Connect with us

Sports

New Zealand Claim Historic First Women’s T20 World Cup Title

Published

on

New Zealand Claim Historic First Women's T20 World Cup Title

In a thrilling final, New Zealand’s White Ferns made history by winning their first Women’s T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in Dubai. This victory marks a remarkable turnaround for the team, who entered the tournament on the back of 10 consecutive losses. It is also their first T20 title after falling short in the finals of 2009 and 2010.

Batting first, New Zealand posted a formidable 158-5, thanks to a pivotal 57-run partnership between Melie Kerr (43 from 38 balls) and Brooke Halliday (38 from 28 balls). The duo helped anchor New Zealand’s innings after South Africa’s bowlers fought back in the middle overs. The Proteas’ attack, however, struggled with discipline, conceding 10 wides and three no-balls, allowing the White Ferns to rack up 48 runs in the final five overs.

South Africa’s response started well, with captain Laura Wolvaardt leading from the front, scoring a fluent 33. Despite a strong start, the Proteas collapsed from 51-0 to 126-9 as New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Kerr (3-24) and Rosemary Mair (3-25), applied relentless pressure. Kerr, who became the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, shone with both bat and ball, delivering a complete performance.

Advertisement

For South Africa, it was a bitter disappointment, having lost their second consecutive T20 World Cup final. Despite their best efforts, they couldn’t handle the growing pressure as the required run rate soared.

This emotional win was particularly significant for New Zealand veterans Suzie Bates and captain Sophie Devine, who were moved to tears after the long-awaited victory. As a historic first, the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded equal prize money to both men’s and women’s tournaments, with New Zealand taking home $2.34 million (£1.75 million) and South Africa receiving $1.7 million (£878,000).

New Zealand’s all-around brilliance on the day ensured that their long wait for a T20 title ended in style.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Cunha’s Late Stunner Lifts United as Arsenal Stumble in Emirates Classic

Published

on

Cunha’s Late Stunner Lifts United as Arsenal Stumble in Emirates Classic

Matheus Cunha produced a moment of high drama at the Emirates Stadium, scoring a stunning late winner to propel Manchester United to a memorable 3–2 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal in a pulsating five-goal encounter.

The result marked Arsenal’s first home defeat of the season and tightened the title race significantly, especially after earlier victories for Manchester City and Aston Villa. While the Gunners remain top of the table, their advantage has now been cut to four points, adding fresh intrigue to the championship run-in.

Arsenal began the contest with authority and looked in control during the opening exchanges. Their pressure told in the 29th minute when United defender Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, giving the hosts a deserved lead and igniting the home crowd.

Advertisement

However, Manchester United showed resilience and composure to find a route back into the match. A loose pass from Martin Zubimendi proved costly for Arsenal, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to race through on goal. The United forward kept his nerve, rounding goalkeeper David Raya before calmly slotting into the empty net to restore parity.

The visitors carried that momentum into the second half and stunned Arsenal just five minutes after the restart. Patrick Dorgu produced a moment of quality, unleashing a powerful strike that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, giving United a surprise lead and silencing the Emirates.

In response, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a bold quadruple substitution in search of inspiration, introducing Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Ben White. The changes appeared to pay off when Merino forced the ball home from a corner in the 84th minute, raising hopes of a late comeback and at least a share of the spoils.

Advertisement

Yet Manchester United had the final say. Just three minutes later, substitute Matheus Cunha collected a pass from Kobbie Mainoo and produced a moment of individual brilliance, curling an exquisite 25-yard strike into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic victory.

Continue Reading

Sports

Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool

Published

on

Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool

Amine Adli delivered a moment Bournemouth supporters will treasure for years, scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal a thrilling Premier League victory over Liverpool and end the visitors’ 13-match unbeaten run at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium.

In a pulsating contest that swung repeatedly, Adli reacted quickest to a goalmouth scramble in the fifth minute of added time, sending the home crowd into raptures just when it seemed Liverpool’s resilience might earn them a point. The goal crowned a performance full of belief and bravery from Andoni Iraola’s side, who refused to settle for a draw even after being pegged back from a two-goal lead.

Liverpool had shown their trademark fighting spirit to recover late on. With 10 minutes remaining, Dominik Szoboszlai struck his second free-kick of the week to make it 2-2, after Virgil van Dijk had earlier headed them back into contention. Yet Bournemouth continued to press, and their ambition was ultimately rewarded in dramatic fashion.

Advertisement

The match turned sharply during a chaotic seven-minute spell in the first half that proved costly for Liverpool. Evanilson opened the scoring in the 26th minute after Van Dijk failed to clear his lines, with Alex Scott’s sharp ball across goal punishing the lapse. In the same phase, Joe Gomez was injured after colliding with goalkeeper Alisson while trying to block the shot, leaving Liverpool temporarily down to 10 men.

With play continuing as Wataru Endo prepared to come on, Bournemouth took full advantage. In the 33rd minute, Alex Jimenez timed his run perfectly to meet James Hill’s through ball and calmly finished through Alisson’s legs to make it 2-0, underlining the Cherries’ ruthlessness.

Liverpool eventually regrouped and responded impressively. On the brink of half-time, Van Dijk rose highest to head home from a Szoboszlai corner, restoring hope. That belief carried into the second half, and Mohamed Salah cleverly rolled a free-kick into Szoboszlai’s path, allowing the Hungarian midfielder to fire low past Djordje Petrovic for the equaliser.

Advertisement

Both sides sensed victory was there to be claimed. Alisson was forced into a fine save to tip Ryan Christie’s effort over the bar, while at the other end Petrovic produced a stunning stop to deny Florian Wirtz, preserving Bournemouth’s momentum and belief.

As the clock ticked into stoppage time, neither team appeared content with a draw. Bournemouth pushed forward once more, and when the ball broke loose in the Liverpool box, Adli kept his composure to finish and spark wild celebrations. Petrovic sprinted to the touchline to embrace the dugout as the Vitality Stadium erupted in collective joy.

The result hands Liverpool their first defeat since November and extends their wait for a Premier League win in 2026. They remain fourth in the table, while Bournemouth climb to 13th, boosted by a result that could prove pivotal for their confidence.

Advertisement

Despite an injury-hit squad and the mid-season loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, Iraola’s players produced a fearless, high-energy display in difficult conditions. While they briefly sat deeper in the second half, their willingness to attack late on defined the evening.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sancho’s Breakthrough Strike Sends Aston Villa into Europa League Last 16

Published

on

Sancho’s Breakthrough Strike Sends Aston Villa into Europa League Last 16

Jadon Sancho marked a memorable milestone by scoring his first goal for Aston Villa as the Premier League side secured a hard-fought victory over Fenerbahce in Istanbul, sealing qualification for the Europa League last 16 with a game to spare.

The decisive moment came in the 25th minute when Sancho reacted sharply to a deflected cross from Matty Cash, rising at close range to nod the ball past Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ederson. It was a composed finish that underlined Villa’s growing confidence on the European stage and gave them a crucial early advantage in a challenging away fixture.

That goal proved enough to maintain Villa’s impressive momentum in the competition. With six wins from their opening seven matches, Unai Emery’s side now sit third in the league phase table and are mathematically guaranteed a top-eight finish, ensuring direct passage into the knockout rounds. The achievement highlights Villa’s consistency and depth as they continue to balance domestic and European ambitions.

Advertisement

Despite the positive outcome, Villa’s victory was not without tension, particularly in the closing stages. With 15 minutes remaining, Fenerbahce thought they had drawn level when Kerem Akturkoglu finished clinically, only for a video assistant referee review to rule the goal out for an offside in the build-up involving former Villa striker Jhon Duran. The intervention proved decisive in preserving Villa’s narrow lead.

Villa, who made six changes from their weekend Premier League draw at home to Everton, controlled much of the contest and created the clearer chances for long spells. Sancho came close to adding a second goal shortly before half-time when he rounded Ederson after being played through by Morgan Rogers, but his effort was dramatically cleared off the line by Fenerbahce captain Milan Skriniar.

Rogers briefly thought he had scored from the rebound, only for play to be stopped after the ball struck the referee in the build-up, bringing the move to an unfortunate end. The forward was again denied later in the match when another effort was ruled out, this time after Sancho had strayed offside before squaring the ball for what would have been a simple finish.

Advertisement

Villa continued to threaten, with Cash going close to a spectacular goal when his dipping 25-yard strike crashed against the far post. At the other end, goalkeeper Marco Bizot played a vital role in preserving the clean sheet, producing an excellent diving save to his right to deny substitute Talisca after the attacker had broken through on goal midway through the second half.

Fenerbahce pushed hard in the final moments, but Villa remained disciplined and resilient, seeing out the game with maturity and composure. The win not only confirms their place in the last 16 but also reinforces the sense that Emery’s side are growing into serious contenders in the competition.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending