall. When Mourinho told him that I was 16 he was incredulous. Even Abraham couldn’t believe I was so young.”

Are Aston Villa now able to spend freely?

On Monday, completely coincidentally on the final day of their accounting year, the Villans sold their women’s team to themselves, thereby avoiding breaching the Premier League’s Profitability & Sustainability Rules.

So now, having avoided a potential points deduction, Unai Emery will be looking to bolster his squad, so could Villa land a new striker?

Aston Villa targeting attacking reinforcements

Jhon Durán has to go down as one of the best pieces of business in modern Premier League history, joining Aston Villa from Chicago Fire in January 2023 for a reported fee of around £13m, having made just 27 appearances for the Men in Red in Major League Soccer, scoring eight goals.

Well, two years later, following his scoring spree at the start of last season, Durán was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m last January, representing a near 600% return on investment, easing the Villans’ PSR concerns.

Well, the Colombian is back in the news again because, after a miserly 18 appearances in Saudi Arabia, scoring 12 goals, he is reportedly set to join José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe, continuing one of the more unique and bizarre career arcs.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Well, speaking of İstanbul-based giants, a report by TurkishFootball.com claims that Villa are in talks with Beşiktaş over the possibility of signing striker Semih Kılıçsoy, adding that he is valued at €15m (£13m).

Well, the Black Eagles themselves, who are managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjær these days, have just signed Tammy Abraham from AC Milan for the exact same amount, with the England international having been handed Kılıçsoy’s number nine shirt.

In response to this, journalist Fırat Günayer stated that he would be “surprised” if Kılıçsoy was still with Beşiktaş by the end of the transfer window, adding “there are a few offers… on the table”.

So, could the 19-year-old be set to swap the Bosphorus for Birmingham?

Why Semih Kılıçsoy could replicate Jhon Durán's success at Aston Villa

After joining Beşiktaş as an 11-year-old, Kılıçsoy made his Süper Lig debut against Antalyaspor in February 2023, before scoring his first goal for the Black Eagles during a Conference League qualifying victory over KF Tirana five months later.

In total, he has netted 16 times in 85 appearances for the Turkish giants, winning the Türkiye Kupası in 2024, his most notable goal coming against Malmö in the Europa League last November, this coming in a 2-1 victory at Tüpraş Stadyumu.

His performances have earned international recognition too, debuting for Türkiye against Italy at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara last June, subsequently included in Vincenzo Montella’s Euros squad.

Given his performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has dubbed him a “very powerful” forward, while Luis Kircher of Total Football Analysis believes that he is known for his ‘lethal finishing capabilities’ and ‘versatility’, forecasting that he will become a ‘prolific’ goalscorer at the elite level in the coming years.

So, let’s see how Kılıçsoy compares to Durán, prior to his move to Villa from Illinois.

Semih Kılıçsoy at Beşiktaş vs Jhon Duran at Envigado & Chicago Fire

Statistics

Kılıçsoy

Durán

Appearances

85

75

Minutes

4,227

4,182

Goals

16

17

Assists

9

10

Senior international caps

4

3

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Durán, prior to joining Aston Villa, and Kılıçsoy right now boast similar levels of experience, with the Turkish striker actually having accumulated more senior appearances and minutes, scoring just one fewer goal. He also boasts that necessary “selfish” streak that the Colombian possesses, as Mattinson noted.

Also, Durán had played in Colombia’s Categoría Primera A and MLS which, according to Global Football Rankings, are the 32nd and ninth-strongest leagues in the world, with the Turkish Süper Lig somewhere in the middle at 18th.

Thus, it is clear that Kılıçsoy is a high-quality, high-potential player, one that is seemingly on the way out of Beşiktaş, suggesting he is available and more than talented enough to be a star at Villa Park.

Potentially arriving as a relative unknown teenager, in a similar vein to Duran, the promising marksman could be Emery’s next Villa success story.

Related The next Tielemans: Aston Villa submit bid to sign "incredible" £34m star

Aston Villa fans would love to welcome in this new signing who could be Unai Emery’s next Youri Tielemans.

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It’s been an unsettling summer for Aston Villa supporters far and wide as they feared their successful Premier League side was in danger of being completely dismantled.

To comply with PSR rules, a whole load of sales might have had to be signed off on, as Emiliano Martinez continues to be linked with a switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United or Chelsea to give Villa a healthy £45m injection of cash.

However, a new breaking development seems to indicate that Villa will be able to get around these stringent PSR rules after all by selling their women’s team, with such a loophole allowing for any PSR anxiety to be forgotten about.

With this dire situation now presumably fixed at the final hour, Unai Emery’s men could push on in the transfer market to land a couple of statement deals, as a few faces here and there begin to be steadily linked with a switch to Villa Park.

Aston Villa's transfer situation

Understandably, most of the conversation involving Villa this off-season has involved the likes of Ollie Watkins being lined up for major moves away, with all the worry surrounding PSR getting to the Villans.

Now, however, the mood will be more relaxed, with Villa ready to explore several new targets. Already, they have been unsuccessful in landing Jesus Rodriguez from Real Betis though, as a deal heartbreakingly collapsed.

Still, that won’t have completely knocked them, with Lucas Chevalier one name reportedly on their shopping list if Martinez does still exit the West Midlands outfit.

On top of that, a fresh name in the form of Gabriel Sara has now begun to be linked with a move to England, with a report from Turkish outlet Hurriyet, via Sport Witness, indicating that a £17m bid has been put forward to Galatasaray by Villa for their creative Brazilian.

This has since been knocked back with Galatasaray wanting at least £34m for their midfield star, who is also a wanted man by Manchester City, Manchester United, and Leeds United.

Villa will hope they come out on top to land his coveted signature, with the ex-Norwich City ace already a hit in England when on the books of the Canaries, meaning he might well be Villa’s next Youri Tielemans if he were to join the building soon.

How Sara could be Villa's next Tielemans

After all, Tielemans used to be on the books of Leicester City before advancing his game even more when donning Villa claret and blue.

By the end of the entertaining 2024/25 campaign for Villa, Tielemans was arguably the club’s player of the season having tallied up 15 goals and assists in all competitions, with five of those goal contributions coming about on the grandest stage of them all in the Champions League.

The 77-time Belgium international would also amass a hefty 54 goal contributions during his entire Foxes stay, with Villa now feeling smug with themselves that they won Tieleman’s services on a free transfer basis in the summer of 2023.

Whilst Sara would cost a lavish £34m to obtain, he might well come in and become as instrumental to Villa’s midfield as Tielemans now is, having picked up ten assists and two goals last season for his current Turkish employers, away from already being well-versed in the high demands of the English game when situated in Norfolk.

Games played

96

Goals scored

21

Assists

17

Norwich POTS

1x

Championship POTM

1x

Championship TOTY

1x

Whilst the Brazilian would never guide Norwich up to the Premier League during his celebrated stay, he certainly still left an impression on the Carrow Road masses with classy display after classy display, as seen in his bumper total of 54 combined goals and assists from 96 contests, which is eerily the exact same amount Tielemans tallied up at the King Power Stadium.

He has since tasted success in a top division in Turkey too, with U23 scout Antonio Mango even going out of his way to herald the midfield ace as “incredible.”

With nine Europa League games under his belt last season too, he could be a worthwhile buy for Villa for this alone as they enter into the competition next campaign, with a hope in the air also that he’s their next favourite from the middle of the park like Tielemans.

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كشف الإسباني بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي عن اللاعب الذي ندم على رحيله من تشكيله خلال فترته مع السماوي بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وجاء جوارديولا مدربًا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي في موسم 2016/2017 ويمتد مشواره حتى الآن، حيث استطاع أن يتوج ببطولة الدوري الإنجليزي 6 مرات وإحراز بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا للمرة الثالثة في تاريخه والأولى في تاريخ النادي.

ويعيش مانشستر سيتي مع بيب فترة خريف، إذ ظهر الفريق الموسم الماضي بمستوى سيئ للغاية، ولم يتوج بأي بطولة وخرج جوارديولا بثاني موسم صفري له في مشواره التدريبي.

ويبدو أن الموسم الحالي سيستمر على نفس الحال إذ لم يتمكن رجال جوارديولا إلا في جمع 3 نقاط من أصل 9 بعد فوز على وولفرهامبتون وخسارة من توتنهام هوتسبير وبرايتون.

اقرأ أيضًا | توخيل يعلن استبعاد لاعب مانشستر سيتي من قائمة مباراة أندورا

وظهر جوارديولا في برنامج “وداعًا للشياطين الحمر” وسُئل عن اللاعب الذي يرى أنه كان يستحق البقاء في مانشستر سيتي فترة أطول.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “سأختار اسمًا أقل شهرة وهو خيسوس نافاس، كان ينبغي أن يبقى معنا لفترة أطول”.

يُذكر أن الدولي الإسباني قد انضم إلى النادي الإنجليزي عام 2013، ثم انتقل إلى إشبيلية مجددًا بعد 4 سنوات، أي أنه لم يستمر مع مانشستر سيتي سوى موسم واحد تحت قيادة بيب جوارديولا.

وعندما سُئل بيب بشأن اللاعب الأكثر أهمية بالنسبة له خلال سنواته في مانشستر سيتي، أتم: “بلا شك جوندوجان لأنه يعتبر قيمة كبيرة لنا، سأحافظ على التواصل معه دائمًا”.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the defending SA20 champions, have signed South Africa batter David Bedingham, England opener Zak Crawley, fast bowler Craig Overton, and Netherlands allrounder Roelof van der Merwe for the upcoming season.Bedingham is one of the newer faces in the South African team having made his debut in December 2023. He struck a half-century in his first innings for his country and has since become a first-choice pick in Test cricket. Bedingham chose chose the longer format over the SA20 earlier this year, and went on a tour of New Zealand with a second-string side. He has played 63 T20s, scoring 1375 runs at an average of 22.17 and a strike rate of 135.06.For Crawley, it will be his first stint in the SA20, though he has previous experience in T20 leagues, having played for Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers in the BBL, Kent in the T20 Blast and London Spirit in the Hundred. He is yet to make his debut for England in the shortest format – and has only eight ODIs under his belt – but is very much a mainstay of their Test team where he opens the batting and is known for his expansive strokeplay and high strike rate. Crawley has 1771 runs across 76 T20s at a strike rate of 134.77.”I’ve always wanted to be a good white-ball player,” Crawley said. “I’m trying to add a few other shots to my game, but I feel like it’s quite suited [to me] and I’ve gone well in T20 cricket in the past when I’ve had a run at it. I’m trying to add a bit more power to my game, I’m working hard in the nets trying a few different things to hopefully hit more and bigger sixes.”As ESPNcricinfo reported last week, Crawley and England are in the midst of a cramped cricket calendar, with the men’s team scheduled to play 16 series over the next two years, including the 2025 Champions Trophy. England, however, have a competitive advantage over most of their rivals in that the majority of franchise T20 leagues take place during their off-season, allowing players the opportunity both to develop and to earn without restriction.Sunrisers have also brought back van der Merwe, who was previously with the franchise during the first season of the SA20 in 2022-23. The left-arm spinning allrounder was the joint leading wicket-taker with 20 that year, while boasting an economy of just 5.62. He was particularly influential in the final at the Wanderers, where he claimed 4 for 31 against the Pretoria Capitals, to win the Player-of-the-Match award. He also boasts the best ever figures in SA20 history – 6 for 20 against Durban’s Super Giants in Gqeberha.The SA20 will represent Overton’s first foray into an overseas T20 league. The 30-year old fast bowler has 102 matches’ worth of experience but all of them have been at home in England. Overton has picked up 106 wickets in T20s at an average of 26.21 and an economy rate of 8.56.Sunrisers also retained captain Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen and Tristan Stubbs among a list of 12. Temba Bavuma, former T20 captain who missed out on the 2024 World Cup squad, and Sisanda Magala, the death-bowling specialist who has struggled with injury since withdrawing from the 2023 World Cup squad, have not been retained.*Sunrisers Eastern Cape squad
Retained: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottniel Baartman, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs, Tom Abell (overseas, England), Jordan Hermann, Patrick Kruger, Beyers Swanepoel, Simon Harmer, Liam Dawson (overseas, England), Caleb Seleka, Andile Simelane. Pre-signed: Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands), Craig Overton (England), Zak Crawley (England).*

Jack and Prest in the wickets for Hampshire to complete 71-run win

ECB Reporters Network26-Jul-2024

Ben Brown starred for Hampshire with a hundred•Getty Images

Ben Brown celebrated his century of List A appearances with an exceptional hundred as Hampshire got their Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign off to a winning start against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.Wicketkeeper Brown had only scored one previous white-ball century – for Sussex in 2021 – in his first 99 games but picked up a career-best 139 not out.Hampshire had been left on 25 for three after Jack White’s opening spell but Brown, with help from Felix Organ’s 59, got the hosts to 285.Eddie Jack and Tom Prest both picked up their professional best figures of four for 29 and three for 41 as the Steelbacks only reached 214 to lose by 71 runsLewis McManus’ decision to bowl first immediately paid dividends with an unplayable new-ball spell from Jack White. He nibbled the fresh white ball around to dump the hosts to 25 for three.He had already made Fletcha Middleton play and miss three times before thumping into the opener’s leg stump with his fifth ball.Nick Gubbins returned a caught-and-bowled with a leading edge and Prest was pouched at second slip, with White ending his six-over spell with three for six.But in sliding to take the Gubbins catch, White damaged his knee which saw him no return.Without him, Brown rebuilt the innings in style. First in a 51-run stand with Toby Albert, but after Albert had skied to mid on and Joe Eckland had been caught at extra cover, more substantially with Organ.Brown already stashed fifty in 62 balls but Organ’s arrival heralded a freer flow that set the tone for the second half of the innings.Brown doesn’t have the stellarest of white-ball records but showed off the very best of his jabby shot-making square of the wicket.His third century of the season came in exactly 100 balls with a controlled hook shot to the boundary which typified his timing.Organ sailed to a 51-ball 59 in a flash to join Brown for 188 runs before he picked out deep midwicket – giving Zaib the third of his three for 60 – with Jack and Kyle Abbott hit sixes and fell at the death.Brown ended up with 139 not out and Hampshire 285 – which had seemed improbable after White’s early burst.Prithvi Shaw and Emilio Gay got the Steelbacks off to a sensational start with 56 put on inside nine overs but their innings was full of good starts which weren’t capitalised on.Jack’s introduction – with Mohammad Abbas forced off after just two overs – was the main catalyst. The teenager dragged Shaw into a drive straight to cover with his second ball, in an otherwise miserly spell.Gay and Ricardo Vasconcelos put on 42 but a swipe off Brad Wheal saw the end of the former and slid Northamptonshire towards a hole.Vasconcelos swept into the deep, Rob Keogh was lbw on the reverse and George Bartlett was caught behind as three wickets fell for 15 runs.McManus gave Jack his second when he spun to deep square leg before Prest added his third when Saif Zaib missed his sweep to fall leg before and Michael Finan holed out on the leg side.Gus Miller scrapped hard for 47, but with the run-rate surging above 10s he skied Jack straight up, before the England under-19 quick completed Hampshire’s victory by clearing up White.