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The Perth Scorchers quick missed graduation because she was making her WBBL debut

Tristan Lavalette27-Nov-2023Returning home from a pre-season trip, Chloe Ainsworth in an impromptu move decided to show off her self-taught skills on the piano at Brisbane Airport.She held court and played a couple of pieces much to the initial amusement of her team-mates and those listening in, who were left impressed by her hidden talent and confidence in expressing it.”I was involved in music growing up and was pretty good at it,” Ainsworth, who turned 18 in September, told ESPNcricinfo. “My team-mates thought it was all pretty funny. It was good to make them laugh.”Related

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The softly-spoken Ainsworth has injected youthful exuberance in Perth Scorchers, who are built around a veteran core and have enjoyed a bounce back season. After failing to make finals last season in a disappointing title defence, Scorchers finished with an 8-6 regular season record to qualify for the finals. They will face either Brisbane Heat or Sydney Thunder in Wednesday’s Eliminator final in a bid to play Adelaide Strikers for the title.Ainsworth has played a big role in her debut WBBL season to spearhead the attack with 15 wickets at an average of 18.00, enough to get her named in the official team of the tournament announced on Monday. She might be mild-mannered off the field, but Ainsworth follows a lineage of quick bowlers.”I have white-line fever,” she laughed, citing former Australia quick Mitchell Johnson as a childhood hero. “I can be very competitive and it just helps me out there being fired up.”She has been able to back up her snarls at batters. Ainsworth has been clocked around 115kph and is poised to eventually hit the 120s. “I think I can get quicker. That’s the aim…to bowl quicker,” she said.

This Chloe Ainsworth is a seriously talented young cricketer#WBBL09 pic.twitter.com/YjoDhtyEg6

— Weber Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) November 22, 2023

Ainsworth started off as a wicketkeeper in junior cricket before realising she could bowl faster than anyone else. She rose quickly through the ranks and played one match in Australia’s Under-19 World Cup campaign earlier in the year before breaking her thumb.Even though she’s been well down the order for Scorchers and faced only 20 deliveries, Ainsworth can bat and particularly enjoys hitting the ball hard and long. She has the capabilities of being a genuine allrounder, but right now it’s all about her pace bowling.Bustling into the crease, powered by a burly frame, Ainsworth unleashes rockets and she’s already armed with a deadly yorker. She concentrates on pitching the ball up, but has utilised hostile short-pitched bowling to good effect at the traditionally pace friendly WACA ground.Ainsworth can move the ball around making her a tough proposition and an acceptable economy of 7.29 suggests an ability to maintain control. There is work needed to become a more rounded pace bowler, but the foundations have been built.

It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket. It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.The WBBL has come before end of school fun for Chloe Ainsworth

“I will need more variations, especially in T20 cricket,” she said. “You need different deliveries to pull out in different situations. I also want to keep learning how to control swing.”But I try to keep things simple. Cricket is cricket. I’m there to take wickets and I’m backed in to do that.”The team’s confidence in Ainsworth was underlined when Scorchers captain Sophie Devine entrusted her to bowl the final over of a nerve-jangling match against defending champions Adelaide Strikers at the WACA.”When there were a few overs left, I looked at the scoreboard and realised that I was going to bowl [the final over]. I was excited,” she said.With Strikers needing 12 runs to chase down a total of 166, Ainsworth was denied a heroic finish by England allrounder Dani Gibson who hit a last ball boundary to win the match. Ainsworth relied on bowling on a length, but it proved predictable for Gibson who clubbed 15 runs in the final over.”It was disappointing to not get the job done. Everyone got around me after the match to make sure I wasn’t upset,” she said. “It’s a learning experience. It’s about being really clear over the plans and how to execute.”Ainsworth burst onto the scene with an impressive WBBL debut against Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston on the same day as her Year 12 graduation.”I had to miss the graduation, but I checked in with my mates on FaceTime after the game so that was at least something,” she said.The WBBL has been a steep learning curve for Chloe Ainsworth•Getty ImagesHer subsequent debut at the WACA netted a three-wicket haul against Hurricanes, including clean bowling star batter Heather Graham with a pearler that knocked out middle stump.Ainsworth’s starring role saw her thrusted in front of the cameras for a post game media engagement along the boundary of the Lillee-Marsh stand, while giddy family and friends over the fence chanted her name with gusto.”My mates were taking the mickey out of me,” she laughed. “It feels weird having attention. I’m not the most out there person, but it’s all part of being a cricketer at this level.”The spotlight still feels rather surreal for Ainsworth, who last week was supposed to be celebrating the end of schooling with friends in a rite of passage for high school graduates in Australia.Instead, as temperatures soared in Perth amid a pre-summer heatwave, she’s been putting in the hard yards in a determined bid to help Scorchers push for a second title in three seasons.”It would have been nice to celebrate with friends, but I’m committed to cricket,” Ainsworth said. “It will be amazing to play in the finals. I’ll be doing everything I can because I’m competitive. I want to win.”That should be music to the ears of Scorchers fans.

He brought back memories of Yuvraj Singh by making six-hitting look ridiculously easy with his long reach and fast hands

Deivarayan Muthu12-Apr-20223:03

Manjrekar: Dube naturally gifted like Yuvraj

Dwayne Bravo was so twitchy in the Chennai Super Kings dugout, when Robin Uthappa took on their old friend Faf du Plessis’ arm at mid-on in the second over, that he leaned forward from his seat and almost shoved Chris Jordan away. du Plessis failed to throw the stumps down, but Bravo’s expression encapsulated the mood in the Super Kings camp. They were desperate to snap their four-match losing streak, with their head coach Stephen Fleming even saying, in the lead-up to the game, that the team is searching for evidence that they’re on the right track.It was Shivam Dube – and Uthappa – who yanked Super Kings out of the funk with a sensational assault. After being asked to bat, Super Kings had dawdled to 60 for 2 in 10 overs. Josh Hazlewood, another old friend of theirs, had settled into Test match lines and lengths with the new ball, and was rewarded with the wicket of Ruturaj Gaikwad for 17 off 16 balls. Suyash Prabhudessai, the debutant, then swooped down on the ball at backward point and ran out Moeen Ali for 3 off 8 balls. After joining forces at 36 for 2 in the seventh over, Dube, in particular, dismantled Royal Challengers Bangalore’s best-laid plans, propelling Super Kings to 216 for 4.Related

• CSK get on the board after Dube-Uthappa show

Take on Wanindu Hasaranga? Of course. Pump Shahbaz Ahmed out of the attack? Easy peasy. Feed the strike to Uthappa against pace? Sounds good. Clear the bigger boundary? Yes, sir.After both Dube, who was promoted ahead of Ambati Rayudu, and Uthappa were becalmed in the early exchanges, it was Dube who properly started Super Kings’ six-hitting party when he used his long reach to pick Hasaranga’s second ball and mow it over long-on for an almighty six in the 11th over. Three balls later, he sat back for the shorter dart and hauled a pull to the midwicket boundary.Shahbaz, the left-arm fingerspinner, then came on and dared Dube to clear the bigger leg-side boundary. Dube dropped down to one knee, launching into a slog-sweep that sailed over that boundary and brought back memories of Yuvraj Singh at his peak.Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa exploded in the end overs•ESPNcricinfo LtdMuch like Yuvraj did, Dube makes six-hitting look ridiculously easy with his long reach, strong base, fast hands, and a flourishing bat-swing. It was Dube’s six-hitting ability – he hit fives sixes in an over off Pravin Tambe in a Mumbai T20 league in 2019 and then repeated the feat in the Ranji Trophy on the eve of the IPL 2019 auction – that made everyone sit up and take notice of him. Royal Challengers forked out INR 5 crore for him at that auction.More than three years later, he left his former franchise punch-drunk with a 95 off 46 balls, studded with five fours and eight sixes. Dube’s presence meant that Hasaranga couldn’t get through the middle overs unscathed. Or maybe Royal Challengers had held back Hasaranga for MS Dhoni, but that move backfired. By the time Hasaranga had returned for his third over, Super Kings were 187 for 2 in 18 overs. Uthappa rolled out a vintage down-the-track lofted six first ball and then Dube swatted a perfectly blameless wrong’un over long-on for a six of his own.Dube is often vulnerable to rapid pace and bounce, but one of his biggest strengths is making good balls look bad. Another case in point: when Hazlewood marginally missed his yorker in the final over of the innings, Dube sat so very deep that he converted it into a half-volley and walloped a 102-metre six over his head.Dube threw his head back in despair and slumped to his knees at the end of the innings when he fell short of a century, but he had put the smiles back on the faces of his team-mates. Bravo, Jordan, and the rest of the squad gave Dube a rousing reception. A few hours later, Super Kings secured their first points.”I’m really happy I contributed to my team’s first win,” Dube told host broadcaster Star Sports after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “It is really an honour for me to contribute for my team’s first win. I think I’m more focused this time [in IPL 2022] and I’m focused on my basics – nothing much. I spoke to many senior players. Mahi [MS Dhoni] also helped me improve my game. He told me to be still and just let the skill work in the game. As the situation demands, as the captain and coach tells me… I’m ready to bat anywhere.”Super Kings are still wondering how to fill the Deepak Chahar-sized hole, but Dube’s flexibility and power has added another dimension to their batting.

The Mets have endured a difficult second half of the season, having lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 12.

As the team's struggles continue to mount, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Tuesday that he'd be making a change to the starting rotation. Veteran right-hander Frankie Montas is no longer set to make his next scheduled start and will instead be pitching out of the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Mendoza told reporters.

The team hasn't officially decided on a replacement in the rotation for Montas. Mendoza indicated they'd been eyeing Noah McLean and Brandon Sproat, two of the organization's top pitching prospects, as potential call-ups, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. McLean is the No. 3 prospect in New York's farm, while Sproat is No. 5, per MLB Pipeline.

In 2025, Montas has made seven starts and eight total appearances. He has a career worst 6.38 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 12 walks in 36 2/3 innings. In his most recent outing, Saturday against the Brewers, Montas followed an opener and pitched three innings while surrendering three runs, though only one was earned.

The 32-year-old would've been in line to start Saturday against the Mariners, but instead it seems the team will look to one of its farmhands instead.

Hobart Hurricanes have reinforced their standing as the team to beat in the WBBL, bolstering their grip on first spot with an 81-run demolition of Melbourne Stars on DLS method at Bellerive Oval.Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s classy 71 paced Hurricanes’ imposing 176 for 4 from 17 rain-reduced overs in the top-of-the-table blockbuster on Monday night, before Molly Strano (5 for 16) reduced Stars to a paltry 98 in response, after they were set an adjusted target of 180.Wyatt-Hodge moved past Meg Lanning to the head of the Golden Bat standings with her fourth half-century of the season, before pouching three catches.She started slowly with two off her first 11 deliveries, before blossoming in her 47-ball knock.”Sometimes you’ve just got to ride that wave and Lizzy (Lee) was smashing it at the other end, so I didn’t need to panic,” Wyatt-Hodge said.”It was just a matter of digging in, keeping the intent and staying brave. Hopefully we can keep the form up – everyone’s playing really well.”Hard-hitting South African Lizelle Lee was the early aggressor, but a 33-minute rain delay stalled her momentum and she holed out for 32 just after the resumption.Nat Sciver-Brunt (31) found Danielle Gibson in the deep, before captain Elyse Villani was run out late.Stars started horribly in reply and never recovered as their four-game winning streak came to a crashing halt, with tail-ender Sasha Moloney (31) offering the only resistance.Rhys McKenna (1) was trapped plumb in front by a hooping Nicola Carey inswinger, before Linsey Smith (2-29) captured the key scalp of Lanning (9), bowled after missing a cut shot.Smith dismissed Stars skipper Annabel Sutherland (11), before fellow spinner Molly Strano came on and bagged three wickets in her first over.Wyatt-Hodge snared a left-handed blinder at point to remove Amy Jones (19), before Marizanne Kapp (0) was caught behind and Gibson (1) holed out.Strano then picked up a fourth wicket with just her seventh ball when Kim Garth (3) offered Wyatt-Hodge another catch.The offspinner’s fifth scalp was Moloney, caught by player of the match Wyatt-Hodge.

How long will Daniel Farke be given to turn around the ongoing Leeds United mess?

After so much joy at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa was put out of his misery 26 games into the 2021/22 season in the Premier League, mustering up just a measly five victories.

By way of comparison, the German is only two victories away from matching that amount right now, with 15 fewer league games under his belt.

Of course, Bielsa was handed more time in the hot seat due to his iconic status in West Yorkshire, but Jesse Marsch was also given 20 league games the following campaign when the Leeds ship looked to be sinking.

A trigger-happy dismissal might not be forthcoming, then, but Farke will know he needs to turn fortunes around quickly, as a whole raft of players continue to underperform.

Bielsa and Marsch were no strangers, either, to players joining the Leeds ranks and ultimately flopping, with Robin Koch one costly error that must still generate grimaces at the Premier League newcomers.

The numbers behind Koch's move to Leeds

It’s fair to say there were an awful lot of misses in the transfer department when the South American and his Wisconsin-born counterpart occupied their dug-outs.

Faces such as Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, and Rasmus Kristensen all joined for big bucks, and then disappeared when relegation was served up at the end of the gloomy 2022/23 season, with Sinisterra and Adams alone costing a whopping £41m to pick up at the time.

Thankfully, the bruised Whites managed to recoup £40m when selling the disappointing duo to AFC Bournemouth. On the contrary, the aforementioned Koch would return to his native Germany for zilch after a largely woeful three seasons in England.

In the end, Leeds were probably just happy to get their former £12m purchase off their roster, even if it was on a free transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt, with the German only managing to collect a dire ten clean sheets from 73 Premier League appearances.

Once branded as being simply “not good enough” by The Athletic’s Beren Cross and looking like a “fish out of water” by pundit Danny Mills, it really was a transfer saga that hurt Leeds, and it still does, arguably, considering Koch has since returned to his more well-known comforts of the Bundesliga and has excelled. This season, he has two goals from ten league appearances, winning a mighty 5.4 duels won on average, too, for Frankfurt.

For context, the no-nonsense Joe Rodon has averaged 5.3 duels won back in the Premier League, but he’s far from a transfer misfire.

Rather, it’s another expensive defensive recruit who could be deemed Leeds’ biggest disaster signing since Koch

Leeds' biggest disaster since Koch

The most frustrating aspect of Koch’s Leeds career, looking back, is that he had a promising debut campaign in West Yorkshire, even if it was ravaged by injury.

Chalkboard

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

Only 13 starts came his way, but four clean sheets were collected, with a final day showing to close out the 21/22 campaign, even seeing him win seven duels against Tottenham Hotspur.

Unfortunately, Jaka Bijol can’t even cling to any early promise at the moment, having cost £3m more than Koch when leaving Udinese behind.

It should have been a giveaway that the Slovenian might struggle, considering Farke was hesitant to chuck the ex-Serie A titan into his starting XI at the start of the season, with the German eventually chucking Bijol into the Premier League deep-end against West Ham United in late October.

Games played

3

Goals conceded

6

Losses

2

Clean sheets

0

Tackles won

3

Duels won

12/19

He did win six duels against the Hammers as Farke’s men got the better of their relegation rivals 2-1, but his showings against Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest since must be leaving a similarly bad taste in the mouth that the German defender once left.

He found himself in no man’s land when Morgan Gibbs-White had all the time in the world to head home this decisive goal at the City Ground, with the out-of-sorts number 16 only managing to win one lacklustre tackle across both heavy away defeats.

The £45k-per-week defender will surely be fearful for his starting spot moving forward; therefore, as Pascal Struijk waits in the wings, with Bijol also yet to show off his prowess in the air, which saw him bag four goals for Udinese in Serie A action.

If Farke is to persist with Bijol, he could go on to be viewed as a Koch-type weak link for oppositions to hone in on, with a potential relegation on his CV also no doubt making him hard to shift for anywhere near his £15m valuation, like the forgettable 29-year-old.

He does still have time to turn around his Elland Road playing days, but the early signs are not good, as Leeds have been here before with a hyped up European import that never lives up to his high price tag.

Leeds stance on recalling Joe Gelhardt in January as Hull eye Harry Gray

He’s been on fire in the Championship.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 19, 2025

Liverpool are plotting ways to get their Premier League season back on track and could now be set to make a surprise move to bring an exciting forward to Anfield.

Arne Slot looks to evade Liverpool pressure after recent results

It goes without saying that Arne Slot has been under pressure at Liverpool in recent weeks, and reports have even began to link Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique with the Anfield hotseat as scrutiny follows the Dutchman.

Nevertheless, football statistician Josh Williams told BBC Radio Merseyside that he doesn’t believe the former Feyenoord manager should be relieved of his duties, stating that the issues he has faced this season can be internally fixed.

He said: “I wouldn’t sack Arne Slot if it can be helped because whoever replaces him will have the same top-heavy, unbalanced squad. There are two playable centre-halfs and no right-backs as it stands and a dwindling star down the right side in Mohamed Salah.

“You can’t really drop him without it being a massive story. Even if it is a coaching issue that can be solved behind the scenes, whoever replaces him has a game every three days now.”

In the cold light of day, Liverpool’s transfer spend of over £400 million in the summer wasn’t bad on paper, with some high-profile stars arriving following their Premier League triumph last term.

He'd revive Isak: “Best manager in the world” now Liverpool's top target

Arne Slot is losing grip on his position as Liverpool manager after a shocking run of form.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 29, 2025

Nevertheless, the Reds have really struggled to generate momentum since the early part of the campaign, which has put them in a position where the January window and beyond have become more important than anyone would’ve liked them to be.

With that in mind, Liverpool could now turn to an unexpected source to bolster their attack as Slot looks for answers within his tactical framework.

Liverpool make enquiry for Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye

Antoine Semenyo is said to be one of Liverpool’s key targets for January but he’s not the only Premier League winger on their radar.

According to Foot Mercato, Liverpool have made an enquiry for Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, and he is also on the radar of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur after an excellent start to the campaign.

The Senegal international has made 15 appearances across all competitions this term, registering four goals and an assist in total and his versatility is said to appeal to the three clubs who have emerged as suitors.

Lauded by Toffees journalist Patrick Boyland as “one of the best in the league in his position”, Ndiaye is said to be worth in and around the £70 million bracket, likely meaning he would be someone Liverpool need to pay a premium for if they are serious about seeinh him cross Merseyside.

Any move would see a fair deal of controversy unfold, given Liverpool haven’t signed a player directly from Everton since Abel Xavier in 2002. Still, the 25-year-old is someone who is worth the risk as Slot looks to find new solutions in the final third.

Tottenham Hotspur are poised to be without a big name for their crucial North London derby clash against Arsenal on November 23, with the player’s return from injury up in the air.

Spurs take on Mikel Arteta’s Premier League title frontrunners in a mouth-watering clash at the Emirates Stadium following the conclusion of this latest international break, and the stakes are high for both sides.

Thomas Frank is attempting to guide the Lilywhites to a top four finish and build upon Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge with another piece of major silverware, but concerns have surrounded their general creativity in open play and plethora of key absentees.

While Arsenal have also struggled to keep their star attackers fit this campaign, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Viktor Gyokeres all racing to be fit for Tottenham, Frank’s extensive injury list is much longer.

Tottenham absentee list

Problem

Estimated return date (subject to change)

Dejan Kulusevski

Knee

29/11/2025

James Maddison

ACL

01/06/2026

Radu Dragusin

Knee

22/11/2025

Ben Davies

Thigh

23/11/2025

Kota Takai

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Mohammed Kudus

Knock

23/11/2025

Randal Kolo Muani

Jaw

23/11/2025

Yves Bissouma

Ankle/Foot

23/11/2025

Lucas Bergvall

Concussion

23/11/2025

Dominic Solanke

Ankle

23/11/2025

Archie Gray

Calf/Shin/Heel

23/11/2025

Cristian Romero

Other

23/11/2025

via Premier Injuries

Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are among the forwards who’ve been absent with serious injuries, and the latter is not expected to return until midway through 2026.

Summer signing Randal Kolo Muani was the latest to be sidelined after fracturing his jaw in their 2-2 draw with Man United last weekend. While the Frenchman, who only just returned to full fitness after a dead leg, won’t require surgery, it remains to be seen how long he’ll be out for or if he’ll be able to wear a mask and play against Arsenal.

Star winger Mohammed Kudus was ‘touch and go’ to face Man United and ultimately left out by Frank, with the 25-year-old also not selected for Ghana’s upcoming friendlies against Japan and South Korea.

There is every chance that Kudus, who’s stood out as their most in-form attacker this term, will recover from his knock in time to play against Arsenal, but the same cannot be said for striker Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham poised to be without Dominic Solanke for North London derby

The Englishman has yet to start a competitive game since Frank’s arrival at the club, playing just 49 minutes in total across all competitions, and his once minor ankle issue is taking a while to fully recover from.

Solanke was forced to undergo small surgery on his ankle problem and the initial prognosis was that he’d be back fairly soon. However, the 28-year-old still hasn’t played a single minute since Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City right at the start of the season.

Recently, when asked if Solanke would be back on the field before the end of 2025, Frank’s response wasn’t that convincing at all.

Standard Sport have now reported that Solanke returning from injury to face Arsenal is looking “unlikely”, and they could even welcome back defender Radu Dragusin before him.

The Romanian is set to feature in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the international break, which will be his first piece of action since rupturing his ACL back in January. Some reports suggest that Tottenham could even sell Solanke when the window reopens, with Frank viewing the forward as “expendable” amid repeated links to former Brentford star Ivan Toney.

Right now, Frank has just Mathys Tel, who can’t participate in the Champions League after being left out of their 22-man squad, and Richarlison to select from as their readily available striker options.

If injury were to befall Richarlison, like it did for large periods of last season, Frank would be in serious trouble.

Solanke finished 24/25 as the club’s second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson, and they’ve missed both his poacher’s instinct and general link-up play.

Phil Salt shrugged off an enforced change of bat to blaze 80 from 57 balls and power Lancashire Lightning to a win that lifted them above Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the Vitality Blast North Group table.The England white-ball international, playing his first game since winning the IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore a month ago, had to call for a replacement bat after umpires Simon Widdup and Rob Bailey inspected his original blade early in the Lancashire run-chase.But it made little difference as Salt and Jos Buttler (54 from 42), making his first Blast appearance in two years, pummelled the Steelbacks bowling with a stand of 123 from 86 to set up victory.Earlier, paceman Saqib Mahmood became only the second Lancashire bowler to take a Blast hat-trick, capturing the last three wickets to finish with four for 49 as the Steelbacks – who have now lost three in a row – were bowled out for 177.Opting to bat first, the Steelbacks handed a Blast debut to New Zealander Tim Robinson, who slashed successive boundaries off James Anderson’s first over before the next delivery straightened to send his off stump flying.Anderson (two for 24) then had David Willey caught at short third man off a thick edge and the home side were three down when Ricardo Vasconcelos skied Mahmood’s first ball to mid-on.Having got away with two miscued hooks, Ravi Bopara (32 from 25) launched a rebuilding job alongside Justin Broad (30 from 18) and Northamptonshire’s innings appeared to be back on track until both fell in quick succession.Broad was bowled swinging at Jack Blatherwick before Bopara pumped Chris Green’s full toss to short cover, but Lewis McManus (30 from 24) regained momentum, bludgeoning successive fours as Mahmood’s third over went for 16.McManus shared a stand of 54 with Saif Zaib (32 from 19), whose run-out was the first of four consecutive wickets as Mahmood’s brace of yorkers removed Ben Sanderson and Lloyd Pope before George Scrimshaw was caught in the deep.Lancashire’s reply was held up after a single over while the umpires inspected Salt’s bat – and ordered its replacement – and they soon lost Keaton Jennings, caught paddling Willey to backward square leg.Buttler looked in good touch, smashing Willey and Broad for straight sixes and milking the spinners during the post-powerplay overs.There was a close call for Salt when he pulled Bopara to deep midwicket, but Zaib was slow to make ground and the opener responded by punching six over long-off and hooking Scrimshaw for another to bring up his half-century from 37 balls.Buttler was one ball faster to his 50, but Lightning faltered when he was bowled attempting to reverse sweep Pope and Sanderson’s crafty spell of one for 28 removed Salt, holing out off a low full toss.Scrimshaw took two wickets in the 19th over to leave Lancashire needing 11 from the last, but Luke Wells hammered Luke Procter for successive sixes to clinch victory with three balls to spare.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a tight spot under Vitor Pereira and need to find a run of form, though they could now shatter their transfer record to improve their lacklustre forward line.

Wolves looking to bounce back after another Premier League defeat

Molineux isn’t somewhere that supporters would describe as a happy environment at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether Pereira can turn the tide after a fifth successive Premier League defeat against Leeds United last weekend.

Despite Ladislav Krejci’s fine opener, a quickfire trio of goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor left fans leaving their feelings known at full-time as the Old Gold verged four points away from safety.

Even at an early stage, the Old Gold are playing with fire in their hunt for top-flight survival. Crucially, they have put their trust in Pereira with a new three-year deal, albeit his contract extension doesn’t come with an added compensation threshold should they opt to part ways with the Brazilian later down the line, per The Daily Mail.

Reacting to speculation over his future, he said post-match via Match of the Day: “I am not worried about my future. I don’t need to answer because I am not worried about my future. I am worried about the results. Of course I am confident I can turn it around.”

Speculation surrounding an out-of-window Wolves move for Dele Alli has seemingly died down, not that the England international appears to be a sole solution to their problems. However, he could help to plug a noticeable creativity void left by Matheus Cunha’s departure to Manchester United.

With that in mind, they could now be about to back Pereira by pursuing an exciting attacker once the January transfer window opens.

Wolves want to meet Yeremay Hernandez release clause

According to reports in Spain, Wolves want to meet Deportivo La Coruna star Yeremay Hernandez’s £52.3 million release clause and feel confident they can seal an agreement to bring the Spain Under-21 international to the West Midlands.

Approval ratings for the Old Gold’s ownership are low among supporters, prompting club chiefs to show ambition in the market by looking to complete what would be a club record deal, exceeding Cunha’s arrival from Atletico Madrid by quite a distance.

Wolves bid for star rejected but he's now up for sale and could join in January

The Old Gold could look to pounce for his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 8, 2025

Following a return of 15 goals and five assists in 39 appearances last term, Yeremay has registered a goal inside his first six outings for Deportivo in 2025/26. He has previously been lauded for his “creative” qualities by Ben Mattinson.

Capable of playing on either flank, the 22-year-old is viewed as someone who could turn Wolves’ poor start to the campaign around. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether they can force a deal through in January.

After a slow start to his Anfield career, Florian Wirtz has revealed what Liverpool manager Arne Slot has just told him to do if he wants to get back to his best.

Why Wirtz has started slow at Liverpool

Whilst it’s been far from disastrous, Wirtz hasn’t got off to the electric start that many expected from a £116m player. The former Bayer Leverkusen player arrived as a player who has the ability to change games on his own and contribute to goals, but what Liverpool have so far seen is a hard-working midfielder who has struggled to make his mark.

There have been glimpses of his best form. In the September international break, the German scored an excellent free-kick and then returned to Liverpool to enjoy his best display yet against Atletico Madrid. It’s a game that should have ended his wait for a goal or assist since the Community Shield, but there were ultimately plenty of positive signs.

There were also signs of how he can control games in a 1-0 victory against Arsenal, especially when Alexis Mac Allister was replaced and he was no longer sharing the same spaces with such a similar player. Whether those two can thrive together is the big question. Slot did, of course, drop Wirtz for the Argentine in the Merseyside derby instead of starting both.

Unlike others in the Premier League, time is on Wirtz’s side. Liverpool sit top of the Premier League by five points and are the only side with a 100% record. If there’s an environment that allows players to settle in, it is Anfield.

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That said, Slot has still spoken to the big-money star about his form and told him exactly what he must do to get back to his best.

Wirtz reveals Slot conversation about Liverpool form

Speaking to reporters, Wirtz revealed that he has held a conversation with Slot about his slow start to life at Liverpool. The German revealed that Slot suggested that his form could be down to Liverpool’s press and his struggle to adapt to that intensity whilst also playing a part in possession.

It would certainly make sense why Wirtz has struggled to keep pace at times. Alas, if that is the reason behind his underwhelming form, then logic suggests that Liverpool should see the best version of their midfielder as the season goes on and his fitness reaches the level required.