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Manchester United legend Paul Parker has delivered a brutal assessment of "Primark" striker Rasmus Hojlund after his miserable 2024-25 campaign.

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Hojlund ripped to shredsDeemed a failure at Old TraffordMan Utd advised on potential new No.9Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Hojlund has struggled to live up to expectations since joining United from Atalanta in a £72 million ($98m) deal two years ago. The Denmark international has recorded just 26 goals in 96 appearances for the Red Devils to date, including only four in the Premier League last season, and the 22-year-old's long-term future at Old Trafford is now being called into question.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT PARKER SAID

United have been tipped to sign a new striker this summer, with Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins reportedly among those near the top of Ruben Amorim's wishlist. Speaking to GOAL – in association with – former Red Devils defender Parker expressed his belief that Watkins has all the qualities to solve the team's long-standing No.9 woes. "I'd have to say yes. He's honest, he's a workaholic, and I've found it strange how players are playing in front of him at Aston Villa," he said. "I'm a fan of Ollie Watkins, people will talk about his age, but he's someone who is willing to run the line, someone who will try and turn bad into a good and can score goals. He's very strong in the air as well and he can lead the line, which is a massive plus for Man Utd because they never had that last season – a blind man would have done better."

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However, when asked whether United could sell Hojlund if they do agree a deal for Watkins, Parker struck a more uncertain tone. He added: "I think it'll be difficult to move him on. Man Utd go shopping big and end up with Primark stuff. They've spent fortunes on potential that's failed, they have to give them away cheaply or they have to hope he can watch, listen and learn and improve that way. Then all of a sudden your investment might get strong again. But people are going to judge him when he's deemed as failing at Man Utd. I [also] don't think you can sell him without bringing someone else in after Watkins."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR HOJLUND?

Hojlund needs a strong pre-season if he is to convince Amorim he deserves another chance to be United's leading man, or else the club may step up their interest in Watkins. The Red Devils will open their friendly schedule with a clash against Leeds in Stockholm on July 19 before embarking on a tour of the United States, where they are set to face three more Premier League rivals in the form of West Ham, Bournemouth and Everton.

Arsenal are now planning to submit a £50m offer for an “incredible” striker who has been compared to Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, according to a report.

Gunners stepping up striker pursuit

With Andrea Berta recently officially taking up the role of sporting director, the Gunners appear to be stepping up their pursuit of a new striker, which seems like one of the Italian’s main priorities as we approach the summer transfer window.

A £59m offer has reportedly been submitted for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who is believed to be the north Londoners’ top target, given that a deal for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak may not be possible.

David Ornstein has also dropped another update on the Viktor Gyokeres transfer saga, suggesting Berta is a big fan of the Sporting CP star.

Arsenal have a wide array of potential targets, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike becoming the latest player to make the shortlist, according to a report from Caught Offside.

Ekitike is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League, having impressed in the Bundesliga this season, and the German club are looking to hold out for €80m (£67m).

Newcastle United, Liverpool and Chelsea are also in the race for the striker, which is now starting to heat up, and the English clubs – Arsenal included – plan to submit opening bids of about €60m (£50m) to test the waters, with Frankfurt willing to sell if they receive a suitable offer.

Arsenal now in contact to sign "fantastic" £40m star as agent talks held

The Gunners have set their sights on a player who has impressed in the Premier League this season.

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 30, 2025

"Incredible" Ekitike enjoying best season to date

It is clear to see why so many top clubs are taking an interest in the French striker, given that he is having the best season of his career to date in terms of goals, scoring 19 times in all competitions, while also registering eight assists.

Such is the 22-year-old’s level of performance, he has even been compared to Real Madrid’s Mbappe by Wesley Sneijder, who said: “He has the grace of Neymar, but also the movements of Mbappe.

“To suddenly accelerate, that’s something that Mbappé also has. And he’s only 22 years old. There’s really a lot of potential in this boy.”

Having also been dubbed “incredible” by teammate Rasmus Kristensen, the Frankfurt star is showing signs he could be ready for a move to a top Premier League club this summer.

That said, it would be a risk for Arsenal to sign Ekitike, given that this is the first season of his career where he has been prolific in front of goal, and fellow targets Gyokeres and Isak have proven themselves as reliable goalscorers over a sustained period of time.

“We will offer our views to PCB in due course,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Umar Farooq22-Jun-2023Pakistan’s foreign office has confirmed it is evaluating all aspects of Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India. This is the first public indication from the Pakistan government about taking up an issue that has been pending for a while and has even resulted in a delay in the ICC announcing the tournament’s fixtures list.Pakistan’s involvement in the World Cup is subject to their government’s approval. The PCB had written to the ICC, following the release of a draft schedule to all participating countries a few days ago, to stress that they cannot unilaterally approve the fixture list and the decision will eventually have to come from their government.”We have received the official invitation from the Indian prime minister to our prime minister for the virtual meeting of the heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that is due to take place on the 4th of July,” a spokesperson for the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said in a weekly media briefing in Islamabad. “Pakistan will be represented at the summit. We will be making an announcement regarding our participation in the coming days.”Regarding cricket, Pakistan is of the view that politics should not be mixed with sports. India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan is disappointing. We are observing and evaluating all aspects relating to our participation in the World Cup including the security situation for Pakistani cricketers and we will offer our views to PCB in due course.”The 2023 World Cup, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, is slated to begin on October 5. The India vs Pakistan fixture is set for ten days later in Ahmedabad. It is one of five venues that Pakistan are scheduled to play at during the league phase.Due to strained political relations between the two countries, Pakistan have not toured India since the 2016 T20 World Cup, and even back then there was uncertainty around Pakistan coming to India. The PCB had threatened to pull out of the tournament unless they had clear and public assurance from the Indian government about the security to be provided to their players. These negotiations eventually resulted in the India-Pakistan match having to be shifted from Dharamsala to Kolkata.The PCB has requested the ICC to swap venues for two of their league matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup based on an internal assessment of the grounds they are due to play at. Pakistan are currently scheduled to play Australia in Bengaluru on October 20, and then Afghanistan in Chennai on October 23 but have asked for a change where they play Afghanistan in Bengaluru and Australia in Chennai. The request has been turned down. Normally, security is the primary reason for a venue change at an ICC event. There was no mention of a security threat in the PCB’s internal assessment.Given the already unprecedented delay – World Cup itineraries usually go out a year in advance – the ICC is hoping to finalise the fixture list and provide it to the public by next week. Pakistan have until then to relay their concerns, if any.

Lamine Yamal is ready for a Nations League showdown with "football legend" Cristiano Ronaldo, as Spain seek to dash Portugal's dreams.

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• CR7 still going strong at 40 years of age
• Teenage wonderkid making plenty of headlines
• Set to lock horns in Munich with silverware on the line

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo made a decisive contribution for his country as they battled past Germany in the Nations League semi-finals. Yamal then starred for European champions Spain in their nine-goal thriller with France.

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  An all-time great and potential Golden Ball winner of the future are now preparing to lock horns at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Sunday as more major silverware comes up for grabs.

• WHAT LAMINE YAMAL SAID

  Yamal has said of facing CR7, with the Barcelona youngster having already won three trophies at club level in 2024-25: "He's a football legend. I, like all the players, have huge respect for Cristiano. I will do my job, which is to try to win, and that's it."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is also looking forward to facing Ronaldo and Co, admitting that a clash with Portugal "could be a World Cup final". He said: "We're playing against one of the greats: Cristiano Ronaldo. Just his name stands out – I have limitless admiration for him. It's really great to see a player at his age keep playing and be as fit as he is. I admire him very much."

In Leeds United’s quest for promotion from the Championship this season, it’s pivotal that all the attackers live up to expectations to hand Daniel Farke the best chance of claiming a third league title of his career.

Joel Piroe has been the star man at the top end of the pitch at Elland Road, cementing his place as a regular starter, subsequently notching 15 goals in 35 matches – the most of any player in the division to date.

Manor Solomon is another player who’s thrived with consistent minutes in Yorkshire, registering 14 combined goals and assists in 2024/25 and staking his claim for a permanent move after his temporary stint.

Daniel James is the third first-team star who’s set the division alight in England’s second tier in recent months, achieving a total of 19 goal contributions, just a couple off his tally of last campaign.

However, one other has also impressed but has struggled for regular starts amid the form of other talents, restricting him to minutes off the substitutes bench.

Wilfried Gnonto’s stats for Leeds in 2024/25

After failing to secure promotion last season, many expected winger Wilfried Gnonto to depart Leeds for a Premier League side – following the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter out the door.

However, the Italian stayed put in Yorkshire but has since struggled for starts in 2024/25, starting just 20 matches and having to settle for a place on the bench.

The 21-year-old attacker has registered five goals and five assists to date, still producing an impressive record despite his lack of starting recent weeks.

Solomon and James’s recent form in the Championship has restricted him to just 35 minutes of league action in the last six weeks, with his only goal in 2025 coming in the 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City.

He’s also been outperformed by another former Whites talent, with the club’s decision to offload him now looking to be a regret, considering his form and tender age.

The former Leeds gem who’s outperforming Gnonto

After dropping into the second tier, numerous players have moved to and from Yorkshire, something to be expected as they look to bounce back to the Premier League.

One player who left on loan in the summer was attacker Sonny Perkins, who linked up with Leyton Orient, looking to gain valuable first-team minutes to continue his progression.

The 21-year-old joined the Whites from West Ham United back in 2022 but would make just four senior appearances – leading to Rene Maric dubbing him “super talented” before being sent on loan to Oxford United for the second half of last season.

Perkins has since starred in England’s third tier since his temporary move, becoming a key player in Richie Wellens’ hopes of securing a play-off place.

Previously described as a “goal machine” by former boss Michael Skubala, his move to London is finally seeing him live up to that potential. Indeed, this campaign has seen him register 12 combined goals and assists, leading to a permanent move to the O’s in January, ending his time at Leeds.

The form of the current first team members has massively restricted his playing time at Elland Road, leading to his move away – which could prove to be a mistake down the line.

Sonny Perkins’ stats for Leyton Orient in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

38

Goals & assists

12

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribble success

48%

Chances created

1.1

Duels won

5.9

Possession won in final third

0.8

Stats via FotMob

Whilst he’s featuring in a division below Gnonto, he’s still managed to register more combined goals and assists, showcasing the talent he possesses and having the platform to improve further, given his youthful years.

Given his tender age and recent form this campaign, he could develop into a quality talent, with the Whites potentially ruing their decision to permanently offload the youngster.

There’s no denying that he would once again struggle to make an impact during 2024/25, but given how he’s bettered Gnonto in recent times, he could well continue his development and show the club what they’re missing out on.

Related £30m star failed big time at Leeds, now he's outscoring Summerville

Leeds United have been the home to numerous stars, including one player who’s now outscoring Crysencio Summerville.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Mar 5, 2025

Tottenham and Manchester United's chance to qualify for the Champions League "doesn't sit right" with Micah Richards, amid Arsene Wenger's protests.

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• Rest is Football team debate qualification chances
• Spurs face United in Europa League final
• Winner qualifies for Champions League despite awful campaign

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards discussed Arsene Wenger's claim that the winners of the Europa League should not automatically qualify for the Champions League during The Rest is Football podcast, with the three coming to contrasting conclusions. While Lineker, a former Spurs player, was defensive of the practice – insisting the rule has existed for some time – both Richards and Shearer are agog at the fact that one of the two teams who are currently 16th and 17th in the Premier League table will be playing in Europe's elite club competition next season.

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  Neither United nor Spurs have won any of their last five Premier League games, but they will go head-to-head in Bilbao next week. A win for United would do wonders for their summer transfer planning, but Spurs may well sack Ange Postecoglou regardless of the result.

• WHAT THE REST IS FOOTBALL PODCAST SAID

  Richards said: "It's only been highlighted because Spurs and Man United have been so bad in the league. That's the reward for winning it!"

  Lineker added: "It's not like they've thrown this in at the last minute, it's been like that for a few years."

  Richards replied: "It doesn't sit well with me though that you can be so bad in the league, win a trophy, and then get Champions League football, it's supposed to be the consistency throughout the season. But rules are rules, I don't think we should start debating that now, it's been like that for a while and you just roll with it."

  Shearer mused: "That competition's different this year because the teams that drop out of the Champions League usually go into the Europa League so I think the standard in that competition has probably not been as high as it has been, hence why teams that are going to finish fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League are going to be in the Champions League. It's incredible, really, when you think about it. Fourth and fifth bottom of the Premier League, Man United and Spurs, oh my goodness, it's like… wow."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Both teams have league fixtures before the final next week. Spurs face Aston Villa on Friday, while United face Chelsea on the same evening.

Fulham have now submitted an offer to sign a 53-cap international defender on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Cottagers pushing for the top six

Goals from Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz completed a second-half turnaround for the Cottagers at St. James’ Park on Saturday, propelling them up to ninth in the Premier League table.

After the impressive victory over Newcastle United, Marco Silva’s side are now knocking on the door of the European places, just four points behind rivals Chelsea, who currently occupy sixth place.

It has been a quiet January transfer window for the west Londoners, however, and Silva may feel some new additions are needed before tomorrow’s deadline if his side’s European dreams are to become a reality.

Fulham working on late double deal after submitting offer for "Mitro-regen"

The Cottagers have left it late…

ByTom Cunningham Jan 29, 2025

Earlier this week, it was reported Fulham were pursuing two forwards, in the form of St. Johnstone’s Brodie Dair and Partisan Belgrade’s Dusan Jovanovic, with an offer for the former being accepted by the Scottish club.

Now, it appears as though the Cottagers are also keen to strengthen their backline, with Romano revealing they have submitted a loan bid for AS Roma’s Zeki Celik, which includes an obligation to buy clause.

The Italian side are now said to be evaluating the offer for Celik, with Claudio Ranieri yet to give the green light, and talks are set to continue before the transfer deadline.

Fulham’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Nottingham Forest (h)

February 15th

Crystal Palace (h)

February 22nd

Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

February 25th

Brighton & Hove Albion (a)

March 8th

Tottenham Hotspur (h)

March 16th

A report from Gianluca Di Marzio makes it clear Roma want to get the right-back off the books permanently, having brought in former Ajax captain Devyne Rensch this month, so a loan deal which includes an obligation to buy could be appealing.

Kenny Tete replacement needed at Craven Cottage

With Kenny Tete set to be sidelined for a considerable period of time due to a knee injury, Silva could do with more options at right-back, so it makes sense to pursue a deal for the Roma right-back before the window slams shut.

The Turk is highly experienced at international level, having amassed 53 caps for his country, and he has received consistent game time in all competitions for his current employers this season, including seven outings in the Europa League.

Castagne has by and large been solid at right-back in Tete’s absence, so it may be difficult for Celik to force his way into the starting XI immediately, but it is certainly good news that Silva is looking to bring in additional depth in defence.

Goals from Jimenez and Muniz to secure the win at St. James’ Park on Saturday underlined the fact that Silva’s side are well-stocked in attack, with the former now on nine Premier League goals this term, so a new right-back appears to be the priority target.

Axar Patel moves to 18th among bowlers, while Harry Brook and Ben Duckett also move up in the batters’ list

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2022

Suryakumar Yadav has returned to his career-best No. 2 spot, a rise of one position, in the latest ICC T20I batting rankings.Just one slot and two rating points below Suryakumar is Babar Azam. He also moved up by one position, thanks to his scores of 110*, 8 and 36 in the ongoing seven-match T20I series against England. Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 88*, 8 and 88 in those three games, continued to head the list with a comfortable 60-point lead over second-placed Suryakumar.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

After a first-ball duck in the second T20I against Australia, Suryakumar struck a 36-ball 69 in the third match in Hyderabad to help India win the series 2-1.Pakistan have three more T20Is to go in their seven-match series at home against England, while India now play a three-T20I series at home against South Africa, providing all those three batters a chance to strengthen their positions and, for Suryakumar and Babar, even move up the ladder.England’s Harry Brook and Ben Duckett also made significant progress in the latest update. Both of them struck a half-century and two other scores of over 30 each in their last three games. As a result, Brook has moved to the 29th position and Duckett to the 32nd.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the bowler’s rankings, Axar Patel was the big mover, climbing up from 33rd to 18th after his Player-of-the-Series performance against Australia. In a series dominated by the bat, Axar picked up eight wickets in three games while giving away only 6.30 runs per over.Josh Hazlewood is still at the top there, after picking up three wickets from three games, and is followed by five wristspinners – Tabraiz Shamsi, Adil Rashid, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga and Adam Zampa, in that order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, at tenth position, is the only other fast bowler in top ten, while Haris Rauf has moved to 14th, up by seven places after taking five wickets in the last three matches.In the ODI rankings that considered performances in five matches of the Cricket World Cup League 2 in Port Morseby, Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus has gained 38 places to be joint-49th after his 49 against Papua New Guinea.

Manchester City are looking to replace Bernardo Silva with Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue said to be their choice, however, he is keen on staying.

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• Bernardo Silva set to leave Man City
• Man City interested in PSG star Doue
• Doue happy at PSG- to be handed new contract

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester City are planning to undertake somewhat of a revamp of their squad this summer after the disappointing season they have had so far. With Kevin de Bruyne's departure already confirmed, the latest name to be linked with a forced exit is Portuguese veteran Silva, who has been at the club since 2017.

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  Sky Sports France has reported that City have been impressed by Paris Saint-Germain wunderkind Doue, who has shown a lot of promise with the Ligue 1 giants as they stand the chance to win the European treble, and are hopeful that they may be able to sign him this summer as a direct replacement for Silva.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Doue has a contract with Paris Saint-Germain until the summer of 2029; however, his performances this season have prompted the Ligue 1 giants to consider handing Doue a new contract extension with higher wages and a higher release clause. They will likely only add a one-year extension to his contract length to keep him tied down until the summer of 2030.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

  The eight-time Premier League champions will first have to work hard until the end of the season as they will look to secure a Champions League spot for next year, so as to attract big names in the coming transfer window.

South Africa over-powered in final match of multi-format series as Capsey, Kemp impress

Valkerie Baynes25-Jul-2022

A half-century to Tazmin Brits was no match for a stellar effort with bat and ball from Sophie Ecclestone and another successful youth policy roll-out as England won the final T20I of South Africa’s tour by 38 runs in Derby.England handed an international debut to 17-year-old left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, and she took her maiden wicket when she had South Africa opener Anneke Bosch stumped by Amy Jones for 17. She followed that with the wicket of Brits, caught by Ecclestone for 59 as South Africa fell short in their attempt to overhaul a lofty target of 177.Ecclestone, an old hand for England at the age of just 23, then took two wickets, that of the dangerous Laura Wolvaardt, and then Chloe Tryon with the last ball of the match. But it was her 12-ball 33 not out that pushed England to 176 for 6 after an exciting 25 off just 17, including four fours in a row by Alice Capsey, another 17-year-old playing just her second international match. The victory allowed England to finish off the multi-format series 14-2, South Africa’s only points coming from the drawn Test in June.Cap that!Allrounder Capsey didn’t have a chance to bat on her international debut as England cruised to a six-wicket victory in the second T20I in Worcester, although she did take a wicket with her second ball when she had Lara Goodall caught by Nat Sciver to break a century opening stand.That changed on this occasion, however, following the early loss of Sophia Dunkley, who cut left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba straight to Wolvaardt at point on the first ball of the match. That brought Capsey to the crease in the No. 3 spot vacated by Bryony Smith when Kemp and right-arm quick Issy Wong came into the side, with Freya Davies also making way.Capsey struck the fifth ball she faced – from Masabata Klaas – through long-on for four and she unfurled three more in succession, clearing backward point, piercing the covers and lifting one over backward square. Capsey then turned Ayabonga Khaka to the rope through fine leg to move to 21 off 10 balls and after three overs England were 34 for 1. Mlaba returned to the attack with immediate effect, however, removing Capsey with her seventh delivery, caught by Tryon at mid-off.Alice Capsey produced a sparky maiden innings at No.3•Getty Images

Mlaba makes things happenMlaba, in the side after frontline quick Shabnim Ismail succumbed to a back problem, could have had another but Sciver, on four at the time, overturned her lbw dismissal with replays showing the ball sliding narrowly down the leg side. At the end of the powerplay, England were 53 for 2 and Danni Wyatt bumped that up with a six down the ground off Delmi Tucker, which Anneke Bosch did well to almost reach running round from long-on but failed to get a hand on as it dropped over the rope.But when Mlaba returned in the 11th over, there was no mistaking her dismissal of Sciver, bowled by one that deceived her through the air and clattered into the base of the stumps. When Tryon bowled Wyatt for 30 with another full delivery next ball, England were 86 for 4 and South Africa were regaining a measure of control.Ecclestone cuts looseEngland steadied through Amy Jones’ 28 off 18 balls but after she holed out to Brits at deep square leg off Klaas in the 18th over, Ecclestone picked a four off Khaka through wide long-on in the next as a precursor to what was to come.Ecclestone proceeded to smash 26 off the final over of the innings, bowled by Klaas, beginning with back-to-back fours before sending the fourth ball over the rope at deep midwicket. She then punched the next ball through the covers for four before sending the last ball a long way over the fence beyond the rope at deep backward square.Nonkululenko Mlaba struck twice in her first seven balls•Getty Images

Commonwealth Games ahoyWith women’s cricket set to make a Commonwealth Games debut later this week, both sides will have been looking for takeaways to Birmingham. For England in this series it’s no doubt been getting an encouraging look at their newcomers. Then there was Katherine Brunt, taking a career-best 4 for 15 at the age of 37 in the opening match at Chelmsford to prove she’s well and truly up for the tournament and Ecclestone showing off her ever-present class.England’s experimentation in the batting order has paid off, particularly in the absence of captain Heather Knight, missing with a hip injury for the last two games. Their depth was impressive too on Monday night, not least from Ecclestone at the death.For South Africa it has been a different story after struggling to get going since the Test, then losing Lizelle Lee to a shock retirement, then Kapp and most recently Ismail, who went wicketless in the first two games. Tryon, standing in for unwell captain Sune Luus, successfully mixed up her bowling to have England in trouble early.Brits – who only joined the squad with Kapp’s departure and earned a call-up to the team when Luus fell ill – was excellent in scoring at better than a run-a-ball. But South Africa still look to be a long way short of where their semi-final appearance at the ODI World Cup suggested they might be by now.