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Watling looks back at some of the memorable moments of his career, what he will miss the most, and more

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2021What’s the reason for your retirement and what will you miss the most?
There’s a few factors. I think it’s the right time for me to leave the game. I’m thoroughly looking forward to the three huge Test matches to finish off. It should be exciting. Toiling away for five days, in harsh conditions sometimes…Sitting back, looking around the group and having beer with the team. That’ll certainly be the times I miss the most.On the upcoming England tour…
I think it’s exciting that we’ve got two Tests against England to start with. It’s a great place to play cricket there, [a] very tough opposition. It’ll be nice to beat them on home soil. And to obviously finish with a Test final. It’s going to be a pretty special tour. I’m looking forward to it still and there’s a lot of cricket to be played.Related

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BJ Watling to retire after England tour

Any sort of pressure on this England tour being the last one?
Not looking at it like that. To be honest, it’s session by session, ball by ball and it is what it is. I’m trying not to put pressure on one particular game. We’ve got two Test matches leading into it at the moment, leading into the [WTC] final.How would you like to be remembered and how do you look back at your career?
I’ve put a lot of hard work in. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey so far and can hopefully finish on a high. You do get a bit of a rest batting down in the middle order, which is quite enjoyable. You get a break between innings. Opening is very tough, having to field for potentially 140 overs and going straight out and bat, which is dreadful. So I don’t miss that at all. Yeah, you do keep in some harsh conditions, like [in] India. I look back at the challenges of having to become a keeper, to make sure I was up to the international standards. I thoroughly enjoyed putting my time into that as well as my batting.What made you retire?
I know the standards were quite (high) to keep it going at this level. To be honest, it’s tougher now, with a little family at home. Things are busy. I think it’s time now that I look into other things and spend more time at home. It’s a bit harder to put all that focus into just cricket.What will you miss about the team and when did you make the call?
A lot. It’s been a long time playing for the Black Caps now. Hopefully I’ve made some mates along the way, look forward to having beer with all of them. That’ll be something I miss. It was a couple of weeks ago that I told everyone. I think over a little period of time – [in] the last four to five months – I have realised that I my time is up. I would also like to finish on a massive high with a big tour.On his move down the batting order: “It was just about playing to the situation and enjoy figuring out what’s right at the time and it’ll be different every Test match, every Test innings”•Getty ImagesAny wins you looks back on?
There’s a few now, which is quite a cool thing to say after what was a reasonably tough start to try and win Test matches. I still look back at one of the West Indies trips [in 2014], and for me, that was the greatest trip of all time. But there’s been many more. Wins overseas are pretty special, and winning in the UAE against Pakistan [in 2018] was a fantastic series to be a part of, and to beat them in neutral – but home conditions for them – was quite a pleasing trip.Did you make any changes to your game when you moved down the order as a wicketkeeper?
Not at all. I think as a cricketer, you’ve got to look at the situation you’re presented with – and it might be the case when they are looking for a few faster runs to set up a total. So it was just about playing to the situation and enjoy figuring out what’s right at the time and it’ll be different every Test match, every Test innings.What do you think about you potential successor Tom Blundell?
Tom’s been fantastic for us. He’s obviously [had] the challenge of opening the batting and stood up to that very well. [He got a] fantastic hundred at the MCG, which was pretty special and I know his glovework is certainly up to standard. I look around the domestic scene and I think most of the boys in each association have been keeping really well over the last few years.How special was that 205 against England?
I remember the partnership with Mitchell Santner… it was his maiden century and a fantastic innings. We dug deep to get a bit of a total and give ourselves a chance of winning that Test match. I think we were a bowler down as well, and to do it on the final day – I’m not sure how many overs were left, but there weren’t too many left and Wags [Neil Wagner] stepped up to the plate and did a fantastic job. So it was a special win.How would you reflect on your legacy – just the ninth wicketkeeper to score a double-century?
I’ll do some reflecting at some point for sure, but I don’t know the word legacy at all. I’ve played my part in the time I’ve been here and hopefully, I’ll leave New Zealand cricket in a good space.

Vinicius Jr. was once again the star of the show for Real Madrid during the Intercontinental Cup final and was lauded by the Pachuca manager.

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Real beat Pachuca 3-0 in the Intercontinental Cup finalVini Jr. scored a goal and got an assistPachuca manager hailed him as the best in the worldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Pachuca coach Guillermo Almada was lavish in his praise for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. following his team's 3-0 loss to Real Madrid in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final on Wednesday, calling the Brazilian the best player in the world. Vini was starting just his second game since returning from injury, but showed no rustiness as he set up Kylian Mbappe to break the deadlock, before converting from the penalty spot to put the tie to bed in the second half.

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Real Madrid haven't had the best of starts to the season, but have still managed to win two trophies already, adding the Intercontinental Cup to the UEFA Super Cup they won back in August. One day before the final, Vini was presented by FIFA with The Best award, a little under two months after being snubbed for the Ballon d'Or as Rodri took home the accolade.

On Wednesday, Real Madrid might have won 3-0, but the proceedings weren't as comfortable as the scoreline reads. In the opening passages of the game, Pachuca matched Real Madrid pound for pound, but Vini, who was kept quiet in the first 36 minutes of the game, produced a moment of absolute genius to help Mbappe score his 13th goal of the season. From there on, there was only one winner.

WHAT GUILLERMO ALMADA SAID

Speaking to reporters after losing to Real Madrid, Almada analysed the game and reserved special praise for Vini. "Vinicius is the best in the world, along with Mbappe, and his level is difficult to control on a permanent basis," said Almada (h/t MARCA). "Until the goal, Vinicius did not appear but then, in a second, he did that and, that type of player is difficult to control for 90 minutes."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Real Madrid play their final game of the calendar year on Sunday, December 22, at the Santiago Bernabeu, in which they will welcome a struggling Sevilla side. Los Blancos are currently in third place on the LaLiga table, just one point behind Barcelona albeit with a game in hand.

After a campaign full of ups and downs last year, Tottenham Hotspur are in for a massive season.

Ange Postecoglou will want to ensure the Lilywhites make it back into the Champions League after just missing out last year, and while his team have endured a mixed start to 24/25, they have shown real glimpses of brilliance.

The Australian will need his team to be firing on all cylinders to get them over the line come May, although another season like the last from club captain Son Heung-min should be enough to cover for any underperformers.

The South Korean was incredible in the league last year and proved that, even at 32, he's one of the best attackers in the country, although interestingly, one of his teammates, who former coach Antonio Conte signed, is actually worth more than him.

Son's recent form

As mentioned above, the 23/24 campaign was an odd one for Tottenham, as they looked unplayable at times and alarmingly easy to play at others.

However, while many of his teammates endured quite dramatic shifts in form throughout the year, Son remained a reliable figure in the team, and his incredible output shows as much.

In his 36 games for the Lilywhites, the South Korean phenom scored 17 goals and provided ten assists, meaning that he managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement once every 1.33 games.

Appearances

36

Minutes

2967'

Goals

17

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.88'

What makes this even more impressive is that he was constantly shifted from left-wing to centre-forward during the season, and at 32, he is well past what The Athletic consider to be the peak age for a winger in top-flight football.

However, for as outrageously effective as he was last year, Football Transfers has valued him at just €28m, or about £24m, which is considerably less than one of his fellow wingers is worth.

Dejan Kulusevski's valuation in 2024

The winger in question is, of course, Dejan Kulusevski, who first joined the club on an £8.3m 18-month loan deal under former manager Conte in January 2022.

The Swedish international's move was then made permanent in July for around £26m, which was supposedly slightly less than the initial option to buy included in the loan deal, per the Standard.

Now, it would be fair to say that in his time with the Lilywhites, the former Juventus star has both amazed and frustrated fans, although the reason he occasionally does the latter is that he's clearly an immensely talented footballer who, on his day, can give any defence a run for their money.

Appearances

99

Goals

15

Assists

20

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

For example, in his 99 appearances for the club, the "special" talent, as dubbed by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, has found the back of the net on 15 occasions and provided 20 assists for good measure, equating to a reasonable average of a goal involvement once every 2.82 games.

This undeniable quality has seen his valuation remain high since joining the North Londoners, and according to Football Transfers, he is currently worth around €57m, which converts to about £48m, or at least double that of Son's valuation.

Now, this drastic disparity is likely down to two things. The first is age; at 32, the South Korean is approaching the end of his career, while at 24, the Stockholm-born dynamo should be approaching his peak years.

The second reason is probably down to their contracts, as the £190k-per-week deal the North Londoners captain is on is set to expire next summer, while the Swede's £110k-per-week contract is set to run for another four years.

Ultimately, both Son and Kulusevski are incredibly talented footballers and could be incredibly important for Tottenham this season. Still, due to the aforementioned reasons, it seems likely that the former's valuation will continue to come down over the coming years, and the latter's will continue to rise, especially if he hits his potential.

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That also means India have only five specialist batters in the line-up, followed by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jun-20213:13

‘WTC a step in the right direction for Test cricket’ – Virat Kohli

India will field two spinners at the WTC final, naming both Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin in their XI on the eve of the match that gets underway in Southampton on June 18. In all, Virat Kohli will have five bowlers to work with, with Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah also in the XI. That also means India have only five specialist batters in the line-up, followed by wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.India’s XI for the WTC final

Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

Watch cricket on ESPN+

The WTC final is available in the US on ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune in to the match.

The development marks the return of Jadeja and Shami to the playing XI – they had missed the home series against England after picking injuries on the Australia tour – and it will be the first time Ishant, Shami, Bumrah, Ashwin and Jadeja play a Test match together.From the 15 India named on June 15, pacers Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav, wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and batter Hanuma Vihari missed out.India announcing their XI on the eve of the game – as opposed to waiting till toss time – might come as a mild surprise to some, considering the very poor weather forecast for Friday and the consequent changes that might occur to conditions.Related

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India captain Virat Kohli said that the weather, however fickle it might be, had no bearing on the combinations the team had finalised. “No, it [the weather] does not change [things] from our point of view as a team,” he told the media on match eve. “For us, it is about covering all the bases and making sure that we take the strongest side we can be on the park, which gives us batting depth and gives us enough bowling options as well. We are quite clear in terms of what we want to do. The forecast is something we are not focused on.”We are not going to think too much about what might change. We are not bothered with what the weather holds. Do we need to change the outlook of the team altogether? No. Obviously how you approach the game and the decisions that you make day-to-day, they alter when the conditions are different. But not your whole team altogether.”

Looking to add to an attack that is already filled to the brim with quality in depth, Liverpool are now reportedly interested in signing a winger who once embarrassed Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool transfer rumour

There are still a number of unanswered questions about Arne Slot's Liverpool side and its future. The Dutchman has at least delayed the need for those queries to receive an answer after winning three from three in the Premier League, including a 3-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford. But those long-term questions and concerns still remain.

Liverpool eye £50m move for £68k-p/w ace to replace Virgil van Dijk in 2025

The Reds are already planning for a future without their captain.

ByBen Browning Sep 10, 2024

Among those regard the future of stars such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. As things stand, all three are set to depart at the end of the season upon the expiry of their current deals in what should be seen as nothing short of a disaster for those at Anfield.

That's not to say that those three stars are pushing to leave, however, especially Van Dijk and Salah. Quite the opposite in fact. Club captain Van Dijk recently reiterated that he's looking to stay put in Merseyside, whilst Salah seemed to send a message to Liverpool about his future after their dominant display against Manchester United.

If this is to be Salah's final season at the club, meanwhile, then there's no doubt that the Reds will need to turn their attention towards finding a replacement as soon as possible. And that could lead them to a name that those at Anfield already know all about.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are now interested in a move to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, who are reportedly set to remain firm on their stance of keeping hold of their star man in the January transfer window.

Of course, the Bees recently lost Ivan Toney to Saudi Arabia side Al-Ahli and are in no position to lose yet more firepower in the form of Mbeumo. But if Liverpool do come knocking, such a move could prove to be too tempting to turn down for a player of such quality.

"Brilliant" Mbeumo can ease Salah blow

It almost goes without saying that replacing Salah will be a near-impossible task for Liverpool, whether it's next summer or in years to come. The Egyptian already has his place as one the greatest wingers in Premier League history. Some may even go as far to say that he is the greatest. All good things must come to an end, however, and the Reds may be left turning towards Mbeumo, who Brentford boss Frank described as "brilliant" in 2022.

The Brentford star, who earns a reported £45,000-a-week, is a player that Liverpool already know all about, especially central defender Konate. The Frenchman was on the receiving end of Mbeumo's quality when he scored the Bees' third in a stunning 3-1 defeat over the Reds in the 2022/23 campaign.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has revealed his optimism that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will stay at Anfield.

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Carragher shares optimismLiverpool stuck in contract sagaSalah & Van Dijk linked with exitsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Carragher spoke about the ongoing contract sagas on , suggesting that he feels quite relaxed about the situation with both Salah and Van Dijk right now, because he ultimately expects them to each sign new deals before the summer. Trent Alexander-Arnold appears to be closer to the door, with Real Madrid sniffing out a free transfer.

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As things stand, 32-year-old Salah and 33-year-old Van Dijk are on course to become free agents and leave Liverpool in the summer without transfer fees. Salah, in particular, has given fans reason to be concerned due to a number of comments that have only served to fuel the uncertainty as to whether he will still be at Anfield come 2025-26. His most recent update was that an agreement is still "far away". But such chat doesn't bother Carragher.

WHAT JAMIE CARRAGHER SAID

"I'm at the stage now with Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk [where] I'm not too bothered what they say about the situation," Carragher said. "I do expect it to get sorted with those two players. Maybe I'm being too optimistic. But I can't see a situation where Mo Salah is not starting at Liverpool next season."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Even with agreements not being sorted behind the scenes, it hasn't taken focus away from what is happening on the pitch. The Reds are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table at the halfway stage of the season, as well as positioning themselves among the favourites to win the Champions League- all in Arne Slot's first season in charge. Next up is a home game against a Manchester United side that has lost four straight games across all competitions, and six of the last eight. The last meeting between them ended in a 3-0 Liverpool win in September.

Billings, Crawley return to action but wish they hadn’t, as Milnes exploits dreadful pitch

David Hopps16-Jun-2021If you are going to directly clash a Glamorgan T20 Blast tie with a Wales match in the European Championship, then at least reward those who turn up with a decent pitch. Instead, the surface at Sophia Gardens was roguish and the loudest cheers of the night, which sounded from the crowd when Wales secured a 2-0 win against Turkey, suggested that many thoughts had strayed elsewhere.This was a dreadful match. Kent scrambled to 144 for 7 with a series of batters persistently mistiming shots and, upon their dismissal – the shot that mattered most – some batters, to various degrees, allowed themselves an aggrieved look. Predictably, this mediocre total proved to be of gargantuan proportions as Glamorgan made 104 with Matt Milnes working up a decent head of steam to take 5 for 22. Kent now have four wins in five and will be relieved to move on, their position in the top four of South Group strengthened.Milnes’ five wickets included three excellent top-order scalps, incuding two overseas players. David Lloyd pulled him to deep square leg and there were two return catches – Marnus Labuschagne failing to loft over the head (cue intense shot practice on the way back to the pavilion) and Colin Ingram, a little cramped on a pull shot, contriving to send it back in his direction. Even at 59 for 4, at halfway, the outcome felt predictable.To play this T20 tie on the same day as Wales’ clash with Turkey was bad enough and would have been best avoided. To begin at the same time owed something to misfortune, forced upon Glamorgan by a malfunctioning scoreboard and the recognition that the previous match had finished in bad light. But also to contest it on a two-paced pitch of unreliable bounce – a different kind of turkey – did nothing to persuade those cricket lovers, or football haters, that they had made the right decision to turn up.Matthew Maynard, Glamorgan’s coach, proferred: “It was a difficult wicket to bat on – both teams found that”, before adding: “You have to play on instinct in T20 cricket and that instinct was maybe a little bit off today.”Instinct, though, is undermined by a lack of trust, especially when modern-day players expect T20 pitches to be true. Cricket pitches are natural and variable and, allowing for interesting and valid experiments with hybrid pitches, may that always remain the case. Neither does every game has to finish 200 v 200 – good bowlers deserve the chance to succeed. But this was not a match when skilful bowlers dominated, it was just a cricketing dirge in which the bowlers – any bowler – were bound to get lucky in the end.Glamorgan are far from alone in occasionally producing indifferent surfaces: this is a general observation. The wider perspective is that the T20 Blast is struggling to assert its status in a summer when the Hundred is to be launched and every night of poor entertainment is a sword in its side. Produce these sorts of pitches when Welsh Fire is the name above the home dressing-room, and there will be a secretive ECB inquest. Call me cynical, but they’ve probably reserved the best pitches already.Kent fielded two players who had been freed from England duty – and both were ill-served by this match, as was another player of recent England vintage, Joe Denly, whose frantic innings suggested he was spooked by the whole thing.Related

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Zak Crawley, who made 15, desperately needed a chance to rebuild his belief, to restore his touch. Instead, he was part of a frenetic Kent start that, one ball after the Powerplay, saw them 37 for 3 as he mistimed a pull at a long hop from the slow left-armer Prem Sisodiya and fell at short fine leg. He might be in bad form, but he is not in that bad form.Sam Billings managed 30 from 30 balls, the top score of the night, sensibly compiled. Having been beaten by a couple of balls that bounced far more than he expected, he was bowled by Dan Douthewaite as he pulled above one that didn’t get up.Billings has netted and played head tennis in the Test bubble for the past few weeks, while loyally observing James Bracey take the gloves ahead of him. He has also had a couple of T20 matches for Kent, the side he captains, but all too rarely, and is due to join up with England’s T20I squad – also in Cardiff – at the weekend, where he also may not play.Billings is 30, at the peak of athletic prowess, holding admirable ambitions, and has had three innings all summer. What an appalling waste of his talents this is. There has to be a better way. This observation may have been made before.Billings’ two successive sixes over midwicket against Andrew Salter (had Kiran Carlson been on the rope, he might have intervened) represented the most dominant batting minute of the night in a match containing 22 boundaries in 38 overs. His first slog-sweep was imperfectly timed, so Salter tossed up another one, as if for practice.Labuschagne also took two intelligent wickets, having Jack Leaning caught at the wicket, cutting, and then tossing one up wide of off stump for Darren Stevens, who had timed a couple, to pick out deep cover.Labuschagne will probably be regarded, statistically, as failing in the Blast for the first time this season but actually his 22 was the second top-score in Glamorgan’s reply, outdone only by some late-order slogging by James Weighell after Milnes had ripped the heart out of their innings. But at least Aaron Ramsey, 3,000 miles away in the Baku Olympic Stadium, made the night worthwhile for the hosts.

Tottenham Hotspur’s poor start to the season got even worse on Sunday as they lost their third North London derby at home in a row for the first time since the late 1980s.

Ange Postecoglou has been able to get the Lilywhites to play exciting attacking football again after years of turgid football under the likes of José Mourinho, Nuno Espírito Santo and Antonio Conte, but the pressure is starting to mount.

However, it’s not all on him, as some of his stars, such as James Maddison, failed to perform against the Gunners over the weekend.

The Englishman was anonymous against Mikel Arteta’s men, and with a League Cup game against Coventry City tonight, he should be dropped for one of the most exciting youngsters in Spurs’ squad who might be able to offer more of a spark.

Maddison's game vs Arsenal

Postecoglou opted to start Maddison in midfield for the weekend’s clash alongside Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur.

While he didn’t make a mistake that cost his side a goal or anything like that, he was utterly ineffective, which is almost as bad for a player whom the team rely on to make things happen.

In his post-match player ratings, football.london’s Alasdair Gold awarded the Englishman a paltry 5/10 for his efforts, writing that while he had some ‘bright moments’, he ‘ultimately didn’t take a grip on the game’ and worst of all ‘was barely noticeable in the second half.’

That might sound like a harsh appraisal of the former Leicester City player’s contribution to the encounter, but it’s not, and it’s also backed up by the 27-year-old’s statistics from the match.

For example, in his 80 minutes of action, he failed to take a single shot on target or off target, misplaced seven of his 11 crosses, lost the ball 11 times and was dribbled past once.

Minutes

80′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

0

Crosses (Accurate)

11 (4)

Lost Possession

11

Dribbled Past

1

In all, Maddison was totally anonymous for most of the game and with the chance to progress in a cup competition on the line tonight, he should be dropped for a hungry youngster who could inject some much-needed dynamism into the side.

Why Lucas Bergvall should start

Yes, while there are several talented youngsters in Spurs’ squad at the moment, Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall should be the one to come into the lineup for Maddison tonight.

The 18-year-old wonderkid was signed by the North Londoners for around £8.5m in February of this year but remained in his home country to finish the season with Djurgarden before moving to England in the summer.

Now, the “exceptional talent,” as Brommapojkarna sporting director Peter Kisfaludy dubbed him, has only made three short cameo appearances for the Lilywhites’ first team so far this season, totalling 31 minutes. However, based on his form back in Sweden and the way he is spoken about by those in the know, he should be given his first competitive start for the club tonight.

For example, in just 19 games for Djurgården last season, the midfield “jewel”, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, racked up a seriously impressive tally of six goals and five assists, meaning he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.35 games.

Moreover, the “super creative midfielder”, whom data analyst Ben Mattinson claims will “cost £80m” in the near future, has already made his senior debut for Sweden and now has three caps to his name despite still being just 18 years old.

Ultimately, while it might be too early to start Bergvall in a game like the one on the weekend, he has the talent and experience behind him to play in a match like the one this evening, and after Madison’s dismal display last time out, he could be a breath of fresh air for Postecoglou and Spurs fans.

Spurs could axe Johnson by unleashing "outstanding" academy teen instead

The incredible youngster could be something quite special.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 17, 2024

Arsenal Women have their eyes on the NWSL for some January transfer business, with the Gunners' plans for incomings and outgoings this month revealed.

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Arsenal expected to do business in January windowEyeing up a potential target in the NWSLOne exit also expected from the GunnersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Women's Super League transfer window opened on January 1 and several clubs have been active already, with Everton recruiting two new faces, Tottenham landing Denmark international Olivia Holdt and Manchester City signing defender Rebecca Knaak, following a knee injury to star centre-back Alex Greenwood. Despite still being without a permanent head coach, and instead under the interim management of Renee Slegers, it appears Arsenal are keen to join that trio in adding to their squad this month.

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According to , the Gunners are looking to sign a winger this month and 'one potential target is rumoured to be ready to make the move from the NWSL', the top league in the United States. The report says that arrival is expected to be the only one at Arsenal this month, with it likely to be a 'one in, one out' window. The exit will be that of Kathrine Kuhl, the talented young Denmark midfielder who has struggled to make her mark at the club since signing in January 2023. She had a good loan spell at Everton last season and is heavily linked with a return to the Toffees, with reporting last month that the club was preparing a bid in the region of £100,000.

DID YOU KNOW?

News of another winger potentially joining the team has surprised many Arsenal fans, given the squad is already well stocked in those areas. Beth Mead, Caitlin Foord and Lina Hurtig are all natural wide players, with Mariona Caldentey also operating out there and Katie McCabe capable of doing so when needed. However, the recruitment of another player in this position would pave the way for Caldentey to be deployed more often in the central role that she has excelled in in recent outings.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

It's unclear at this moment just who the NWSL winger is that Arsenal are eyeing up, or who some of their other targets for the position could be. However, with plenty of time left in the transfer window, more details are sure to emerge in due course.

Yorkshire stumble to 165 all out after being inserted on bouncy surface

ECB Reporters' Network22-Jul-2021Gus Atkinson’s four-wicket List A debut helped Surrey make a winning start to their Royal London Cup campaign as they eased past Yorkshire by five wickets at Scarborough.Atkinson, 23, prospered with the new ball on a fast and bouncy North Marine Road pitch, claiming 4 for 43 to bowl the Vikings out for 165 in only 35 overs.Hashim Amla elected to bowl at the start of this Group B fixture, and the South African batting great later went beyond 10,000 career runs in this format with 29 to begin a successful chase. But Mark Stoneman played the match-clinching innings, an unbeaten 73 off 110 balls, having only just returned to Surrey following a four-game T20 loan spell with Yorkshire.Stoneman and co survived 4 for 57 for South African overseas quick Mat Pillans, who moved from Surrey to Yorkshire in late 2018.This fixture included eight players – four on each side – making their List A debuts.Atkinson made the initial breakthrough by bowling Will Fraine in the second over before getting George Hill caught at square leg and Jonny Tattersall caught behind as the hosts slipped to 40 for 4 in the 10th.Matthew Revis, another List A debutant, top-scored for Yorkshire with 43 off as many balls, while Gary Ballance made 39. They shared 81 inside 13 overs for the fifth wicket. But wickets fell quickly once more.The Vikings tumbled from 121 for 4 in the 22nd, losing their last six for 44 as most of the damage was done from the Trafalgar Square End.Opener Harry Duke, Hill, Ballance and Pillans were all undone by extra bounce, while Revis and Dom Bess will reflect on loose dismissals.This certainly wasn’t the way Yorkshire captain Bess would have wanted to celebrate his 24th birthday, with him skewing Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin to long-off.Hill and Pillans fell caught off top-edged pulls against Atkinson, the latter courtesy of a stunning diving catch on the run towards backward square-leg from wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Ballance fended a short ball from Conor McKerr to gully, sparking the clatter of wickets.Amla and opening partner Stoneman then steadily shared 59 inside the first 13 overs of the chase. Stoneman hit two fours and slog-swept Bess for six as 14 came off the 12th, only for Pillans to claim two wickets in three balls in the 13th. He had Amla caught at wide mid-on pulling before bowling Ben Geddes, leaving Surrey 59 for 2.That forced Stoneman back into his shell, but he shared an important 54 with Smith. Pillans then struck twice in an over again, getting Smith caught at midwicket for 25 and Ryan Patel superbly caught one-handed in the gully by Tattersall – 116 for 4 in the 29th.Bess also bowled debutant Nico Reifer for an eye-catching 26, but Surrey’s victory was secured with 10.5 overs remaining.