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.
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Glamorgan beat Gloucestershire to advance in T20 Women's County Cup
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New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Can Jeremie Frimpong boost Liverpool's 2025/26 Champions League winner odds?
For more stories like this, click here to follow The Athletic's sports betting section and have them added to your feed. In the 2011 movie 'Moneyball,' Brad Pitt, portraying Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, sits in the middle of a conference room table surrounded by scouts during an off-season meeting. As the discussion of the team's direction unfolds, Beane is abruptly cut-off by a scout concerned about their ability to replace a crucial player: Jason Giambi. Advertisement 'Billy,' the scout says, 'we got 38 home runs and 120 RBIs to make up.' 'Guys listen,' Beane interrupts, 'We're still trying to replace Giambi. I told you we can't do it. Now what we might be able to do is recreate him — recreate him in the aggregate.' Losing a generational player like Trent Alexander-Arnold is not something even a club like Liverpool can shrug off. Despite his departure, the Reds still have the best odds to win both the Premier League (11/5) and Champions League (11/2). But should they? With Jeremie Frimpong already in the fold and the potential acquisitions of Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez on the horizon, Liverpool's plan to replace their homegrown star is coming into view. Let's explore if it'll be enough to find value in their current odds. It sounds silly, but Alexander-Arnold is truly a footballing unicorn. A right-back who could hold his own defensively but also doubled as one of the world's best ball-progressors and chance-creators is a rarity. To come in with expectations that Frimpong is Alexander-Arnold's successor would be quite unfair — they're not remotely the same player. Alexander-Arnold ranked 17th in Europe's big five leagues with 65 passes into the penalty area this season. Despite playing as a wing-back in the Bundesliga, Frimpong had just 29 this year. To put that into context, the player in 16th was in the running for the Ballon d'Or — Raphinha — most of this past season. Alexander-Arnold was essentially an attacking midfielder hiding as a right-back whereas Frimpong is, well, not. When it comes to progressive passes (passes that move the ball at least 10 yards closer to the opponent's goal), Alexander-Arnold ranked 19th and was once again surrounded by a bevy of talented midfielders like Nicolò Barella and Youri Tielemans. Frimpong ranked 10th…on his team. Even Leverkusen's defensive midfielder Robert Andrich had more progressive passes than Frimpong this season. Advertisement It's at about this point where you're probably asking, 'So what does Frimpong do exactly?' The answer to this is simple: He runs, quite often and quite fast. According to PFF FC's physical metrics provided to The Athletic, Frimpong sprinted more than any other player in Germany last season. In total, the new Liverpool signee had 800 sprints (classified as runs that exceed 25 KM/hr), 15 more than the next closest player. That willingness to run is far more reminiscent of Andy Robertson than Alexander-Arnold, except that Frimpong is an absolute speed merchant. The 24-year-old was clocked with the second-highest max speed in the Bundesliga last year — 35.33 km/h — only bested by FC Heidenheim's Sirlord Conteh. Alexander-Arnold's on-ball orchestrating is gone, but Liverpool still need someone to play right-back. If you can't replace Alexander-Arnold, you might as well find a player with an elite trait at a cheap price. That's what Liverpool have done. But it's clear with the interest in Wirtz and Kerkez, the Reds know they will need more help to fill the Alexander-Arnold-sized hole. Heading into the 2025-26 campaign without Alexander-Arnold puts a lot more on Mohamed Salah's shoulders. Salah's scoring streaks get plenty of acclaim, but his shot-creation for teammates is underappreciated. 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The Reds' recruitment team likely put far more thought into this, but if Alexander-Arnold was the 17th-best player in the world at playing the ball into the opponent's box, it makes sense to go after the player who finished one spot behind him — Wirtz. Advertisement The problem for Liverpool is that Wirtz alone can't replicate all of Alexander-Arnold. The German midfielder is more of a threat in the attacking third — he led Leverkusen in shot-creating actions with 5.66 — than he is a contributor to a team's build-up play. Wirtz just ranked eighth for Leverkusen when it came to passing the ball into the opponent's final third, miles behind Granit Xhaka, who led the team in progressive passes. To fill that final hole in the build-up play, Liverpool are turning to Kerkez. At first glance, it's hard to see how Kerkez could come close to matching Alexander-Arnold's ability. The 20-year-old did lead Bournemouth in progressive passes with 159, but that number falls well short of Alexander-Arnold's 232 from last season. However, passing isn't the only way to move the ball forward — players can dribble, too. If you combine progressive passes and carries, Kerkez is much closer to Alexander-Arnold's tier of ball progression. Alexander-Arnold authored 283 progressive movements last season. Thanks to 106 progressive carries to go along with those 159 progressive passes, Kerkez was responsible for 265. If Frimpong fills his actual position and Wirtz takes over some of the playmaking in the final third, it's Kerkez's distribution from deep that replicates the last part of Alexander-Arnold's production. On the surface, fading Liverpool and looking for value in clubs like Arsenal (5/2) or Manchester City (13/5) to win the title next season would seem to be the right move. In this transfer window, other title-contending clubs have been acquiring exciting talent, rather than watching helplessly as a prime-age, generational superstar leaves town. But like Beane did with the A's two decades ago, Michael Edwards and Liverpool's front office were tasked with replacing an irreplaceable player. The transfer window isn't close to finished yet, but if Wirtz and Kerkez join Frimpong, there's a chance Liverpool will have accomplished that seemingly impossible feat. They just needed to do it in the aggregate. Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Jeremy Frimpong: Daniel Kopatsch / Getty Images)


New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs leaves club in leadership overhaul
Wolverhampton Wanderers sporting director Matt Hobbs has left Molineux with the club in talks to appoint former Sampdoria technical director Domenico Teti. Wolves are restructuring their football department with Jorge Mendes and his Gestifute agency expected to be handed a more prominent role. That change sees the departure of Hobbs, who has spent almost a decade at the club in various roles, including as sporting director since November 2022 after Wolves parted company with his predecessor Scott Sellars. Advertisement The club says Hobbs is departing by 'mutual consent' and thanked him for his contributions. Teti, 48, has been out of football since leaving Saudi Pro League club Al Shabab, where he worked with Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira. Hobbs was previously chief scout and head of player recruitment, having started work at Wolves in the academy recruitment team. His departure will mean Matt Jackson, Wolves' head of professional football development, taking on an increased role in contract negotiations and recruitment. But it will also mean Mendes and Gestitfute , who were responsible for bringing some of the most successful players of the Fosun era to Molineux along with some less successful signings, taking on an increased role again. Head of scouting Ben Wrigglesworth remains in charge of the recruitment team but it is likely that Fosun and chairman Jeff Shi will again lean on Gestifute, as they did in the early years of Fosun's ownership. Head coach Vitor Pereira, himself a Gestifute client, will also have a big say in summer signings. There was a time when Matt Hobbs looked set to steer Wolves away from their Gestifute era permanently. For several years he and his recruitment team had wanted the chance to take charge of signings at Molineux after the hit rate of Mendes began to wane after his spectacular successes in the early years of Fosun's ownership. After Gestifute players including Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio and Raul Jimenez underpinned an era of success unprecedented in modern times, less impressive signings like Matheus Nunes and Goncalo Guedes helped persuade Wolves to move towards a more conventional setup with Hobbs at its head. After a successful January window under Julen Lopetegui, which included signings championed by Hobbs including Craig Dawson, Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, it seemed the strategy was working. And when Hobbs' choice for head coach, Gary O'Neil, led the team well clear of relegation trouble and to within minutes of an FA Cup semi-final, it seemed that the British-led revolution was in full swing. But the dramatic decline of O'Neil's reign led Wolves to turn back to Mendes in December when they appointed Vitor Pereira, and the head coach was the driving force behind the signings of Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi in January. He is set to get a greater say this summer, meaning an inevitably bigger role for Gestifute and a diluting of Hobbs' influence. The two parties have now decided a clean break is the best way forward. Wolves have had joy before with the Gestifute model and there is no reason why it cannot work again. But if it does not and another change of coach is needed, it will prompt obvious questions about who within the club runs the football infrastructure. ()
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Football's equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire
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Now you know as much as we do, so make like Frodo and go away. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE Join a mystery guest from 8pm BST for hot Nations League semi-final updates from Germany 2-1 Portugal. QUOTE OF THE DAY 'We had a backpack with snacks and we played around on our phones to kill time. The lights were on all the time and the sitting position was uncomfortable, so sleeping was almost impossible. That made it physically and mentally difficult' – Neal Remmerie explains how he, along with fellow Belgian TikToker Senne Haverbeke, spent 27 hours in an Allianz Arena bog before watching the Bigger Cup final for free. 'We looked carefully at which security guard was paying the least attention,' whooped Remmerie. 'While on the phone and with food in our hands, we just walked on, and suddenly we were inside.' FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS I've just read your recent article regarding the York City owner's push for three promotion places from the National League to League Two (yesterday's Football Daily). I wanted to write in full support of her position – and to thank you for highlighting this vital issue. As a supporter of Dorking Wanderers, a club that finished sixth this past season and fell short in the playoffs, I can say with confidence that many clubs and fans across the National League share her view. The idea that a team finishing sixth or seventh – often 15 to 20 points behind second or third place – can leapfrog into the Football League while stronger teams miss out is increasingly hard to justify. You questioned whether York's owner would feel the same if her club finished seventh. I genuinely believe she would, as would many other club owners, including the management at Dorking. This isn't just about individual clubs – it's about fairness, progress, and ensuring that ambition is matched by opportunity. The National League has become increasingly professional and competitive, and its clubs deserve a pathway that reflects that. I hope the EFL takes note of this growing movement. Thank you again for covering this important topic – and please keep the conversation going' – Stephen Parrott. It's probably worth pointing out that the 3UP campaign is supported by all 72 clubs in the National League, including the North and South leagues, of which my team, South Shields, is part, although we certainly weren't troubling the playoff contenders this season just gone' – Phil Gibson. I'm sure I will be one of 1,057 pedants to point out that in the 2021-22 National League North season, Brackley Town finished second on 87 points, seven points ahead of the side that finished third and a whole 21 points ahead of the team that actually ended up being promoted through the playoffs. The name of the side in question … York City' – Andy Riddell (and others). Forget 3UP (yesterday's Football Daily), I've long thought 8UP to be the answer. A straight eight up and down across all divisions. 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MEMORY LANE Winding the clock back to 4 June 1997: Paul Scholes, 22, beams after scoring his first England goal, in only his second senior international, as Italy are beaten in Nantes. Scholes also laid on the other for his strike partner that evening, Ian Wright, as England ended up winning Le Tournoi, the warm-up event for the 1998 World Cup. Scholes has described his England career as an overall disappointment, but their performances in France that summer got everyone back home excited. Wright, knacked that following season, missed the World Cup. Only Mick Channon played more times for England without being selected for a World Cup or European Championships squad. These days, Scholes and Wright occasionally find themselves still paired up, reminiscing across Gary Neville's kitchen island on that show you see all over social media disgraces. JACKSON RETURNS!