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Some have shared concerns about the Colombian, but she’s already shown she can link up with Lauren James, Fran Kirby and more to be a Blues star

Mayra Ramirez’s arrival at Chelsea was a surprise, certainly. After the news that star striker Sam Kerr would miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, many thought the Blues would resist the urge to dip into the notoriously difficult January market because they already boasted attacking assets such as Lauren James, Fran Kirby and Mia Fishel. They had the options to be able to cope without Kerr, right?

We’ll never know the answer to that question because Chelsea did sit down to do business, the kind of which was record-breaking. The fee which brought Ramirez to London is the most a British club has ever paid for a player in the women's game, with the criteria for add-ons expected to be met to take the total paid up to £426,000 ($537,000). That would've been a world-record fee, even, until Bay FC's eye-watering acquisition of Racheal Kundananji earlier this week.

Ramirez shone for Levante after joining the club in the summer of 2022, scoring 22 goals in 38 games, and she played a crucial role in Colombia’s historic run to the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals last summer. At 24 years old, she’s still got a lot of room to grow and develop, too, such is her potential. She’s strong, she’s versatile and she’s talented.

Yet, her arrival has come with surprisingly little fanfare and even some scepticism. Why? As Chelsea look to send manager Emma Hayes off on a high, with her to take the United States women’s national team job this summer, Ramirez is an outstanding signing ahead of the business end of the season. Indeed, it’s much more than that – she can be a star for the Blues for years to come.

GettyKey absentee

Losing Kerr is a huge blow to Chelsea. One of the best centre-forwards on the planet, if not the best, the Australian doesn’t just rack up a lot of goals, she’s also excellent on the big occasions. Supremely-talented, a wonderful character and someone who doesn’t shy away from pressure, it’s hard to replace someone of Kerr's ilk. It’s even harder when you’re trying to do that in January, in a transfer window that is really difficult to operate in.

That’s part of the reason why many thought Chelsea wouldn’t sign someone to fill Kerr’s shoes. Another reason is because the squad is stacked with superb attacking players already. After all, they have Fishel, the USWNT star who was quite literally signed to step up when Kerr wasn’t available or needed a rest. They have Aggie Beever-Jones, the talented England youth international who has been incredibly prolific in her limited minutes this season. They have James, a dynamic and versatile forward with the tactical intelligence to adapt her role if needed, and they have Kirby, who is also incredibly- talented and capable of doing different jobs for the team.

Between them, and with the sublime service provided by wingers Guro Reiten and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, many thought there was enough there for Hayes to work with to adapt to Kerr’s absence.

AdvertisementGetty'Not sure she's Kerr’s ideal replacement'

Ramirez’s arrival felt like a massive statement, then. To splash such cash on one of the game’s hottest properties showed that Chelsea mean business. They want to be sure that they have a team that can lift as many of the four trophies they are still competing for in the next few months.

Yet, it’s been met with mixed reactions. "I'm not sure she's the ideal replacement for Sam Kerr in the short-term,” Fara Williams, England’s most capped footballer, told . “Will she still play alongside Sam Kerr if Kerr signs a new contract after this year when she comes back from an ACL? How [will] that look for her as a player fighting in this Chelsea team?

"Fishel can play up there and I think she gives them a different dynamic when they play. Play into her, she's very good at holding up the ball, players can work off of her, something Chelsea have never been able to do before. Lauren James as a false nine, Fran Kirby, who for whatever reason isn’t really playing that much at Chelsea. If they can get her playing regularly I think she's a good enough replacement, between her and James."

But Ramirez delivers certainty. What if Kerr doesn’t sign a new deal when her current contract expires this summer? And what if James or Kirby struggled in a more central role? Fishel, who is still inexperienced at the highest level, would need some help with the goal-scoring burden, too.

Ramirez is a proven No.9, she’s got real potential to go with her already excellent talent and she’s got so many different facets to her game that the idea of putting her and Kerr in the same team, or having them pushing each other for the same shirt, sounds like an exciting problem to have.

All the tools

So, what exactly does Ramirez bring to the table? It might be easier to list the things she’s not so good at. Boasting impressive strength and excellent footwork, the 24-year-old holds the ball up well and links up nicely with team-mates, drawing on her futsal upbringing while boasting good movement and understanding of where the space is. She’s dangerous on the move, too, because she’s explosive and difficult to dispossess.

These traits mean that, while she is best as a No.9, she can also play a little wider if needed, so any concerns about how she could play with Kerr if the Aussie stays shouldn’t be too great.

“She seems to me to be a player with a growing potential, with still a lot to give,” Levante coach Jose Luis Sanchez-Vera told last year. “We are seeing a Mayra who has exploded, especially because of her physical criteria, but she gives us a lot in different situations in the game. She's a player who people say runs into space for us, but she almost gives us more with how well she fixes the opposing defensive lines, how she allows us to support from the top, play with second line players, open doors, play with her feet, with her first touch. I think she is the player that allows us to give different contexts to the interpretation of the game.

“Right now, Mayra is exploding in the media, but she has so much room for improvement, in finishing situations, etc. If she continues like this, I think she's going to be a determining factor, not only in Spanish football, but also at European level.”

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GettyStar on the world stage

Sanchez-Vera would’ve hoped to have had Ramirez with him at Levante for longer, there’s no doubt, but during her outstanding World Cup campaign with Colombia last summer, rumours of interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon started to emerge. It felt like only a matter of time until Ramirez would leave the Spanish club, one which has become used to high player turnover in recent years such is the good job it does scouting, but also the status it holds as a club without the finances of Europe’s elite.

To get a fee in exchange for her departure that will be second only to Kundananji for a world-record is excellent business for Levante, but it doesn’t feel like Chelsea have overpaid, either. Finances in the women’s game are on the rise, and while Ramirez might not be a household name, to be one of the sport’s most expensive signings is only an indication of her exciting potential.

The World Cup was a great snapshot to justify this. Still only 24, she spearheaded Colombia to its best-ever performance at the tournament and earned huge praise along the way. Ian Wright, the legendary Arsenal forward, described her as “easily one of the best [No.9s] in the tournament” because of her “movement” and “link-up play”, while South Korea head coach Colin Bell dubbed her “world-class” after his team struggled to contain her in a 2-0 defeat in the group stages.

Playing for Chelsea is very different to playing for Levante. Ramirez has swapped a club that is often the underdog and needs to punch above its weight for the dominant force in English women’s football, one which has huge expectations. To have that World Cup experience under her belt and the pressure that came with it will be invaluable, then, and it was proof that she can cut it at the very top.

Stuart Binny’s 78 helped India draw the first Test comfortably after England had given them a scare with three wickets for 17 runs in the first hour

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy13-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHaving started the day with the draw seemingly a formality, India suffered a serious scare as England took three wickets for 17 runs in the first hour of the morning. But Stuart Binny steered them back to safety and was looking on course for a century on debut before Moeen Ali had him lbw with ten minutes to go for tea. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then scored his second half-century of the match – only the second time anyone had done this from No. 9 – and England didn’t even get to begin a second innings as the players shook hands when MS Dhoni declared at the stroke of the final hour.By then, Alastair Cook had treated the Trent Bridge crowd to one over of donkey-drop offspin and one over of gentle medium-pace, with which he had Ishant Sharma caught behind down the leg side. Cook’s Bob Willis impersonations summed up the Test match, during which it had become increasingly difficult to assess the two sets of players, on a surface with close to nothing in it for the bowlers. Years from now, it will mostly be remembered for the lower-order batting records it produced.Binny showed his batting ability, but it can’t be said he completely justified his selection, even if it would be harsh to judge his seam bowling on this pitch. He might even find himself in the strange position of being left out of the second Test after coming close to a century on debut and helping save a match from a wobbly position.Binny walked in with India six down and leading by 145, with two-and-a-half sessions remaining. England’s seamers were getting the ball to reverse under cloudy skies, and Ravindra Jadeja had faced 33 balls at the other end without getting off the mark. But Binny radiated calm right from the start, and looked more secure in defence than either Jadeja or MS Dhoni had done before him. He punished the loose balls confidently, and had moved to 26 by lunch to take the lead close to 200.The seventh-wicket partnership moved to 65 before James Anderson finally dismissed Jadeja, having tormented him all morning. Jadeja had been beaten numerous times before finally edging the angled delivery to Matt Prior. India’s lead at that point was 210, and England might have felt they still had a sniff but Bhuvneshwar Kumar came in and dampened their hopes, proving as immovable as he had been in the first innings.Binny by then had moved into the 30s, and he didn’t take long in getting to 50, pulling and steering Liam Plunkett for successive fours before reaching the mark with a single. His strokeplay grew in range when Moeen Ali came on, and he moved quickly into the 70s with a boundary nearly every over against the offspinner, including a reverse-sweep and a flat, inside-out six over extra cover. With plenty of time left in the session it looked as though he could complete a century before tea but Moeen turned one in from around the wicket to trap him lbw.The day had begun after a 15-minute rain delay, and Stuart Broad and Anderson immediately found reverse swing under cloudy skies. In the second over of the morning, Broad snaked the ball into Virat Kohli and struck him just in front of off stump. First ball of Broad’s next over drew Rahane forward. Having seen both bowlers finding consistent reverse into the right-hander, Rahane chose to play at the ball to protect his off stump. It stayed its course, however, and kissed his outside edge through to Prior.Broad could have had another wicket four overs later. MS Dhoni went after a length ball outside off and got a thick edge that went to Alastair Cook at first slip but he dropped a simple knee-height chance. It didn’t prove a costly miss, though. Dhoni and India had only added six more runs to their respective totals when Plunkett replaced Broad and struck first ball. Dhoni, looking to play across the line to a full, inswinging delivery, missed the ball and saw it ricochet off his front pad onto the stumps.England at that point might have sensed a first Test win in 11 months, having been down and out at one stage. India might have feared yet another overseas defeat in a Test match they had dominated for long periods. Neither side was good enough to force a win on such a surface, but both sides seemed bad enough, at times, to lose.

The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India’s tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday

Amol Karhadkar09-Jul-2013The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India’s tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday. According to the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, CSA announced the schedule without obtaining the BCCI’s consent.”We have written to CSA mentioning that while we have been discussing the tour itinerary, nothing had been agreed upon (before they announced the schedule). The discussions are on and a consensual decision will come soon,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been in charge of the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs with N Srinivasan having stepped aside as president, confirmed that the BCCI had raised “concerns” with CSA.While Patel refused to elaborate on those concerns, Dalmiya said the BCCI had issues with the scheduling of the Tests. At the moment, the tour comprises two Twenty20 internationals and seven ODIs, followed by three Tests.”We have some concerns over the gap between the last two Tests of the three-match series,” Dalmiya told reporters in Kolkata. “We have informed this to our South African counterpart (CSA) and the two boards are trying very amicably to sort out the matter. The new schedule will be announced soon.” *The present schedule has an eight-day gap between the second and third Tests. Earlier this year, when South Africa hosted Pakistan, there was a similar eight-day gap between two Tests. The BCCI prefers to play three-Test series with a three-day interval for home series. The last time India toured South Africa (in 2010-11), the biggest gap was five days – between the first Test at Centurion and the Boxing Day Test. This time, the gap between the first two Tests is just two days, with CSA deciding to reinstate the Boxing Day and New Year Tests to Durban and Newlands respectively.It is learned that the new BCCI administration has concerns with the “number of matches and the itinerary” for the tour. The tour is scheduled to end on January 19, just before the start of the New Zealand tour, though the schedule for that tour hasn’t yet been finalised.The BCCI feels that seven ODIs are “too many”. “If we have five ODIs, perhaps the tour can get over a week early and the boys can have a week-long break before flying to New Zealand,” a BCCI insider said, preferring anonymity. He also revealed that the board has been consulting the players on whether they would prefer to play the Tests before the ODIs.CSA, however, has claimed that it has not received any formal complaint from the BCCI and that they have followed all the correct protocols. “If the BCCI has any concerns they can raise them with us and we will sort them out amicably as we have always done in the past,” Michael Owen Smith, CSA media consultant, said.* – July 9, 2013, 1815 GMT – story updated with Dalmiya quotes

The BCCI has confirmed that the second Test between India and England will go ahead, as scheduled, in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2012BCCI sources have indicated that that the second Test between India and England will go ahead, as scheduled, in Mumbai. There were concerns that the Test, which starts on Friday, might be moved to Kolkata following the death of the politician and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.England fans heading to Mumbai for the second Test awoke to conjecture that a switch of venues could be considered in the wake of the death of Thackeray, a dominant political figure in the city, as thousands of extra police patrolled the streets to ensure order.Mumbai was slowly getting back to normal on Monday, after the cremation of Thackeray the previous day, as the Shiv Sena clarified that it had not called for a – a period of inactivity – in his honour.

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated

20-Apr-2012Leicestershire 318 for 7 (Sarwan 105, Cobb 105) v Derbyshire
ScorecardRamnaresh Sarwan and Josh Cobb ended their century droughts as Leicestershire’s batsmen dominated the second day of the County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Sarwan celebrated a first-class hundred for the first time in 26 months while Cobb’s was his first since his maiden century four years ago. Sarwan was out for 105 after sharing a fourth wicket stand of 141 in 33 overs with Cobb who also made 105 as the visitors reached 318 for 7 before bad light ended play seven overs early.Leicestershire had been in trouble in the morning when they lost their second wicket to the 12th ball of the day with only 25 on the board. Tony Palladino claimed his 12th victim of the new season when Jacques Du Toit was caught behind down the leg side for 14 and both Greg Smith and Sarwan had to fight hard to stay in before rain forced an early lunch.Sarwan survived a fierce chance on 24 to Dan Redfern at extra cover three balls before the interval, but he did not give another until he had reached his first century for Leicestershire in his second match for the county.Smith helped him build a solid platform with 33 in three hours before he was bowled trying to cut David Wainwright but the tempo increased with the arrival of Cobb who took the attack to the bowlers. He pulled Wainwright for two sixes on his way to his first Championship fifty since 2010 and Sarwan also came down the pitch to loft Wes Durston over the long on boundary.Cobb pulled Wainwright for a third six after tea before Sarwan reached three figures from 183 balls when he tucked the left-arm spinner behind square for his 16th four. Derbyshire finally got rid of him when he pulled Ross Whiteley low to deep square-leg leaving Cobb to make his way to his first hundred since 2008.The 21-year-old got there when he steered the 155th ball he faced to the vacant third man boundary for his 12th four but he added only three more runs before he missed a big drive at Mark Footitt and was bowled.Derbyshire picked up another wicket when their former player Wayne White was caught behind cutting at Whiteley, but the day still belonged to Leicestershire although with more showers forecast for the weekend, the chances of a positive result in the match look slim.

Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya can resume bowling in international cricket, but he still won’t be allowed to bowl his offbreak

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2014Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya can resume bowling in international cricket, but he still won’t be allowed to bowl his offbreak. Utseya’s slow and medium-paced deliveries were found to be legal by the ICC, but his offspin deliveries were still measured to be above the permissible limit.Utseya, who had gone undergone remedial work after being banned from bowling in October, had identified his offspin and a variety of slow and medium deliveries as the type of deliveries he would be bowling during the ICC retest. All his slower deliveries were measured within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions, but not his offspin deliveries.During matches, the umpires will still be at liberty to report Utseya if they believe he is displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal action that was analysed during the retest. To assist in comparing the action used in the lab to the action used in upcoming matches, umpires have been provided with images and video footage of Utseya’s remodeled legal bowling action.

A round-up of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup matches that took place on March 26

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2012A combined bowling effort set up Sialkot Stallions’ five-wicket win against Lahore Eagles’ at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Bilawal Bhatti took three wickets and the rest of the bowlers chipped in to restrict the Eagles to a modest 129. Saad Nasim, batting at No.9, was the top scorer with 27. Sialkot lost Imran Nazir early but Shakeel Ansar and Shahid Yousuf made useful contributions to lead Sialkot to victory.Khalid Latif’s 88 set up Karachi Dolphins’ 32-run win over Rawalpindi Rams at the same venue. Put in to bat, the Dolphins managed 171 for 4, thanks to Latif’s contribution. He shared stands of 75 and 72 with Asad Shafiq and Rameez Raja respectively. Rawalpindi’s pursuit of the target was stalled by Sohail Khan and Faraz Ahmed, who took three wickets apiece. Naved Malik was the top scorer with 59, but he lacked support.

Mitchell Starc, who is yet to cement his place as a regular in the Australia line up, has said that he would like a run of games to settle into a rhythm

Brydon Coverdale18-Aug-2013Mitchell Starc is due to play in the final Ashes Test at The Oval. That is based not on confirmation from the selectors, just the prevailing trend. Since the start of the tour of India earlier this year, Starc has alternated: in for Chennai, out for Hyderabad, in for Mohali, out for Delhi, in for Trent Bridge, out for Lord’s, in for Old Trafford, out for Durham. In for The Oval just makes sense.In fact, stretch it back even further and the only time Starc has ever played two consecutive Tests in a series was during the first two Tests of his career against New Zealand in late 2011. Starc has done some fine things during his 11 Test appearances, with both bat and ball, and his use of reverse swing has been one of his strongest weapons.That was also what cost him his place for the fourth Test, as the selectors felt Chester-le-Street would be more suited to seam rather than swing. Starc has at times struggled to find the right lines during this series in his search for movement in the air, mixing up his threatening deliveries with sprays down leg or wide of off, and while he knows he needs greater consistency, it is hard to achieve in such circumstances.”It would be nice to get a few games back-to-back and get that rhythm,” Starc said after Australia’s tour match in Northampton against the England Lions. “To have a chance at that consistency that everyone talks about [would be good] – ‘you’ve got to be more consistent,’ – well it’s a bit hard when you play one game and you’re dropped.”If Starc’s words seemed like a back-hander to the selectors, they were spoken genially enough, with a smile, and were more or less a statement of fact. It is hard to become more consistent when you’re in and out. Hard, but not impossible. Ryan Harris has shown that during his career, which has involved a similar mix of moving in and out of the side, often due to fitness concerns. Harris especially, has shown the value of consistently making batsmen play during this series.”For me it’s making the most of that new ball,” Starc said. “I’m pretty happy with where my reverse swing bowling is and how much I am getting the ball to swing but I guess [my goal is] doing more damage with the new ball and being more consistent when the ball isn’t doing anything at all. I know where I need to get better and it’s just a matter of doing it.”Another likely dry pitch at The Oval could help Starc’s chances of being recalled for his third Test of the series, especially given that the selectors may be reluctant to risk the injury-prone Harris now that the series is decided. Starc bowled reasonably enough against the England Lions, although he only finished with one wicket- Moeen Ali caught at second slip.”I was very happy with how it came out,” Starc said. “What we’ve spoken about over the last few weeks about where we want to bowl and plans and that sort of thing, [I was] happy with how we practiced those with James [Faulkner] and I especially.”The presence of Starc and Faulkner as the only two fast bowlers in the Northampton match meant that David Warner was called on for some sub-military medium pace as first change, but the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was not required with his skiddy seamers. Had Wade been asked to bowl it would have created an interesting question over who would take the gloves, and Starc, a wicketkeeper during his teenage years, would have been one possibility.”Yeah, I was happy to take the gloves if he was given a bowl,” Starc said.He can’t get a consistent run in the team as a bowler and prolific lower-order batsman, so why not add another string to his bow?

Ireland captain Will Porterfield has praised the impact of county cricket on his side ahead of the World T20 qualifiers.

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2013Ireland captain William Porterfield has praised the impact of county cricket on his side ahead of the World T20 qualifiers.Porterfield brings his side to the tournament as favourites and near-certainties to claim one of six places available at the World T20 in Bangladesh next year, and Porterfield said opportunities in county cricket have been of great benefit to Ireland.Seven of Ireland’s 15-man squad have a county deal, including Porterfield who is contracted to Warwickshire until 2015 and the chance to play regular high-quality cricket, including in the Friends Life t20 against many of the world’s best players, has gone a long way to helping Ireland develop into the leading Associate nation.”You can go through our side now and there is a high percentage that has played in county cricket at a very high level,” Porterfield said. “That does help in terms of playing cricket day in day out and being competitive. It helps certainly in performing well as a cricketer.”Much criticism has been levied at England for selecting players who have cut their teeth in international cricket with Ireland but, with an absence of a first-class system in Ireland, the English domestic game has been a leading factor in Ireland’s improvement.And in Tim Murtagh, Ireland have been able to attract an English-born player who has made his name in international cricket. Since making his debut in June 2012, Murtagh has established himself with the new ball for Ireland.”Tim has come in and played really well,” Porterfield said. “He’s had a fantastic start to his international career with Ireland, and long may that continue. He’s been a seasoned county pro in the UK and churns out wickets and overs year in year out for Middlesex.”Other members of the Ireland squad with county contracts include Gary Wilson, who enjoyed an excellent season at Surrey including his second first-class century, George Dockrell, often playing as Somerset’s specialist spinner, Sussex captain Ed Joyce and Leicestershire wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien.”Gary Wilson has had a great year with Surrey,” Porterfield said. “He has broken into the first team and held his position in the side as a batter with Steve Davies retaining the gloves. To play the whole season as a batter is a great effort for him.”Two other players with vast amounts of county experience were described as “big players” by Porterfield in T20 – Middlesex’s Paul Stirling and Kevin O’Brien, who has enjoyed spells at Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset and Surrey.”In terms of Twenty20, the two big players for us – it has to be Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling, they’re two lads who can play the ropes at will and can score you hundreds off very little balls in this format so they’re going to be two massive players for ourselves.”Porterfield said qualification for the World T20 is “non-negotiable” for Ireland and his players, many of whom can draw on their experiences in the Friends Life t20 in England, should see them safely through to Bangladesh.

Kent lost four wickets in four balls as they collapsed to a 48-run defeat in their Friends Life t20 clash with Middlesex

26-Jun-2012
ScorecardKent lost four wickets in four balls as they collapsed to a 48-run defeat in their Friends Life t20 clash with Middlesex.Joe Denly, who made an unbeaten 90, came back to haunt his former club as Middlesex piled up 207 for 2, but Kent looked well placed to overhaul them on 120 for 2 before their innings rapidly subsided.Sam Billings (43 off 29) and Sam Northeast (60 off 43) had put on a quickfire 90 for the first wicket in the Kent reply. Billings and Darren Stevens fell in quick succession but Kent were still in the game when the extraordinary collapse took place.Northeast and Azhar Mahmood (13) fell in consecutive balls from Neil Dexter, Matt Coles picked out Tom Smith off Paul Stirling from his first ball at the start of the next over, and then the hapless Alex Blake was run out without facing a ball.Kent could only reach 159 for 7, well short of the Middlesex effort led by Denly, who batted all 20 overs. He and opening partner Stirling, who hit a brilliant 63 off 37 balls, put on 127 in 71 balls.There was also a terrific cameo from England batsman Eoin Morgan, who scored 36 off 18 balls, including three sixes.