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Birmingham City will be looking to press on this summer with even more exciting signings joining the St Andrew’s camp.

Chris Davies has recently stated that this is the intention when speaking to Birmingham Live, with seven brand new faces entering the club already not quite enough, as he insists that this newly promoted side needs ‘all the quality we can get’ to hit the ground running in the Championship.

Another striker addition might now be deemed a priority, with a report by Football League World revealing that Alfie May is set to leave Davies and Co. behind for a fresh League One challenge at Huddersfield Town.

This would be a big blow that the Blues would have to address, considering how many times last campaign the experienced centre-forward came up clutch for his promotion-chasing outfit with crucial goals.

Why losing May is a blow for Birmingham

Of course, around £10m has just been splashed out to land Kyogo Furuhashi as a thrilling capture up top, but May regularly proved during the Blues’ promotion heroics his vital nature from off the bench, which could well have been an effective calling card up a league too.

From just 27 starts last season in league action, May rifled home a mightily impressive 16 strikes, with Jay Stansfield the only other venomous attacker in Davies’ ranks that managed to hit double digits.

However, whilst the 32-year-old is a well-known beast at the testing level – with 89 goals and counting in the third tier – he has never once set foot in the Championship, with the EFL veteran’s legs perhaps not well suited to such a demanding step-up.

This is where an earlier £10m striker target on the Birmingham shopping list could come to the rescue and be a dream replacement for the departing May, with the target in question even tasting promotion up to the Premier League just last season, whilst Davies’ men soared to the top of League One.

Birmingham's "dynamite" May replacement

Whilst there will be some sorrow regarding May’s exit when looking at his starring role in that promotion story, the second tier is an unforgiving terrain which will have factored into Birmingham’s somewhat cut-throat decision-making.

May’s exit would soon be forgotten about if the Blues did fork out £10m to land Leeds United reserve striker Mateo Joseph, with reports back in June stating that the triumphant League One champions were keen on winning the services of the Spanish hotshot, as interest now emerges from Joseph’s native country in the form of Real Betis.

Games played

39

Games started

11

Minutes per game

33 mins

Goals scored

3

Assists

3

The standout numbers from the table above really do hammer home why Joseph would be an ideal replacement for the soon-to-be Terriers attacker, with the 21-year-old offering the same amount of firepower from off the bench last season in the Championship that May offered in spades back at St. Andrew’s, as seen in his blistering six goal contributions from a meagre 11 starts.

With a further four strikes next to his name for the Whites, which included a breakneck brace finding the back of the net against Chelsea last year, he might just be capable of turning up that goalscoring notch even more if he’s given regular first-team minutes in the West Midlands.

The “dynamite” attacker – as he’s been labelled in the past by U23 scout Antonio Mango – would give Davies the best possible selection headache subsequently, with his Leeds manager in Daniel Farke, also going out of his way to shower the up-and-coming striker with praise when hailing his link-up play as “excellent.”

In an ideal world, Birmingham might have kept May around for the long run as he then finally made a name for himself in the EFL’s elite setting.

Yet, the one-season hero is now closing in on a £1.2m move to Huddersfield, meaning Joseph could be just what Birmingham desire to get over May’s exit swiftly and improve their overall squad.

Birmingham City want to sign "outstanding" former Champions League winner

Birmingham City are among the teams interested in signing a former Liverpool star.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jul 16, 2025

Liverpool recently completed what may end up being the biggest transfer of the summer when they confirmed the signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Reds have smashed the British transfer record to sign the Germany international in a deal that is worth up to £116.5m, moving above the transfer that took Moises Caicedo from Brighton to Chelsea.

Liverpool, as shown in the graphic above, had never touched the £100m mark for a transfer fee for a player, which shows how much faith they have that Wirtz will be a hugely influential star for the club.

The attacking midfielder is the second signing to come in from Bayer Leverkusen this summer, after Jeremie Frimpong, and the first addition from the Bundesliga has had some very kind words to say about his new, yet old, teammate.

Liverpool’s Dutch full-back described the German star as a “very, very, very special player”, and Reds supporters should be excited by the prospect of watching him play next season.

Why Florian Wirtz is a big signing for Liverpool

The 22-year-old attacker’s form in the Bundesliga in the last two seasons suggests that he has the potential to be a difference-maker for the Premier League champions on a regular basis.

He is a number ten who has the ability to consistently deliver both goals and assists at the top end of the pitch, which means that he could be a joy to watch in the final third.

Wirtz ended the 2024/25 season with a return of 16 goals and 14 assists in 45 matches in all competitions, after a haul of 18 goals and 19 assists in 49 appearances for Leverkusen in the previous campaign.

This means that the Germany international has plundered 34 goals and 33 assists in all competitions in the past two seasons, which shows that he offers a constant threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position.

24/25 UCL	Wirtz per 90	Percentile rank vs att. mids & wingers
Non-penalty goals	0.59	Top 6%
Expected Assisted Goals	0.20	Top 20%
npxG + xAG	0.60	Top 18%
Shot-creating actions	5.10	Top 11%
Progressive passes	6.28	Top 8%
Passes made	55.26	Top 6%
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Wirtz was impressive in the Champions League this season, ranking highly among his positional peers as both a scorer and a creator of goals, which shows that he can perform at the very top level.

Therefore, the £116.5m-rated star could be a big signing as an attacking star who has proven himself in Germany, and they could be about to repeat that move already.

Liverpool eyeing Bundesliga striker

According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool are interested in a deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward Hugo Ekitike in the summer transfer window.

The reporter claims that the Premier League champions are ‘seriously’ eyeing up a move for the France U21 international, as they look at possible replacements for Darwin Nunez.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Plettenberg reports that Napoli are in talks with Liverpool over a deal to sign the Uruguay international, and that the Reds would not stand in his way if he wants to move to the Serie A champions this summer.

The journalist adds that the Reds believe that they have a “good chance” to sign Ekitike as a possible replacement for Nunez, despite facing competition from both Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for his services.

Eintracht Frankfurt reportedly value the young number nine at a whopping £85m, as they look to keep hold of their star man, and it remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool are willing to go that high for him.

Why Liverpool should sign Hugo Ekitike

The Premier League giants should swoop to sign the French striker from the German club before the end of the window, particularly if Nunez moves on from Anfield, because he could be a Wirtz repeat.

As aforementioned, Liverpool have landed a Bundesliga star who could be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis by signing the Germany international.

Ekitike would arrive on Merseyside as a very similar signing, as a Bundesliga striker who has the potential to make a big impact in the final third next season.

The former Paris Saint-Germain talent ended the 2024/25 campaign with a return of 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions for Frankfurt, which meant that he registered four more goal contributions than Wirtz did for Leverkusen.

Ekitike’s performances in the Bundesliga, specifically, suggest that he has the quality to come through the door as a significant upgrade on Nunez, should he complete a transfer to Napoli in the coming weeks.

24/25 season	Ekitike (Bundesliga)	Nunez (Premier League)
Appearances	33	30
Goals	15	5
Minutes per goal	172	227
Big chances created	12	3
Key passes per game	1.3	0.5
Assists	8	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the French talent could offer a bigger threat in front of goal as both a scorer and a creator for Liverpool, based off their respective form in the 2024/25 season.

The Frankfurt star, who was once described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, also still has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and improve even further, at the age of 23.

Like Wirtz, the young forward could be a staple of Arne Slot’s attack for many years to come. They are both forwards who have proven that they can deliver quality in the here and now, whilst they also both have the potential to get even better in the future.

He'd be unplayable with Gordon: Liverpool submit bid to sign £64m forward

Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker this summer.

1

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 24, 2025

It is now down to the club to agree a deal with Frankfurt to bring the promising young centre-forward to Anfield to combine with Wirtz in the final third next season.

Liverpool are set to be in the market to add a new central defender to their squad after adding Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez to the group.

Wirtz and Frimpong have already been confirmed as new signings, both joining from Bayer Leverkusen, whilst Kerkez is reportedly on the verge of a move to Anfield.

The Premier League champions will then need to find another centre-back to compete for a place in the team, because Jarell Quansah is set to move on from Merseyside.

Fabrizio Romano has reported that Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal worth an initial £30m to sign the England U21 international from the Reds this summer.

Quansah was the third centre-back for Arne Slot during the 2024/25 campaign, behind Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which means that the club will need to find another player to fill that slot.

Liverpool have already missed out on one centre-back they were reportedly interested in, though, as Real Madrid snapped up Dean Huijsen earlier this summer.

Why missing out on Dean Huijsen was a blow for Liverpool

It was reported in May that Liverpool were preparing to make a bid to sign the Spain international from Bournemouth, but Real Madrid swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £50m.

Missing out on a deal for the 20-year-old defender was a blow for the Reds because he is a proven Premier League performer who could have hit the ground running at Anfield, having already showcased his quality in the division for the Cherries.

Huijsen started 26 of his 32 appearances for Bournemouth in the top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, and his performances were impressive enough to earn a £50m transfer to the Bernabeu.

Progressive passes

4.89

Top 15%

Progressive carries

1.52

Top 9%

Interceptions

1.89

Top 4%

Blocks

1.48

Top 31%

Clearances

7.34

Top 4%

Aerial duels won

2.52

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish titan combined progressive play in possession with solid defensive work, as shown by how highly he ranked against his positional peers.

This further emphasises how much of a blow it was to miss out on the young centre-back, as he could have been a standout performer for Liverpool if he could carry that form over to Anfield.

The Reds could, however, land an even bigger talent than Huijsen as they are now eyeing up a very talented teenage central defender as a potential signing.

Liverpool eyeing up Ajax star

According to the Athletic, the Premier League champions are mainly interested in a deal to sign Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi to replace Quansah before the end of the summer transfer window.

However, the report claims that the Reds will only press ahead with a move for the England international if the Eagles, who won the FA Cup this season, quote a reasonable asking price for him.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Athletic, therefore, adds that Liverpool are looking at alternative options to Guehi, and Ajax central defender Jorrel Hato has emerged as a target for the club.

It was previously reported by FootballTransfers that Ajax value the centre-back at a fee of around £43m, and that fellow Premier League side Arsenal are also keen on the Dutchman.

Slot should, now, push for Liverpool to secure a deal to sign Hato this summer because he is an even bigger centre-back talent than both Guehi and Huijsen.

Why Hato is a bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen

The 19-year-old star’s progress with Ajax at an incredibly young age suggests that he has huge potential and could go on to be a top centre-back in the future.

Hato, despite not turning 20 until March 2026, has played a staggering 111 first-team matches for the Dutch giants. Huijsen, for reference, has only played 53 career games at the age of 20, whilst Guehi had played just 26 matches by the age of 19, and 71 games by the age of 20.

This suggests that the Dutch starlet is a bigger talent at his age than Huijsen and Guehi were, because he played more than twice as many games as the Spaniard and over four times as many matches as the Englishman at the same age.

Hato has also captained Ajax several times, at the ages of just 17 and 18, which suggests that he can bring leadership qualities at a very young age, just as Guehi, who is Palace’s captain, can.

Appearances

31

34

Goals

2

3

Assists

6

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

2.6

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

Ground duel success rate

51%

63%

Aerial duel success rate

55%

54%

As you can see in the table above, the 19-year-old starlet also matched up well against Guehi at league level this season, despite being five years younger than the Eagles star, as he won a higher percentage of his ground duels and was dribbled past less frequently.

Hato, who was hailed as “immense” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also provides positional flexibility, as he has played 70 games or more as both a centre-back and a left-back.

Whereas Guehi has never played more than two matches away from a centre-back role, and Huijsen has never played any other position other than centre-back in his career.

This means that the Ajax titan would offer far more versatility to Slot, due to his ability to play at left-back, as well as the defensive and leadership qualities that he can offer.

He'd be unplayable with Gordon: Liverpool submit bid to sign £64m forward

Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 24, 2025

Overall, Liverpool could land an even bigger talent than Guehi and Huijsen because of what Hato has already achieved in his career at such a young age, and the quality that he can provide in the here and now.

A £90,000-a-week player has told Manchester United that he will join the club this summer no matter what happens in the Europa League final, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Amorim: Winning the Europa League will not solve United's problems

The Red Devils have a chance to bring some joy and achievement to their supporters on Wednesday after what has been a terrible campaign, as they face Tottenham in the Europa League final. Not only does this represent a chance for United to play European football next season, but it will also be Ruben Amorim’s first trophy as United boss, not even 12 months into his United career.

Man Utd now lead Man City in race to sign "world-class" £50m+ midfielder

United have now moved ahead in the race to sign a new midfielder this summer.

1 ByBrett Worthington May 21, 2025

It is a very important game for United for multiple reasons, but Amorim believes winning the Europa League will not solve all of the club’s problems: “It’s strange because you have some coaches here that lose some games, and they are sacked… it’s hard to explain.

“I think people see what we are trying to do. I think that people see that sometimes I’m thinking more about the club than myself.

“People understand, especially the board, that we have a lot of issues that, in the context, is really hard. There are a lot of things we need to change.

“They way we do everything during the week at Carrington, the recruitment, the academy. It is hard to point to one thing, and it will not be solved by winning the cup.”

Cunha tells Man Utd he'd join regardless of Europa League outcome

As the Red Devils prepare for the Europa League final, they have already received a transfer boost regardless of the outcome. According to Fabrizio Romano, Matheus Cunha will join Man United whether qualify for the Champions League or not.

The Brazil international wants the move to Old Trafford, and the deal is expected to be confirmed fairly soon.

On Monday, Romano reported that Cunha had agreed to the project on offer at United and had also nearly finalised personal terms. It’s also been reported by Sky Sports that Cunha, who earns £90,000 a week at Molineux, is set to join the Red Devils once the Premier League ends this weekend, with United expected to trigger Cunha’s £62.5 million release clause.

Apps

81

Goals

29

Assists

13

Cunha’s arrival at Old Trafford is a big boost for Amorim heading into next season, as the Brazilian will no doubt improve United’s attacking options, and he appears to be the perfect player to fit into Amorim’s system, given his versatility in the forward line.

Manchester United are believed to be in contact with a club’s director of recruitment over the signing of an “outstanding” goalkeeper this summer, according to a new report.

Man Utd produce historic comeback

Ruben Amorim’s side may have had a season to forget, but their 5-4 win over Lyon on Thursday evening was one of the most dramatic nights Old Trafford has ever witnessed.

Having led 2-0 and seemingly heading into the semi-finals of the Europa League with ease, United suddenly found themselves drawing 2-2 after 90 minutes, before then trailing 4-2 in extra-time against ten men.

Remarkably, the Red Devils scored three times in the remaining minutes, with Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty, Kobbie Mainoo brilliantly curling home and Harry Maguire heading in a memorable last-gasp winner.

It was a remarkable evening that has kept United’s season alive, and given the nature of their victory over Lyon, there will be some who feel that their name is on the trophy. Regardless of what happens this season, though, lots of new signings are a must, including in goal to replace Andre Onana, and one intriguing transfer target in that position has now emerged.

Man Utd make contact for Kaua Santos

According to Sport Bild, Manchester United have held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche over the signing of Kaua Santos this summer. The German outfit want £51m for his services and would rather keep hold of him.

It is claimed that Red Devils director of recruitment Christopher Vivell spoke with him during Frankfurt’s Europa League quarter-final first leg tie against Tottenham last week, as they look to entice the 22-year-old to Old Trafford.

Santos could be a strong addition for United ahead of next season, having enjoyed an impressive campaign for Frankfurt in Europe, standing out as a key man at a young age, especially for a ‘keeper. The Brazilian has started five matches in the Europa League this term, prior to being eliminated by Spurs on Thursday night, and the Red Devils may see him as having a higher long-term ceiling than Onana.

Santos has been hailed as an “outstanding” player by Bayern Munich and Germany legend Thomas Muller, while analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as among the “most promising” young ‘keepers in Europe.

While Onana has had good moments in a United shirt, he is an error-prone player who doesn’t seem to bring calm to the defence, and if Amorim wants to take his team to another level, an upgrade is required.

Saved by Maguire: Man Utd must axe star who lost the ball every 4.8 touches

Harry Maguire proved to be Man Utd’s unlikely hero in Thursday’s crazy game at Old Trafford

ByRobbie Walls Apr 18, 2025

Santos is admittedly still a goalkeeper learning his trade, but his performances this season suggest that he would be an exciting signing who should only grow as a player.

All the numbers that mattered as Australia defeated India by 79 runs to claim a fourth crown

Sampath Bandarupalli11-Feb-20244 Under-19 World Cup titles for Australia. They lifted the trophy in 1988, 2002, 2010 and 2024. Only India have won more titles – five of them – including the previous edition in 2022.4 The 2024 edition is the fourth instance of India finishing as runners-up in an Under-19 World Cup tournament, which is also the most by a team.253 for 7 Australia’s total against India is the highest by any team in an Under-19 World Cup final. England’s 242 for 3 in a chase against New Zealand to win the 1998 edition was the previous highest.Related

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Saharan bemoans 'rash shots' from India: 'We didn't spend enough time in the middle'

1998 Australia’s win on Sunday was their first against India in an Under-19 World Cup game since 1998. Since then India had won all six outings against Australia between 2000 and 2022, including twice in the finals – 2012 and 2018.2012 The last instance of Australia defeating India in a youth ODI. In ten meetings since then, India got the better of Australia each time before the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final.22 Consecutive youth ODI matches won by India while chasing before their 79-run defeat on Sunday. Their previous defeat in a youth ODI game while chasing came in August 2018 against Sri Lanka.1 Only once has a team defended their Under-19 World Cup crown: Pakistan in 2006, after winning the trophy in 2004. Australia (in 2012) and India (in 2020 and 2024) finished runners-up in pursuit of defending their title.Oliver Peake’s cameo helped Australia go past the 250-mark•ICC/Getty Images3 Previous instances of India conceding 250-plus totals at the Under-19 World Cup. Two of those came in wins when they were defending 300-plus totals. Their only loss was against South Africa in 2002 when they conceded 268 for 5 and went down by 112 runs.397 Runs scored by India’s Uday Saharan, the second-most for a captain in a single edition. Cameron White tops the list with 423 in eight matches which he recorded in Australia’s victorious 2002 campaign.46 India’s opening stand against USA in the group stage game turned out to be their highest of the tournament. The 2024 edition is now the first where India failed to stitch an opening partnership of at least 50.

The challenges for Test cricket in the region are huge, but this team is taking the fight to England

Cameron Ponsonby25-Mar-2022The best ability is availability. And as the West Indies middle-order fell from 50 for 0 to 95 for 6 in the heat of Grenada, another West Indian excelled in the heat of Rajasthan as Shimron Hetmyer hit 70 off 39 balls in a IPL warm-up fixture.The selection of the West Indian side is fraught with politics and difficulties. No first-class cricket was played over the previous two years; pitches have been loaded in favour of bowlers; the top players are being enticed away by franchise cash, and inter-island bias and politics are points of regular discussion.The result is a team that can at times feel like the best players available as opposed to the best players in the region, with the icons of West Indian cricket often not being those we see out in whites on the pitch. On the flip side, such events have transpired to give us a Windies team full of players with incredible back-stories, both personal and professional.In 2018 Nkrumah Bonner briefly gave up the sport and took up a job in construction in the USA. As a teenager, Shamarh Brooks was considered the next Bajan prodigy but scored just one fifty in the first six years of his career. He was dropped and didn’t play a first-class game for three years between 2012 and 2015. Joshua Da Silva, who shone on the second day with an unbeaten 54 off 152 balls, didn’t have a professional contract as recently as 2018. Kyle Mayers was caught up in Hurricane Maria in 2017, as it devastated the island of Dominica.The West Indies of old were everyone’s second-favourite team because they won all the time. The West Indies of new are everyone’s second-favourite team because they are full of people you want to succeed.But that mentality leads you perilously close to the worst emotion you can have of all towards professional athletes: that of pity. And that isn’t fair either. Because this team contains genuine world-class performers as well: Jason Holder, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Kraigg Brathwaite.
John Campbell takes evasive action as Craig Overton fires in a bouncer•Getty ImagesBut where Brathwaite paints masterpieces with his bat and forces everyone to watch them dry, his team-mates show flashes of brilliance that lead to wise heads nodding sagely that “there’s a Test player in there somewhere”.It is a notion that is best encapsulated by Brathwaite’s opening partner, John Campbell, who frustrated again today as he fell for a well-compiled 35. It was his highest score this series despite reaching double figures in four of his five innings. It is a trait of Campbell’s that he often gets in but doesn’t go on, capable of doing the hardest part of the sport but not the easiest. Like a pianist being able to play Beethoven but not Baa Baa Black Sheep.Hailing from Jamaica, the same island as Chris Gayle, Campbell was dubbed “Little Chris” early in his career. Along with Brooks, he is another player who had the weight of expectation thrust on him from an early age. But it has never really happened for him, and another failure in the next innings could lead to him being dropped from the side once more.Bar a ludicrous couple of hours yesterday where Saqib Mahmood and Jack Leach brought out their frustrations, anywhere you look with this Windies team, there are people putting in absolute effort and pride in representing their region. Whether it be Brathwaite batting for days, Holder or Da Silva leading the team in mid-game, on-field group exercises, or Seales celebrating every wicket as if it were the matchwinner, this is a team who work incredibly hard for one another.And that is rather the point. While this team has been toiling against England, Hetmyer – who failed the required fitness tests to be eligible for selection – has been preparing for the IPL on a deal worth US$1.13m. A contract that is worth two-hundred-and-thirty-six million dollars when converted into his home currency.Much, if not all, of this is caused by messy and overflowing schedules that lead to the likes of Nicholas Pooran, one of the most talented batters in the world, feeling as if he simply doesn’t have time to play red-ball cricket despite the five-day game being an aim of his. Some may say that the prioritisation of cash is immoral. But watch the video of fellow West Indian Rovman Powell, who scored a century against England in the T20s in January, explaining how the sole motivation in his career is that his mum never experiences poverty again, and that argument rather falls apart.So too is the idea of blind patriotism that places the pride in representing your country above all. Because while that same pride does exist in the West Indies in the same way it does all over the world, it’s different here. You’re representing your region, not your island. Does that make that affiliation any less intense? Perhaps, for some. Maybe not, for others.This is a vast area home to more cultures and political landscapes than you can really fathom. Jamaica is closer in distance to Texas than it is to Guyana. And for all the talk of island culture, Guyana isn’t even one of those either. It’s a South American landmass that borders Brazil.Related

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• West Indies keep it real on not-quite-perfect day

It has long been said that cricket in the West Indies is a fading light. And compared to the glory days of yesteryear there is without doubt some truth to that. But that is not to say that the talent pool is not still deep, as evidenced by Da Silva’s innings today. Da Silva himself is a player who, if Pooran was available, may well not be playing. That’s not a slight on him, but instead a credit to the strength of the region.So perhaps rather than the talent pool shrinking, there’s an argument that it has rather been diluted when in need of concentration, with talent escaping – be it to England, in the shape of Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer and now Jacob Bethell, or the white-ball leagues in Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard then, and Pooran now.West Indies’ administrators know and realise this, and launched the CWI Emerging Players Academy two weeks ago. The aim of which is to select 30 players, male and female, between the age of 19 and 25 to bridge the gap between U19 cricket and the first-class game. Hopefully, it will be the first step towards keeping talent in the game, and on the pitch, for the region. But closing out this contest, and sealing another gutsy home series win against England, will go a long way towards proving that these guys are Test cricketers after all.

At the end of Sunday’s action, Melbourne Renegades have climbed to second place behind Hobart Hurricanes, while Perth Scorchers have risen to fourth place

AAP16-Nov-2025

Deandra Dottin led the bowling show for Renegades with three wickets•Getty Images

Tess Flintoff’s clutch, late hitting cut the tension as Melbourne Renegades toppled Melbourne Stars in the WBBL’s derby on Sunday at Junction Oval.Chasing 142 for victory, Flintoff (17 in nine balls) held her nerve with a six, four and four off Annabel Sutherland’s penultimate over to clinch the win with four wickets and seven balls to spare.Stars had given themselves every chance with some tight bowling after Courtney Webb (37) and Sophie Molineux (32) had put the defending champions on track.Needing a-run-a-ball in the final four overs, both Deandra Dottin and Georgia Wareham holed out to heap the pressure on the lower order. But, needing 12 off ten balls, Flintoff was up to the task against her former club.First she split two leg-side fielders with a swipe that hit the rope before hammering a back-foot drive over cover to level the scores. Victory came courtesy of a sweetly-timed drive over mid-off to put Renegades (3-1) into second behind the unbeaten Hobart Hurricanes (3-0).Earlier, Meg Lanning (3) recorded a rare failure, leaving Sutherland (29) and Marizanne Kapp (22) to pilot Stars’ innings before Kim Garth’s (29 off 19) late hitting. Dottin, with 3 for 20 in three overs, took the last three wickets and was later named the Player of the Match.Devine three-for takes Scorchers past Strikers in rain-hit gameSophie Devine’s intervention took Adelaide Strikers apart before the heavens opened up to hand Perth Scorchers a dominant WBBL win in Melbourne on Sunday.