Former Bayern Munich and veteran Bundesliga head coach Felix Magath has issued a warning to Die Roten boss Vincent Kompany and striker Harry Kane, claiming that Jamal Musiala's imminent return from injury could become "problematic". The 22-year-old is nearing recovery from the fractured fibula injury he suffered against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup.

• Bayern Munich firing on all cylinders ahead of Musiala's return

  Kompany has crafted a phenomenal Bayern team. After his debut campaign in Bavaria was considered to be underwhelming by some sections of the fans and the media, his team has started the 2025-26 season all guns blazing. They created history by registering 16 straight wins to begin the season, eclipsing the 13-game record set by the dominant AC Milan outfit of the early 90s.

  Kane has exceptionally led the attack and played in major role in Bayern becoming a goal-hungry giant, keeping also in minds the valuable contributions from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise. The former Spurs marksman has netted 23 goals in 17 games already, his most recent goal a 90th-minute equaliser against Union Berlin last weekend, which drew curtains on Bayern's win streak.

  One can only imagine the havoc Bayern can wreak once Musiala returns. The Stuttgart-born youngster returned to training on the pitch three weeks ago. Not too long ago, sporting director Max Eberl indicated when we could Musiala back in action. "We think that he can rejoin the team in December and perhaps even get a taste of it, so that he will be 100 percent fit again in January," he told .

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  Musiala's return could be 'problematic' for Bayern, says Magath

  Magath recently spoke about the potential impact Musiala's return would have on the squad and Bayern's form. "I could imagine it becoming somewhat more problematic," he said. "At the moment, everything is going well for Bayern, but if everything is going well, I won't change anything. But when a player like Musiala joins, who is seen as very, very strong and is expected to play an important role in the game, then the dynamics of the game will change."

  The veteran former Bundesliga coach also explained why Kane's form could dip once Musiala regains his role in the XI. "Harry Kane would need to move further forward again, even though he currently likes to drop back, come from midfield and run all over the pitch," he said. "With his return, he might not be as involved as he is now. At the moment, it's a perfect fit."

  In recent weeks, Kane has thrived in a free-roaming No.10 role behind Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson, embracing the creative freedom to dictate play. Even when deployed as a striker, he often drops deep to orchestrate attacks, using his exceptional passing to find the diagonal runs of Diaz and Olise and to shift play effortlessly. With Musiala's return, it is obvious that the Englishman will move further up the pitch, which could restrict his influence and take away from what he does best.

• Kompany embracing 'larger' squad

  There is, however, no pressure taken by Kompany whatsoever. While he has stuck to a strong core and embarked on a 16-game winning streak by creating Bayern into a juggernaut, he is open to embracing the challenge of striking the team balance upon the return of Musiala and ensuring the team maintains the standards they set in the opening three months of the 2025-26 season. 

  Recently, he appeared to indirectly address – and dispel – the concerns Kane expressed before the season about the squad’s depth. “Large squad, small squad? Break, no break? These are the questions where, in hindsight, we all always know the right answer,” he said. “Our current advantage is that every player in this squad knows they can always play. For me, it's not a problem; I can handle a smaller or larger squad.

  "Furthermore, players like Diaz, Kane, and Olise are always fit at the moment, and it's important that this remains the case. We also knew that Musiala, Davies, and Ito would be returning. The squad ended up being a bit larger, though, due to Lennart Karl's development. Before the season, nobody would have thought he could have such an impact."

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  Musiala can't wait to return

  In an interview with Bayern Munich's official website back in October, the dazzling attacking midfielder asserted that he wants "to come back better." He also admitted to experiencing fear of missing out on all the "fun" his team-mates have been having on the pitch. “You can see how well we’re playing, how much fun everyone’s having. I want to be a part of that and back on the pitch, also with Phonzy. We want to have fun after our injuries and make sure we win a lot as a team," he added.

  Musiala has been with the Bayern first team for over five years now. Soon, he will turn 23. While Musiala is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world on his day, there is still a lingering feeling that he is yet to enter Super Saiyan mode with club and country. 

  His return poses serious questions about how healthy he can remain when he re-enters Kompany's starting lineup. While there are absolutely no qualms about the fact that Bayern are a far formidable unit on paper with Musiala, it remains to be seen how well Kompany can manage his return and eventual re-integration into the lineup while also preventing the overall level and balance from going down. 

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco terá um desfalque de peso na partida diante do Marcílio Dias, de Santa Catarina, pela estreia na Copa do Brasil: o meia Payet.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Vasco

O francês apresentou quadro gripal e acabou preservado pela comissão técnica. Ele sequer viajou com a delegação para Itajaí, no estado do sul do país.

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Adson é o mais cotado para substituit Payet no Vasco. O ponta foi contratado pelo Cruz-Maltino nesta temporada, por cerca de R$ 26 milhões, mas ainda não teve grande sequência como titular.

Os relacionados da equipe treinada pelo argentino Ramón Díaz são:

Adson DavidDe LuccaErick MarcusGaldamesHallsJoão VictorKeillerLéoLéo JardimLucas PitonMaiconMateus CarvalhoMedelPaulo HenriquePraxedesPuma RodriguezRojasRossiSerginhoSforzaVegettiVictor LuisZé Gabriel

O JOGO

Sem Payet, o Vasco enfrenta o Marcílio Dias pela primeira fase da Copa do Brasil nesta terça-feira (27), a partir das 21h30. A partida acontece no Estádio Doutor Hercílio Luz, conhecido como Gigantão.

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The 21-year-old striker's Newcastle career may be in the past, but Ohio State has provided a chance for a fresh start

In November 2023, Michael Ndiweni had achieved his childhood dream. He jogged onto the grass at St. James Park, wearing the signature black and white stripes of his boyhood Newcastle. And, with his first touch as a professional footballer, he nutmegged Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. 

A year later, he was at rock bottom, training sparingly and watching a professional career fade further into the distance. 

Ndiweni knew his time was up in England. A Geordie by birth, he had been released by his boyhood club, and was running on fumes to keep his soccer career alive. 

The routine was mind-numbing: train with his non-league team three days per week, coach in between, babysit his sister during the day. There he was, in his early 20s, stuck in an unforgiving position so many would-be pros eventually confront. 

One day, after extensive conversations with his best friend – a swimmer at a college in Florida – Ndiweni opened his laptop and emailed every college soccer coach he could find, essentially pitching himself. Only one responded: Brian Maisonneuve at Ohio State University. 

There began the most unlikely of journeys, one from the Premier League – and that megging of Cucurella with his first touch – to the American midwest. Now, Ndiweni is at the end of his first season playing collegiately in Columbus. And there is a sense that this Geordie boy still has a chance at professional soccer. 

“The goal is still to make it pro, at any level,” he told GOAL.

Getty'Oh, he used to play for Newcastle'

Ndiweni doesn’t have a thick Geordie accent – famously one of England’s hardest to understand. Well, not at first, anyway. Talk to him, and his accent is hard to place, a run of the mill pattern of speech from the UK. Listen hard and there’s a northern twang in there. 

But ask him about soccer, and the Newcastle in him comes out. Ndiweni spent eight years of his life in the Newcastle academy, to some success. He made his Premier League debut in 2023. He was on the bench for a Champions League fixture last season. 

“When I was in non-league, it wasn’t really a big thing, but it was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy's been at the top. Now he's, like, playing step five football,” Ndiweni said. “And like, people on the pitch would be like, ‘Oh, he used to play for Newcastle.’”

And now, he’s in the American heartland. Life has changed drastically in the last 18 months. At one point, Ndiweni had a burgeoning professional career ahead of him – perhaps, even, at his beloved Newcastle. But now, things look different. 

He is, instead, a college soccer player, who trains and plays like he would back home – and also attends classes every week. Yet his childhood dream still remains alive, no matter how far from home he is.

AdvertisementGettyOne of their own

It was, in fact, almost a reality. He’s replayed the moment in his head thousands of times, and Ndiweni still isn’t sure if he megged Cucurella. It was the 93rd minute of Newcastle’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea. He was a garbage time substitute, thrown on by manager Eddie Howe to get the slightest taste of Premier League football. 

Ndiweni remembers his first touch clearly. It was probably a bad one. He cushioned it a bit too heavily, and as Spanish left-back Cucurella charged, it ricocheted through his legs. Ndiweni, in shock, latched onto the loose ball and passed it off to a teammate. The St. James Park crowd applauded warmly. 

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so surreal.’” Ndiweni said. 

Had he really just nutmegged an eventual European Championship-winning defender with his first touch in professional soccer? To this day, he doesn’t fully recall. But that was supposed to be his arrival. It’s the kind of thing you hear over and over in European soccer. Ndiweni held his own, albeit for about three minutes. From there, he was supposed to work his way into the side, minute by minute. 

There would be cup appearances, valuable moments off the bench – the local lad embraced by the home support. Michael Ndiweni, surely, would be one of their own.

Getty'I had the drive, but no structure'

Yet it didn’t quite work out that way. Newcastle released Ndiweni in June 2024. He was never going to break into the team with Alexander Isak starting up front. Before long, he was playing non-league football. It was immensely tedious. Professional footballers can’t overwork their bodies. 

So, Ndiweni was pushing himself as far as he could, without damaging anything. A routine was soon established of gym sessions, ball work, and then two practices per week with a local non-league side. 

“I didn't have, like, a full-time schedule. I had the drive, but I had no structure. It was very difficult,” he said. “Sometimes your days are filled with nothing.” 

In between, he coached kids. 

“Every professional player who goes out of the professional game goes into coaching,” Ndiweni explained. 

He looked after his sister and took her to and from school. Outside of that he “just chilled.” There were some special moments. He flirted, briefly, with the Baller League, a small-sided competition that is growing in prominence in the U.K. To some, it’s a bit of a laugh. Ndiweni insists that it has to be taken seriously. 

“I honestly thought it'd just be a bit of a farce when I first did it,” he said. “But it's becoming a big thing, and people are taking it seriously. It's good for players who are on the cusp of being pro, potentially, to get, like, a good profile.” 

Plus, hanging out with YouTubers and streamers is admittedly cool. 

“They were so nice. Even though the managers are characters, they treat their players very, very well,” Ndiweni said.

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Ohio State University Navigating NCAA eligibility process

America had always been an option for Ndiweni. A lot of English footballers, these days, keep it in the back of their minds. If the whole professional thing didn’t work out immediately, he told himself, then he could go to university in the U.S., get a degree, and play football. And maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance for another crack at the professional game. 

Even if it seemed a last resort, the emails were blasted off to pretty much every top collegiate program. Ohio State showed some interest. And that’s when the real work started. Ndiweni knew he wanted to come to the U.S. to play football. What he didn’t quite know was how tricky it would be to get there, especially sorting his eligibility. 

“I had to fill in loads of forms with the NCAA. They asked for everything, like bank statements,” he recalled. “They dug deep into everything, contracts and stuff, and then they ended up coming up with the decision that I was able to play.” 

In the end, an agency helped facilitate it all. He knew for about a year that he was going to be playing soccer in the Big Ten Conference, week-in, week-out. Still, the paperwork took months. He was preliminarily accepted in January. The confirmation that permitted his move to Ohio came through about a month before the college season was due to start.

Even Paul Skenes, whose lengthy pregame routine leaves no stone unturned en route to making the Pittsburgh Pirates ace prepared, gets bored before baseball games sometimes. And what does Skenes do when he gets bored? Become a Pirates groundskeeper, of course.

Before tossing five shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday at PNC Park, Skenes was on the field, closely observing the finer arts of groundskeeping while chatting up the Pirates' grounds crew, according to Noah Hiles of .

But this was more than just a way for Skenes to pass the time.

According to Hiles, Skenes would "love to cut grass professionally" when his already-decorated pitching career is done. The days of the 23-year-old Pirates righthander, who currently leads the National League in ERA, trading in his glove for a mower would seem to be far in the future.

But if Skenes gets his wish, you could one day find him mowing lawns after he's finished mowing down big-league hitters.

In need of another central defender amid their disastrous run of form, Liverpool have now reportedly been told how much they’ll have to pay to sign Ezri Konsa.

It was another sobering evening for those at Anfield, who watched on as Crystal Palace defeated Arne Slot’s for the third consecutive time. The Eagles have simply clawed away at the Reds time and time again this season and a young Liverpool side never truly stood a chance.

Losing 3-0 courtesy of yet more goals from Ismaila Sarr and a late Yeremy Pino effort, the Premier League champions are now out of the Carabao Cup and have lost six of their last seven games. They are a team in crisis.

When asked about his side’s latest defeat, however, Slot was quick to point out that his squad is weaker than it seems, using Manchester City as a comparison.

The Dutchman told reporters: “I saw Manchester City’s starting eleven and they didn’t have one starter from the weekend but it felt like their best team. That is a bit of an insight. Chelsea can bring Estevao in. After I made two substitutions tonight, we had six teenagers.”

After spending over £400m in the summer and breaking their transfer record twice, Liverpool are unlikely to get the sympathy that Slot asked for when looking at his squad last night. The former Feyenoord boss didn’t name a single first-team player on the bench and was ultimately made to pay the price.

Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez particularly struggled and the fact that Robertson was forced to play at centre-back exposed the big problem that the Reds must solve. Whether Konsa is the answer to that problem remains to be seen, though.

Liverpool discover Ezri Konsa price

After coming within hours of signing Marc Guehi in the summer, which would have solved their centre-back problem, it’s been back to the drawing board for those at Anfield.

Now, according to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign Ezri Konsa, who Aston Villa are ready to sell for £40m-£45m amid continued PSR problems.

Another Chiesa: Slot's treatment of Liverpool star is a "sackable offence"

Liverpool have a shrewd solution to one of their biggest problems this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2025

The 28-year-old also has interest from Manchester City and Newcastle United, but it’s Liverpool who will need his arrival the most if they miss out on Guehi in the summer.

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It’s tough to match the season that Guehi is having, but Konsa has also shown plenty of potential at Aston Villa, who are beginning to find their form in the current campaign.

Described as a “Rolls-Royce” by former manager Dean Smith, Konsa is represented by the same agent as Ibrahima Konate and could now use that link to get himself a summer switch to Anfield.

Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace player ratings

MatériaMais Notícias

Ex-volante do Corinthians, Cantillo entrou com uma ação na justiça do trabalho contra o clube. Atualmente no Junior Barranquilla, da Colômbia, o jogador solicita o pagamento de R$ 2,4 milhões.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

O montante é referente ao Fundo de Garantia por Tempo de Serviço (FGTS), multas e verbas rescisórias que foram pagas pelo clube, mas que o colombiano contesta.

O estafe de Cantillo alega que tentou um acordo com a diretoria do Timão, mas não teve um retorno positivo. Em razão da não resolução, optou por recorrer à justiça. A informação foi divulgada pelo “Ge”.

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Marcel Mariano de Oliveira, juiz da 45ª Vara do Trabalho de São Paulo, marcou nesta sexta-feira (15) a primeira audiência do caso para o dia 23 de abril. Ela será realizada por videoconferência, uma vez que Cantillo reside atualmente na Colômbia.

CONFIRA OS VALORES COBRADOS PELO JOGADOR

R$ 1,04 milhão – referente ao Fundo de Garantia (FGTS) entre 2021 e 2023;R$ 614,7 mil – de diferenças de verbas rescisórias relativa a férias, terço de férias e descontos considerados indevidos;R$ 430 mil – multa;R$ 313,8 mil de honorários advocatícios.

Ao todo, o volante disputou 118 jogos com a camisa do Timão. No período, ele acumula dois gols e três assistências.

Tudo sobre

CorinthiansFutebol NacionalJustiça

The Los Angeles Dodgers are finalizing a trade for Minnesota Twins reliever Brock Stewart, Jeff Passan reported Thursday. The Dodgers are sending outfielder James Outman back to the Twins as part of the deal, per Alden González of

Bullpen help is the Dodgers' biggest need at the deadline this year, and they have addressed it by adding Stewart, who is 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA across 34 innings pitched this season. Stewart returns to the Dodgers after beginning his MLB career with them from 2016-19.

The Dodgers also acquired right-hander Paul Gervase and left-handed prospect Adam Serwinowski, as well as catching prospect Ben Rortvedt as part of a three-team trade with the Reds and Rays on Wednesday before the deadline.

Meanwhile, the Twins have been one of the biggest sellers at the deadline this year. They traded outfielder Harrison Bader and closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies, and sent starting pitcher Chris Paddack to the Tigers on Monday.

They endured a poor 2023 World Cup and haven’t qualified for the Champions Trophy, but the last few months have shown clear signs of revival

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Nov-2024Since July Sri Lanka’s men have played eight ODIs and won six, tied one, and lost one. Even before this, Sri Lanka had not been a completely abysmal ODI side; in fact, in the two years before this recent stretch, they’d won 23 ODIs to the 18 they’d lost, maintaining a respectable win/loss ratio of 1.28.But the wider perception, nevertheless, was that this was a nosediving outfit. What other conclusion could you reach, when having stunk up the ODI World Cup last year, Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy? Even in the 1970s and 80s, they’d never missed a major ICC tournament. Since 2016, they’ve also not been especially close to making the knockouts of any of the global limited-overs events.Related

• Drift, dip, turn and pace – Theekshana the spinner has it all

• Sri Lanka's signs of batting resurgence 'good headache' for Asalanka

• Asalanka on SL's form: 'Goal is to climb to top three in the rankings'

• Kusal Mendis, spinners seal series win for Sri Lanka

And so the current stretch, headlined by their first bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years, and now backed up by series wins over West Indies and New Zealand, feels like a serious resurgence. Sri Lanka has had flash-in-the-pan limited-overs successes over the past few years, most notably the T20 Asia Cup win in 2022. But it has now been several months since Sri Lanka lost a series at home. Could it be? Dare fans hope? Are Sri Lanka building to something?Because there are other signs that, following almost a decade principally defined by dysfunction, the team has come upon a stretch of relative health. This is a team that is led capably, and ambitiously, for a start. Charith Asalanka has been exceptional in the tricky No. 5 spot, averaging 50.41 this year with a strike rate of 97. Often astute with the reviews, frequently clever with his bowling resources (including bowling himself plenty, when the situation demands), he has marshaled a varied attack fruitfully.In fact, there are improvements almost across the board. Each of the top three – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, and Avishka Fernando – have made vital contributions to victories in the last two months, with Kusal riding an especially hot wave of form at present. They have been so good, in fact, that they are keeping out Nishan Madushka, who had scored 69 and 38 in the two ODIs he played against West Indies.There has been criticism of Sri Lanka being overly dependent on spin-friendly home pitches, but the numbers suggest the conditions haven’t been all that treacherous•AFP/Getty ImagesThe bowling has rarely been the chief concern, even over the past few years, but the likes of Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage have also contributed with the bat, with Theekshana’s 27 not out off 44 on Sunday especially notable for its maturity in a tough match stituation. There is, as Asalanka has repeatedly pointed out, significant bench strength in the squad now, which in turn means players are motivated to make themselves difficult to drop. Avishka is one example. His batting talent has always been clear, but there was a time when his fitness had been an impediment. On Sunday, he claimed three outstanding catches.There are the weaker areas too. Kamindu Mendis has not lit up the international white-ball world yet, though he has long been a force in domestic one-day and T20 cricket. Sadeera Samarawickrama has had an inconsistent run of performances since last year’s World Cup.And there has been this growing criticism: Sri Lanka are too reliant on turning tracks for their victories. The last few months have seen some dustbowls in Dambulla, Pallekele, in Colombo, with some of those even prompting West Indies coach Darren Sammy to claim his team had claimed the moral victory (when they had suffered a non-moral loss) in the T20I series. In Sunday’s game, in which Sri Lanka fielded only one frontline seamer, this felt especially relevant.But crunch the numbers, and it doesn’t seem as if Sri Lanka’s pitches are especially extreme. Batters have averaged 29.49 in Sri Lanka in ODIs since July, and 29.73 since the start of 2022, which puts the country just below the middle of the pack when compared to the home conditions of the eight teams that have qualified for next year’s Champions Trophy*, with batters averaging less in New Zealand, Bangladesh and Australia.The next major ODI trophy Sri Lanka will contest will be the 2027 World Cup. On the T20 front, Sri Lanka are co-hosts of the 2025 tournament, alongside India. There are no pressing reasons as to why better batting tracks must be rolled out; there is time to adjust.For now, a young team appears to be finding its footing under a capable and dynamic captain. Their successes have come at home for now, but perhaps this, for the moment, is enough.*Afghanistan don’t play ODIs at home, and as such do not appear as a cricket destination in this list.

Celtic are reportedly preparing to make their first contact with Wales manager Craig Bellamy, who has become the latest of a number of coaches to be linked with the vacant managerial role.

There’s been a major shake-up in the Scottish Premiership so far this season. It’s not champions Celtic who lead. It’s not their Old Firm rivals Rangers. Instead, it’s surprise champions-elect Hearts who have taken an eight-point lead at the top whilst those in Glasgow have descended into chaos.

Revealed: Scott Brown's chances of replacing Brendan Rodgers at Celtic

The Bhoys are looking for their next manager.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 28, 2025

The Russell Martin experiment proved disastrous at Ibrox and a chaotic managerial hunt then followed before they landed on Danny Rohl. Now, Celtic are set to follow suit following Brendan Rodgers’ decision to leave the club – bringing an end to his second spell in charge of the club.

Those at Celtic Park will be hoping that their managerial search ends far quicker than Rangers’ did, given that their rivals were rejected by their top two choices.

As a result, work is instantly underway in search of a replacement for Rodgers. Names such as Ange Postecoglou, Edin Terzic and even Kevin Muscat, who rejected Rangers, have all threatened to steal the headlines so far, but it remains to be seen if any of the three emerge as priority choices.

Muscat would of course be an interesting choice after he rejected Rangers. Whether he’s the right choice should be the question asked by Celtic, however. The 52-year-old is yet to have any managerial success in European football and has enjoyed much of his career in Australia, China and Japan.

If Muscat is ruled out then the Bhoys could turn towards Bellamy, who has also emerged as a key option.

Celtic preparing first Craig Bellamy contact

According to Sky Sports, Celtic are now preparing to sound out Craig Bellamy among others about their vacant managerial role in the coming week.

The Wales manager has impressed on the international stage and has admirers at Celtic Park, despite losing both games in the last break, a friendly against England and World Cup qualifier defeat to Belgium. Alas, it remains to be seen whether he’d leave his post at Wales in the middle of that qualifying campaign.

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As things stand, Wales sit third in their qualifying group and still have hope of reaching the 2026 World Cup. Luring Bellamy away from that may prove all too difficult for Celtic.

There’s no denying that he would be an excellent choice, though. Speaking to Sky Sports when Bellamy was appointed in his current role, former Wales striker Rob Earnshaw said: “It’s an excellent appointment.

“When I was thinking, ‘who could take Wales forward?’ He was one of the first names I thought about. He’s got a very sharp mind, a great passion for the game and they’ve made the right choice.”

The latest on Celtic's manager search

Australian allrounder hits 44 off 17 then takes three-for as sorry Phoenix lose again

ECB Media22-Aug-2025Welsh Fire claimed their first win of the Hundred’s fifth season at the sixth time of asking as Aussie allrounder Jess Jonassen inspired them to a comprehensive victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston to end their hosts’ slim hopes of progressing to the Eliminator.Fire, last year’s runners-up, were playing for pride after five straight defeats extinguished their hopes of a top-three finish and they produced comfortably their best performance of the campaign so far, Jonassen delivering fireworks with the bat before returning figures of 3 for 24.The omens didn’t look good for Fire when Tammy Beaumont was bowled for 2 by a trademark inswinger from Megan Schutt, but a second-wicket stand of 71 between Sophia Dunkley (53 from 43) and Hayley Matthews, (34 not out from 33) laid strong foundations.Dunkley’s failed attempt at a sweep shot saw her bowled by Hannah Baker to leave Fire 99 for 2 before Jonassen upped the ante with a powerful knock of 44 from 17 balls. The experienced left-hander was particularly brutal against Baker, hitting four consecutive sixes in the legspinner’s final set to propel Fire to 150 for 3.Sophia Dunkley on her way to a half-century•Getty Images

In reply the Phoenix made a stuttering start, Shabnim Ismail (3 for 16) producing a beauty to castle Emma Lamb for a second-ball duck before trapping Marie Kelly lbw two deliveries later.Australian duo Georgia Voll (29 from 18) and Ellyse Perry (53 from 43) gave the innings impetus but Jonassen made another crucial intervention, bowling Voll with a nicely flighted delivery which deceived her compatriot in the air.Amy Jones swiftly followed, bowled by Matthews for a golden duck, before Perry gave the Phoenix a glimmer of hope, registering her first half-century of this summer’s competition.Sterre Kalis (15 from 16) briefly flickered, hitting Jonassen for a straight six, but she had her revenge two balls later when Kalis holed out to Ismail at long-on, and Ailsa Lister fell in identical fashion soon after to give her a third.Ismail returned to see off Perry, dismissed by a low catch from Georgia Elwiss at mid-off, and Matthews (3-21) did further damage as the Phoenix eventually limped to 114 for 9, slipping to the bottom of the table after suffering their fifth defeat in six.”We’ve been searching for a win all season. It’s nice that things clicked today,” Jonassen said. “We were probably just letting ourselves down a little with the bat, more so than anything, and it’s really nice we got a win today but with things still to improve on for the remaining matches. We’re really looking forward to getting back to Cardiff for our next game.”