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With El Hadji Malick Diouf secured and Kyle Walker-Peters seemingly on his way, West Ham United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a Bundesliga winner.

West Ham reach agreement to sign Walker-Peters

Swooping in with a quickfire deal following a break down in talks with Besiktas, West Ham now look destined to sign Walker-Peters this summer. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers have agreed a three-year contract with the defender, who will be completing his first move since becoming a free agent after leaving Southampton earlier this summer.

The defender will follow the arrival of Diouf, who recently spoke for the first time since swapping Slavia Prague for the London Stadium – telling the official club website: “I’m really happy to be here and to make a progression for my career. I’m looking forward to working hard and joining my new team-mates.

“There were a lot of teams [who wanted to sign me], but I chose West Ham United first and I spoke with the coach [Graham Potter] and it was a good plan for me.

“Everyone wants to come here to play in the Premier League. I think it is a dream for everyone. When they are here, they want to make everything good. I think they also have the personality to play here and if you are young, you want to continue your progression.”

Payet 2.0: West Ham in talks for £22.5m star who's "made for the big stage"

West Ham United have reportedly made contact to sign a player for just £22.5m, and he could be as good as Dimitri Payet in East London.

By
Ben Gray

Jul 18, 2025

With one recent signing set to turn into two, West Ham aren’t done there. Those at the London Stadium now reportedly want to land their biggest signing of the summer in the form of a Bundesliga winner.

West Ham join Xhaka race

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, West Ham are now battling Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen. The former Arsenal man looks set to be on the move ahead of next season and has attracted interest from the Hammers, Forest, Sunderland, Fulham and Crystal Palace as a result.

In a hectic Premier League battle, West Ham could yet welcome a former rival who finally discovered his best form at Bayer Leverkusen following a spell full of ups and downs at Arsenal. There were times when he was deemed important at The Emirates, but there were far too many times that his relationship with home fans was tested beyond its limit. A break-up, in truth, always seemed likely.

Ever since swapping the Gunners for Leverkusen, however, the Swiss midfielder has thrived and even became an invincible Bundesliga winner in the 2023/24 campaign.

Dubbed “aggressive” by former manager Xabi Alonso during what was an extraordinary Leverkusen campaign, Xhaka’s redemption arc could now be destined to end in London and at West Ham.

The man behind Russell Crowe buying Wrexham rumours has revealed how news spread and why he’s happy to have Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney instead.

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• Takeover talk surfaced in 2021
• Gladiator actor linked with approach
• Different Hollywood stars took the reins

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Back in early 2021, speculation emerged in North Wales regarding supposed interest from “A-list” stars and a possible takeover at the Racecourse Ground. Inevitably, numerous names were thrown into the mix – with Gladiator actor Crowe among those said to be in the frame.

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• HOW CROWE RUMOURS STARTED

  Rich Watkin, who is part-owner of the popular Fat Boar pub where Wrexham players celebrated their National League title triumph last season, has told of how he inadvertently started the Crowe gossip: "The rumours Russell Crowe was buying Wrexham were down to me. At least in part, anyway. I’m good friends with Shaun Pearson, who was the club captain. We were discussing this mystery bidder one day when Shaun told me, ‘All we’ve been told is it’s a Hollywood A-lister’.

  "I went away to think about it and then texted him one Monday night to say I’d worked it out. I explained how it was Russell Crowe, as his grandfather had once had a fruit and veg shop in Wrexham. So, there was a link. I hadn’t just made it up! Shaun then stuck this in the players’ WhatsApp, saying, ‘I think this new owner is Russell Crowe’. Later that same night, one of the players ordered a takeaway from the Fat Boar and I wrote on the box, ‘Russell Crowe’s Red and White Army’. After that, suddenly everyone was telling me it was Russell Crowe!"

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Crowe has continued to distance himself from the Red Dragons, Hollywood superstars Reynolds and McElhenney are fully committed to a long-term project. Watkin is delighted to have the pair on board after seeing his own prediction fall some way wide of the mark. He added: “I took it on the chin. I couldn’t do anything else. I’m perfectly happy with who we did get.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Reynolds and McElhenney have made a stunning impact on and off the field at Wrexham, with the club’s stock soaring as a result. They are stars of their own award-winning documentary series and are taking aim at back-to-back promotions – as Phil Parkinson’s side continue to ride high in the League Two table.

India slip to No.2 as England’s annus horribilis in 2014-15 is taken out of the ICC calculations

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2018

Latest ODI rankings

• 1. England 125 (+8)
  2. India 122 (-1)
  3. South Africa 113 (-4)
  4. New Zealand 112 (-2)
  5. Australia 104 (-8)
  6. Pakistan 102 (+6)

• 7. Bangladesh 93 (+3)
  8. Sri Lanka 77 (-7)
  9. Windies 69 (-5)
  10. Afghanistan 63 (+5)
  11. Zimbabwe 55 (+4)
  12. Ireland 38 (-3)

England’s burgeoning status as a white-ball team has been confirmed by their ascent to the top of the latest ICC one-day rankings, with India slipping to No. 2 on the list.England’s ascent to the top spot was cemented by two impressive away victories this winter – they beat Australia 4-1 in January before seeing off New Zealand 3-2 in March.However, they owe much of their rise to the removal from the permutations of their dismal run of form in 2014-15, when they won just seven out of 25 ODIs and bombed out of the World Cup at the group stages following an infamous defeat against Bangladesh at Adelaide.That 2014-15 season, which also featured the removal of Alastair Cook as ODI captain in the wake of a losing tour of Sri Lanka, is now widely recognised as a watershed moment for English cricket.Eoin Morgan’s appointment as captain was unable to salvage their World Cup campaign, but England’s form in the subsequent home summer was revelatory. Against New Zealand at Edgbaston, in their first completed fixture of the post-World Cup era, England posted their first 400-plus total in ODIs, and have made 300 or more in 27 of their 60 completed innings.England, who last topped the ODI rankings in January 2013, have gained eight points and moved to 125 points. India, who were at the top before the update, have lost a solitary point and are in second place with a total of 122 points.South Africa, who were second, have dropped down to third place after losing four points, from 117 to 113, leaving them nine points adrift of India and only one point ahead of fourth- placed New Zealand.The remaining places remain unchanged, confirming that the current top 10 ranked sides are the ones who will be playing at next year’s World Cup in England. However, there have been some significant changes in points.World champions Australia have lost eight points to go down to 104 in fifth position and are only two points ahead Pakistan, last year’s Champions Trophy winners, who have gained six points.In other changes, Bangladesh (93 points) have gained three points, Sri Lanka (77) have lost seven points, the Windies (69) have lost five points, Afghanistan (63) have gained five points, Zimbabwe (55) have gained four points and 12th-placed Ireland (38) have lost three points.In the T20I rankings, led by Pakistan, there is no change in the top seven places but Afghanistan are now ahead of Sri Lanka in eighth slot.

The silly and the sublime came together in Lahore for a riveting finish as Peshawar Zalmi booked their place in the second qualifier and increased their chances of becoming back-to-back champions

The Report by Alagappan Muthu20-Mar-2018
Rahat Ali took four wickets in the eliminator•PCB/PSL

In a nutshellThe silly and the sublime came together in Lahore for a riveting finish as Peshawar Zalmi booked their place in the second qualifier and increased their chances of becoming back-to-back champions.But with 24 to defend off the last over, the result should have been straightforward, right?Wrong.Liam Dawson, the left-arm spinner, was pressed to action with all the other frontliners having bowled out. Anwar Ali took strike and managed an unseemly top-edge that beat Darren Sammy, who has been carrying a knee injury for almost half the tournament and just could not run after the ball.Then came three massive sixes.Anwar strode down the track, unleashed every last bit of his power, made the ball disappear over long-on and long-off, and had the defending champions scrambling.Quetta suddenly needed only three runs off the last ball. A last ball which ended up as a full toss. A last ball which Anwar walloped straight to long-on. A last ball which was dropped by Umaid Asif. A last ball which, somehow, someway, ended in joy for Peshawar as the fielder recovered in time to instigate a run-out. For the third season in a row, a play-off match between these two teams ended with a one-run win.Where the game was wonConsidering how it all turned out, there is an argument to be made that even fate cannot deny Hasan Ali, that irrepressible fast-bowling force. He took a wicket off his very first ball of the match, a pearler that straightened after pitching to claim Asad Shafiq’s outside edge through to slip’s waiting hands. Then, he gave away only two runs in the 18th over, outsmarting Thisara Perera with slower balls and outclassing Anwar by hitting the deck.PCB/PSL

The execution was top-notch but for a 24-year old to have such clarity of thought in such a high-pressure situation is unreal. Hasan knew that change of pace had a higher probability of success against a big-hitter. But when the strike turned and he was faced with a new batsman, who would have no idea that this pitch was offering extra bounce, he cranked it back up. There were three wild swings. None of them connected.That Hasan had enough runs to work his magic was due to Dawson. So nearly the villain in the dying moments, he was actually the only batsman who played with any measure of control against a Quetta bowling attack that was consistently threatening. While many of his team-mates kept premeditating shots and walking back to the pavilion, he simply responded to what came his way. So good were his instincts that, on 19, he kept out a grubber that seemed destined to hit the stumps. So pristine was his timing that he struck a wide yorker – after making room room down leg – to the third man boundary.Dawson’s 62 off 35 balls was exactly the tonic an innings floundering at 86 for 5 sorely needed.Who (almost) won itChases of 158 on a true pitch had no business being anything but one-sided, and Quetta had done ever so well to earn the mantle of favourites. They compensated for the loss of Shane Watson and Kevin Pietersen, who chose not to come to Pakistan, with a splendid display on the field. Left-arm seamer Rahat Ali took 4 for 16 – nearly his best ever performance in a T20 game – but by around the penultimate over of the match, he would have felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Nawaz would be just as disgruntled. They had put on a partnership of 63 off only 45 balls. But moments after a long and animated chat in the middle of the pitch, the pinch hitter top-edged to third man and the captain top-edged to the wicketkeeper. They had been in harmony all night; Sarfraz even protected Nawaz after his first over leaked nine runs and bringing him back when the field restrictions were lifted, helping the left-arm spinner finish with an economy rate of 5.2. So perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising that they were dismissed in the space of two balls, giving 19-year old Sameen Gul and the Peshawar team the momentum they needed to seal the gameWhere they standQuetta would have hoped to make their third final in a row, but those hopes have been dashed. Peshawar will have to deal with the pressure of another knockout match in Lahore, against Karachi Kings, on Wednesday.

Plays of the day from the fifth day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Colombo

Andrew Fernando in Colombo27-Nov-2010The false start of the day
After sitting around for four-and-a-half sessions while the weather made play impossible, the players finally made their way onto the field at 1pm on the fifth day. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation, Sri Lanka had had their huddle, the batsmen had made their way to the middle and Nuwan Kulasekara had even marked out his run up, when the heavens opened up again. Asad Rauf looked skywards and called for the covers despondently. It seemed the cruelest of interruptions, just as we’d been so close to play after a lengthy delay. Thankfully the covers barely had time to come on before the weather abated, and the cricket was back on within five minutes.The referral of the day
Richard Kettleborough had been nigh unimpeachable so far throughout the tour. Referrals were made from both sides throughout the two Tests, looking to overturn his decisions, but they had all come to no avail. So when Carlton Baugh hastily reviewed Kettleborough’s decision to give him out lbw, many perhaps had their doubts as to the wisdom of his call. But incredibly, given Kettleborough’s record, the ball had pitched outside leg stump and the decision was overturned.The pep talk of the day
Having been hit for boundaries by the overnight West Indies pair, debutant Suranga Lakmal was perhaps a little low on confidence in his first spell of the day. Kumar Sangakkara though, wasn’t going to give up on his bowler. As the field changed around at the end of one of Lakmal’s overs, Sangakkara walked over to the bowler, put his arm around him and gave Lakmal some advice. Next over with the leg-trap set, Lakmal had Darren Sammy caught at square leg.The brave bowling of the day
It’s understandable that finger spinners tend to bowl quicker and flatter after being hit for a couple of boundaries. So Rangana Herath might have been forgiven for adopting a similar ploy to Dwayne Bravo after being hammered for a four and a six in his first over of the afternoon. But Herath continued to boldly toss it up, and in the next over, had Bravo stumped as he attempted to hit the bowler for another boundary.The appeal of the day
Tillakaratne Dilshan was desperate for wickets on the last evening, using up both of Sri Lanka’s reviews within minutes of each other. His most memorable appeal however, was when he struck Chris Gayle on the pad and turned to ask Richard Kettleborough the question. Dilshan’s loud “owww” – an appeal not supported by any of his team-mates, sounded more like the yelp a poodle might give if rudely awakened by a kick to the guts. Smiles all around the field and many more in the stands as well.

Where once greatness was expected, now only meaningful contributions are required, and Kusal Mendis is playing match-winning innings while also impressing with the gloves

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Sep-20252:22

Maharoof: Mendis a nightmare for spinners once he gets going

“The prince”, “next great Sri Lankan batter”, “boy wonder” are some descriptions that have been assigned to Kusal Mendis. “Spoilt”, “useless”, “soft”, “touchy” are some others. Although at home he is a polarising cricketer, outside Sri Lanka, he is a pretty inoffensive presence – one of those South Asian wicketkeepers who doesn’t feel especially comfortable sledging in English, so there are no viral clips.And yet, few Sri Lankan cricketers have got into as many arguments with fans at the edge of the boundary as Mendis. When Sri Lanka were on one of their huge losing streaks in the late 2010s or early 2020s, Mendis was one of the guys to blame. Not taking sufficient responsibility was one accusation. Caring too much about social-media likes was another. People would say things like this to his face, and Mendis would respond just as quickly.But he is 30 now, and has, in his own way, carved out a place. He was a specialist batter for Sri Lanka when he started out, but had kept wicket at the age-group levels. Long after it became clear he was not about to be the saviour of Sri Lankan batting, choices were reassessed, expectations were toned down, and goals have been reset.Related

• Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka to kick off Super Four stage

• Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Thushara knock Afghanistan out

He is now one of the few players that appears across formats for Sri Lanka. What is key to this deal is that he must keep wicket, and do it well. At international level, Mendis has been crushing it.Even just in this Asia Cup, he’s made his presence felt behind the stumps. Against Hong Kong – the opponents that tested Sri Lanka most in the group stage – he stuck pads out to stop extras, scrambled stumpings off bad ricochets, and took a high catch. The entire vibe of this team is that now, you find ways to make yourself useful. Nine years after he appeared in international cricket, perhaps Mendis has found his pocket.He is, as Afghanistan found out, brutal on errors of length, a master of varieties of the sweep, and an excellent manipulator in the middle overs. If there is a ball that can possibly be hit square of the wicket, Mendis tends to oblige. He also tends to far prefer spin. By necessity, he has now become a white-ball opener. But he’s always looked most comfortable when playing the sweep as often as possible.”We knew today they’d bowl a lot of spin,” Mendis said after the Afghanistan game. “What me and Kusal Perera talked about was to bat normally until the 12th over. But almost automatically, we were able to make eight or nine runs per over. That made things easier for us.”Even when Charith Asalanka came to bat, we were waiting for those seam-bowling overs, so we can score some runs off that.”If there is a ball that can possibly be hit square of the wicket, Kusal Mendis tends to oblige•Associated PressAlthough Asalanka faced zero seam-bowling deliveries through the course of his stay, Mendis’ theory held true – Afghanistan’s seamers are easier to get away with the older ball than their spinners. It was Kamindu Mendis, in the end, who helped Mendis take Fazalhaq Farooqi down. By that stage, there had been 12 successive overs of spin, through which Mendis’ sweeps, cuts, swivel-pulls and nudges had helped Sri Lanka stay in touch with the required rate.Then a 15-run over off Farooqi sealed the result. Mendis hit the winning runs, deservedly, crashing Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman through midwicket.Where once greatness was expected, now only meaningful contributions to the team are required. Mendis has had to reassess his role several times in his career. But he is now Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batter across formats. And he is playing match-winning innings, while also impressing with the gloves.Sometimes all it takes is finding your niche.

Tightness in right quad forces allrounder out; Tom Curran brought into England squad as replacement

George Dobell04-Jun-2018England allrounder Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the Scotland ODI with tightness in his right quad. Surrey’s Tom Curran comes into the squad in his place.Woakes, who left the field towards the end of Pakistan’s second innings at Headingley, will be assessed during the week to judge whether he will be fit for the start of the series against Australia on the June 13.Woakes was recalled to the Test side in Leeds having been left out of the opening Test at Lord’s when England preferred Mark Wood. He claimed 3 for 55 in the first innings and then removed Sarfraz Ahmed in the second before reporting discomfort.Tom Curran, whose brother Sam made his Test debut at Headingley, was already part of the squad for the Australia series. Woakes is the second player to be withdrawn from the Scotland match after Ben Stokes picked up a hamstring strain. Stokes will also be reassessed later in the week in order to ascertain when he may be fit to return. The England management have already confirmed he will miss the first part of the Australia series.

Royal London Cup qualification

The two group winners will immediately qualify for a home draw in semi-finals. The team finishing second in each group will receive a home draw in the play-offs and play against the team finishing third in the opposite group. The play-off winners will play away in the semi-finals. Semi-final ties will be determined by a free draw.

Meanwhile, Joe Root will be among the England players returning to county action later this week as attention turns to the shorter
formats of the game. Root, England’s Test captain, is available for Yorkshire’s home game against Northamptonshire on Thursday; a match that could yet decide which teams qualify for the knock-out stages.Other players from England’s Test squad available for Royal London Cup fixtures this week are Dom Bess (Somerset), Mark Wood (Durham), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex) and Sam Curran (Surrey). Malan has also been made available to play for Middlesex in their County Championship match against Leicestershire starting on June 20.Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler have been rested ahead of the ODIs, while England are yet to make a decision on the county availability of James Anderson and Stuart Broad ahead of the start of the Test series against India in August. They have, however, confirmed that neither will be available for the next round of County Championship matches which starts on Saturday.But Alastair Cook is available for Essex’s Championship game against Lancashire and Moeen Ali will play for Worcestershire’s final Royal London game before joining up with England’s limited-overs squad.

For an Aussie fan it can’t get much better than sitting with the Barmy Army and watching Ponting and Watson dismantle England

Michael De Witt03-Oct-2009.Now that’s a classy shot•AFPChoice of game
I picked this game for the epic history between these two phenomenal teams. My prediction was that Australia were favorites but England, having had the all-important resurgence since landing on South African shores, were the more-than-capable underdogs. Unfortunately the good old Aussies have that undeniable big-match temperament.Team supported
Australia, as always.Key performer
At first it looked like Tim Bresnan, but in the end there is no question that Shane Watson showed maturity and poise to take Australia home. He started off slow but opened up and expressed himself once he and his captain settled into a rhythm.One thing I would have changed about the match
I would have liked to see Australia bat first, to see just how far their explosive batting line-up could have taken them.Face-off I relished
A good match-up was between Watson and James Anderson, with the new ball. Anderson extracted some movement early on and even when England were dead and buried, he still peppered Watson with some spicy short balls.Accessories
We took along all the apparel we could find. There were no guesses as to who we were supporting, oversized flag and all.Wow moment
A tie between a huge six hit by Watson over midwicket which hit a boy on the head at the grass embankment right next to where we were sitting and Ponting’s 12,000th run. Shows that the calls for his retirement are hopelessly advanced.Player watch
James Hopes fielded at the boundary where I was sitting. What a sad day. All the Australians are perceived to be more than adequate fielders, but unfortunately Mr Hopes dropped two catches that might have seen England all out for 120. On a minor note: only the England players were willing to give signatures to the fans.Shot of the day
Watson’s six over midwicket to get to his hundred was fantastically timed, perfectly balanced and a clear sign of dominance over the England attack. But the shot that really spoke to the purists was a pull by Ponting: bisecting the on-side field, it really did look like a tracer bullet under the lights. It was utterly unstoppable – a classic, against a good ball just short of a length.Crowd meter
England were hot favorites at the ground (which might be due to their opponents being Australia in South Africa). The ground was not at capacity but you wouldn’t have known if you were stuck in the Barmy Army section in an Australia shirt. There was one crowd catch, taken over the head off a shot hit straight back over the bowler; somewhat lucky to hold onto it but a great catch in the end.Fancy-dress index
Only the Barmy Army legion near us was really dressed up. If only they kept their shirts on…Entertainment
“” for Ponting, seriously? Not sure what that was about.What a rip-off
Traffic was well controlled and the event very well organised, but the fact that parking cost nearly as much as the ticket is a bitter pill to swallow.ODI v Twenty20
In three simple words: bigger is better. It is unfathomable that this form of the game might be dying out.Banner of the day
A Barmy shirt read: “Marvellous. Bloody Marvellous”Overall
There is no question England were totally outplayed, but still a great game to watch with Bresnan fighting back. And what a show from Ponting and Watson. The crowd was great, with a lot of participation, and great catering from the hosts made it an exceptional day off work.Marks out of 10
9. Any bad day at the cricket beats any good day at the office. Watching Watson and Ponting in full flight turning their opponents into a hapless mound in person is something difficult to express in words..

Eddie Howe admitted he "nearly swerved off the road" when he found out Newcastle United had been drawn against Manchester City in the FA Cup.

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• Newcastle to face Man City in FA Cup
• Howe was driving at the time of the draw
• Admitted he nearly swerved off the road

• Getty/GOAL composite
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The day after Newcastle's penalty shootout win over Championship side Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday, the FA Cup quarter-final draw was announced, with the Magpies facing City at the Etihad on March 16. Howe revealed he was driving at the time and got quite a shock at the draw.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT EDDIE HOWE SAID

  The Newcastle manager told reporters on Friday: "I was driving at the time and nearly swerved off the road! It’s not the draw we wanted that's for sure. No one wants to play Man City four times in a season, but I believe we can beat anybody when we're playing at our best."

  He added: "When you have time to analyse things you realise to win the FA Cup you have to beat Man City at some stage in the competition. It's sooner than we'd have liked but we have to give everything to try and win. It will be difficult but we can do it. That feeling that everyone is against us [to win] I want us to use it positively. We’re still in it and we will fight to be in it until the end."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City are in the running to win a second consecutive treble, as they are in the last eight of the FA Cup, Champions League, and are second in the Premier League. Newcastle, meanwhile, who finished fourth last season, are struggling with injuries and form this term. They sit 10th in the table, 15 points off of fourth-placed Aston Villa, and are not in the best state to take on Pep Guardiola's men on their own patch. This is the Toon's last realistic chance to win a trophy, too.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Before their upcoming FA Cup clash, Howe's Newcastle side take on in-form Wolves at St James' Park on Saturday in a battle between 10th and ninth respectively. City, on the other hand, host rivals Manchester United a day later at the Etihad.

Leigh Kasperek takes five wickets to finish campaign on a high at Grace Road

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2018New Zealand 224 for 6 (Devine 117*) beat England 219 (Jones 78, Beaumont 53, Kasperek 5-39) by four wickets

ScorecardA brilliant century from Sophie Devine secured New Zealand a consolation victory in the third and final ODI at Grace Road, as England were outgunned in a low-scoring contest, after a five-wicket haul from the spinner Leigh Kasperek had derailed their ambitions of a clean sweep.Devine made light of the early loss of her new opening partner, Jess Watkin, as well as a steady drip of mid-innings wickets, to steer her side to a four-wicket victory with 117 not out from 116 balls, sealing the deal with a massive six over square leg. Alongside her at the end of an intermittently anxious chase was the 17-year-old Amelia Kerr, whose mature 12 not out completed a memorable campaign that of course had earlier included a world-record 232 not out against Ireland.After winning the toss and batting first, England might have had ambitions of 300-plus while Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones were in harness. The pair compiled their second century stand of the summer, inside the first 20 overs, as New Zealand’s seamers were once again neutered as they ploughed a wide line and relied on errors that did not materialise.Pace off the ball, however, would prove to be a different challenge for England, and having reached 104 for no loss, they proceeded to lose all ten of their wickets for a further 115, with no-one outside of the openers managing more than Danni Wyatt’s 18 from 22 balls.The wrecker of the innings was Kasperek, who had Beaumont caught behind, somewhat carelessly, on the reverse sweep for 53, before adding the scalp of Lauren Winfield for 5 soon afterwards. Winfield, back in the side as Sarah Taylor took a break, holed out to deep midwicket where Maddy Green took a fine low catch.Jones, looking good for her elusive maiden ODI hundred, once again gave her innings away when she charged at Watkin to be stumped for 78, while Hayley Jensen produced a superb spell of full-length inswingers, bowling Heather Knight with a slower ball.Nat Sciver was then unluckily run out at the non-striker’s end, as Kasperek brushed her fingers on a straight drive from Wyatt, and England’s usual turbo-charged finish petered out. Kasperek deservedly bagged the final two wickets to complete her maiden five-wicket haul.In reply, Katherine Brunt pinned Watkin lbw for a duck in her first over to lift England’s spirits, but Devine was not to be put off her game. She rattled along at more than a run a ball to break the back of the chase in partnership with the steadfast Green, who rather surprisingly galloped down the track straight after the drinks break to be bowled for 23 from 52 balls.Suzie Bates, lurking down the order for a change, came and went cheaply for once, as Laura Marsh bowled her for 1. But Devine eased past her fifty from 54 balls, then brought up her hundred from 101 with a drive back past the bowler.England’s spinners lacked their usual impact, but even with Ecclestone off the boil, her team weren’t quite finished. When Brunt returned to bowl Amy Satterthwaite for 25 and overtake Jenny Gunn as England’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs, there was a chance of a late twist. However, Katey Martin provided sturdy support until she ran herself out for 23, and thereafter Devine would not be denied.