Blaze remain unbeaten as Beaumont denies Durham
At Chester-le-Street, opener Bates hit 12 fours for the hosts and shared a stand of 73 with Mady Villiers, who made 36 from 24 balls.The pair led their side to 80-2 in the 10th over before wicketkeeper Bess Heath hit six boundaries in amassing 45 runs from 27 balls to lift Durham to a decent total.Despite losing Marie Kelly in the first over of the chase, The Blaze were always up to their task, largely thanks to a Beaumont innings featuring 11 fours and three sixes.They needed 14 runs from the final 12 balls but Graham took consecutive fours off Lauren Filer before Georgia Elwiss (24no) struck the winning boundary.The win was The Blaze's fourth of the season and keeps them top of the table.
By contrast, Somerset are bottom of the standings after a fourth defeat in five games.They lost the toss at Taunton and struggled to 132-7, Alex Griffiths top-scoring from number seven with 27 from 18 balls.Lancashire's chase was well on course with an opening stand of 60 in nine overs but Charlie Dean changed the game as she took 4-9 from her four overs.Eight runs were needed from the final over but Ailsa Lister (28no) got Lancashire home at 133-6 with two balls to spare for their third win of the season.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Premier League club in row with council over proposed housing near stadium
Premier League newcomers Sunderland have opposed plans to build houses near their Stadium of Light ground, saying development could have 'catastrophic consequences'. Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said the club will make formal objections to the city council's plans to allow for homes to be built in what had been a buffer zone around the stadium. Sunderland City Council has proposed that 600 homes, including maisonettes, townhouses and family homes, should be built south of the stadium, as part of a wider redevelopment of the city centre. Sunderland City Council chief executive Patrick Melia has insisted that the stadium was a 'key asset for the city' and the redevelopment plans would enhance fans' experience. Former chairman Sir Bob Murray, who oversaw the move from Roker Park to the 49,000-seat ground in 1997, called the change a 'disgrace'. He said the local authority had previously agreed protections which would prevent development near the stadium, thus allowing the club to increase capacity if needed, but that the city council had 'torn them up'. Sir Bob said having houses up close to the Stadium of Light risked hemming it in, which was the cause of the move from Roker Park. Mr Louis-Dreyfus has now spoken out against the plans as well. He said: 'As the custodian of Sunderland AFC, it is my duty to safeguard the future of our club. 'This includes the Stadium of Light – the beating heart of our city. 'Unfortunately, Sunderland City Council has recently taken steps relating to the Sheepfolds development that could have catastrophic operational consequences on our club and, by extension, our community. 'We are under no illusion that the city needs a more appropriate housing provision and support those endeavours fully. 'However, later this week we will be submitting a formal objection against the proposals relating to the Sheepfolds and I encourage all city stakeholders to come together and join us in protecting the future of our football club and the City of Sunderland. 'Together, we have limitless potential, but it will only be realised through delivering on a shared purpose and vision.' There were fears that having homes close to the stadium could impact its ability to host major concerts as well as block any future expansion plans. The Stadium of Light has hosted England games and was built on the site of the former Monkwearmouth Colliery. In response to the objections, council chief Mr Melia said: 'We are very much invested in the future of the Stadium of Light and recognise it as a key asset for the city. 'It is our view that the proposals set out for the Sheepfolds neighbourhoods will improve operations and fan experience in terms of match days and other events and we remain committed to working with SAFC in relation to their plans for the expansion of the Stadium of Light – we have held many discussions with Mr Louis-Dreyfus and his team to this effect. 'This consultation process provides a real opportunity for the public and stakeholders to share their thoughts with us as the local planning authority and we will consider all views and comments prior to determination of the application.'
Times
6 minutes ago
- Times
Liverpool step up interest in Marc Guéhi and Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool are stepping up their interest in Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace and Parma's Giovanni Leoni as they seek defensive reinforcements before the end of the month. Leoni, 18, is well-regarded and has also been tracked by Inter Milan. Inter's new coach Cristian Chivu was in charge at Parma last season, and there is an obvious benefit to Leoni to stay in Italy in the countdown to next summer's World Cup. However, Inter's budgetary restrictions mean they may not be able to stretch to the fee of about £30 to £35million that Parma would seek. Liverpool have not yet made club-to-club contact, but they believe Leoni is the best of the young centre backs in Europe and have been trying to recruit a younger player for a number of years. Interest in Levi Colwill, Leny Yoro and Dean Huijsen was unsuccessful in the last three consecutive summers. In Yoro's case that was primarily to do with the pathway and so he chose to join Manchester United from Lille. Leoni could have similar reservations, and Liverpool want to be sure he is willing to leave Italy. The courtship of Guéhi has intensified, with Palace's chairman Steve Parish having stated the club were willing to sell the England international at the right price. Parish said losing Guéhi on a free transfer at the end of the summer would constitute a 'problem' for Palace, but the key remains the respective valuations of both clubs. It is likely that Liverpool view Guéhi, 25, as nearer to £30million plus add-ons. Deals for Leoni and Guéhi would not be dependent on each other. Liverpool have three centre backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Joe Gomez having sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35million last month. Gomez is injured and Konaté's long-term future is clouded after he entered the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers risk losing their captain, Lewis Travis, on a free transfer at the end of the season after turning down two offers from Derby County. Travis, 27, is valued at £2.5million by the club he first joined in 2014, and Blackburn have turned down an offer of £1.5million plus add-ons from their Championship rivals. The defensive midfielder has not been offered a new contract despite his length of service and does not want to leave for free at the end of the season, given Blackburn's well-documented financial issues. However, Derby are growing increasingly frustrated by Blackburn's stance and could move onto alternative targets as they look to strengthen the head coach John Eustace's squad. Eustace worked with Travis for a year at Blackburn before leaving to join Derby in February. Chelsea are not interested in the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Manchester United do not regard the position as a priority while André Onana remains at the club (Peter Rutzler writes). Donnarumma is expected to be available for a cut-price fee of about £26million this summer after he was told he is no longer in the PSG head coach Luis Enrique's plans. The 26-year-old, who was signed on a free transfer from AC Milan in 2021, has one year remaining on his contract and was left out of PSG's squad for the Uefa Super Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night. Chelsea made an offer for the AC Milan and France goalkeeper Mike Maignan earlier in the summer, but the club decided he was not necessarily an upgrade on the players they already have in that position. They retain belief in Robert Sánchez, whose stock has improved after a good showing at the Club World Cup, and Filip Jorgensen, who made 24 appearances in all competitions last season. PSG sources have suggested that both Manchester clubs have checked on Donnarumma's situation this summer, although it is understood United would only look to sign a goalkeeper if Onana, who has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, leaves the club. Donnarumma was an exceptional performer for PSG during their treble-winning campaign, but he was also seen as a slightly awkward fit for Enrique, who prefers his goalkeepers to be exceptional with the ball at their feet. He has signed the promising 23-year-old Lucas Chevalier from Lille, who is expected to be the club's No1 next season. Galatasaray are believed to be an option for Donnarumma. Bournemouth are set to confirm the signing of centre back Bafodé Diakité from Lille after selling Illia Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain (Peter Rutzler writes). Zabarnyi's move to Paris was confirmed on Tuesday morning and the Ukraine centre back has signed a five-year contract with the European champions. After a protracted negotiation, PSG agreed a fee with Bournemouth worth an initial €63million (£54.4million), with a further £2.6million in add-ons. Diakité, 24, is set to sign a five-year deal as his replacement after Bournemouth struck a deal worth €40million (£34.5million), which includes add-ons worth £4.3million. Bournemouth have tried to move quickly to secure replacements after losing four of their back five from last season, with the goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga leaving along with the defenders Dean Huijsen, who signed for Real Madrid, and Milos Kerkez, who has gone to Liverpool. They have signed the Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic for £25million and Adrien Truffert, a left back, has signed from Rennes for a reported £14.5million. Fulham have rejected a £34.5million bid from Atalanta for the striker Rodrigo Muniz (Peter Rutzler writes). Muniz has been subject to Premier League interest this summer, with Fulham also rejecting a £32million bid from Leeds United earlier in the transfer window. Fulham have had a quiet summer so far, but are determined to keep their squad together ahead of the new season. They are also looking to strengthen, with a winger a priority after the departures of Reiss Nelson and Willian at the end of last season. The club are pursuing the Shakhtar Donetsk winger Kevin, but talks have stalled due to a gap in valuation. Fulham are believed to have made an offer for the 22-year-old that would have eclipsed the fee they paid for their record signing, Emile Smith Rowe, had it been accepted. Smith Rowe signed from Arsenal last summer in a deal that could be worth up to £34million. Shakhtar are believed to be seeking a fee of close to £40million for the Brazil U20 international. Fulham are interested in bringing back Nelson from Arsenal, who spent last season on loan at Craven Cottage, as well as Samuel Chukwueze of AC Milan, but agreements have not been reached for either player.
Telegraph
6 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Roy Keane ‘affected' by clashes with fans but signs new Sky Sports deal
Roy Keane signed a new deal at Sky Sports despite being 'affected' by clashes with supporters at matches. Sky reviewed security arrangements for their punditry team after a man was found guilty of headbutting Keane at the Emirates in 2023. The Sky pundit was also confronted at Ipswich Town last season. On Tuesday, Sky said the former Manchester United captain had been impacted by incidents of abuse and even assault while working at matches in recent seasons. 'Roy's a great guy – a brilliant team mate,' said Gary Hughes, Sky's director of football. 'He's had a few incidents in the last couple of seasons ... and it does affect him. 'Ultimately, when it comes to him, he wants to be involved in the biggest games. He loves working with us. He wants to be at Old Trafford for Manchester United against Arsenal. There'll be more Roy next season.' 'It's our responsibility to make sure that we don't expose any of our team to those sorts of incidents,' said Jonathan Licht, Sky Sports managing director. 'There were conversations that we had immediately – I think he was back with us following the weekend. He loves being part of the big games and we hope that will continue.' Meanwhile, Mark Chapman will make it two thirds of the BBC's Match of the Day team doubling up by also presenting live Premier League coverage on Sky Sports. Like Kelly Cates, Chapman will combine his role as part of the new Match of the Day team that has replaced Gary Lineker with working as one of the main Sky presenters for a season in which they will screen at least 215 of the 380 Premier League matches. That compares to 128 in the previous rights' cycle. Dave Jones will be the other lead presenter for Sky Sports' Premier League coverage while Gabby Logan will also join Cates and Chapman on the BBC's long-running Saturday night highlights show. Licht said the decision to bring in Chapman for its expanded Premier League coverage was simply rooted in a desire to get the best presenters. Chapman has a near 30-year association with the BBC, most prominently as the presenter of Match of the Day 2, and is now expected to host the first main Match of the Day show of the post-Gary Lineker era on Sunday. Of Cates and Chapman, Licht said: 'Exceptional presenters – I think it's better for everyone. We will work with them and work through them with the BBC. We're optimistic it will work very smoothly. We get the best presenters and so do they. It's all good.' Hughes added that 'we're all adults' in expressing his expectation that the rotas can be aligned but acknowledged that it was 'new territory' for the broadcasters. 'Clearly we have more games this season, we need more presenters,' he said. 'He will work weekends … and we'll work with him and Kelly. We're delighted that Kelly is working on Match of the Day. We've got control of the calendar in terms of the picking of the matches. We're all adults and we'll see how it goes. We're looking forward to having everybody on board.' Chapman will also continue to present Sky Sports' Carabao Cup coverage. Sky, meanwhile, hope their disagreement with Nottingham Forest is solved and they will be able to resume usual coverage after Gary Neville was banned from the City Ground for the final match last season following his criticism of owner Evangelos Marinakis.
