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The BCB has declared mobile phone operator Robi Axiata Limited as the sponsor of the Bangladesh team for the next two years

Mohammad Isam21-May-2015The BCB has declared mobile phone operator Robi Axiata Limited as the sponsor of the Bangladesh team for the next two years. Media planning company Top of Mind assigned the sponsorship rights to Robi after becoming the highest bidder in the financial proposal submission for the sponsorship rights on Wednesday.Robi will be sponsors of the Bangladesh team, the Under-19 team and Bangladesh A team. However, their rights will not be applicable for the ICC tournaments. The BCB will auction team sponsorship rights for the Under-19 World Cup and the 2016 World T20 at a later date.On Wednesday, BCB president Nazmul Hassan declared Top of Mind as the highest bidder at Tk 41.41 crore (US$ 5.32 milllion), which was 41 lakh (US$ 52,721) more than Grameenphone’s offering of 41 crore (US$ 5.27 million) in the final round of bidding.After the first two rounds of the three-round bidding process, Grameenphone and Top of Mind were the first and second highest bidders. The BCB called the top two bidders to the third round. The other bidders were Impress Telefilms, Property Development Ltd, AKC (Pvt) Ltd and Bangladesh Lift Industries Ltd.”We are happy,” Hassan said. “We wouldn’t say it was more than our expectations. When Sahara took it last time, none of the Bangladeshi offers were anything near theirs. Now we are seeing that we are getting higher offers than Sahara from local companies. We are happy that they have come forward.”This is the result of the people’s belief in our team. The real credit goes to the players. I know that if we ask for international bids, we will get bigger offers. Our ranking has gone higher, so this had an effect.”Top of mind had been the sponsorship rights holder of the Bangladesh team for the series against Pakistan in April and May. They in turn sold it to Pran RFL Group.The BCB had to go for a new tender for the team sponsorship rights after ending the contract with Aamby Valley, an affiliate of Sahara India Parivar, 15 months before it was scheduled to end in June 2016. The deal was worth US$ 14 million for four years. The BCB said in a press conference on Wednesday that they have completed all financial transactions with Sahara before terminating the contract.

Birmingham moved back to the top of the North Group of the NatWest Blast – level on points with Worcestershire – after a six wicket victory over Yorkshire with eight balls to spare.

George Dobell21-Jun-2015
ScorecardRecordo Gordon’s three wickets limited Yorkshire’s total•PA PhotosBirmingham moved back to the top of the North Group of the NatWest Blast – level on points with Worcestershire – after a six wicket victory over Yorkshire with eight balls to spare. It was their 11th victory in 13 completed T20 matches. For a side about to be boosted by the arrival of Brendon McCullum, it is quite a foundation.Yorkshire never recovered from losing four wickets in the Powerplay overs. While Jack Leaning, the latest off the Yorkshire production line of talented young players, took them to something approaching a competitive total, it never looked likely to be enough. It left them seventh them in the table – they have lost four of their seven games in the competition – and facing an uphill fight to qualify for the quarter-finals.”We never really got going,” their captain Andrew Gale said afterwards. “I’m very disappointed with our batting. “I thought 160 to 165 was par on that pitch – it looked a belter at the toss – and in the end we scraped our way to 130. We never found the pace of the pitch and, when the pace was taken off the ball, we found it hard to score.”It’s so frustrating. It feels like we’re banging our heads against a brick wall. I’d rather we were bowled out for 80 trying to score 160 than make 130.”There are some mitigating factors. No club has been hit harder by England call-ups – Gary Ballance was rested form this match on the orders of the ECB – and this pitch, the same one used for Friday’s match against Leicestershire, was not the easiest. But their overseas players are struggling for form. Glenn Maxwell has passed 20 only once in six T20 matches and has not been selected for the Yorkshire side in this week’s Championship match against Nottinghamshire, while Aaron Finch, with 41 in three innings, is struggling for fluency and will also miss that game and represent the club’s second XI against Worcestershire seconds instead. “He needs red ball cricket,” Gale explained.That means that Maxwell will miss out even on second XI selection. Regulations state that only one overseas player can take part and, with Finch already included, there is simply no room for him.The most pleasing aspect of this result from a Birmingham perspective was the contribution of their younger players. With Jonathan Trott consigned to a role in the commentary box, Chris Woakes still a little way off a return from injury – he will not, as reported elsewhere, play second XI cricket this week – and Ian Bell falling in the first over of their reply, they were instead grateful for the disciplined bowling of Oliver Hannon-Dalby, Recordo Gordon and Josh Poysden.Gordon was especially impressive. Having impressed with his raw pace last year, he was obliged to remodel his action after pretty well founded suggestions that he threw his quicker ball. But months spent working with the club’s bowling coach, Alan Richardson, has reaped their rewards and here he looked an intelligent bowler with good variations, a calm head and, crucially, an unimpeachable action.Having had Alex Lees caught behind with one angled across him, he dismissed Maxwell – top-edging a pull off a cutter – first ball and came back at the death to have Leaning caught at mid-on. With his cutters, his hint of inswing and an ability to bowl a much sharper ball, he looked a handy cricketer.Poysden, a legspinner who relies more on change of pace and control than turn, also impressed in three frugal overs and claimed the memorable wicket of Finch, whose torturous innings was ended when he chopped one on to his stumps.From 36 for 4 at the end of the Powerplay, though, Yorkshire could be modestly relived by their eventual total. Leaning and Finch, who took 14 off a Keith Barker over that contained a no-ball but was generally cramped for room by the bowlers, added 43 for the fifth wicket – albeit at under a run-a-ball – before Leaning and Tim Bresnan added 39 in five overs.When Maxwell, who might be disappointed he cannot get a game for Yorkshire as a spinner, claimed both openers in his first nine balls, it seemed Birmingham might struggle. But William Porterfield looked in good form, Tim Ambrose calm and Laurie Evans explosive. Any tension there might have been was released when the 18th over of the innings, bowled by Bresnan, cost 15 and Birmingham cruised home with relative ease.With Bell also available to play in Friday’s game against Lancashire, their coach, Dougie Brown faces a tough decision over who to select and where. Ian Westwood and Sam Hain will also return from injury for the second XI this week.There were just under 9,000 at Edgbaston for the game. The club is currently standing third – behind the two London teams – in ticket sales for this year’s event. It will undoubtedly be a record years in terms of T20 attendances, but you wonder if everyone at the ECB wants this competition to work. After all, if it did, it might prove far harder to justify the changes they are keen to make.

Giles Clarke, the ECB president, faces the prospect of being called to appear before the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, to explain his role in the controversial ICC structural reforms of February 2014

Andrew Miller29-Feb-20162:46

Protesters outside The Oval call to ‘change cricket’ (Archive footage)

Giles Clarke, the ECB president, faces the prospect of being called to appear before the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, to explain his role in the controversial ICC structural reforms of February 2014, in which the boards of England, India and Australia seized control of the sport’s finances.No hearing is expected before Easter, but as and when it does take place, Clarke is expected to answer questions about the ECB’s role in the behind-closed-doors takeover which was presented to other Full Members of the ICC as a done deal. The process of the deal was outlined in the film Death of a Gentleman, which was last week named as Documentary of the Year at the Prestigious Sports Journalists’ Association Awards in London.A screening of Death of a Gentleman, which was directed and produced by Sam Collins and Jarrod Kimber and which portrays Clarke in an especially unflattering light, will be shown in the House of Commons on Monday evening.Clarke, who is expected to be the ECB’s nomination for the role of ICC chairman at the forthcoming board elections in June, has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months, in particular since his fellow architect of the so-called “Big Three Takeover”, N Srinivisan, was forced to stand down from his dual roles as ICC chairman and BCCI president after being found to have a conflict of interest with his ownership of the IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings.”The committee has decided to look into the conduct of the England & Wales Cricket Board in relation to the governance of International cricket, in the context of the other investigations it is currently undertaking,” a spokesperson for the House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed.”The committee has already looked at football, athletics and tennis, as part of a wider group of investigations into sports governance and, in relation to cricket, the ECB is an obvious choice to call in.”In August last year, Collins and Kimber organised a protest to “change cricket” outside The Oval on the first morning of the fifth Test against Australia, at which Damien Collins (no relation), the MP for Folkestone and Hythe and a member of the select committee, was also present.”Cricket has been taken over by England, Australia and India at the expense of the other 102 countries that play the game,” said Damien Collins during the protest.”These three titans of the game have engineered a backroom power grab where cricket is the loser and England, Australia and India are the perennial winners. Not only are they doing the wrong thing by their sport, but it is a conflict of interest. It is clear they do not have an interest in developing and growing the game globally, but only in their own backyards.”At the recent ICC board meeting in Dubai, the interim chairman, Shashank Manohar, set in motion a possible repeal of many of the reforms, having told the Hindu that he did not agree with “the major countries bullying the ICC”. Clarke, for his part, has always maintained that he had the sport’s best interests at heart in driving through the deal.”The England & Wales Cricket Board is aware of interest from the Select Committee for Culture, Media & Sport to look into the governance of international cricket,” an ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo. “The Committee has already spoken to a number of sports bodies in their on-going enquiries into the governance of international sport and we would welcome the opportunity to talk with them in the coming weeks.”

John Mooney’s man-of-the-match winning spell of 3-23 restricted Namibia to 124 for 8 before Ireland, riding on captain William Porterfield’s unbeaten half-century, knocked off the runs with 16 balls to spare

Peter Della Penna in Belfast10-Jul-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHe may have eased off on plans to wear a black armband to protest the ‘death of Associate cricket’, but John Mooney followed through with an impressive spell of seam bowling to launch Ireland’s 2015 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier campaign in a seven-wicket win over Namibia at Stormont, Belfast. The allrounder’s man-of-the-match winning spell of 3-23 restricted Namibia to 124 for 8 before Ireland, riding on captain William Porterfield’s unbeaten half-century, knocked off the runs with 16 balls to spare.After Namibia’s Stephen Baard pulled a six and four off the opening over bowled by Tyrone Kane, Mooney replaced Kane for the third and peeled off an impressive four-over spell to quell Namibia’s top order. Baard fell slashing to Niall O’Brien at third man off Mooney’s third ball before Gerrie Snyman edged an attempted drive to Gary Wilson in the fifth over. Mooney capped off his burst with a brilliant yorker to remove Raymond van Schoor as Namibia slipped from 20 for 0 to 45 for 3.The spin tandem of George Dockrell and Paul Stirling kept the clamps on Namibia’s middle order from the 10th through the 16th overs. After Stirling started off with a maiden in the 10th, Dockrell struck in the first ball of the 11th when JP Kotze’s tame cut floated to Alex Cusack at backward point where he dived forward for the catch.Dockrell started the the 13th over with a wicket after Sarel Burger skipped down the track but failed to clear Kevin O’Brien at long off. Craig Williams then lofted Stirling to Andrew Balbirnie at sweeper cover in the 14th to make it 73 for 6.Namibia’s biggest partnership of the day – 32 for the seventh wicket between JJ Smit and Nicolas Scholtz – came to an end when Smit edged an attempted cut behind to Wilson off Cusack. Scholtz failed to fend off a short ball two balls later to give Wilson his third catch of the day.Ireland’s chase got off to a sloppy start with Stirling spooning his second ball to short extra cover off Jason Davidson where Baard claimed a low diving catch. Three balls later, Porterfield nearly ran himself out on nought when he set off from the non-striker’s end for a single behind point. He was sent back by Niall O’Brien but the throw to the bowler’s end bounced over the stumps.Porterfield and Niall O’Brien survived another pair of chances, on 5 and 18 respectively, before settling down to notch up a 71-run stand. Niall eventually holed out to long off against Burger on the first ball of the 11th for 45 before his brother Kevin was dismissed in identical fashion in the next over off Bernard Scholtz’s left-arm spin for 3.Porterfield and Balbirnie shared an unbroken stand of 48 runs to ensure Ireland had no further alarms. Porterfield hit his sixth four through extra cover to bring up his half-century off 43 balls, and level the scores. He ended the match the very next ball with another four .

India’s Supreme Court has criticised the BCCI’s method of disbursing funds to state associations saying it was being done without any particular mechanism

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Apr-2016India’s Supreme Court has heavily criticised the BCCI’s method of disbursing funds to state associations saying it was being done without any particular mechanism. In a brief hearing related to the implementation of the Lodha panel recommendations that lasted less than 90 minutes, the court also turned down the BCCI’s request to review the ‘one state one vote’ recommendation made by the Lodha panel in January this year. The next date of hearing has been set for April 8.In the previous hearing held on March 3, the two-judge bench of the court comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla had asked the BCCI and state associations to submit audited accounts of expenses incurred over the past five years through separate affidavits. After going through the chart submitted by the BCCI on the various allocations it makes to its members, the court observed that certain bigger members like the Mumbai Cricket Association and Gujarat Cricket Association were being allocated sums to the tune of Rs 60 crore while paying no attention at all to the development of the game in smaller member states.”The mandate of the board is to promote cricket all over India and not only in Mumbai and Gujarat. Cricketing talents are available not only in Mumbai but also in other parts of the country . You have done nothing to nurse and nourish the talent in smaller states as 11 states got zero contribution from you over the years. You have made a mutual benefit society . It is like you show me the face and I will determine how much you should get,” the court said, according to the Questioning the discrepancies in the board’s process of distributing funds to member associations, Chief Justice Thakur reportedly stated the board was “practically corrupting persons by not demanding how the money is spent”.”You function like show me the face; I will make the payment… [The] Impression that one gets is that you are practically corrupting the persons by not demanding how the money is spent… [It’s] like the moment you want a vote and their hands will go up,” Justice TS Thakur was quoted as saying by the .The member associations without BCCI funding

Cricket Club of India

Railway Sports Promotion Board

Services Sports Control Board

National Sports Club, Kolkata

Arunachal Pradesh Cricket Association

Meghalaya Cricket Association

Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh

Manipur Cricket Association

Nagaland Cricket Association

Bihar Cricket Association

After reading the BCCI affidavit on distribution of funds, the court asked the board counsel, KK Venugopal, why 11 member associations had not received any funds in the last five years. Venugopal explained that some states do not have any cricketing infrastructure. However, Nalini Chidambaram, arguing on behalf of the Cricket Association of Bihar who is the original petitioner, said that the BCCI was doing nothing to develop cricket in the smaller states, like those in the north-eastern region of India. “It is a vicious circle. They don’t give funds therefore there is no cricketing activity,” Chidambaram said. The court upheld that argument and asked Venugopal why the eleven associations had to “go begging” to the board for funds.”Eleven go begging for assistance. These 11 go without a penny. Huge amounts like Rs. 572 crore are distributed every year. Next year it may be over Rs. 1000 crore. Should your system of disbursement not be perfect?” Chief Justice Thakur asked Venugopal.The court then asked why a state like Gujarat was getting Rs 60 crore while Bihar did not get any funds. Venugopal said Bihar had not submitted its accounts and hence the BCCI had stopped funds to its associate member. The court was curious about why a smaller state like Goa had received close to Rs 60 crore in the last five years.”Eleven states here have zeros against their names. Goa gets Rs. 57 crore while Chhattisgarh gets Rs. 1.47 crore. You see your whole mandate is to promote the game all over the country. The passion for the game is spread across the country,” Chief Justice Thakur pointed out.He also asked why the Railway Sports Promotion Board, which has the voting rights, did not receive any funds. When Venugopal explained that the RSPB did not have an international stadium, the court asked how Tripura, which had no international stadium, deserved to get Rs 60 crore as listed by the BCCI.Tasked by the Supreme Court to provide recommendations on changes to the BCCI’s constitution and manner of functioning, the Lodha panel had submitted its report in January 2016 and had proposed sweeping changes. The court then directed the BCCI to respond to the report and in March, the board expressed its reservations on various recommendations made by the panel. One of the recommendations that the BCCI is opposing is the ‘one state, one vote’ proposal, which suggests that one association from a state should be given a vote.The court reminded the BCCI that the Lodha committee is not an ordinary panel. Chief Justice Thakur explained that the court had not constituted a committee of government secretaries or any other officials. Instead the committee comprised a former Chief Justice of India (RM Lodha) and two former Supreme Court judges (Ashok Bhan and RV Raveendran) who had had extensive discussions and deliberations before arriving at the final recommendations.”This committee is not an ordinary one peopled by government officials for you to complain about,” Chief Justice Thakur said. “A former CJI headed the committee and we repose faith in their findings which are a result of extensive deliberations with a broad spectrum of people spread through a year.”

Justin Langer will take his Western Australia assistant Adam Griffith to the Caribbean as Australia’s interim bowling coach while the search for a new full-time pace mentor intensifies

Daniel Brettig15-Apr-2016Justin Langer will take his Western Australia assistant Adam Griffith to the Caribbean as Australia’s interim bowling coach while the search for a new full-time pace mentor intensifies.The triangular series in the West Indies, which will also feature South Africa, had been slated as Langer’s chance to step in as national coach while Darren Lehmann takes some time out at home. However the decision to take Griffith along with Langer reflects Cricket Australia’s search for a mentor to replace Craig McDermott, who departed when his contract expired after the World Twenty20.The South African Allan Donald is believed to be a contender for the long-term role, having lost out to McDermott back in 2011. Other names in the mix include Ryan Harris and Shane Bond. Griffith though will have a chance to make an impression in the Caribbean, having previously spent time with Australia’s Under 19s team.”We are excited to have Adam join the team for the tour of the West Indies,” Lehmann said. “Western Australia have some talented young fast-bowlers that have developed under Adam’s watch and it’s great to be able to offer him the chance to work with the Australian side under Justin Langer.”It’s a credit to the standard of our state coaching system to be able to offer these opportunities to young coaches and I am sure both Adam and the players will benefit greatly from this experienceGriffith has been with Western Australia since Mickey Arthur’s time as state coach, and was briefly the man in charge following the resignation of Lachlan Stevens in 2012. He has worked fruitfully with the likes of Joel Paris in his time with the Warriors.”The opportunity to work with Australia’s premium bowlers is incredibly exciting,” Griffith said. “The West Indies and South Africa have some of the most destructive white-ball batters in the world and preparing to play them in Caribbean conditions will be a great challenge.”Graeme Hick, the former England batsman who coaches at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, will also head to the West Indies as part of Langer’s support staff. The group to go with Lehmann to Sri Lanka for Tests and ODIs in July will likely be named next month.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has become the latest huge name to move to Major League Soccer, following in the footsteps of many global superstars

Ron ChenoyDavid Beckham – 2007-2012Major League Soccer's biggest ever player, Beckham joined the Los Angeles Galaxy from Real Madrid with the Spanish giants hoping to extend his stay in La Liga. Instead, he moved to MLS and became a marketing phenomenon. However, Beckham's time in America was more than just a PR move, as he played over 100 times for Galaxy and won two MLS Cups.AdvertisementGettyRobbie Keane – 2011-16Just 21 minutes into his LA Galaxy debut, Keane showed MLS fans exactly what he came to do: score goals. Over the course of six seasons, he scored plenty and kept supporters entertained with his trademark cartwheel celebration. The Irish striker finished his stay at the Galaxy with 104 goals in 165 games, three MLS Cups and an MLS Supporters' Shield.Brad PennerDavid Villa – 2014-?When Spain top goalscorer Villa arrived at New York City FC, he vowed to help both the club and MLS grow. Many had thought he had moved to America for a payday in his latter career, but his performances have told a different story. Sixty-six goals in 101 games for NYCFC and a league MVP award on 2016 has seen him return to the Spain squad – three years after his last appearance for his country.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Vincent Carchietta/USA TodaySebastian Giovinco – 2015-?Ex-Juventus striker Giovinco moved to MLS when he was just 27-years-old, and quickly established himself as one of the most potent players in the league. In his first season, he broke scoring and assists records, and after winning individual achievements, has brought silverware back to Toronto. They lifted the MLS Cup in 2017, having lost out on penalties the previous year.

With the France forward having become the first teenager since Pele to net twice in a World Cup game, Goal looks back at other prodigious talents

GettyGeorge Best

George Best had already won a First Division title with Manchester United but the winger only became a true superstar at the age of 19 after a stunning performance against Benfica in the European Cup in 1966 that earned him the nickname 'The fifth Beatle'. Fondly remembered as one of the greatest players the game has ever seen – despite walking away from top-flight football at 27 – it is impossible not to wonder about what might have been had alcohol not consumed the Northern Irishman's life. "I was born with a great gift," he later mused, "and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesGianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon achieved instant fame across the footballing world in 1995 by producing a string of sensational saves to keep the mighty AC Milan at bay on his Parma debut, aged 17. Over two decades on, the goalkeeping icon is still going strong and, despite having 40 in January, the Juventus captain is now seriously considering postponing his retirement for another year. That is hardly unsurprising of course, since he once revealed in his ode to the game, "I was 12 when I turned my back on my goal. And I will keep doing it as long as my legs, my head and my heart will allow."

Getty ImagesJohan CruyffJohan Cruyff is quite simply the most influential figure in football history. Nobody has ever changed the game so radically both as a player and a coach. Cruyff understood the game like no other, and from such a young age too. He was just 17 when he broke into the Ajax team and yet, as legendary coach Vic Buckingham explained, "He showed us how to play. He was so mature. He was such a skinny little kid but he had immense stamina and he could do everything… God's gift to mankind in a football sense. That was Johan. And such a nice kid too."ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Offside SportsDuncan EdwardsDespite the fact that he was just 21 when he died in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, Duncan Edwards had already established himself as one of the most remarkable talents the English game had ever seen. A defensive midfielder who was also excellent going forward, he became the youngest player in First Division history when making his Manchester United debut at 16 years and 185 days old. Sadly, the football world would never discover just how great Edwards was going to be but former Red Devils boss Tommy Docherty claimed: "George Best was something special, as was Pelé and Maradona but, in my mind, Duncan was much better in terms of all-round ability and skill."

The Uruguayan selected his list of best goalscorers with a couple of controversial decisions…

Barcelona star Luis Suarez has omitted Cristiano Ronaldo from the list of his five best strikers of all time.

The 32-year-old spoke of his favourite attackers during an interview with .

Suarez's list only included South Americans, including two players he has played alongside during his career.

Goal has compiled the list of the Uruguayan's top hitmen…

Getty5Romario

"The finish time for him is amazing," Suarez said.

Romario claims to have scored more than 1000 goals during a 24-year senior career in which he played in his native Brazil, Europe, the U.S, Middle East and Australia.

He starred for his national team, winning the 1994 World Cup, two Copa America titles, and hit the back of the net on 55 occasions during his 70 caps.

Romario's best spells in his club career came at PSV (96 goals in 107 appearances) and Barcelona (34 in 46), while he also scored extensively in his native Brazil for Vasco da Gama, Flamengo and Fluminense.

AdvertisementGetty Images4Ronaldo Nazario

"The fat one," Suarez jokes. "The first Ronaldo. The Brazilian Ronaldo.

"He's really good. He's so quick. He's an intelligent guy. He's a nice finisher.

"He had it all."

Ronaldo Nazario lifted two World Cups for Brazil in 1994 and 2002 and scored 62 goals in in 98 matches for his national team.

After starting his senior career with Cruzeiro, Ronaldo spent 14 years in Europe at PSV, Barcelona, Inter and AC Milan before returning to Brazil with Corinthians.

He won the Ballon d'Or in 1997 and 2002 and was also awarded FIFA World Player of the Year on three occasions.

Getty3Diego Forlan

"I think for me, one of the best of my career is [Diego] Forlan," Suarez said.

"I played with him, he's a really good striker. Really clear-minded. He played for the team.

"He's a striker who likes to score many goals. He likes to shoot and that's what you want."

After starting his senior football in Argentina, Forlan shot to prominence after signing for Manchester United.

The Uruguayan failed to settle at the Theatre of Dreams and secured a move to La Liga, where he carved out a hugely successful career with Villarrael and Atletico Madrid.

Forlan won the Golden Ball for best player at the 2010 World Cup, while he also earned the European Golden Shoe on two occasions (2004-05, 2008-09).

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Getty Images2Gabriel Batistuta

"He was my favourite player when I was a child," Suarez says of Batistuta.

"He was a really good No. 9 and he liked to shoot free-kicks. He loved to play for the team and I loved his character as well."

Batistuta, or 'Batigol', enjoyed an incredible career in Argentina, Italy and the Middle East, while also scoring 54 goals in 77 appearances for the Argentine national team.

He is most known for his nine-year stint in the Serie A with Fiorentina and he placed third in FIFA's World Player of the Year award in 1999.

Arsenal set a new WSL record with victory over West Ham on what was a good weekend for north London as Tottenham went goal crazy against Brighton.

It took Tottenham six games to score eight goals in the Women's Super League last season. On Sunday, they scored eight in a single match. Have they got the firepower this year to be a force?

That incredible win over Brighton was the headline result from a huge weekend in England's top flight, with the biggest story concerning the red side of north London, with Arsenal setting a new record for successive wins in the league as they beat West Ham to record their 13th victory in a row.

Elsewhere, an early season six-pointer between the division's two bottom sides, Reading and Leicester, provided the drama, with the Royals scoring twice at the death to turn the game around and clinch their first points of the campaign.

With plenty to digest across the WSL, here are GOAL's winners and losers from the latest round of fixtures…

GettyWINNER: UWCL representatives

It was a difficult weekend for Europe's top clubs as many struggled in their domestic fixtures after Women's Champions League action in midweek.

Lyon, eight-time champions on the continent, needed a stoppage-time winner to beat a Fleury side that were down to 10 from the 25th minute.

Bayern Munich didn't break the deadlock against newly-promoted Meppen until the 71st minute, while two former champions, Barcelona and Wolfsburg, were under pressure until the final whistle in narrow one-goal wins over Levante and Werder Bremen, respectively.

It was the same in England, where Chelsea were pegged back at 1-1 against Aston Villa, while a sloppy bit of defensive play saw Arsenal fall behind at home to West Ham. That goal also denied them an 11th clean sheet in succession that would have extended their WSL record.

However, both went on to record 3-1 wins that were eventually comfortable.

How these two handle their post-UWCL games may well decide the title race this season, but neither were caught out this time despite early scares. Their performances weren't perfect, but it was the results that were important here.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Leicester

As the clock ticked into the 90th minute on Sunday, Leicester were 1-0 up away at Reading, the only other team in the WSL without a point yet this season. After scoring against the run of play in the first half, it looked like they were going to hang on for an absolutely massive three points.

But it all changed incredibly quickly. Rachel Rowe swung in a corner and it was defended in inexplicable fashion given the circumstances, flying into the back of the net to level things up.

Two minutes later, Rowe produced something even more spectacular, dancing past several Leicester challenges before unleashing a powerful strike from range that sailed into the bottom corner. It sent the Royals into raptures and secured all three points in sensational style.

It was a big defeat for the Foxes given the opposition – and an even bigger one given how it happened. Now, they need to pick themselves up and go again, which won't be easy, and not only in terms of morale. Leicester must host high-flying Arsenal next week…

GettyWINNER: Tottenham

Tottenham scored eight goals on Sunday. Eight goals – a number that accounts for a third of the league goals they scored all of last season.

It was a fantastic performance against Brighton, with a clean sheet adding to head coach Rehanne Skinner's delight.

Spurs have always been a defensively astute side, with the questions surrounding their attacking output in terms of who is going to score the goals but also in who is going to create the chances.

This season, it looks like things are clicking. Ashleigh Neville appears unstoppable going forward, scoring twice this past weekend and producing two assists – one of those a sublime backheel to send Drew Spence through on goal.

Spence, signed from Chelsea this summer, has been brilliant, too, playing in a more attacking role and currently sitting just one goal off her best-ever total in an WSL season – with just five games played.

With forwards Jessica Naz and new arrival Nikola Karczewska also recording their first strikes of the campaign on Sunday, Spurs look primed to become a really dangerous attacking force in the league.

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GettyLOSER: Brighton

The other side of that 8-0 story on Sunday was a biggest ever defeat in the WSL for a Brighton team that have won plenty of plaudits since promotion to the top flight back in 2019.

They've been Chelsea's bogey team and made great progress off the pitch, securing some super signings over the years as a result. Things don't look so rosy at the moment, though.

Brighton lost two huge players this past summer, with young defender Maya Le Tissier joining Manchester United, while Inessa Kaagman, their top goal-scorer last term, returned to the Netherlands. They brought in some interesting replacements but it hasn't come together yet.

Right now, they look like a relegation candidate. Only Leicester are keeping them off of the foot of the table and if they are dragged into a battle for survival, this huge hit to their goal difference won't help their chances in a race regularly decided by the finest of margins.