نجح فريق الكرة الأول بالأهلي، في تسجيل الهدف الأول أمام نظيره زد، خلال المباراة التي تجمع بينهما حالياً ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع زد، على أرضية استاد السلام، ضمن مؤجلات الجولة الثامنة من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وسجل وسام أبو علي الهدف الأول للأهلي في الدقيقة 89 من عمر المباراة، من تسديدة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | ناصر ماهر يسجل هدف الزمالك الثاني أمام الاتحاد السكندري

ويحتل الأهلي المركز العاشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 18 نقطة، فيما يتواجد فريق زد بالمركز الخامس، ولديه 24 نقطة. هدف الأهلي الأول أمام زد في الدوري المصري

Worcestershire have dropped Tom Kohler-Cadmore after he told them he planned to join Yorkshire at the end of the season. ESPNcricinfo understands that Kohler-Cadmore, who is out of contract at the end of the current season, has been omitted from the side to play Sussex in a Championship match starting on Friday.It currently remains unclear whether he will be included in the Worcestershire side scheduled to play in the semi-final of the Royal London Cup on June 17 – Worcestershire’s first semi-final appearance in any competition in 13 years – or any other games this season. It is understood that neither Yorkshire nor Kohler-Cadmore have made any request (or have any expectation) that he will be released early from his contract.Kohler-Cadmore is an important player for Worcestershire. Having come through the club’s academy – he was educated from sixth-form level at nearby Malvern College – he has developed into a clean-hitting batsman who scored the fastest century of the English domestic season, off 43 balls, in 2016. Aged just 22, he was a big part of Worcestershire’s plans for the future and the decision to drop him may well be a manifestation of the bitter disappointment Steve Rhodes, the director of cricket, feels at losing a player in whom he had invested such faith and time.Until going to Malvern, however, Kohler-Cadmore had developed through the Yorkshire system. And it seems the lure of home – and playing with those he grew-up with – has had a strong influence. He had been of interest to several other clubs, including Warwickshire, while Worcestershire are understood to have offered him a new deal. There is no suggestion that Yorkshire’s approach was anything other than appropriate: they gave Worcestershire notice of a 28-day approach several weeks ago and have progressed the deal by the book.It may also be relevant that Yorkshire are likely to be one of the host grounds in the new-team T20 competition. As a highly promising white-ball player, Kohler-Cadmore is likely to have one eye on ensuring he is among the lucky few picked to play in an event that may well prove to be lucrative and well-publicised. He might argue that moving to a higher-profile club and rubbing shoulders with more high-profile players might be of benefit. It is understood he informed Worcestershire of his intentions early to help them plan and recruit a replacement if necessary.Worcestershire finished top of the North Group in the Royal London Cup with Kohler-Cadmore making their only century of the campaign to date – a potentially deal-securing innings of 118 against Yorkshire. They have also won all four of their Championship matches this season, with Kohler-Cadmore averaging 48.40 in the campaign to date.

Their bowling remains as strong and varied as ever, but their batsmen have been struggling to cope with the demands of modern-day limited-overs cricket

Umar Farooq30-May-20171:20

Babar Azam – The new face of Pakistan’s batting

Overview

Pakistan cricket has always been associated with great symbols – their unpredictability, and boldness to unleash young surprise packages to name a couple. Now, however, those associations seem more diluted. There are more challenges than ever before with the team fluctuating around the bottom three spots in the ICC ODI rankings. They were on the verge of losing a berth in the Champions Trophy and barely managed to qualify.Squad

Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Wahab Riaz

Pakistan have won all the major titles – World Cup, World T20, Asia Cup – but the Champions Trophy crown has eluded them. The closest they came was in 2009 when a crucial catch dropped by Younis Khan halted their progress into the final. Pakistan’s record in the 2013 edition was rather modest – knocked out losing all three games, and losing to India meant they lost their unbeaten record in the tournament against India.Pakistan are slotted in the same group as arch-rivals India, Sri Lanka and South Africa, the only Full Member they beat in the 2015 World Cup. They have already had to do away with one captain [Azhar Ali] and they go into the Champions Trophy ranked No. 8 but the next couple of weeks present them a rare opportunity. The young players coming into the squad – legspinner Shadab Khan, fast bowler Hasan Ali – and even Sarfraz Ahmed, the newly appointed captain will, once and for all, know if they can cut it with the best in the world.

Champions Trophy history

1998 – first-round exit
2000 – semi-final lost
2002- first-round exit
2004 – semi-final lost
2006 – first-round exit
2009 – semi-final lost
2013 – first-round exit

Form guide

Pakistan beat WestIndies 2-1 in their most recent ODI series, a tournament that was played with the added pressure of getting a rankings boost ahead of the September 30 deadline for direct qualification into the 2019 World Cup. Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam made match-winning hundreds and Mohammad Hafeez was the highest run-getter in the series with 201 runs at an average of 67.

Strength

“The return of my swing will make a huge difference in conditions like England,” Mohammad Amir said. Amir will lead the bowling attack, which remains the team’s biggest strength. The 18-year old legspinner Shadab had a fantastic introduction to T20Is, picking up 10 wickets in four games, and has been backed to replicate that performance in 50-overs as well. Pakistan will also look for impactful performances from Junaid Khan, who made his ODI comeback against Australia earlier this year, and Wahab Riaz, with his sheer pace.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Weakness

Pakistan’s limited-overs batting has been strewn with unbelievable collapses. To add to that, concerns regarding the strike-rates of their batsmen have also risen and cost them games recently. The team appears to be struggling to adapt to the pace of one-day cricket, where power-hitting has become a major aspect. In the period between 2012 and 2015, Pakistan’s scoring rate in the first 10 overs hovered close to the 4.5 runs per over mark, only gradually improving over the last two seasons and climbing to over 5. Their scoring rate in the last 10 overs has also shown similar improvement after a period of prolonged struggle. They have already lost their best power-hitter, Sharjeel Khan, in the wake of the PSL corruption case, while Umar Akmal was removed from the squad after failing a fitness test. With the batting unit lacking in firepower, their bowlers will be under a significant amount of pressure.

Key stats

Malik is set to feature in his sixth Champions Trophy tournament, the most among current players. He made his tournament debut in 2002, and since then has played all editions of the tournament. He has scored 326 runs and taken 10 wickets in 15 Champions Trophy games. The last time a Pakistan batsman scored a century in the Champions Trophy was in 2009 when Malik made 128 against India in Centurion. Saeed Anwar, who struck two of them in Nairobi in 2000, is the only other batsman from Pakistan to have scored a century in the tournament. Among the current Pakistan bowlers, Junaid Khan has dismissed Virat Kohli the most in ODIs – three times, all during the 2012-13 series.

At this stage of the year, there seems to be more interest in transfers than there is in actual football. Indeed, it seems some fans would rather ‘win the transfer market’ than actually win a genuine bit of silverware.With that being the case, one of the undisputed kings of the summer window is Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano who has built up a reputation for breaking many of the best transfer stories over the last few seasons. In an interesting twist on things, however, instead of focusing on his transfer reporting as usual, supporters have been able to actually critique his footballing ability thanks to some recent footage that was shared online.

Can Fabrizio Romano play football?

Twitter user JD Football posted a short clip on social media of the transfer guru playing a game of football in the dead of night after a hard day’s work.

The video included a caption saying: “Football game after transfer news day at 2am… Here we go!”

In the clip, Romano showed that he wasn’t too bad with the ball at his feet either. Indeed, in one instance, he rolls the ball past his defender before curling in a fine shot with the outside of his foot to score. While in another brief highlight, he controls the ball superbly before flicking it in on the bounce to score again.

Romano saw the video shared online and took to Twitter to simply reply with the eyes emoji.

Fans had some fun with the footage too, sharing their own reactions to the surprising highlights package of the Italian journalist.

Which team does Fabrizio Romano support?

It might be a bit of a surprise to see that Romano is actually any good at football. After all, he once told Bleacher Report that he prefers transfers to actual games of football.

Indeed, he explained: “I feel excited when I get a big story. For me, it’s like scoring an important goal in a big match. I remember when Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United; that was a good one for me. When you put in so much on one story, and I get the news it has finally happened, I feel excited.

“People ask me which team I support, but it is not about that. I am excited because of the way the signing will make people feel.”

He added: “I prefer the transfer window to the actual football matches! Of course I love games, but there is an excitement about working on the market and how things can change so quickly.”

According to SportsKeeda, Romano is a fan of Championship outfit Watford and has been since 2013 after witnessing their remarkable comeback against Leicester City in the Championship playoffs – you remember, the one where Manuel Almunia saved the penalty and then Troy Deeney immediately scored on the counter.

Supposedly from that moment on, the Hornets – who have an Italian connection as they are owned by the Pozzo family who also own Udinese – became the club for Romano and he even chooses them when playing FIFA career mode and Football Manager.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDane van Niekerk bagged her third four-for in four matches•ICC/Getty

South Africa’s bowlers continued their red-hot form to book a semi-final berth after 17 years in the 50-over World Cup, with a resounding eight-wicket win in Taunton, and were helped by victories from Australia and England, who made it to the knockouts too. Shabnim Ismail’s speedy 3 for 14 and Dane van Niekerk’s 4 for 24 – her third four-for in four matches – bowled out a dispirited Sri Lanka for 101. The win took South Africa’s points tally to nine and since India and New Zealand lost their respective matches, the fixture between them on July 15 will decide the fourth semi-finalist.The match slipped out of Sri Lanka’s hands as soon as their captain Inoka Ranaweera opted to bat on an overcast morning and a pitch with a decent grass cover. Her counterpart, van Niekerk, was happy to bowl and her opening bowlers showed why. Ismail bowled quick in the corridor, beating the outside edge often and built up good rhythm with partner Marizanne Kapp, who swung the ball to trouble the left-handed top order. Kapp struck with her first ball by trapping the big-hitting Chamari Atapattu for 1 with a slow and low full-toss in front of middle and leg stump. Shabnim’s first spell lasted only four overs, but in that time, she beat Hasini Perera for pace, resulting in a mis-timed pull, and created a few chances in the gully region with a probing line and consistent pace.Nearly three chances were created in the seventh over when Prasadini Weerakkody and Chamari Polgampola poked outside off and the ball went wide of or fell short of the gully fielder. Masabata Klaas’ straight and accurate lines meant Sri Lanka had barely any opportunities except when Ayabonga Khaka bowled a few wayward lines. The third-wicket partnership resisted but yielded not more than 43 runs as van Niekerk’s legbreaks accounted for Weerakkody and Polgampola in the 20th over when they top-edged off miscued sweep shots, reducing Sri Lanka to 49 for 4. Polgampola was caught by the keeper, Trisha Chetty, and the dismissal took her to the top of the women’s wicketkeeping charts in ODIs.Even though there were some patches on either side of the pitch to exploit for the spinners, it was van Niekerk’s persistent flight above the eyeline that tied down Sri Lanka’s scoring with three maidens.Sri Lanka produced another brief period of resistance in the form of Dilani Manodara’s 49-ball 25, after Shashikala Siriwardene dispatched the juiciest of full-tosses to deep midwicket for 9. Manodara stretched the score till 86 but South Africa’s disciplined lines and regular bowling changes negated any chance to flourish. Van Niekerk returned to bag two more wickets – of Harshitha Madavi and Sripali Weerakkody – before Ismail’s pace accounted for the last two wickets. Sri Lanka lasted only 40.3 overs.South Africa were troubled only initially in the chase. The hard-hitting Lizelle Lee edged to the wicketkeeper for a duck in the first over and No. 3 Chetty played across the line to Ranaweera’s left-arm spin as the Sri Lanka bowlers tightened their lines after the first four overs. Eighteen-year-old Laura Wolvaardt, the other opener, and the experienced Mignon du Preez saw them through till the lunch break, which was taken after seven overs, making Sri Lanka’s hopes linger for a little longer.Wolvaardt and du Preez were hardly troubled once they returned, barely taking the aerial route but sweeping to good effect to keep the score ticking. While du Preez used her experience and composure, Wolvaardt displayed attractive strokeplay with her high elbow to drive the ball elegantly.Opening bowler Sripali Weerakkody put down a tough return catch from du Preez, who was on 34, and injured her left shoulder. Even if she had taken the catch, it wouldn’t have helped Sri Lanka too much: Sout Africa were only 16 away at the time and took less than three overs after that to bag two more points.

Glasgow Rangers have made seven summer signings under Michael Beale, however, the summer overhaul could now see a few players departing the Ibrox side during the transfer window and Glen Kamara appears to be attracting interest.

Will Glen Kamara be a Rangers' player next season?

Transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that “it does look like he will finally leave” amid the growing interest in Kamara from teams such as Southampton, Sheffield United, Stade Rennais and OGC Nice.

With the Gers reportedly slapping a £5m price tag on him ahead of any potential departure, according to Christopher Jack of The Herald, Beale stands to make millions on the midfielder who arrived at the Light Blues for a fee of just £50k back in January 2019, turning an impressive profit on the player.

According to Turkish outlet Sozcu, Besiktas are in the chase for the 27-year-old midfielder and the report claims that Kamara has asked to travel to Istanbul in order to thrash out a deal with the club.

Judging by the sheer volume of clubs who are interested in him, it certainly appears that he will finally depart the Gers after four and a half seasons at Ibrox.

What happened to Glen Kamara at Rangers?

The former Arsenal youngster was seen as one of Steven Gerrard’s finest signings when he arrived for the aforementioned £50k four and a half years ago from Dundee, adding some steel into the midfield at a bargain price.

After 18 months of bedding into the side, he became a key member of the team that went on to secure the 2020/21 Premiership title in record-breaking fashion, going the entire season unbeaten and conceding just 13 goals in 38 matches.

Although Kamara was impressive domestically, he took his game to the next level when appearing in Europe, and during the 2021/22 campaign, he was excellent in the stunning run to the Europa League final, ranking in the top ten across the squad for accurate passes per game, interceptions per game and key passes per game.

His form was already slipping domestically towards the end of that season, however, with Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie having dubbed him as “terrible” and he struggled again during 2022/23.

He made just 11 Premiership starts all season, falling out of favour with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and then the returning Beale, whilst his Champions League performances were a major disappointment given how solid he had been on the road to Seville.

Kamara was the worst player in the squad in Europe’s premier club competition with regard to overall Sofascore rating (5.9) and also ranked 15th for accurate passes per game, seventh for interceptions per game and key passes per game, clearly proving he was out of his depth at this level.

The £21k-per-week liability must now make the move away from Ibrox in order to get a fresh start to his career elsewhere. The talent is certainly there, displaying it across his first three years at the club, however, he doesn’t quite fit Beale’s tactical system.

Generating £5m for the midfielder would allow Beale to pursue other targets and significantly boost his squad for the challenges ahead next term.

Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid for Flamengo's Matheus Franca, with Todd Boehly willing to pay the €25m (£21m) needed to secure the forward's signature, according to a recent report from Globo Esporte.

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

A new attacking midfielder is on the agenda for Mauricio Pochettino, with Lyon's Rayan Cherki currently being pursued, and transfer expert Graeme Bailey has claimed that members of the scouting team are "really pushing" for the 19-year-old.

Fabrizio Romano has recently reported that Franca has been followed by the Blues for quite some time, while also suggesting the player himself would be very open to the move, saying: "Matheus Franca is really appreciated. He is a player that they have been following for a long time.

"I can mention that the player will be really excited about the possibility of joining Chelsea."

Now, it appears as though the Brazilian could be presented with an opportunity to move to Stamford Bridge, as according to Globe Esporte (via Sport Witness), Chelsea have now submitted an opening bid.

The Blues are not the only Premier League club to have tabled an offer for the 19-year-old, however, as Flamengo club director Bruno Spindel has confirmed that Crystal Palace have also came forward with a proposal.

It is not clear how much Chelsea have put on the table for the youngster, but it is detailed that Flamengo want €25m (£21m) to sanction his departure, and Boehly is willing to match that asking price.

One potential disadvantage the west Londoners may have in the race for the starlet is that they plan to loan him out to Strasbourg immediately, while Palace are keen to use him straight away, which could attract him to Selhurst Park.

Who is Matheus Franca?

The Rio de Janeiro-born maestro mainly plays in an advanced midfield role, but he is also very much capable of playing on both wings and at striker, so he would be a versatile option for Pochettino.

One of the forward's key strengths is his dribbling ability, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level, while also placing in the 96th percentile for progressive carries over that timeframe.

Lauded as "highly talented" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Flamengo star has already recorded 54 first-team appearances for the Brazilian Serie A side, despite being just 19-years-old, during which time he has found the back of the net nine times.

That said, the attacker is, as yet, unproven outside of Brazil, and it would be a risk to put him straight into the first team, so it is probably a wise move to send him out on loan to Strasbourg.

Ideally, Franca would agree to move to the Ligue 1 side on loan and develop his game further, but it would not be a surprise if he wants to play Premier League football immediately, and ends up being attracted by a move to Crystal Palace.

يلتقي فريق الأهلي لكرة الطائرة “رجال”، مساء اليوم الأحد، مع الشرطة الرواندي، ضمن منافسات بطولة إفريقيا للأندية أبطال الدوري.

ويلعب الأهلي ضد الشرطة الرواندي، في ربع النهائي من بطولة إفريقيا للأندية المقامة في مصر على صالات القلعة الحمراء.

وكان الأهلي تأهل إلي دور ربع النهائي من بطولة إفريقيا لكرة الطائرة بعد الفوز على إسبوار الكونغولي 3/0، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في دور الـ16 من منافسات البطولة مساء أمس السبت.

ويستضيف الأهلي منافسات البطولة الإفريقية على صالتي الأمير عبد الله الفيصل والشهداء بمقر الجزيرة، خلال الفترة من 12 إلى 24 أبريل الجاري.

طالع | الأهلي يفوز على إسبوار الكونغولي ويتأهل إلى دور الـ8 من بطولة إفريقيا لكرة الطائرة موعد مباراة الأهلي والشرطة الرواندي اليوم في ربع نهائي بطولة إفريقيا لكرة الطائرة

تقام مباراة الأهلي والشرطة الرواندي مساء اليوم الأحد الموافق 21 أبريل، في ربع نهائي بطولة إفريقيا للأندية أبطال الدوري في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 9 بتوقيت السعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والشرطة الرواندي اليوم في بطولة إفريقيا لكرة الطائرة

تذاع المباراة عبر شاشة “أون تايم سبورتس 1” بتعليق عزب الشوربجي بالإضافة إلي قناة النادي الأهلي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

Liverpool are "actively working" on bringing Romeo Lavia to Anfield despite there being "nothing advanced" between the Reds and Southampton at present, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Lavia joining Liverpool?

Jurgen Klopp has barely had a moment to catch his breath this summer. Alongside sporting director and compatriot Jorg Schmadtke, the Reds boss has been busy in the transfer window already and his hectic schedule shows no signs of slowing down as the beginning of the season edges closer.

Liverpool have already signed Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai having lost Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Roberto Firmino on free transfers.

The Reds have also been busy finalising loan deals for a number of the club's young prospects including Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Calvin Ramsay.

But Klopp has already made it clear that he is far from done in the market as his squad still looks some way from being able to rediscover the blistering form exhibited in previous seasons.

With Jordan Henderson having all but left for Al Ettifaq and Fabinho potentially on his way to Saudi Arabia too, Klopp will need to bolster his midfield even further in the transfer window.

Therefore, Liverpool's interest in Romeo Lavia could materialise into a transfer this summer, with the 19-year-old Southampton midfielder destined for a return to the Premier League off the back of a wonderful season on the south coast.

According to transfer expert Romano, Liverpool are still working on a deal to bring the Belgian to Anfield but there are is nothing concrete in place between the Reds and Southampton.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Mentioning Liverpool, let me say again that nothing is advanced in terms of bids and club to club negotiation, but Liverpool keep working on Romeo Lavia deal.

"Liverpool are keeping contacts with his agent, are still discussing to understand the final price tag. Southampton always wanted around £50m but Liverpool are still hoping for a different fee at the end of the story. So, Liverpool are still there for Romeo Lavia. He's not the only target but for sure he's a target and is a concrete one."

He added: "Liverpool actively working on that on player side. Let's see what happens on that one."

Links with Lavia had gone somewhat quiet in recent days but this will come as positive news to Liverpool fans hopeful of securing the teenager's signature this summer.

Lavia would be an obvious replacement for Fabinho should he leave the club and at 19-years-old could be a starter for the Reds for years and years to come, but Klopp may have to fend off interest from Chelsea and Arsenal to land his target.

How good is Lavia?

Lavia made 29 Premier League appearances for Southampton last season following his arrival from Manchester City and continually shone in an often pitiful Saints side.

A defensive midfielder with a great reading of the game, Lavia averaged 2.43 tackles, 1.9 blocks and 1.34 interceptions per 90 minutes in the league last season, despite often being left woefully exposed by those around him.

At times he was required to be one-man midfield and performed admirably in such a role, especially given it was his debut season in the Premier League, and the one-cap international averaged a 6.8 Sofascore rating last campaign.

At 19-years-old he may not be ready to start 40+ games for Liverpool next season, which is one dilemma Klopp faces if he brings the inexperienced prodigy to Merseyside, but his potential makes him a tantalising prospect at a relatively low price point.

The hosts have the weight of expectation on them, but also a batting line-up that has been in sensational form

The Preview by Shashank Kishore17-Jul-2017Match facts Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Start time 1030 local (0930 GMT)1:20

Can South Africa’s attack lead the underdogs to the final?

Big pictureFour years ago, the possibility of England playing South Africa in a semi-final would’ve been scoffed at. But South Africa are here, and that is thanks to their consistent bowling performances and the format itself – seven straight games for each team to leave an imprint.Dane van Niekerk and her team-mates have played a brand of cricket that has been reminiscent of West Indies in 2013, injecting fresh flavour into the tournament, celebrating every win with gusto. South Africa took the qualifier route to get here and the benefit of having a settled team – they’ve been playing together since February – has been apparent. By the time they landed in England, every player knew exactly what was expected of her.England, meanwhile, are in a cocoon outside of training sessions and media commitments. They have even made efforts to log off social media distractions. Heather Knight and her team have the weight of expectation on them, because they are favourites, a well-earned tag after their six clinical and successive victories since losing the opening game to India.The batsmen have been especially dominant. Concerns over Sarah Taylor’s form, after she took much of 2016 out to deal with anxiety issues, were emphatically brushed aside when these two teams had met in the group stages. The England wicketkeeper struck a regal 147 off 104 balls with no less than 24 fours. Natalie Sciver, amid scoring tons of runs, has also introduced the ‘Natmeg’ – a flick between the legs to yorker-length deliveries. And opener Tammy Beaumont is the tournament’s leading run-getter with 372 of them.But if there’s one attack that’s capable of stopping England’s juggernaut, it’s South Africa’s. In Marizanne Kapp and van Niekerk, they have two bowlers who have combined to take 27 wickets, much more than the cream of England’s attack. On form, this is, therefore, a clash of equals, although the pressure of being hosts could weigh on England’s mind.Form guideEngland WWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)
South AfricaLWWLWIn the spotlightAt her menacing best, Anya Shrubsole can be a threat on any surface. In this tournament, however, wickets have been a struggle for England’s vice-captain. Five in seven games is a reflection of how batsmen have taken note of her threat and negated it by looking to play her out. She will, however, have fond memories of the last semi-final against South Africa, at the World T20 in 2014, when she took 2 for 12 in an incisive opening burst to seal the game.Her contributions haven’t attracted the same attention, but it’s a direct acknowledgement of how tidy Trisha Chetty has been behind the stumps. Against Sri Lanka last week, she rose to the top of the list for most dismissals (134) by a wicketkeeper in Women’s ODIs. With 97 ODIs under her belt, she’d want to get as close to that milestone of 100 right here at the Women’s World Cup.Team newsLauren Winfield’s form at the top is a concern, but, barring injuries, England are unlikely to make too many changes for a knockout game. England: (possible) 1 Lauren Winfield, 2 Tammy Beaumont, 3 Sarah Taylor (wk), 4 Heather Knight (capt), 5 Natalie Sciver, 6 Fran Wilson, 7 Katherine Brunt, 8 Jenny Gunn, 9 Laura Marsh, 10 Anya Shrubsole, 11 Alex HartleySouth Africa are likely to bring back Chloe Tryon, a big-hitter who can also bowl seam up. Her services were missed in the loss to Australia. As such medium-pacer Masabata Klaas could find herself out. South Africa: (possible) 1 Laura Wolvaardt, 2 Lizelle Lee, 3 Trisha Chetty (wk), 4 Mignon du Preez, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Sune Luus, 7 Dane van Niekerk (capt), 8 Chloe Tryon, 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Moseline DanielsPitch and conditionsThe league game between these two sides in Bristol produced 678 runs. This is a televised game, a semi-final at that, and the ICC, over the years, have focused on making such games more marketable. So expect a good bating surface.Stats and trivia Four England players have scored 250 runs or more in this tournament. It is the most among all teams – Beaumont (372), Heather Knight (333), Sciver (315), Taylor (297). South Africa’s only semi-final appearance came 17 years ago. They lost to Australia by nine wickets then England have won 26 out of the 34 meetings between the two sides.Quotes”I came into the World Cup thinking I had the best opening attack in the world, at the moment I am starting to believe I have the best bowling attack.”
“We prepared a little bit differently, there was a different vibe around the group. A few people did things they wouldn’t usually do on cricket, field, but that’s international cricket. And I think we have learnt a lot from that. We’ve done a lot of work on how we deal with that pressure, we’ve made it normal to feel pressure. And that kind of open honesty helps ”