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This season hasn’t been kind to Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to deal with a torrent of injuries and comical suspensions, all while they’ve seemingly lost the ability to fashion open-play chances.

It looked like the Gunners were on track for another disappointing result at half-time on Wednesday night after Crystal Palace capitalised on Jakub Kiwior’s mistake to take a 1-0 lead.

Fortunately, Arteta made a raft of changes at the break, and for most of the second half, the hosts were sublime, so to ensure they start the right way away to the Eagles this evening, he must be ruthless and drop one of his starters from the week.

The Arsenal starter Arteta must drop

So, the unfortunate reality is that Arteta could and probably should drop the majority of the players who started against Palace on Wednesday night, but we are talking about Ethan Nwaneri.

Now, the first thing to say is that taking the Hale End gem out of the lineup is not a statement on his quality, as we have seen enough in his short cameos and heard enough from those in the know to know ourselves that the future is incredibly bright for the 17-year-old.

However, similar to his substitute appearance against Everton last Saturday, the Enfield-born dynamo was undeniably ineffective, which has not been said often this season.

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Assists

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Touches

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Passes

16

Key Passes

0

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (0)

Duels (Won)

8 (1)

Lost Possession

8

Shots on Target

0

For example, in his 46 minutes of action, he took 31 touches but completed just 16 passes and failed in 100% of his dribbles, which more than justifies the 6/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Simon Collings.

Furthermore, dropping him ahead of today’s game is also the responsible thing to do for his own development, as he’s still incredibly young and a must-win, extremely intense away game at Selhurst Park is not the kind of environment Arteta should be throwing him into for no reason.

In all, Nwaneri remains an incredibly exciting talent, but he should be taken out of the firing line tonight, especially when there is another incredible player ready to step back into the lineup.

The Arsenal star Arteta must start

It should come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is, of course, club captain Martin Odegaard.

The Norwegian “wizard”, as dubbed by former footballer Babayele Sodade, didn’t have a great game himself against Everton last weekend, but as journalist Charles Watts said, he completely “changed the game” against Palace.

Despite being on the pitch for just one half, the “sensational” midfielder, as dubbed by The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, picked up two assists, played three key passes, completed two dribbles and created two big chances.

It was a fantastic showing from the Drammen-born star and a timely reminder of just how influential he can be on the team when in form.

However, it’s not just his performance on Wednesday that should see the former Real Madrid prospect come straight back into the team; it’s also his overall record of 36 goals and 30 assists in 166 games for the club, combined with his experience and leadership qualities, as Selhurst Park will be rocking under the lights.

Ultimately, Nwaneri still looks like he could be the future of Arsenal, but due to the need to protect him and his somewhat underwhelming display on Wednesday, he should be dropped for the incredibly talented Odegaard.

Shades of Bergkamp: Arsenal target "magical" Odegaard upgrade in £40m star

The sensational talent would be an incredible addition to the Arsenal squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 20, 2024

Liverpool could overcome British laws brought about by Brexit if FSG complete the acquisition of Spanish second division club Malaga.

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British clubs hampered by BrexitRestrictions on signing young playersLiverpool owners want to buy MalagaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

reported last week that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group are exploring a deal to acquire Spanish second division side Malaga. Since last summer, FSG have been evaluating several European clubs to bring them under their umbrella to develop a multi-club model, and are reportedly ready to fight it out with Paris Saint-Germain owners to take over Malaga.

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The now reports that if FSG manage to acquire Malaga, it would help the Reds to beat British laws. The latest Brexit rules do not allow English clubs to sign a player from abroad under the age of 18. If Malaga come under FSG's control as a feeder club, the Premier League giants would be able to nurture their U18 talents in Spain and send across over-18 players who fail to procure work permits in the UK.

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Manchester City have, to a certain extent, followed this trend since they bought a majority stake at Girona, who qualified for this season's Champions League thanks to the efforts of players like Savinho.

WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Back on the pitch, Arne Slot's side will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on arch-rivals Everton in a crucial Premier League encounter at Anfield.

Leeds United will end 2024 at the top of the Championship table after they travelled to Pride Park to secure a 1-0 win against Derby County on Sunday.

The Whites are two points clear of Sheffield United in second and three points ahead of Burnley in third, which illustrates how tight it is at the top of the division.

Daniel Farke’s side will need to remain consistent in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign to ensure that they do not drop off into the play-offs, as they did last season.

The West Yorkshire outfit failed to secure automatic promotion and eventually lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May, after they finished third in the regular season.

Leeds will be hoping for a different outcome this time around and they could use the upcoming January transfer window to make additions to their squad to bolster their chances of promotion.

Interestingly, the Whites have reportedly set their sights on a player who currently plays for one of the teams they are competing with for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds eyeing up Burnley star

According to The Boot Room, Leeds are one of a number of clubs in the mix to sign Burnley attacking midfielder Josh Brownhill in one of the next two transfer windows.

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

The report claims that Fiorentina and Lazio have both made offers to sign the Clarets skipper, whilst Rangers and Celtic are both weighing up bids of their own for the Englishman.

Brownhill’s contract at Turf Moor expires at the end of the season and he has yet to put pen to paper on the extension that has been offered to him, with the two Serie A teams now putting pre-contract deals on the table.

Clubs in England will have to wait until the summer to negotiate a free transfer for him, however, and may need to see if they can strike an agreement for a permanent deal in January, allowing Burnley to recoup some money for his services.

The Boot Room adds that Everton, West Ham United, Leeds, Crystal Palace, and Brentford are the teams in England looking at a potential swoop for the central midfielder.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether or not the Whites can strike a deal for him in January or on a free transfer in the summer, amid tough competition for his signature, Brownhill could come in as a fantastic addition, and an even better option than Brenden Aaronson.

Brenden Aaronson's form this season

The USA international scored the winning goal against Derby County on Sunday, with a fantastic run and a perfect finish to secure the 1-0 win in the second half.

It has been all about redemption for the American midfielder this season after he decided to ditch the team to go out on loan to Union Berlin for the 2023/24 campaign. After being part of the Leeds side that got relegated from the Premier League in the previous season, Aaronson did not want to play a part in helping the club get back to the top-flight and moved to Germany.

This summer, however, the 24-year-old whiz returned to Elland Road in an attempt to redeem himself and help the Whites to get back to the big time.

He worked hard in pre-season to earn the trust of Farke, who brought him into the group, and has emerged as a regular starter for the club so far this season in the Championship.

Starts

22

xG

7.19

Goals

7

Big chances created

5

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the American gem has started 22 of the club’s 24 league matches and contributed with 12 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined.

He has been unfortunate, with five ‘big chances’ created, to only record two assists, and has been relatively effective in front of goal, matching his Expected Goals tally.

Whilst Aaronson has been a solid contributor for Leeds at the top end of the pitch, and scored the all-important goal against Derby on Sunday, Farke could secure an even better player in that position by winning the race to bring Brownhill to Elland Road.

Why Josh Brownhill would be even better than Brenden Aaronson

Firstly, the 29-year-old Burnley ace is an experienced star who has played in the Premier League and the Championship, which means that the club would be signing someone who does not need time to adjust to either division and could hit the ground running.

This means that signing him would be less of a risk than spending millions on a player from another league with no prior experience of football in England, as there is no telling how they would adapt to the country or league.

Brownhill’s form at Championship and Premier League level also suggests that he would offer more than Aaronson as a central or attacking midfield player.

In the 2023/24 campaign, the £45k-per-week whiz produced four goals and two assists in 23 top-flight starts, to go along with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game and a 56% duel success rate.

Whereas, Aaronson managed one goal and three assists in 28 Premier League starts, losing 60% of his duels, in the 2022/23 season, which suggests that Brownhill could have more to offer in and out of possession at the top level.

Appearances

23

24

xG

4.69

7.19

Goals

9

7

Big chances created

3

5

Assists

3

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

1.5

As you can see in the table above, the Burnley star has also been far more clinical in front of goal than Aaronson in the Championship this term, whilst providing more from a defensive perspective each match.

These statistics, from the Premier League and the second tier, illustrate the difference in quality between the two players and suggest that Brownhill could come in to improve the team, in and out of possession.

Therefore, Farke should push to sign the 29-year-old gem, who was once hailed as “energetic” by pundit Lee Hendrie, either in January or in the summer, as he could be an excellent addition.

Leeds could land Piroe upgrade by signing star who's a "beast on the pitch"

Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the £4m-rated attacker.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 27, 2024

Ben Green hits 17 off six balls and then takes 2 for 13 in seven-over thrash

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2022Somerset put themselves one step closer to qualification for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a 16-run win over Glamorgan in Cardiff.Persistent rain reduced the match to a seven-over contest with Glamorgan putting Somerset into bat. Early wickets pegged the visitors back but some powerful blows from Tom Abell and Ben Green took Somerset to 75 for 6.Just as was the case with the Somerset innings, Glamorgan suffered early losses as they got the chase underway. Unlike Somerset they did not have the late acceleration to get them to their target with Colin Ingram playing a lone hand to finish on 37 not out.Victory takes Somerset to 16 points, and while a quarter-final isn’t a mathematical certainty they are extremely well placed.Once the match got underway Michael Neser gave Glamorgan the perfect start with the ball. Somerset lost the wickets of Tom Banton and Rilee Rossouw from consecutive balls, both batters dismissed for golden ducks. Banton attempted to scoop a length ball to the boundary and it crashed into his stumps. Rossouw pulled a shorter ball into the hands Sam Northeast at midwicket.Somerset’s batting efforts received another blow in the second over, Will Smeed chipped a ball from Michael Hogan to Andrew Salter at mid-off for 3. His wicket meant that Somerset were 7 for 3 inside the first two overs.Prem Sissodya’s first over also brought a wicket, Lewis Gregory edging behind to wicket-keeper Alex Horton for 7 to leave his side 15 for 4. The second over from Sissodya contained two boundaries before he bowled Tom Lammonby for 18 to leave Somerset at 41 for 5 with two overs to go.Michael Hogan almost claimed his second wicket of the night when he came back into the attack when Abell hit a drive high into the Cardiff sky. Kiran Carlson was the fielder and he couldn’t hold on to what would have been a very impressive catch.Abel and Green were impressive in the final two overs, putting on 34 runs in 13 balls at the end of the Somerset innings.Glamorgan’s pursuit of the 76 run target got off to a poor start, Northeast becoming the third player to be dismissed first ball when he edged Craig Overton through to Banton. David Lloyd fell the following over, bowled by Peter Siddle for just 1 to reduced Glamorgan to 17 for 2.Dan Douthwaite, promoted up the order in this shortened game, lasted four balls before be holed out on the boundary edge for just 3 with Green picking up the wicket. Green’s impressive all-round performance continued in his second over when Kiran Carlson edged him through to Banton for 7.Ingram and Eddie Byrom where left with 38 runs required from just 12 balls. That equation became 32 from 11 when Byrom smashed Josh Davey for six but the Glamorgan batter was trapped lbw the very next ball.Ingram swung manfully in the final over but there was too much left to do with Somerset claiming their eighth win of this Blast campaign.

Aston Villa are preparing a summer offer for Turkish goalkeeper Berke Ozer, according to reports.

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Villa in market to sign a new goalkeeperEnglish side watching Eyupspor's OzerPreparing an offer for the 24-year-oldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Villa Park club are readying a bid for the Eupspor shot stopper, claims, and will continue to keep an eye on his performances in the Super Lig between now and the end of the season.

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The 24-year-old has excelled in for the Turkish side over the last two seasons, keeping 10 clean sheets in 28 matches in the Super Lig. He was recently called up to the Turkey national team for last month's Nations League matches against Hungary, but was left on the bench for both legs.

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Villa already have World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez holding the fort in goal, with the Argentina star still tied to the club until 2029. The 32-year-old is not expected to leave any time soon, meaning Ozer will likely be brought in as back up. In the long-term, though, he could be his replacement.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR VILLA?

Unai Emery and his men will have their minds on this week's Champions League quarter-final showdown against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.

Hosts have rested Ben Stokes, while visitors will be without injured regular captain Temba Bavuma

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2022Big pictureRight, we are on to the stuff that matters. After an ODI series that not even the weather wanted to be completed, we are entering the T20I season with all eyes on the World Cup. England have a whopping 13 fixtures before the tournament; South Africa have only eight matches, the bulk of which are in the next ten days, and without regular captain Temba Bavuma.You may think that puts England in a more stable place to prepare from, but they are at the tail-end of 12 white-ball matches in 24 days and will have to be careful to avoid flagging at the end, especially as they have only just entered a new white-ball era. These T20Is are Matthew Mott and Jos Buttler’s final opportunity to win a white-ball series at home after they lost both rubbers against India, and shared the spoils in the ODIs against South Africa.Even if the results don’t matter “Things do get a little bit crazy and frantic out there, but it’s just about having your clear plans and staying as calm as possible.”

A £25m player who possesses attacking “flair” has a verbal agreement with Aston Villa over a move in the current transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Aston Villa transfer news

There are plenty of incoming and outgoing rumours surrounding the Villans currently, with Jaden Philogene linked with a move away from the club in January. The 22-year-old has only managed two starts in the Premier League so far this season and talks are underway over a possible exit in the coming weeks.

Dewa United wide man Taisei Marukawa is a reported new signing for Villa, giving Unai Emery additional depth in attacking areas for the second half of the Premier League season.

Elsewhere, Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn is another player who has been backed to seal a move to Vila Park in the near future, having become one of the most dangerous players in the Scottish Premiership. He has nine goals and six assists in the league for the Hoops this season, with his ability to thrive on the right-hand side and cut inside so difficult to defend against.

One high-profile rumoured transfer target for the Villans is Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Asensio, who similarly adopts the same position as Kuhn. Whether the Midlands outfit are able to entice him to the club remains to be seen, though.

Aston Villa have verbal agreement with £25m ace

According to Jacobs on X, Aston Villa have a verbal agreement in place with Borussia Dortmund attacker Donyell Malen. However, the club are yet to strike a deal with the Bundesliga giants, who want £25m for the Dutch forward.

Malen has the potential to be such an eye-catching signing for Villa, so this update is hugely encouraging, as Emery searches for more attacking firepower in the final third.

The Dutchman has 59 goal contributions (39 goals and 20 assists) in 131 appearances for Dortmund, which outlines his end product, not to mention netting nine times in 41 caps for the Netherlands. Meanwhile, former Dortmund boss Marco Rose also once lauded his ability back in 2021, saying:

“We’ve always said that we’re convinced of his abilities, but it was always clear to us that he needs time to adapt. He has done that very well in the last few weeks. He’s playing with a lot more confidence, asking for the ball more, demonstrating his flair and chipping in in front of goal. Now we have to work to make sure he can keep it up.”

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PSV Eindhoven

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Arsenal Under-21s

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13

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Arsenal Under-18s

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4

At 25, Malen appears to be in a sweet spot in his career, possessing lots of experience but also being young enough to improve further, so Villa could be signing a player with another five or six years in him at the top level, at least.

Rangers chiefs have reportedly made contact to sign a Sweden international on loan for Philippe Clement in the January transfer window.

Rangers eyeing new defender in January

It has been an eventful start to 2025 at Ibrox, with Rangers defeating arch rivals Celtic in their first Scottish Premiership fixture of the calendar year before dropping points on the road at Dundee and Hibernian.

As a result, pressure has been building on Clement once more, however, CEO Patrick Stewart recently revealed that the club are backing the Belgian. Talking to Sky Sports, Stewart said:

“I need to make some tough decisions, it comes with the role, but I am committed to making the right ones for Rangers, not just the popular ones. So cutting to the chase, we are backing Philippe at this time as a board.

“It’s about taking a deeper look at the issues, addressing those problems, and staying focused on building a stronger future for the club.

“Changing a manager isn’t a silver-bullet solution. You know where I’ve worked previously, and that isn’t something that has been effective there, it’s not effective at a lot of football clubs where there’s constant change of manager.”

Stewart also spoke about Rangers’ plans for the January transfer window, admitting the need for a centre-back is on the club’s wishlist despite the winter market being difficult to do business.

“The January window generally isn’t a particularly fruitful window. Most selling clubs do not want to sell their best players. We have no intention of selling the players that are performing on the park at the moment and why would we expect any other club that’s challenging for trophies to do so.

“All of that said… I think there are a couple of scenarios where it can be really effective. Firstly where a club has suffered injuries such as we have – particularly a centre-back – it is an opportunity to make a reactive signing. This is a position we’ve been looking at since December and so we have been active in discussions.”

Stewart and technical director Nils Koppen have been linked with a number of centre-backs, including Manchester United’s Jonny Evans, Norwich City’s Grant Hanley and Cavalier FC’s Richard King, however, a new target has now emerged.

Rangers make approach for Sweden international

According to Swedish outlet Expressen, Rangers have made contact to sign Burnley defender Hjalmar Ekdal. The Gers aren’t the only club keen on a move for the Clarets centre-back though, with Stoke City, QPR, Middlesbrough also making approaches for the 26-year-old.

Ekdal, a Sweden international, is expected to be loaned out by Burnley this month, and there is also interest abroad from Sampdoria, Empoli, Brescia and Groningen.

Enquiry made: Rangers could sign a "vastly experienced" Barron upgrade

Rangers could target a player who can potentially leave his club for free

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 11, 2025

Former Burnley boss Vincent Kompany praised Ekdal and Ameen Al-Dakhil back in 2023, calling the duo “intelligent”. “They’re intelligent players and that helps. They communicate, they understand when asked to do certain tasks and they’ve got the athleticism.

“In times when they’re not quite in the right position, or they haven’t done something perfect, they’re able to compensate. They’re centre backs who are quite mobile, you could go on a run in the forest and they’ll run with the midfielders.”

The Rossoneri drew Fiorentina on the night, but Musah saw himself removed less than 25 minutes into the match after a poor start to the game

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AC Milan draw Fiorentina 2-2Christian Pulisic records assistYunus Musah has evening to forgetFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

AC Milan drew Fiorentina 2-2 on Saturday, with the two Italian heavyweights sharing a point in a highly contested Serie A match. went up 2-0 inside 10 minutes, only to see Milan storm back in the second half as they shared the spoils. Both U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah were handed starts on the day, though the latter had an evening to forget.

Musah was handed a rare start by Sergio Conceicao for the , but a woeful first quarter of the match from the American saw him hooked just 24 minutes into the game. The 22-year-old lost possession leading to Fiorentina's opener, and was singled out by the Portuguese manager early on in the contest as the player that needed replacing.

"There are some individual errors, but not only in defense. I think the team made errors that were not forced by the opponent," Conceicao told Sky Sports. "There are some behaviors that we are trying to improve … These are behaviors of football and football school that you learn as a kid. We also miss a lot of goals. We have to find this balance, because we create a lot. The approach was bad, it was not what we prepared."

Pulisic, meanwhile, notched an assist on Milan's opening goal after he played Tammy Abraham through in the box in a narrow space. It was his 10th assist in all competitions for the Italian side this season.

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The as a whole have struggled of late, with just three wins in their last 10 matches across all competitions. As a result of Saturday's draw, the ended the Matchday sitting ninth in Serie A on 48 points – eight points out of UEFA Champions League contention for the 2025-26 tournament. Six of the teams ahead of them in the standings also have a game in hand, meaning Milan have little to no more room for error as the season winds down if they want to secure top European soccer next season.

Pulisic and Musah, meanwhile, will look to remain contributors for the club as the campaign comes to a close – though Musah in particular will have to earn the faith of Conceicao again if he wants to find himself back in the XI anytime soon.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

Milan take on Udinese on Friday in Serie A, as they look to bounce back from their disappointing draw against Fiorentina.

Grace Scrivens ends up on losing side despite four-for followed by 74

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2022South East Stars 281 for 8 (Smith 66, Capsey 64*, Chathli 61, Scrivens 4-42) beat Sunrisers 201 (Scrivens 74, Smith 3-37) by 80 runsSouth East Stars beat Sunrisers by 80 runs in their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Beckenham. Stars posted 281 for 8 before dismissing Sunrisers for 201, Bryony Smith claiming 3 for 37.Smith was also the Stars top scorer with 66, while Alice Capsey hit 64 not out and Kira Chathli 61.Stars had looked like hitting in excess of 300 until Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens took 4 for 42, but the hosts rallied after a middle-order slide and although Scrivens then made 74 with the bat, the visitors’ next highest scorer was Amara Carr with 35 and they were all out with eight overs remaining.Having won the toss, Stars chose to bat and lost Phoebe Franklin early when she swiped Naomi Dattani to Jo Gardner and was out for 3 in the fifth over. Smith and Chathli then put on 111 for the second wicket, before Mady Villiers had the former caught at square leg by Cordelia Griffith.Griffith also caught Chathli off Scrivens, who subsequently took a sharp return catch to remove Aylish Cranstone for 27. Kirstie White was bowled by Abtaha Maqsood for a second-ball duck and Scrivens then had Grace Gibbs lbw for 2, before bowling Freya Davies for just 1.Having lost four wickets for 17 runs, Stars counterattacked, with Alexa Stonehouse putting on 55 for the next wicket with Capsey before Griffith removed her with a steepling catch off Kelly Castle to dismiss her for 24. Eva Gray then made a quickfire 18 from 11 balls and with 13 coming off the final over, Stars had what looked like a daunting total.Stonehouse removed Griffith early in the chase, caught by Capsey for 10, but Sunrisers recovered to 59 for 1 at the end of the powerplay, only to lose Dattani for 19 in freakish circumstances in the 11th over. She’d comfortably made her ground when the ball ricocheted off the stumps at the Beckenham End, only to get run out by Gray at the other end, chasing a second.Scrivens drove Smith back over her head for the four that took her past 50, but then lost another partner when Villiers charged at Smith and was stumped by Chathli for 10.The Kent allrounder’s high-class innings came to an end in the 28th over when she hit Smith to White and Gardner was then lbw for nought to Grace Gibbs.The run rate remained manageable at just over seven, but Smith then trapped Carr lbw and Castle, who had been dropped on 8, was given caught behind off Capsey for 14. Capsey bowled Katherine Speed for 7 and Gray then wrapped up the win with two wickets in the 42nd over. She ripped out Maqsood’s middle stump, bowling her for 2, before getting Kate Coppack lbw for a duck with the final ball of the over.