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Italy through to semis with a dramatic win over Norway
Italy captain Cristiana Girelli scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner as they beat Norway to set up a potential Euro 2025 semi-final against reigning champions England.
After a dominant first-half performance, Girelli opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Norway captain Ada Hegerberg recovered from missing a penalty to level the match.
However, with the game heading towards extra time, Girelli headed home Sofia Cantore’s cross to send her side through to the last four for the first time since 1997, where they will face Sweden or England, who play their quarter-final on Thursday.
“It’s a dream that becomes a reality,” Girelli said after the game. “It’s amazing.
“I felt something different, something special. I have seen in the eyes of my team-mates a special light.
“I just believe to fight until the end and to believe until the end until the referee’s whistle. If you have a flame you have to continue to live. We suffered a lot but we fought until the end.”
Italy were the better side throughout the opening 45 minutes and were left to rue missed opportunities at the break, with Arianna Caruso, Girelli, Emma Severini and Lucia di Guglielmo all going close.
Girelli broke the deadlock shortly after half-time, touching in Cantore’s cross with her left foot from close range, and Italy thought they had doubled their lead a few minutes later when Severini scrambled the ball over the line. However, it was ruled out for offside against Caruso.
Norway were handed a golden opportunity to level in the 60th minute when Hegerberg was awarded a penalty after being hauled to the floor by Elena Linari, but for the second time in this tournament she sent her spot-kick wide.
However, she made amends six minutes later, coolly slotting the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Laura Giuliani.
Momentum swung in Norway’s favour following the equaliser, with the best chance for a winner falling to Ingrid Engen, whose curled effort from the edge of the box went just wide, before Girelli popped up in the box late on to spark Italian celebrations.
While the headlines should be about Italy and their first appearance in the last four of a Women’s Euros for 28 years, an unfortunate spotlight has fallen on Norway captain Hegerberg.
Having sent a penalty wide in her side’s opening game against Switzerland, her nerves would have been jangling when the referee pointed to the spot on the hour mark.
There was a lengthy delay before she lined up to take the penalty, with a couple of team-mates gathered by the ball and plenty of gardening around the spot.
After the pause, she walked up to the ball and planted her penalty well wide of the right post before putting her head in her hands. Italy goalkeeper Giuliani had gone the right way.
Although she made amends six minutes later, the missed penalty was the latest blemish in an underwhelming tournament from a star-studded Norway side.
Despite topping Group A with three wins from three, their performances have left many fans underwhelmed, with their side benefitting from an own goal to beat Switzerland, needing an 84th-minute winner against Finland, and conceding two late goals to Iceland.
A common criticism has been their inability to get the best out of their superstars – and it was the case once against in Geneva.
Guro Reiten struggled as a makeshift left-back, finding herself hemmed back by a counter-attacking Italy, while Barcelona forward Caroline Graham Hansen was curiously absent throughout.
Norway have now not reached the semi-finals of a Women’s Euros since 2013.
[BBC Sports]
The Rose Bowl, which has been awarded to the winner of ODI series between the women’s teams of Australia and New Zealand since 1985, has now been expanded to include T20Is as well.
New Zealand’s three match T20I tour of Australia, which begins on Sunday at the North Sydney Oval, will be the first T20I edition of the Rose Bowl. The teams will get to face off again for the trophy in March 2027 when they meet again for three ODIs, also in Australia.
For Rose Bowl series that include matches in both white-ball formats, the trophy will go to the team with the most wins overall. In case of a drawn series, the current holder will retain the trophy.
“The Rose Bowl is a prestigious trophy that holds a lot of meaning to current and past players, and it’s a series we’ve always taken a lot of pride in competing in,”Catherine Campbell, NZC’s chief cricket operations officer and a former New Zealand player, said. “With so much T20I cricket now being played, this is a brilliant opportunity to keep the Rose Bowl relevant and to build on the history between us and our Australian rivals.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr was excited by the broadening of opportunities to compete for the Rose Bowl.
“We’re all aware of what the Rose Bowl represents and the importance it holds in the White Ferns whakapapa [genealogy],” said Kerr. “Great players and teams have fought for it over the years and we’d love the opportunity to claim our own piece of that history.”
Australia have held the Rose Bowl continuously since wresting it back from New Zealand in 2000. Since that 3-0 win, Australia have won 18 times with one series – in 2008-09 – shared 2-2. Overall, Australia have won 26 of the 31 ODI series played for the Rose Bowl, with New Zealand winning three times and three series drawn.
North Sydney will host all three T20Is of the upcoming Rose Bowl series, on October 18, 20 and 22.
[Cricinfo]
US President Donald Trump claims the US Navy’s “effective” blockade has stopped all Iranian ships from crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy says a supertanker carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil has struck a sea mine while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz through an “unauthorised” route.
The collision caused a huge explosion and a major fire on board the vessel, the IRGC said in a statement reported by semi-official Tasnim news agency.
It alleged that the tanker had turned off all tracking and radar systems, attempting to pass through the strait using deception and with US military support.
‘The Strait of Hormuz is closed’, the IRGC navy warned, adding that vessels violating Iranian regulations would face severe consequences for relying on US backing.
[Aljazeera]
Squad for the first three ODIs: Shubman Gill [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer [VC], KL Rahul [WK], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna*, Kuldeep Yadav
Squad for fourth and fifth ODIs: Shreyas Iyer [C], Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan [WK, VC], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra [WK], Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
[Cricbuzz]
Review of progress in reforms and modernisation of key state revenue-collecting institutions
Rose Bowl expanded to include Australia vs New Zealand T20Is
Trump claims US Navy blockade stops Iranian ships in Hormuz
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