Glamorgan beat Sussex in T20 Women's County Cup
Glamorgan Women booked their place in round three of the Vitality T20 Women's County Cup with a 48-run victory over Sussex Sharks Women.Batting first at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens, Bethan Gammon notched 41 runs, including five boundaries, while Daisy Jeanes and Bea Ellis contributed 35 and 33 respectively.It saw the hosts set a target of 156-7 from their 20 overs in the Welsh capital - with Eve O'Neill and Anna Buckle taking two wickets apiece.Opener Izzy Collis top scored with 29 runs in reply for the Sharks before being run out by Lauren Parfitt.And the visitors only reached 108-7 to fall well short of their target as Glamorgan - who defeated Gloucestershire Women in the previous round - set up a tie with fully professional outfit Lancashire Thunder in round three on Saturday, 17 May.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Matheus Cunha will be perfect for Man Utd and Bruno Fernandes – but only if Ruben Amorim makes crucial signing
IT is safe to say that Manchester United failed to live up to their supporters' expectations. They finished in 15th place, well behind the European qualification spots, on just 42 points, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham to leave them trophyless. 9 9 9 The club have backed new boss Ruben Amorim despite the historically bad results. That backing does appear to have extended to the transfer market as well. Brazil star Matheus Cunha is already confirmed to be on board at Old Trafford in a £62.5million arrival from Wolves. Meanwhile, club captain Bruno Fernandes has opted to stay despite a mega £700,000-a-week offer to join Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. How exactly Cunha will be used by Man Utd still remains to be seen. He has played as a striker at points for Wolves but he is not the type to make regular runs behind the defensive line, preferring to drop deeper in order to receive and link play. That means he is arguably more effective in behind a main striker, which could create an overlap of profiles with the likes of Fernandes. Below we break down the tactical fit of Cunha at Man Utd under Amorim. Intelligent movement around the penalty area It is interesting to note that towards the end of the season we saw Wolves typically play the same tactical shape as Man Utd did under Amorim. Their 3-4-2-1 shape saw Cunha used either as a 9 or as one of the two attacking midfielders behind the main striker. In these positions Cunha's intelligence and movement in the final third and around the penalty area helped Wolves create a lot of threat. He is very strong when it comes to finding little pockets of space to drop into and attack around the opposition defensive structure. The Brazilian is also difficult to deal with defensively because when defending deep opposition players will typically be concentrating on being tight and defending the space between the ball and the goal. Cunha takes advantage of this with sharp movements to outplay defenders and create shooting opportunities. 9 We believe Cunha would be able to play in a similar kind of role to Fernandes as both are extremely intelligent in the attacking phase of the game. This would mean, however, that Man Utd would still need to add a new forward to play ahead of him, assuming they decide Rasmus Hojlund is not the long term solution. This could be an issue solved in the near future with the signing of Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. The type of runs Mbeumo makes would be perfect to stretch the length of the pitch and offer passing options or decoys for Cunha to benefit from. Indeed, the runs Mbeumo makes are extremely close to those of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool and could benefit both Cunha and Fernandes greatly. With Fernandes being more comfortable as a passer and creator from deeper areas, we should see Cunha acting as the link between the Portugal star and the forward. 9 Given Fernandes is well known as one of the most aggressive and creative passers in the league he will enjoy having a player like Cunha alongside him to find space in tight areas. While Cunha is not an out and out striker, his movement and intelligence of positioning around the area will create real threat. Not just a finisher Cunha impressed in front of goal last season as he finished with 15 league goals, while he was also able to provide a creative threat for his team But Cunha has long been seen as more of a creative attacker than a true goalscorer, such as when he was at Hertha Berlin or Atletico Madrid. The same is true in deeper positions, especially in transition, when Cunha was capable of getting on the ball and play the final line breaking ball to release team-mates. He was extremely versatile with his positioning as he occupied pockets across the width of the penalty area. 9 In terms of his on pitch relationship with Fernandes, it will be interesting to see how Cunha interacts with him given their respective preferred creative operating areas. The 30-year-old is less of a runner and more of a passer which could create disconnects with Cunha due to a lack of vertical runners around him. With that said, the two should be able to connect deeper with Cunha being the player to make the more aggressive vertical run off the back of that connection. The issue Man Utd may have is they will essentially have two advanced midfielders without an effective focal point striker to play off of and make the ball stick. 9 It is all very well for Amorim to add creativity and dangerous passing to their attacking unit. But they need to ensure that they have the players ahead of the ball that can make the runs to take advantage of those passes. Decision making and intelligence Cunha is a player who can become decisive for the Red Devils both in scoring goals and creating chances, and that is down to his supreme intelligence and strong decision making. This is what makes him such a versatile attacker, and it would therefore be somewhat wasteful to play him as the main striker. He is far better when allowed to play deeper and underneath a more physical and aggressive striker. 9 Essentially, Man Utd should be looking to use a striker who can threaten space behind the defensive line. This should force the opposition defensive line deeper and then we would see Cunha, and Bruno, with more space that they could play in underneath the striker. The ability of a player to consistently make correct choices in terms of the timing and direction of his runs is something that is hugely underlooked. 9 Especially given the pace of the modern game and the intensity of the Premier League. The fact, Cunha always seems to give team-mates what they need at the right time will be hugely beneficial to Man Utd in terms of helping them to unlock opposition teams. Conclusion In our opinion signing a player like Cunha off the back of a terrible season will be a real boost for the Red Devils and their fans. What is critical though, is Cunha is then surrounded with more signings in key areas to give him the support to make the most of his attacking and creative abilities. Given Man Utd are already looking to add Mbeumo to their ranks, it would suggest an awareness they need to add more options in the attacking third. It will still be a long summer ahead for Man Utd's recruitment team.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
England stars: We will not jeopardise caps to join breakaway league
England's top stars believe that international representation remains the pinnacle of the sport and would not wish to jeopardise potential Test selection in favour of joining a breakaway league. Telegraph Sport revealed on Monday how Mike Tindall, the Rugby World Cup winner and member of the Royal family, was one of the driving forces behind rugby's new breakaway global league, branded as 'R360, driving generational change in rugby'. Tindall and the organisers have stressed that their proposed league will fit in around the current international schedule but, at present, Steve Borthwick, the England head coach, cannot select any players outside the domestic structure. All of Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock and Ellis Genge – winners at the Premiership Rugby Awards in central London on Tuesday night and Lions on the summer tour to Australia – believe that the conflict between financial stability and international representation would be a consideration, but that the draw of wearing an England shirt is virtually irresistible. 'The money would have to be off the charts,' said Freeman. 'Running out at Twickenham, there is no feeling like it. You want to leave your place in a good spot and hopefully pass that on to the next England player coming up. 'You never want to jeopardise [being selected for England]. If you were ever out of the loop then you ask the question because it is a short career – a third of your life. There is your health, your medical, and you've got to provide for your family – your kids and their kids. At some point money probably does talk but playing for England is my main concern. If I'm out the loop of the England set-up for a number of years then maybe it's different.' Genge admitted that for certain players there would be a financial allure, but that England remained the priority for him. 'I'd never want to leave England behind but I would say 90 per cent of rugby players would have to work for the rest of their lives after rugby,' said Genge. 'If they reached the echelons they have in this sport in other sports, I'd say they probably wouldn't. I think if the money is that lucrative, then people have decisions to make, don't they? I wouldn't hold it against them. 'I don't know if it's actually got legs to get off the ground but I think anything that stirs the pot and makes people start asking questions and think of new ideas is positive for the game. Whether it will get off the ground I don't know but I think anything like that is positive. I'm glad something is happening in rugby rather than it just be stagnating and everyone moaning.' Pollock, who made his England debut off the bench in the Six Nations against Wales, said it would '100 per cent' take a lot to give up playing for his country. 'I've not experienced playing multiple times for my country, so that's something I'm working towards,' said Pollock. 'There can be talks around this league and what's going to come, but currently I'm focused on myself, Northampton Saints and England. 'It depends where you are in your career. I wouldn't say I've kicked on enough to take that next step I guess. I'm very focused on Northampton Saints.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Inside the Lionesses' chaotic 10 days as England prepare for Euros
With Sarina Wiegman naming her Euro 2025 squad on Thursday, two senior international retirements and the withdrawal of her World Cup captain is not exactly has been a chaotic and unsettling 10 days for the Lionesses, with distractions off the pitch dominating the end of their Women's Nations League campaign, which was brought to a close with defeat by Mary Earps stunned supporters when she stepped away from international duty, informing players four days before England's win over Kirby followed suit a week later, announcing her decision within an hour of England's defeat by world champions Spain late on with several players still on a flight home when the news dropped on Wednesday, Bright revealed she was withdrawing from selection because of "personal reasons" - having taken an "extended period of recovery" this has led to some questioning over what is happening within the squad, and what repercussions there will be - with England attempting to defend their Euros crown. They have been drawn in a tough group at the tournament, which starts on 2 July, facing the Netherlands, France, who are ranked 10th and 11th in the world, and neighbours Wales. Only two from the group will advance to the quarter-finals. How the chaos unfolded The squad were rocked when Earps, following conversations with manager Wiegman, decided to step down from international duty with her position as England's number two all but had fallen down the pecking order since her heroics at Euro 2022 and the 2023 Women's World Cup and, with Chelsea's Hannah Hampton having started three successive matches, her role in Switzerland was expected to be a different played a large part in Earps' sudden decision, which clearly disappointed Wiegman - who described it as a "hard" week for the Bright had already withdrawn from the squad to focus on her wellbeing, but Wiegman hoped she would feel well enough to rejoin the group for the reached out to Bright while at St George's Park in the build-up to their 6-0 win over Portugal last Friday, but Wiegman's doubts were clear as she admitted she "did not know" whether the Chelsea captain would return in retirement rubbed salt into England's wounds after an eye-opening defeat by Spain - who are seen as strong favourites for the Euros title next decision was understandable, given she had had "honest conversations" with Wiegman throughout the past few weeks and was told she was not set to make the retirement in the summer already in mind Kirby accelerated her decision, but the timing only fuelled the chaos that existed during England's selflessly confirmed 12 hours later that she was "unable to give 100% mentally or physically", and that was the final blow in a damaging week for had started every game as England won the Euros in 2022, and again as she captained the Lionesses to the World Cup final in 2023. When fit, she is one of the first names on Wiegman's teamsheet and would have been a shoo-in for the squad. What led to each situation? Each situation has come about in different circumstances but, combined, it makes for a grim choice felt like the right one after the 31-year-old's efforts to move from the fringes into the final 23-player Euros squad ultimately did not pay had struggled with injury since starting every game at Euro 2022, missing the World Cup after knee surgery and withdrawing from recent squads with minor issues - her place in the squad was up for debate and Wiegman made her spoke highly of Kirby in the moments after she had informed her team-mates in the dressing room in had been left out of the squad for the 2-1 defeat by Spain and Wiegman addressed media, saying she was "proud" of Kirby's career and calling her an "inspiration".Both Kirby and Wiegman said they had "honest conversations" and had communicated frequently in recent weeks. It ended on good terms, with full was also sympathy from Wiegman regarding Bright's wellbeing, with the Dutchwoman saying last week the priority was "to take care of herself"."She has to take the time that will help her settle. We'll stay in contact and I hope she feels better soon. We have people around who can give that support," Wiegman Leah Williamson said Bright's decision to speak out about her mental health was a "brave thing to do"."I think it encourages other people to do the same," said Williamson."She's leading by example. Anything that she needs from the team, we will be there to give it to her."There were mixed views when Earps' retirement was announced two weeks ago - some among the media and fanbase calling it a "selfish" was still a valuable member of Wiegman's squad - the manager said so herself - and she wanted Earps to be in Switzerland, using her experience to aid admitted she was "really disappointed and sad", and that the news had come as a "shock" to the players. She was hesitant to discuss details around the timing of Earps' decision but it was clear Wiegman was emotional, stating: "I find it hard". How does Wiegman communicate with her players? Wiegman became the first coach to win the Euros with two different teams, and this summer will aim to become only the second to win three consecutive European can only select 23 players and there are always difficult choices. She omitted former captain Steph Houghton from the squad in 2022, with the armband going to Williamson - who had played just seven minutes at a major later said she was disappointed by the lack of communication from Wiegman, but those close to the Dutchwoman say she is ruthless in her can be sharp and straight to the point, efficient with her time, and always insistent on decisions that are best for the squad - not based on ruthlessness is nothing new - Wiegman dropped Netherlands captain Mandy van den Berg after the first two group games at Euro she went on to win both tournaments, proving her worth as one of the world's leading coaches."When she first took the job I was looking into her thinking 'who is this, I want to know what her squad profile is'," former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley told 5 Live."I looked at what she had done with the Netherlands and she culled loads of 30-year-olds. I thought I had no chance. "I was out injured and I remember having a phone call with her and she was like 'where are you at?' I told her I was still injured. She said: 'I'm going to give you six weeks to let me know if you're going to be fit enough or not'."I thought that was quite an ultimatum. I tried to get back fit and I couldn't, so I had to call her and say I'm not going to make it. I'm going to have to retire."With the intensity she wants to play at, the game does catch up with you and it gets to a point where it moves beyond you." The big squad questions facing Wiegman Wiegman said on Tuesday she is "close" to knowing her final squad for Euro 2025, but insists there is still time to work out her starting XI.A major dilemma is whether to gamble on the fitness of Lauren Chelsea forward was not involved in the recent Lionesses camp because of a hamstring injury suffered in April, and she has not featured for club or country Wiegman said she was "pretty positive" about James' Euros chances, saying numerous times this week that she is on track and "ticking the boxes"."LJ is special. She can produce something that is quite extraordinary, that can spin a game on its head," said ex-striker White."Do you take a risk on someone that is talented, that could potentially come on for 10 or 15 minutes and do something completely special? It is a real headache for Sarina."Another outsider is 19-year-old Michelle Agyemang, who scored a stunning goal just 41 seconds into her senior debut in believes the Brighton forward is worth a punt."When I saw her play for the under-23s I thought she was on another level."She is an incredible talent. I don't want to hype her up too much because she is young. "She has put in her application and hopefully Sarina accepts, because I'd love to see her in Switzerland."Players face a nervous wait before Thursday's announcement and Bronze admitted there were "a lot of big decisions" for Wiegman to make."You can only pick 23 players. We have more than 23 players that deserve to be at the Euros based on talent, on effort and on experience," she added. Head here to get involved
