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Arsenal and Chelsea managers Renee Slegers and Sonia Bompastor called for the introduction of VAR in women's football after a nail-biting Women's Super League clash between the two London rivals on Saturday. The reigning champions took the lead through Alyssa Thompson's first half strike, while the Gunners staged a comeback in the second half as Alessia Russo scored a late equaliser.

London rivals play out exciting draw

Arsenal kept their fading title hopes alive as they came back from behind to hold reigning champions Chelsea to a 1-1 draw. The Blues dominated proceedings in the first half and took the lead through summer signing Thompson, who scored her maiden WSL goal. In the second half, the Gunners bounced back in style, putting the ball into the back of the net three times, but only one of those goals stood.

Gunners boss Slegers and Chelsea's Bompastor were furious with some of the refereeing calls as both head coaches called for the introduction of VAR in the WSL. With the result at Emirates Stadium, the Blues have now equalled the longest unbeaten streak in WSL history, having gone 33 league matches without a loss. In the current season, they have won six out of their first eight games and are at the top of the WSL table, two points clear of Manchester City.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlegers and Bompastor slam refereeing decisions

Speaking to reporters after the match, Arsenal boss Slegers said: "At the moment, if you ask me I think in a game like this, we need just decisions. We need justice. That’s where I think VAR and technology can come in. There’s more and more at stake in the WSL, at the top but also in the relegation battle and everything in between. There’s more and more at stake. I think we have to look at how we grow the game in all aspects."

Bompastor, omeanwhile, said: "I think bringing the technology into the women’s game would be probably the best call we can make. This fixture is probably one of the most beautiful games in the world. Everyone wants to be involved in this game for many reasons. Two good teams. The atmosphere at the Emirates was great. So it’s really, really good publicity for the WSL. We should balance that with the refereeing."

Were the decisions wrong?

Arsenal's Stina Blackstenius saw her goal cancelled in the 53rd minute when she converted a brilliant long-range shot. The Gunners stars were ecstatic as they started celebrating the equaliser, only to realise later that referee Melissa Burgin had given a free-kick against Blackstenius for handling the ball earlier. 

Replays later showed that Blackstenius might not have handled the ball and rather moved her arm backwards while controlling with her midriff. Slegers was understandably furious as she added: "I had no idea [the goal had been disallowed]. The goal is scored, no one is calling for it, I turn around, the players are celebrating, the stadium goes crazy, it’s a fantastic moment, we celebrate shortly then connect with the tech staff on what do we do from here, what’s the plan going forward. Then all of a sudden I turn around and see somebody saying the goal is disallowed so I was very surprised."

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Getty Images SportWSL giants gear up for European action

After the high-intensity contest in north London, the two WSL giants will now prepare to face their European opponents in the Women's Champions League in midweek. The Blues face St Polten on Tuesday, while the Gunners take on Bayern Munich a day later. Next Sunday, in WSL, Chelsea are will take on Liverpool away from home and the Gunners will lock horns against arch-rivals Tottenham in the north London derby.

Liverpool are waiting for this nightmare to end, rediscovering the form of last season under Arne Slot’s wing that led to the Premier League title and a summer of sweeping changes.

The signings made this summer were completed after meticulous research, but, nonetheless, the Reds have been dismal this year, lacking identity and inspiration. Even in victory have Liverpool given their opponents plenty of optimism.

It’s worth noting that Liverpool were far better defensively than has so often been the case this term, but this has done little to calm the anxieties of supporters who have been forced to accept a bleak new norm.

Among the bitter pills swallowed has been the form of captain Virgil van Dijk, the centre-back very much at the core of Liverpool’s problems this season and lacking solutions so often provided across his illustrious career at the club.

Virgil van Dijk's drop-off this season

Liverpool’s monster has been made mortal by the tailspin of Slot’s system this season. Ibrahima Konate’s struggles have no doubt been exacerbated by the slow recession of Van Dijk’s indomitability.

He is 34 years old, 35 at the end of the season. It is only natural that the Netherlands skipper should begin to wind down. However, it presents Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes with quite the conundrum as Konate edges toward the expiry of his £70k-per-week contract.

Liverpool signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for about £27m this summer, but the 18-year-old Italian tore his ACL on his debut against Southampton and is not expected back until the start of next season.

The Italian would have offered a much-needed dimension over the past few months, allowing Slot to enforce more rotation, with Konate having started each of his side’s Premier League fixtures this season despite his rut. Van Dijk is now foundering beside him.

Change is needed, and with the winter transfer window approaching, it’s clear that Liverpool need a centre-back.

Liverpool targeting centre-back this January

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are set to table a bid for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi this winter, having reopened direct communications this week with the player’s agents after fumbling a deal to sign him in August.

Guehi is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season, and while Liverpool had a clean shot at the 25-year-old at the start of the season, notably even agreeing personal terms with the player, rival interest is now sure to be thick, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid considered suitors.

Sources suggest FSG are willing to offer around £25m for Guehi’s signature in January, paying something of a premium for one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League.

What Guehi would bring to Liverpool

Guehi could well be plying his craft for Liverpool right now, but it wasn’t to be as sporting director Richard Hughes gambled and left it late, Palace barring the door at the eleventh hour after failing to find a replacement.

It’s a real shame. Guehi is a seasoned Premier League star who just keeps on evolving. He has been hailed as a “monster in defence” by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, but he is so much more.

As per data-driven site FBref, Guehi ranks among the top 7% of central defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for through balls, the top 6% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 15% for tackles won per 90.

If Liverpool succeed in completing a deal for the two-footed centre-half this winter, it could carry the weight of that one-time signing of Van Dijk, who joined from Southampton midway through the 2017/18 season for a £75m fee.

Van Dijk needs no introduction. He is one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, a titan of the game.

He dovetailed into Jurgen Klopp’s exciting team and reinforced it with steel. He was the mortar which filled in the cracks and created a superteam.

Big boots to fill, but Guehi has been extensively profiled and could emulate the Netherlands man by arriving at the season’s midpoint, providing that dearly desired relief.

After such incredible success in recent years, it is staggering that Liverpool have plummeted so far beneath their expected level. This borders on a crisis, and one signing won’t stop the rot for good, but Guehi has the combative, confident defensive style to help put the Reds back on track, with his quality in the build-up something that Konate simply doesn’t possess.

It’s Van Dijk-esque, and given that Guehi would be arriving in January after previous attempts to sign him, this could have the much-needed echoes of that euphoric deal.

Fewer touches than Alisson & only 2 passes: Liverpool flop must be dropped

Arne Slot has a huge call to make about one player after his showing for Liverpool last night.

2

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 4, 2025

Leeds United secured a sensational win in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Daniel Farke’s side beat title challengers Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road, to pick up a huge three points in their quest for top-flight survival.

The game started in perfect fashion for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Defender Jaka Bijol rose highest from a corner to head home, after making a darting run from the edge of the 18-yard box to the corner of the six-yard box before unleashing his powerful header.

Chelsea did not really threaten despite dominating possession, having 71% across the game. Leeds were able to double their lead on the stroke of half-time, thanks to a sublime effort from Ao Tanaka.

The ball broke to Jayden Bogle on the edge of the box, who laid it off to Tanaka. The midfielder smashed it in from range to put his side 2-0 up.

Enzo Maresca’s men were able to pull a goal back just five minutes after the restart through Pedro Neto. However, Leeds resisted their pressure and managed to get a third goal after a calamitous mistake from Chelsea allowed Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score.

It was a superb win for Leeds, with some standout performances across the pitch.

Leeds’ best players vs. Chelsea

One of the most impressive things about this Leeds victory was how hard everyone worked. That was certainly the case for captain Ethan Ampadu. Playing against his former club, the Welshman was the dominant force in midfield.

His stats from the game reflect how well he performed, both on and off the ball. Ampadu had 54 touches of the ball and had an 86% pass accuracy. He also won six duels and made six ball recoveries.

It was an all-action showing from the Wales international.

Another player who shone for the Whites was right wing-back Bogle. He was a real handful for Chelsea going forward, with his performance earning him an 8/10 rating from Graham Smyth, journalist for the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Smyth praised the fact that he ‘drove Leeds forward’, with the defender a real threat in attack.

That all came to a head with his assist for Tanaka, where he pounced on a loose ball before a Chelsea player could reach it, and quickly found his teammate with a first-time pass.

Ampadu and Bogle played well, but they were arguably outshone by one of their teammates.

Leeds’ best signing since Raphinha

It seemed to be a good night for wing-backs at Elland Road. Bogle was not the only one who stood out, with left wing-back Gabriel Gudmundsson one of the best players in a White shirt against Chelsea.

He enjoyed plenty of success defensively, coming up directly against the electric Estevao, and offered a threat going forward.

Gudmundsson won an exceptional 12 from 19 duels and five from eight tackles, as well as creating two chances.

Gudmundsson key stats vs. Chelsea

Stat

Number

Touches

55

Ground duels won

12/19

Tackles won

5/8

Ball recoveries

6

Crosses completed

2

Key passes

2

Stats from Sofascore

The excellent performance from the Swede was noticed by Smyth, who gave him a 9/10 for his efforts. The journalist praised him for how well he got forward, and credited him for the fact that he ‘got back in to defend and do his bit’.

As far back as September, the left-back was being called “the best” player in the Premier League in his position by journalist James Marshment.

The 26-year-old has made a brilliant start to life at Elland Road, featuring in all 14 of their top-flight games so far, and playing 90 minutes nine times.

There is a case to be made that the defender is Leeds’ best signing since Raphinha. The Brazilian was exceptional for the West Yorkshire side, and really hit the ground running in the Premier League. He managed 15 goals and assists in his first top-flight season.

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Well, Gudmundsson is making an equally fast start. To be branded as one of the best players in the league so soon is a testament to how well he has performed.

There haven’t really been any Leeds players who have started this fast, especially on the top-flight since Raphinha, with several of the players they have signed in previous Premier League campaigns now having left the club.

Farke will be desperate for this form to continue, and for Gudmundsson to prove he is one of their best signings since Raphinha.

Related Better than Calvert-Lewin: 9/10 hero had his best game for Leeds vs Chelsea

This Leeds star shone in their 3-1 win over Chelsea

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Dec 4, 2025

Boston Red Sox rookie phenom Roman Anthony got his first chance to play at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night and more than made the most of it, blasting a two-run homer to put his mark on the storied rivarly. There will likely be many, many more chapters as he embarks on what is expected to be a long and productive career in Boston.

He punctuated the moment with a well-earned bat flip. After the game he revealed that he didn't even know he was doing that.

“It just happened. I don’t even know. I don’t usually do that,” he said.

Anthony also spoke about his first time in hostile territory and how the Bronx crowrd lived up to his expectations, and then some.

“It’s probably what I imagined and maybe even a little more,” Anthony said. “For me, I love playing in that atmosphere. I love getting booed. I love everything about it.

It's just a single game but that sounds like bad news for Yankees fans. If an opposing player feeds off the negativity and then shuts it up by blasting a tape-measure home run that's perhaps a sign that a new strategy is in order.

Not that New York is suddenly going to be super nice to the presumed future face of the Red Sox or anything. Let's not get crazy. And of course it's way easier to enjoy the boos when one is winning and contributing. They might hit a little different during a prolonged team slide or slump on the plate.

Alarm bells are blaring in the Bronx after Aaron Judge was placed on the 10-day IL with a right flexor strain. While the Yankees were lucky to avoid further injury to their superstar outfielder, the injury couldn't have come at a worse time with the team currently owning MLB's second worst record since June 13.

As the team continues to flounder across virtually every facet of the game, they are also sliding down the standings and find themselves at risk of potentially missing out on the postseason altogether.

As it stands, the Yankees sit in second in the AL East and have fallen 6 1/2 games behind the division-leading Blue Jays. New York has lost seven of its last 10, enabling the third-place Red Sox to narrow the gap between them to just one game. The wild card race is tightening, too, as the Yankees are holding onto the best of the three AL wild card spots by a thread, with their lead shrinking to just one game.

Judge's injury will require some steady navigation from the front office as it reassesses its best steps at the trade deadline. Losing Judge for any period of time will likely see New York slip further down the standings, and they'll also be forced to decide whether Giancarlo Stanton is a viable option in right field given Judge's elbow injury and its impact on his ability to throw when he returns.

We'll take a look at a few courses of action for the Yankees at the trade deadline, discussing what their best moves are following the temporary absence of their leader and AL MVP candidate in Judge.

Remain Buyers, but Focus on Players With Multiple Years of Control

Three players from CSK make it. Find out who else is there on the list

Omkar Mankame28-May-20252:36

Moody: Brevis and Noor will be central to CSK’s plans next season

Ayush Mhatre (CSK)After going unsold at the auction, Brevis returned to the league as an injury replacement for Gurjapneet Singh. The 22-year-old was part of the MI set-up in 2022 and 2024 and had played a key role in MI Cape Town’s (MICT) maiden SA20 win earlier this year, scoring 38 off 18 balls in the final.At CSK, Brevis made the most of his opportunities. He scored at least 32 in five of his six innings, with the only exception being a first-ball duck against RCB, where he failed to review an lbw decision. His impact can best be illustrated by the fact that he struck 17 sixes during his stint – the second most by a CSK batter this season.Urvil Patel struck at 212.50 this season•BCCIUrvil Patel (CSK)The timing of the IPL 2025 mega auction – held before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 – meant teams missed out on some of the in-form domestic players. One of them was Gujarat’s Urvil, who topped the sixes charts, with 29 in six innings and also holds the record for the joint second-fastest T20 century.Drafted in as a replacement for Vansh Bedi, Urvil made an immediate impression, dispatching the second ball he faced in the IPL for a six. His 31 off 11 balls helped set up CSK’s first successful 180-plus chase in over six years. He featured in just three innings – one of which ended in a two-ball duck – but he showed glimpses of the aggressive style that could make him a key power-hitter in the seasons to come.2:53

Kumble: Dubey beating batters with pace, not just turn

Harsh Dubey (SRH)Despite an early exit from the IPL, SRH may have unearthed a long-term prospect in Dubey. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner impressed in his first two appearances, with figures of 1 for 44 and 1 for 20, before delivering a standout performance in SRH’s final match of the season – returning 3 for 34 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His dismissal of Andre Russell, who walked off even before the umpire raised the finger, was the highlight of his spell.SRH had backed Zeeshan Ansari as their frontline spinner after Adam Zampa’s injury, but Dubey’s performances suggest he could push for a more prominent role next season.Corbin Bosch contributed with the bat, ball and in the field for Mumbai Indians•BCCICorbin Bosch (MI)Picked as a replacement for fellow South African Lizaad Williams, Bosch joined MI after playing a key role in MICT’s SA20 title run, where he finished as their joint-third-highest wicket-taker.Bosch featured in only three matches this IPL season but made useful contributions. With the bat, he chipped in with 20 off ten balls and 27 off 22 – both timely efforts in tight situations. With the ball, his most economical performance came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), when he returned 1 for 26 in four overs.Shardul Thakur picked 13 wickets in ten innings for LSG•AFP/Getty ImagesShardul Thakur (LSG)After eight consecutive IPL seasons, Shardul went unsold at the 2025 auction. He was preparing for a county stint with Essex when LSG called him up as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan.Shardul made an immediate impact, taking six wickets in his first two games, including a match-winning 4 for 34 against SRH. However, he couldn’t sustain that form and was left out of the XI – or XII – in subsequent matches.Mustafizur Rahman reminded the IPL of his worth•BCCIMustafizur Rahman (DC)Delhi Capitals (DC) signed Mustafizur as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk once IPL 2025 resumed post suspension. His best performance came in DC’s final league game against PBKS in Jaipur, where he dismissed Priyansh Arya, Shashank Singh, and Marco Jansen.However, since he was brought in as a temporary replacement, Mustafizur will not be eligible for retention by DC ahead of IPL 2026, in line with the revised replacement regulations.

The World Cup draw yielded a number of fascinating groups – and the hype for the 2026 tournament can truly build

Are you excited yet? Can you feel it properly? Do you know, exactly, how this is all going to go? The World Cup is always fun in abstract. There are ideas, dreams and hopes. What this thing look like? Who do we our team to get? But the hypothetical discussion runs out, and it all feels a bit silly. What can you say when you don't relly know anything? Not all that much. 

Well, now we know things. FIFA's gaudy 48-team World Cup was unveiled in baffling fashion at the Kennedy Center Friday afternoon, and amid the pomp and circumstance of it all, the balls coughed up a pretty compelling draw. The host nations are all in intriguing groups. There will be some terrific matchups: Portugal-Colombia, France-Norway, Brazil-Morocco. 

There really isn't a dud here. Even the groups that seem a little more predictable feature some good games – at least, on paper. It's now time, officially, to get excited. But which groups are the best? Which favorite can feel pretty good about their chances? And who might get grouped early? GOAL U.S. writers break down the draw in another edition of… . 

ImagnWhich of the co-hosts got the best draw?

TH: The USMNT, and by some distance. Australia, Paraguay and likely Turkey? That's a winnable group. Canada did OK, too, but Switzerland aren't pushovers, and Italy, should they make it, will be tough. But Mauricio Pochettino is the guy who can be happiest. 

RT: The USMNT will feel good. While none of their games are slam dunks, they are all winnable, which gives them a realistic path to the knockouts. Looking ahead, there’s a date with Belgium lurking, which is a lot better than France or Argentina. Overall, the USMNT will be pretty happy, although Mexico’s draw could have been a lot worse, too.

AdvertisementAFPWhat's the best group?

Tom Hindle: Well, they're all pretty good! Is there a single dud here? Sure, we're supposed to get hyped and reactionary and giddy, but it's hard to see any weaknesses – even in an oft-maligned 48-team field. The safe bet has to be France, Senegal, Norway, and whichever playoff team makes it (likely Bolivia). There is a real chance that France, among the faves, could lose two of those games. Now THAT could make things interesting. 

Ryan Tolmich: Group I gets it. France-Norway is going to be fantastic as it gives us that mouthwatering Mbappe-Haaland matchup. Then there’s Senegal, a team with the ability and experience to play with both of those sides. Mix in an underdog with a point to prove from the playoffs, and you have a very fun group.

GettyWhat's the least competitive group?

TH: It was a BIG day for stat-pad-Ronaldo. Portugal did OK, didn't they? Colombia will push them – and could win the group – but Uzbekistan and whoever wins the first FIFA playoff will surely struggle. It's pretty easy to pick No. 1 and 2 there, even if the exact order is up for debate. 

RT: See you in the knockouts, Argentina. They’ve been given an easier run there with Austria, Algeria, and Jordan on the docket. That should allow the champions to surge through the group and really peak later on.

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Getty Images SportBased on the groups, who is your early favorite to win it?

TH: This might be a regrettable prediction later. But, , England have done rather well here. They should navigate their group pretty easily, and the likely sequence of knockout fixtures looks OK, too. Then again, the answer is Spain, who appear to be better than pretty much everyone else at the moment. 

RT: There are a lot of good teams, perhaps more than ever before, with real ambitions of winning this thing. Until someone knocks off Argentina, though, they’re a team worth backing, particularly given their group stage draw.

Pakistan romped to a modest target of 129 on a pitch that was tough to bat on

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Nov-2025

Pakistan’s attack squeezed Sri Lanka’s batters: their seamers bossed the powerplay, before Mohammad Nawaz claimed three wickets through the middle. Sri Lanka could muster no more than 128 for 7, and Pakistan strode to the target in 15.3 overs, with seven wickets to spare.Sahibzada Farhan led the chase from the top of the order, with 80 not out off 45 balls. His knock, in fact, was the only real fluent innings in this game. Janith Liyanage – the next-best scorer with 41 not out – struck at only 108. On the other hand, Farhan hit five sixes and five fours in the innings. His most productive partnership was with Babar Azam – the two put on 69 together.The victory puts Pakistan at the top of the tri-series table with two victories. Sri Lanka are the only winless side, and also have the worst net run rate by a distance, having now suffered two exceedingly heavy losses.Mohammad Nawaz’s three wickets ensured Sri Lanka never got going•PCB

Pakistan peg Sri Lanka back in the powerplayKamil Mishara made the big plays for Sri Lanka early in their innings, hitting 22 off his first 11 balls. But Mishara misread a slower ball from Faheem Ashraf and holed out to mid off. After he was dismissed early in the fourth over, they managed only one further boundary in the powerplay. Then, in Ashraf’s next over, Kusal Mendis was run out attempting a needless second. Sri Lanka finished the powerplay on 44 for 2.Nawaz dominates the middle oversNawaz bowled an unbroken four-over spell starting with the eighth over, took 3 for 16, and was virtually unhittable – so accurate were his overs, and so cleverly did he vary his pace. He didn’t concede a boundary, and his third over was probably the best of the match – he first bowled Kusal Perera with a delivery that ripped through the left-hander’s gate, before slipping a straight one past Dasun Shanaka’s defences. In his final over, he had Kusal Mendis caught excellently on the deep-midwicket boundary by Mohammad Wasim Jr, who tossed the ball in the air as he was going over the rope, before regaining his footing inside the field and completing the catch.Farhan blasts Sri LankaIt didn’t take long for him to get going. By the time he’d faced ten balls, Farhan had hit two fours and a six. His main hitting zones were in a broad V, with the vast majority of his boundaries coming in the arc between cover and midwicket. He was especially severe on the legspinners – he hit 23 off 12 against Wanindu Hasaranga, and 21 off 13 off V Viyaskanth. Farhan hit the winning runs – a four down the ground off Eshan Malinga.Viyaskanth breaks new groundNever before have Sri Lanka fielded a born-and-raised player from the Jaffna peninsula, although cricket has been popular in the north for well over a century. This is largely because a 27-year Civil War in the region, which prevented many northerners from pursuing cricket. Legspinner V Viyaskanth had played a T20I before, in the Asian Games, to which Sri Lanka sent only an emerging team. This was his first major international appearance, and as such, the first appearance for a Jaffna player in a televised international match. His figures read 0 for 28 from four overs.

MatériaMais Notícias

As redes sociais não perdoaram a atuação de Rafael Santos Borré no confronto entre Palmeiras e Internacional, nesta quarta-feira (17). O jogo vale pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão.

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➡️Quem é que sobe?! Com R$200 no Lance!Betting, você garante R$398 se Palmeiras x Internacional terminar com nove escanteios ou menos

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O atacante desperdiçou algumas oportunidades e isolou uma cobrança de pênalti, que poderia fazer com que o Colorado abrisse o placar fora de casa, na Arena Barueri.

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Contudo, depois, Borré se redimiu e deu assistência para Wesley marcar para o Internacional contra o Palmeiras. Ele tomou a bola no ataque, arrancou e ajeitou para o ponta aplicar a lei do ex e balançar as redes contra seu antigo time.

Borré foi contratado pelo Colorado nesta temporada, como um dos reforços mais badalados do futebol brasileiro. A transação garantiu uma aquisição dos direitos federativos e de 80% dos direitos econômicos do atleta, em vínculo com duração até o fim de 2028. Ele está em sua terceira partida com a camisa do time gaúcho.

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CONFIRA AS REAÇÕES NA WEB SOBRE OS ALTOS E BAIXOS DE BORRÉ NO JOGO ENTRE PALMEIRAS E INTERNACIONAL

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Blast’s joint-leading wicket-taker hasn’t given up hope of adding to solitary England cap

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2024This time last year, David Payne had a difficult decision to make. A persistent ankle niggle had dogged him through 2023, requiring two rounds of surgery. When Luke Wright, the England men’s selector, phoned ahead of the Ireland ODIs that preceded last year’s 50-over World Cup, Payne had to admit he wasn’t fit enough. “That was one of those really difficult ones, to have to turn down that call.”But the big decision revolved around whether or not to move on to a white-ball contract with Gloucestershire. The demands of playing first-class cricket, in which he remains a proven performer, had contributed to Payne’s problems with injury. With a goal of playing for England again at the front of his thinking, he chose to sign a three-year extension and put red-ball cricket to one side (although he has not yet retired from the format).The result, as Payne prepares to spearhead Gloucestershire’s tilt at T20 Finals Day, has been “pretty much the perfect summer so far”. Payne has enjoyed the most-prolific T20 season of his career and is currently the Blast’s joint-leading wicket-taker with 29, having moved level with Danny Briggs after taking a four-wicket haul against Birmingham Bears in last week’s quarter-final.”It probably brought a few more nerves to the first group game [of the season], thinking I’m almost like a one-format player for Gloucestershire now, because of the Hundred – so what if I don’t perform in this one format?” Payne tells ESPNcricinfo. “What good am I to the county? But now, the plus sides, and the reasons I’d done it, were mainly for my body and prolonging the career in that sense. I’d had some trouble with my ankle and actually that was the big difference, that I went into that first group game really fresh. I hadn’t played six or seven four-day games. My body was always already really sore, or had a niggle or something, and I was actually completely fresh for the probably the first time ever. And it just felt like it made a huge difference physically and mentally, and allowed me to perform at my best.”Related

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Payne mapped out the “best-case scenario” for his summer as “having a good Blast and a good Hundred, then hopefully that leading to getting back in England squads.” Although the last of those has yet to happen, he is confident that he has put himself in the best position, at 33, to add to his sole ODI appearance against Netherlands in 2022.Notwithstanding England’s apparent transition to a new generation, one factor that may keep Payne on the radar is his effectiveness in the powerplay – an area which has been a weakness with the T20I side for some time. In this year’s Blast, Payne has taken 20 of his 29 wickets while fielding restrictions were on; the next-highest is Ollie Robinson of Sussex (Gloucestershire’s semi-final opponents) with 14, followed by Olly Stone and Timm van der Gugten on 11.While this has long been part of Payne’s skillset – since 2020 in the Blast, he leads the way with 45 powerplay wickets at 16.88 – he said that an increasingly attacking mindset from batters meant bowling teams placed greater importance on striking with the new ball. As a case in point, he highlighted the quarter-final win over Birmingham defending a low total, in which Gloucestershire’s captain, Jack Taylor, kept Payne on for a third over at the top and was rewarded with the key wicket of Moeen Ali.Then came the victory away to North Group winners, Birmingham, which should ensure that no one takes them lightly when they return to Edgbaston. “We’re always labelled the underdogs, whatever happens, and I think that plays well for us, because it always feels like we enjoy proving people wrong and proving that we’re better than people think we are.”While the closest Gloucestershire have come to lifting the T20 trophy is a runners-up finish in 2007, Payne was part of the team that beat Surrey – who will play Saturday’s other semi-final against defending champions, Somerset – in the 2015 Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, and believes they can upset the odds again.”It generally feels like no one really gives us a chance. It feels like going into Saturday, if they’re saying, who’s going to be your tip for winning it, more often than not no one’s really going to mention us. And that tends to play in our favour. I think it makes us feel like we can just go out there and play with freedom. We’ve got nothing to lose. If no one’s expecting us to win, then all we can do is cause an upset. It feels like that’s what happened in 2015 and hopefully that’ll be the same on Saturday.”