Ruben Amorim has once again dismissed suggestions that he is facing the sack at Old Trafford after Manchester United fell to yet another defeat in a woeful performance away at Brentford. The Portuguese coach has picked up this season where he left last campaign as the Red Devils continue to look bereft of ideas. With the club still yet to reach ten league wins under Amorim, time is running out.

Feeble United remain unable to string wins together

Not only have United won just nine of Amorim's 33 Premier League games in charge, the Red Devils have yet to win more than one game on the bounce. It has become commonplace in Amorim's tenure to follow up an impressive victory, like last week's against Chelsea, with an equally spectacular defeat, akin to Saturday's 3-1 loss to Brentford. The United fans and board could be forgiven for beginning to feel frustration at their side's inconsistency and may be growing tired of seeing the Portuguese coach's insistence at playing his 3-4-3 system – a formation that has produced little success at Old Trafford.

Brentford raced into an early 2-0 lead, Igor Thiago scoring a brace within the opening 20 minutes, before United attempted to mount a comeback. Amorim will be pleased that Benjamin Sesko, his big summer signing, finally got off the mark after finishing a chaotic move with an emphatic finish from close range. When Bryan Mbeumo was hauled down in the box by Nathan Collins, the Red Devils looked set to tie up the game, but Bruno Fernandes has his effort saved by Caoimhin Kelleher in the Bees goal. Mathias Jensen then scored a third and put the game, and any hope of salvaging a point, beyond the hopes of United and the under-fire Amorim, who remains defiant.

AdvertisementAFPAmorim backs himself to turn United around

Speaking after the game, via the , Amorim said: "I am always comfortable with the job. I am not concerned, it is not my decision. I will do the best I can every minute I am here. I am never concerned about my job, I am not that kind of guy.

"I'm always doing my job. If I win, I'm in a different state of mind. That is normal, but I'm always confident because I know what to do. I've always taken a lot of responsibility on your own shoulders. We can play better and we need to play better. It's like ups and downs. When you win, you feel that everything, the momentum is here. When you lose, you go back to the same place and you fight again for one win that can help you to create the momentum.

"I cannot tell you more than I say every time I lose the game. Sometimes you see one team that performs really well and you see improvements. And then sometimes you have some games that you don't see that improvement. That gives you the confidence to say that Manchester United is going to get back. So it's always the same conversation. It depends on the next game. So let's try to win the next game and to improve certain things."

Disappointment shrouds United

Following another defeat, the United players are also beginning to feel the pressure of their poor performances. New signing Matheus Cunha is yet to find the back of the net in a Manchester United shirt and admitted that the atmosphere in the dressing room is not in a good place. "[The mood] is horrible. Honestly, horrible. I always say the same, we know how important it is to play for a club like this one and we go for every game to win," he said. "For it not to end like that, it is a horrible feeling. Everyone wanted to do more, everyone needs to do more. Of course, we need to go again, that's only the way."

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Getty Images/GOALMore difficulty lies on the horizon at Old Trafford

United’s next challenge comes in the form of Sunderland, who travel to Old Trafford with confidence after their strong start to life back in the Premier League. Amorim goes into the game knowing that anything other than victory could prove catastrophic. The international break follows next week’s fixture and may prove a good opportunity for the United board to consider alternative options for their dugout. Should Amorim remain in charge over the break, he will have to face a trip to Anfield to take on league leaders Liverpool – a fixture United have a poor recent record in.

The LSG captain said they were “20-25 runs short” after making 171 at the Ekana Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-20252:13

Rapid Fire: How big a concern is Pant’s form?

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) started IPL 2025 with two big totals in away games – even though one resulted in a very slim loss – but when they got to Lucknow for their first home game, they fell “20-25 runs short” after they were put in to bat because they are “still assessing” the conditions at the Ekana Stadium and captain Rishabh Pant said he is “still figuring out a lot of things for the team.”LSG managed 171 for 7 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) and saw the visitors chase that down in just 16.2 overs with eight wickets in hand.”Definitely [our total] wasn’t enough, we were like 20-25 runs short but that’s part and parcel of the game,” Pant said after the game. “It’s our first home game so still assessing the conditions.”LSG went for a track on the slower side, but it came back to bite them after they were asked to bat by PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer. The hosts stuttered to 35 for 3 in the fifth over as Pant fell for a third low score of 2 off five balls to follow a duck and 15 in the first two outings, and finished the first six overs with just 39 on the board, their slowest powerplay of this IPL.”Definitely it’s always going to be tough to get a big total when you lose early wickets, but that’s how the game progresses every day, like you can’t control everything,” Pant said. “Each and every player is trying to take the game forward from there.”When it was time for LSG to defend their below-par total, Pant used three overs of spin – two from Digvesh Rathi and one from Ravi Bishnoi – hoping that the slowness of the track would get him success, but only Rathi got the wicket of Priyansh Arya while Bishnoi was taken apart for 15 runs by Prabhsimran Singh.”The idea was to get a slower wicket because we felt that it was a home game, it’s going to stop a little bit. And I think when you were bowling slow into the wicket, they were still sticking in but we weren’t good enough on the given day. We going to learn from it and move forward.”LSG now have two losses from their first three games but have three more home games out of their next four to get used to the conditions at Ekana.”It’s early in the tournament, can’t say much, still figuring out a lot of things for the team but hopefully it’s going to come nicely for us.”2:11

Aaron: Bishnoi needs to take more responsibility

After Prabhsimran set the base with a 34-ball 69, Iyer sealed his side’s second straight victory, staying unbeaten on 52 off 30 balls. Nehal Wadhera, who was not out on 43 off 25 at the other end, said “all the credit” went to Iyer for the way he is leading them.”All credit goes to the way he’s captaining us and also the way he is boosting our confidence and the way he was telling me things, like, ‘play your natural game, just go with the flow,’ and I just love playing like that,” Wadhera said.Wadhera came on as an Impact Player, in place of Yuzvendra Chahal after he had bowled out, and said he didn’t even know when he reached he ground that he was going to play and was carrying just the one kit for the day. Wadhera was bought by PBKS after playing for two seasons for Mumbai Indians, and is now under a new captain and a new coach, Ricky Ponting.”He’s one of the best coaches I have ever worked under,” Wadhera said. “I’ve never heard any negative talk ever from his mouth and that’s the best thing about him. He just talks positive and when a coach gives you such positive remarks, that automatically boosts your confidence.”

ESPNcricinfo presents Plays of the Day from the first day of the first Test between Australia and India in Melbourne

Sidharth Monga at the MCG26-Dec-2011The break
David Warner had just shaken off a nervous start, hitting Umesh Yadav for a four and an emphatically pulled six in the 12th over when a fine drizzle arrived for the second time in the morning. This time it was deemed heavy enough to walk off. Scarcely had the teams made the change-rooms than the covers came off, and out walked Warner and Ed Cowan. Yadav bowled another bouncer immediately after the break. This one was sharper, beat Warner for pace on the pull, lobbed off Warner’s glove, and settled in MS Dhoni’s hands.The start
Ricky Ponting walked out to a rousing reception from the 60,000-plus that had made their way in by the time Australia lost their first two wickets. At the start of the innings he felt his way through on the most familiar of turfs. He slipped, he stumbled, but the most unexpected of the sights came when he faced his second ball. He began with a trademark stride forward and a leave. The second was a bouncer, and he was not going to shy away. He went for the hook, took his eyes off, and was hit on the head – the picture tells the story. However, he was alert enough to kick the ricochet away from the stumps.The landmark
When debutant Cowan, watchful, leaving everything outside off alone, reached six, he had registered the highest score for an Australian opener in his first innings in 18 years. That was only the start, though. He went on and on and on, patiently picking balls to play like he would words to write, and ended on 68, the best maiden effort for an Australian opener since Wayne Philips scored 159 back in November 1983.The debate
It was only a matter of time before this series would see raging debates over DRS. It arrived soon enough, in the final session of the first day. Zaheer Khan had just got Michael Clarke out when he bowled a peach that Michael Hussey fended at. A huge appeal for a catch behind the wicket followed, which was upheld by umpire Marais Erasmus. Hussey looked miffed, and didn’t make an attempt to hide his disappointment at the decision. Which was just as well, because the replays showed the ball had flicked only his shirtsleeve. Minutes later, Cowan fell to a dodgy decision too, when the Hot Spot and Snicko didn’t show an edge. Cue in heated debate. As fans we would love a wise solution to this debate, but as newspapers, TV channels and websites, we are loving it.The modern-captainitis
Zaheer had just taken two in two, the new man Brad Haddin had just walked in, but when he faced R Ashwin in the next over, this was the field: long-on, deep midwicket, fine leg and just one slip. Need more be said?

da cassino online： After a prolonged negotiation with Brentford to sign Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United now seem to be upping the speed at which they are completing transfers as the close of the window looms near.

da betsul： United’s last pre-season game of the year against Fiorentina was used to show off new striker Benjamin Sesko, who has signed from RB Leipzig for £74 million. United and Newcastle both were pursuing the Slovenian striker, but Ruben Amorim’s side came out on top despite offering lower wages.

United’s next transfer target appears to be a defensive midfielder, and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba is the club’s preferred choice. Most of United’s business this summer, with the exception of Sesko, has focused on Premier League-proven players as they are seen as less of a risk, and Baleba meets that requirement with 61 Premier League appearances under his belt.

Romano delivers weekend Baleba Update

On his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano revealed that United had been holding talks with Baleba’s party over the weekend. It would appear that United are being persistent in their pursuit of this deal and have been speaking “again and again”, as recently as Saturday, with the star’s camp.

At this stage, the talks mainly surround the player’s conditions for joining the club, including the contract and the salary. At the start of last season, Baleba was earning £12,500 a week at Brighton, so he could be receiving a major bump in pay should this move go through.

It currently looks like a major sticking point in the deal would be the club negotiations. Romano added that United are aware of Brighton’s stance and they know “It’s still not something advanced or concrete or easy, they know that the Brighton wall remains very high”.

Despite Brighton’s resistance, United still have hope, and Romano summarised the current situation by saying “as the player is not closing the door… Manchester United feel that they want to try”.

Brighton have become known as a club that identifies talent, develops them and sells them on for a profit. Some of their best work with this strategy can be seen in their defensive midfield department.

Brighton’s Recent DM Business

Bissouma

Caicedo

Baleba

Signed From

LOSC Lille

Independiente

LOSC Lille

Sold To

Tottenham

Chelsea

Manchester United?

Age Signed

21

19

19

Age Sold

25

21

21?

Price Signed

£15 Million

£4.5 Million

£23 Million

Price Sold

£25 Million

£100 Million

£115 Million?

(* For Reported Future Deals) (All Fees Are Base Excl. Add-Ons/Sell-Ons)

Data From The Athletic and TransferMarkt

The above table shows Brighton’s success in this market since 2018, when they signed Yves Bissouma. If Brighton receives the fee they want for Baleba, they’ll have made approximately £197 million in profit in seven years from defensive midfielders alone (excluding sell-on clauses and add-ons).

Although Brighton always command a high fee, both Bissouma and Moises Caicedo have been good transfers for their new clubs. Bissomua played the entirety of last season’s Europa League final, which saw Tottenham win their first major trophy since 2008, and Caicedo has won both the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup with Chelsea.

While United may struggle to sign Baleba this window without some major player sales or a shrewdly constructed deal, he may be worth going all out for next summer. The midfield seems like one of the last pieces of the team Amorim needs to fill, and with Brighton’s track record of development in this position, Baleba may be the missing piece.

وافق مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، بشكل رسمي، على طلب نظيره النصر الليبي.

وكان النصر الليبي قد طلب من الزمالك خوض مباراة ودية في مباراة اعتزال خالد حسين نجم منتخب ليبيا وفريق النصر الليبي.

ومن المقرر أن تقام المباراة يوم 15 نوفمبر الجاري بين الزمالك والنصر الليبي.

وتولى أحمد سليمان عضو مجلس إدارة القلعة البيضاء والمشرف على الكرة الاتفاق على كافة تفاصيل المباراة. 

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يفوز على اتحاد الشرطة في الدوري المصري لكرة الطائرة

وتسافر بعثة الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي إلى ليبيا يوم الأربعاء المقبل على متن طائرة خاصة تم توفيرها من الجانب الليبي، لخوض المباراة الودية.

Chelsea are continuing their serious progress when it comes to selling players this summer, with talks ongoing to offload another star with Lesley Ugochukwu, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka.

"Brave" Chelsea player who Maresca loves now "wants to leave" this summer

The Blues could lose one of their best prospects.

ByTom Cunningham Aug 4, 2025

In the last 72 hours, Enzo Maresca’s side have raised around £65 million in outgoings, starting with Armando Broja, who’s completed a move to Burnley (Fabrizio Romano).

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Since then, Kieran Dewsbury-Hall has agreed a switch to Premier League rivals Everton and Ugochukwu has agreed to follow Broja to Turf Moor. Once all of those deals are announced, the club are expected to raise their total transfer income to far north of £200 million.

As things stand, Chelsea are around £58 million away from completely balancing their books, which is imperative considering their pact with UEFA.

Their seismic financial windfalls from winning the Club World Cup and qualifying for the Champions League next season have already put Chelsea in solid financial stead when it comes to PSR, but it is an entirely different case when it comes to FFP.

The Blues were fined for breaching FFP rules last month and must produce a ‘positive transfer balance’ if they want to register new signings for the Champions League next season, which explains their impressive hustle in agreeing a host of exit deals recently.

Amid Chelsea’s talks to sign both RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons and Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho, the need to make sales won’t stop here.

Borussia Dortmund are in talks to sign Carney Chukwuemeka again, so there could be yet another opportunity for Chelsea to seal another quick-fire exit this week.

Alongside the aforementioned quartet who have played their last games in Chelsea blue, £195,000-per-week attacker Christopher Nkunku can still leave Stamford Bridge before deadline day.

Chelsea in talks to sell Christopher Nkunku

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who says Chelsea are in ongoing talks over selling Nkunku after a mixed campaign.

The Frenchman still managed to rack up 15 goals in all competitions, despite not being a key player under Maresca last season, and there is a belief that United are still targeting Nkunku among other interested sides.

Called a “top player” by ex-teammate João Félix, Chelsea have apparently been forced to reduce their asking price for the ex-Leipzig sensation too, so clubs will certainly be tempted to bite the bullet.

Bukayo Saka is an individual that every team in the Premier League wants their own version of, including Chelsea.

The Arsenal ace has been absolutely sensational over the past two seasons in particular, becoming a standout player for club and country.

Last campaign, the number seven scored 16 goals and provided nine assists in 35 Premier League starts, which is a fantastic record for a winger.

With the 22-year-old’s brilliance in mind, let’s take a look at a Blues transfer target who could just become their very own Saka.

Chelsea’s search for their own Saka

According to a report from GiveMeSport, Chelsea have taken a giant leap towards securing transfer target Michael Olise.

It’s mentioned that personal terms have now been verbally agreed upon between the winger and the Blues.

This is a huge step given that Manchester United were also keen, but it’s said that “a deal isn’t close just yet.”

Nevertheless, Chelsea are now in talks with Palace to arrange the “scheduling of payments” to activate his £60m release clause.

How Olise compares to Saka

Last season, Olise endured a campaign that mirrored a rollercoaster, with plenty of highs often followed by lows.

The French winger’s season only started in the middle of November after picking up a hamstring injury in the summer.

Olise was slowly getting back to his best before another hamstring issue struck at the start of February, which saw him miss a further eight matches.

This meant that the number seven only made 14 Premier League starts across the whole campaign, but his return of ten goals and six assists proves just how influential he truly was when on the grass.

Goals

0.70

0.49

Assists

0.42

0.28

Shots

3.94

3.15

Touches

67.5

60.2

Passes completed

38

35.3

Shot-creating actions

5.77

5.8

Successful take-ons

2.82

1.51

As you can see from the table, it’s no surprise that FBref classified the two forwards as 'similar players'.

Firstly, just like Saka, Olise is a left-footed right winger who can not only be deadly when cutting inside, but he’s also a threat when going to the byline to produce a cutback.

The duo are among the very best in the Premier League in regards to chance creation, and they serve as a constant outlet throughout the game, with their heavy involvement displayed via their touches and passes completed.

However, the “outstanding” Olise, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is ever so slightly more direct than the Gunners ace, which makes him more unpredictable in the final third, as shown by his superior shots and successful dribbles.

It’s also important to remember that nine of Olise’s ten goals came from open play, whereas Saka netted six from the spot, which proves their numbers are extremely similar when excluding the advantage of taking penalties.

Nevertheless, with Olise inevitably playing on the right of Enzo Maresca’s 4-2-3-1, it would mean that Cole Palmer will be handed the task of operating in central zones, and their link-up together could prove to be frightening.

Overall, signing a player of Saka’s quality in Olise would be an absolutely incredible move, and it’d certainly send a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

No Jackson, £226m trio sign: Enzo Maresca's dream lineup at Chelsea

Chelsea are set for a busy summer with plenty of signings expected.

ByTom Lever May 29, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

da brdice： A Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) sofreu diversos ataques racistas ao longo desta semana, principalmente após o jogo contra a Argentina, que foi realizada na terça-feira (21). As agressões não foram apenas a entidade, mas também a jogadores e torcedores brasileiros, onde os comparavam a “macacos”.  

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da brwin： As ofensas também foram direcionadas ao Presidente da CBF Ednaldo Rodrigues, que que recebeu comentários pejorativos sobre sua etnia.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

➡️ Clube do Brasileirão compra ex-zagueiro do Santos e coloca multa de R$ 267 milhões

– Tenho orgulho de ser o primeiro negro, nordestino, descendente de indígenas a ocupar a presidência da CBF. Sempre soube e sigo consciente da minha luta e das dificuldades que terei que passar ao longo da minha vida por não ter origem na elite do Brasil, de ter vindo do interior do Nordeste – declarou o presidente.

A entidade já tomou as medidas cabíveis nesse caso, que são: comunicar as autoridades policiais, visando a identificação e punição dos autores desses ataques, pois se tratam de crimes capitulados na legislação brasileira, inclusive punidos com pena de prisão.

The weather wasn’t too hot, nor was the bowling, but the Sri Lankan batsmen gave the fans something to shout about

Adam Shoesmith16-May-2011Choice of game
It was an easy decision to go to this one. Never before did I have such a short journey to make to a cricket match: a 20-minute bus journey to see a world-class international team for a mere £10. It makes the £70 that Lord’s are charging for next month’s Test look positively astronomical in comparison. After Strauss helped himself to a century on day one, I predicted a dominant Sri Lanka would rack up the runs.Team supported
With no great loyalty to either side, I was looking for a good day’s play. Early on, Dilshan had a half-hearted appeal against him and at that point I was certainly hoping he would stay in so I could see more of him in action. However, by the time tea ticked around I was desperate to see Middlesex take a wicket that didn’t involve the word “retired”.Key performer
How could it be anyone other than Dilshan? He was still probably jet-lagged, and a swirling, biting wind across the pitch could have made life difficult for Sri Lanka’s new captain, but he thrived on a flat track against a listless, impotent Middlesex attack to kickstart his campaign on English soil with a century. His acceleration in the morning to take himself to 69 by lunch, while Paranavithana was down the other end on half that score, was the most impressive aspect of the performance.One thing you’d have changed about the day
The weather. It was a day of thick woolly jumpers all round. A cold wind, with heavy cloud and spitting rain, was only partially interrupted by the briefest rays of sunshine. Not much problem if you are playing, but very chilly for stationary spectators. Jumpers in the merchandise tent sold out before lunch.The interplay you enjoyed
Unfortunately this game was not much of a contest. Middlesex were just unable to apply any consistent pressure. This was to be expected as they played many of their 2nd XI bowlers, but it meant the most gentle and sedate of introductions to English conditions that the tourists could have hoped for, and little for the crowd to get stuck into.Wow moment
A period in the morning session where Dilshan clearly thought he was still batting for Royal Challengers Bangalore, taking 14 runs from Tom Smith’s first over of the day.Shot of the day
From that expensive over, the big shot of the day was a smashed six straight by Dilshan, over the bowler’s head, over the sightscreen, out of the ground, and into a nearby residential front garden. It took a few minutes to fetch that one back.Player watch
I sat by the players’ balcony, and there was a steady buzz throughout the day as an army of Sri Lankan fans had taken advantage of the small, intimate ground, plus the relaxed nature of their heroes, to get as many autographs and photos as possible. The Middlesex players did not have much to cheer; the most animated that young bowler Gurjit Sandhu, fielding near me, got was when motioning to the balcony for liquid refreshment. He must have been tired from having to fetch the ball from the boundary so often.Crowd meter
The large turnout of Sri Lankan fans helped boost not only numbers, but to create a bit of a buzz around the ground. I am sad to report that yet again the anti-fun police sprung immediately into action when a Sri Lankan fan dared to wave his small flag around in support. I simply do not understand why flags are banned from matches at some grounds in this country. This was a warm-up match, played in front of just a few hundred people, it wasn’t televised… was he really doing any “harm” with his flag? It was a highlight, though, when after remonstrations with stewards, the flag owner offered the witty riposte: “So, will you also be confiscating that Sri Lankan flag flying above the pavilion too, then?”Entertainment
Good selection of food on offer from the Indian stall, including those favourite staples – and . Braver folk than I sank cold beers and ice-cream on what was an unseasonally cold day in Uxbridge. I think cups of tea were the day’s number one seller.County v Twenty20
Following the World Cup and a recent diet of two matches daily of sugary IPL, this certainly looked like a return to the more patient long form of the game. Overcast conditions, the red Duke ball, and a 90% male crowd with scoring books in hand certainly gave this illusion off the pitch. On it, however, clearly no one had told the Sri Lankans, who cantered along at over five runs an over. Their innings would not have looked out of place in a 50-over game.Overall
Seven on 10. A great, inexpensive day out for a cricket fan of any denomination, seeing two world-class players make fine centuries, even though there was nothing by way of competition or contest between the two sides. You were out of luck if you were hoping to see any wickets.

Rhianna Southby, Abi Freeborn score 70s with Linsey Smith, Chloe Brewer in the wickets

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Apr-2025

Chloe Brewer claimed three wickets•Warwickshire Cricket

Women’s county cricket started in scintillating style in Birmingham as Warwickshire and Hampshire tied an absolute thriller in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition opener at Edgbaston.On a pitch which never yielded runs easily, Hampshire chose to bat and were bowled out for 208 in 48.3 overs, as only Rhianna Southby (72 from 95 balls – her maiden 50-over half-century) and Abi Norgrove (28, 46) passed 20. Chloe Brewer took 3 for 40 and there were two wickets apiece for Emily Arlott and Georgia Davis.Warwickshire then were also all out for 208, their last wicket falling from the final ball of the 50th over. Abi Freeborn’s composed 70 (96 balls) put them on top but Linsey Smith, with 4 for 39, cut through the lower middle order to leave Warwickshire’s last two wickets needing to find 44.In fading light, Charis Pavely, Georgia Davis and Hannah Baker did brilliantly to find 43 before skipper Davis was run out off the last ball.As women’s county cricket dawned in Birmingham, the first delivery of the new era, by Emily Arlott to Maia Boucher, was met by a forward defensive. The batter may reflect that she should have repeated that stroke 26 balls later when she went back to Arlott and played on.On a cloudy morning, batting was far from straightforward and Ella McCaughan was bowled by a lovely in-ducker by Brewer. Charli Knott and Georgia Adams tried to break the shackles by hoisting the spinners straight but found only mid-off off Hannah Baker and Georgia Davis respectively.Southby and Norgrove built a responsible stand of 62 in 14 overs before the latter looked skyward in disbelief after flicking Davis straight to mid-wicket. Southby passed 50 from 75 balls but the innings petered out as the last five wickets fell for 25 runs in 33 balls.Smith was run out by Davina Perrin’s throw. Southby dragged an attempt cut at Brewer onto her stumps. Arlott hit Nancy Harman’s leg-stump and the innings ended with wickets in successive balls when Poppy Tulloch was run out by Perrin’s direct hit and Brewer struck Freya Davies’ middle-stump.Warwickshire openers Freeborn and Sterre Kalis started solidly with 35 in eight overs before the latter edged Lauren Bell behind. Freeborn and Perrin added 51 but Hampshire struck back when Smith turned one past Perrin’s defence to win an lbw decision and George ran herself out, going for a second run that didn’t exist.At 134 for 3, with Freeborn in quiet control, Warwickshire were on top but two wickets in five balls reversed the flow of the game. Freeborn missed a sweep at Knott and was lbw and Natasha Wraith sent a leading edged off Bell to cover.Smith added the wickets of Arlott, caught at mid-on, Brewer, who chipped to mid-wicket and Bethan Ellis, lbw, and suddenly Warwickshire’s last two wickets had 44 to find. Pavely and Davis valiantly garnered 24 in the gathering gloom but Pavely played on to Davies with 20 still needed.Davis and Baker chipped away to leave four required from the last over, bowled by Adams. Three singles from the first four balls took the scores level and, her side assured at least a tie, Davis was run out going for an impossible single off the last ball.