Celtic have been dealt a blow after Ange Postecoglou confirmed that Reo Hatate is ruled out of the Scottish Premiership game vs Rangers today.

What's the latest injury news on Hatate?

The Hoops will be the hosts this afternoon when they welcome their rivals to Parkhead for the hugely anticipated showdown but are set to be without the services of the 25-year-old. The Japanese international sustained a suspected hamstring injury during the 3-1 victory over Hibernian before the international break where he was forced off the pitch after just 13 minutes and has not featured since.

The Bhoys boss revealed last weekend that the midfielder was “close” to staging his comeback and that he would “hopefully” be able to make the squad for today’s game, though it sounds like the fixture has arrived ever so slightly too soon.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, Postecoglou revealed that Hatate hasn’t recovered in time and therefore won’t be available for selection for the Old Firm derby. As quoted by The Daily Record, he said:

"Reo hasn't come up but Aaron is fine so from last week, the only change is Aaron's available. It is disappointing for Reo more than anything, he loves playing these games, he's had an impact every time he has. You get disappointed for the player and you want everyone available, but from a team perspective, we have depth in that area."

Huge blow for Celtic and Postecoglou…

Hatate has been dubbed a “magical” player by journalist Josh Bunting and having started 24 of Celtic’s 30 league matches this season prior to today's game, it’ll be a massive blow for Postecoglou to not have him at his disposal for such a big fixture.

The £12k-p/w talent has clocked up 17 goal contributions (eight goals and nine assists) in 38 appearances across all competitions in 2022/23 whilst averaging 2.25 shots per game, highlighting the constant prolific threat he provides in the final third. The Glasgow based-star is also an extremely versatile and therefore useful option to have available having operated in defensive and central midfield alongside at right-back since the start of this term.

Hatate has played a significant role in the Hoops’ success this season and the boss will be gutted to not have him available for a tie of this calibre and importance but it doesn’t sound like he’s facing too much longer on the sidelines so supporters will be hoping to have him back as soon as possible.

Arsenal travel to Manchester City on Wednesday evening in a potentially season-defining title clash, with Mikel Arteta no doubt desperately searching for ways to stop the prolific Erling Haaland.

Does Arteta need to make defensive changes at Arsenal?

The Gunners have struggled immensely from a defensive perspective following the injury to William Saliba, with Rob Holding so far proving an inadequate replacement for the Frenchman alongside Gabriel in the heart of Arsenal's defence.

It is often said that attack wins you games and defence wins you titles and right now Arsenal's defence is far from good enough, with no clean sheets in their last five Premier League games, which has included damaging draws against Liverpool, West Ham United and Southampton.

Holding has been a big reason behind those defensive difficulties, as his woeful average rating of 6.26 from WhoScored is a stark contrast to Saliba's strong 6.77 rating this term.

Unfortunately, the French youngster won't be fit for the trip to the Etihad and with the title potentially on the line, Arteta must make changes to his backline if he wants to stop City and the dangerous Haaland.

Should Tierney start against Manchester City?

One potential change could see the Gunners revert to a three-at-the-back formation, with Gabriel and Ben White starting alongside Kieran Tierney at centre-back, with the former Celtic man adopting the role he undertakes on international duty with Scotland.

Steve Clarke was left with a difficult decision when selecting Tierney or Andrew Robertson at left-back for Scotland and now describes the Arsenal man as "the best overlapping centre-back in world football," so it is certainly a role he could perform for the Gunners at the Etihad tonight.

This would free up Oleksandr Zinchenko to play in an inverted wing-back role which could give him more time and space in the midfield, while also ensuring that he isn't left so exposed defensively after struggling in recent weeks, with Bukayo Saka more than capable of playing in a wing-back role on the right.

Tierney's pace could also be crucial on the cover against the explosive Haaland, as Arsenal could find themselves completely overwhelmed if Holding and Gabriel are asked to deal with him, given the former's lack of speed, in particular.

The 25-year-old may have struggled with injuries and consistent form since joining the Gunners but there is no doubting his "warrior" attitude – as per Ashley Cole – which could prove vital in what will be the biggest test of Arsenal's title credentials at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola's side head into the game as favourites but if Arteta opts to surprise his former mentor by unleashing the "unbelievable" Tierney – as dubbed by Kris Boyd – in a centre-back role, it could just see the Gunners get their title bid back on track with a huge win.

Alastair Cook has become the first England batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs, after reaching the milestone on the fourth afternoon of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street.Cook, who started the match on 9,980 career runs, fell five short of the landmark when he was caught in the gully for 15 on the opening morning of the match. But he made no mistake second-time around, the moment arriving at 3.15pm when he clipped Nuwan Pradeep off his pads for four.He was given a second opportunity in this Test only after Sri Lanka managed to score 475 after following on, setting England a target of 79 to go 2-0 up in the series.”The 10,000 has been a milestone that has driven me over the last few years,” he said after England completed a nine-wicket win. “You get tested at the top of the order in all conditions against the best bowlers bowling with the new ball and I’m glad I have hung around long enough not to get dropped.”I never thought I would get 10,000. Now I will have to have a rethink and set something else personally. You need something tucked away to drive you to get up go running in the morning or bat in the nets with Goochy. I am still hungry to achieve stuff.”Cook said that his strengths were playing off the back foot and being able to “handle the external stuff as well”, reflecting on how he almost stepped down as captain after England lost the home series against Sri Lanka two years ago.Asked about his toughest moments, he said: “[Ryan] Harris and [Mitchell] Johnson were hard, and facing [Glenn] McGrath and [Brett] Lee as a 21-year-old was a good baptism for me. The Pakistan series in 2010 for me as a batter was hard. I had changed my technique. I found it tough. It was an enlightening moment when I went back to my old technique. As a player and captain Sri Lanka was hard. Forget all the runs, that is my proudest moment …hanging in in the tough times.”Cook is the 12th batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs and, at 31 years and 157 days, the youngest by five months. The previous holder of that record, Sachin Tendulkar, notched his 10,000th Test run at the age of 31 years and 326 days, against Pakistan at Kolkata on March 16, 2005. Tendulkar, however, required 195 innings to reach the landmark. This is Cook’s 229th.Cook is also the only active Test cricketer in the 10,000 club. Seven of the previous players to have reached the mark have retired in the past four years, including two men who were on the winning side, in 2014, on the last occasion Sri Lanka played a series in England – Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814).Cook, who is playing in his 128th Test, has 28 Test centuries to his name – another England record – and has further milestones on the horizon. He is closing in on becoming the second England batsman after Graham Gooch (5,917) to score 5,000 Test runs in home internationals, and is set to over-take Ian Bell (13,331) as the second-highest England run-scorer in all formats in the coming weeks.The first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs was India’s Sunil Gavaskar, who posted the milestone against Pakistan at Ahmedabad on March 7, 1987. Six years later, he was joined by Allan Border, against West Indies at Sydney in 1992-93, with Steve Waugh (Sydney 2002-03) and Brian Lara (Old Trafford 2004) the next two men to join the club.

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has been left concerned by Michael Beale's decision to let a number of experienced first-team players leave the club this summer.

Which players are leaving Rangers this summer?

The Gers will need to bring in a number of new players in the upcoming window, as several players are set to be shown the exit door, with Beale recently confirming Morelos is "going to be moving on" at the end of the season.

Turkish outlet Fanatik have recently reported that Ryan Kent has made the decision to leave at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract, while a number of other experienced players are out of contract.

Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Allan McGregor are all free to leave in the upcoming market, and Hutton is concerned that Beale plans to replace the old guard with some relatively inexperienced players.

In an interview with Football Insider, the pundit said: “That is my one fear.

“That the players that it looks like are leaving are experienced players, they have experienced European finals, winning leagues, winning trophies. I think it could be a mistake to let them all go.

“If you look at the likes of Arfield, Jack, Davis, McGregor, Morelos, Kent, I think you have to keep some for their experience, I am all for that.

“Especially if you look at the type of players they are wanting to bring in, the likes of [Morgan] Whittaker, Dowell, [Todd] Cantwell and [Nicolas] Raskin are already there, these are young guys.

“If you are bringing in seven or eight young players who are inexperienced, you need older heads round about them to guide them.“

Is a summer rebuild really needed?

Of course, Beale will be desperate to bridge the gap between Rangers and bitter rivals Celtic next season, currently trailing the Hoops by 13 points in the Scottish Premiership, but it is a questionable decision to let so many key players leave.

It is particularly concerning that Morelos and Kent are set to depart, given that both played a major part in the title-winning 2020-21 campaign, amassing a combined 32 goal contributions in the Scottish Premiership.

Scott Arfield has become a bit-part player, mainly being utilised as a substitute this season, but the decision to let Jack go is a little concerning, considering he has been a first-team regular whenever he has been fit.

Former Rangers man Lee McCulloch has previously spoken about how "influential" McGregor is in the dressing room, so the 41-year-old's departure could also pose problems for Beale, and the manager is playing a risky game by allowing so many players to leave.

Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, believes there are now more than 20 players who could be selected at any time in the one-day side and still give England a winning combination

Andrew McGlashan30-Jun-2016Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, believes there are now more than 20 players who could be selected at any time in the one-day side and still give England a winning combination.England secured the one-day series against Sri Lanka with a barnstorming chase at The Oval on Wednesday led by Jason Roy’s 162 off 118. They have used 12 players in the four matches – Chris Jordan replacing Moeen Ali in Bristol being the only change – with Steven Finn and James Vince remaining on the sidelines.The absence of Finn has been notable, given that before the series he was talking up being the leader of England’s one-day attack, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad not part of the white-ball set-up. Instead, Chris Woakes, David Willey and Liam Plunkett have been the ever-presents in England’s pace attack against Sri Lanka alongside the legspin of Adil Rashid.Other players on the fringes of the limited-overs team included the uncapped pair of Dawid Malan and Liam Dawson, who are both in the T20 squad to face Sri Lanka, while Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Reece Topley are currently unavailable due to injury.Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has spoken of the need to build a squad of players to compete on a regular basis across different conditions and Farbrace believes the focus given to white-ball cricket since the start of last season, at the instigation of Andrew Strauss, is starting to bear fruit.”If you look outside the team, there’s no Stokes, Vince is sitting on the sidelines, Finn, Wood,” he said. “There’s some very exciting people on the fringes and people know they’ve got to play well to stay in the team. There’s probably 21 players who could play in the England side at any time and we’d still be a strong side.”Credit to Andrew Strauss for saying he wanted white-ball and red-ball cricket to be taken as seriously as each other and it was time to stop thinking about ourselves as a Test-playing country only and resting people for Test cricket and making sure they’re ready.”We’ve built the pool of players for white-ball cricket and have an exciting group with people focusing on just that. It’s made a big difference but you have to have the ability in your side to do it and there’s no question there is the ability in this side.”England are building towards the next two 50-over global events which will be staged on home soil – the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup – but Farbrace says that further advancements are needed to make England credible contenders, especially for the 2019 event.He believes that if England are to be one of the favourites for the World Cup they need to sit in the top three of the one-day rankings a year out from the tournament. A 3-0 series result will leave them in fifth place, the position they moved to after victory at The Oval, but a consolation win for Sri Lanka in Cardiff would put them back at sixth.”The one thing we’ve looked at is teams who have won the World Cup pretty much have been one, two or three in the world,” he said. “If we’re going to be realistic challengers at the World Cup in 2019 I reckon we’ve got to be in the top two or three in the world, which means we’ve got to be far more consistent than we have been and if we are with home conditions and support that gives us a really good chance. If we’re seventh or eighth we’re hoping to do well as we did last time as opposed to expecting to do well.”I think if we are going to win it we’ve got to be in the top two or three, certainly within 12 months of the tournament starting. That’s got to be our goal. If we are I think we’ve got a good chance. I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be if we keep playing that way. The World T20 was a magnificent confidence boost for them and if we can play well in the Champions Trophy next year and come close to winning that who knows where that takes us?”But while work remains, there is understandable satisfaction about how England’s one-day cricket has evolved: the 308-run chase at The Oval was the side’s third 300-plus chase in the last 12 months; they had only ever achieved that twice previously.”They have come a long way and have exceeded all expectations of where we thought they’d be 12 months ago,” Farbrace said. “We said towards the end of last summer we weren’t going to pin down too many gameplans, we’d just let people go and have another 12 months of seeing how far we can go. But the shape of the team and how they’re playing is happening naturally rather than us having to stick too many plans in their way and that freedom is evident as well.”

Arsenal have the chance to return to the top of the Premier League table this evening as they take on Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium before Manchester City play on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta's side are one point behind their rivals in the division after losing 4-1 to Pep Guardiola's men in their last outing, thanks to brilliance from Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

They now come up against a Chelsea team that has gone eight games without a win in all competitions with a chance to return to winning ways.

The Gunners will be without William Saliba, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Mohamed Elneny, who all remain out with injuries, but the head coach still has plenty of options to rotate his side with.

How will Arsenal line up against Chelsea?

Arteta could make as many as three alterations to his starting XI following the defeat to City, with Jakub Kiwior, Kieran Tierney, and Leandro Trossard coming in.

Firstly, the Spaniard could ditch Rob Holding after conceding 13 goals during his six-start stint in the team following on from Saliba's injury.

The poor defensive record since the Englishman's run of starts is a huge concern and that could allow Kiwior to come in for his first start in the Premier League alongside Gabriel.

At left-back, Oleksandr Zinchenko could be given a rest after being dribbled past four times and failing to record a Sofascore rating higher than 6.5 in his last three league matches.

Arteta could opt to bring Kieran Tierney in to replace the Ukraine international as the £25m "machine" – as dubbed by journalist Simon Collings – has been dribbled past once and achieved a Sofascore rating higher than 6.5 four times in his last five Premier League outings, proving to be more reliable at this moment in time.

They both go into a back four, also containing Gabriel Magalhaes and Ben White, both of whom continue to shield Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks.

A midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard should resume their usual duties, as should Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka on the flanks.

Finally, Gabriel Jesus could drop out of the side after blanking in his last two appearances. The skillful Brazilian is coming off the back of a long-term knee injury and Arteta could manage his fitness by ditching him in favour of Leandro Trossard, who picked up an assist off the bench against Manchester City, tonight.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli.

Worcestershire Rapids kept alive their slim hopes of reaching the NatWest T20 quarter-finals with a five wicket victory over local rivals Birmingham Bears after some explosive hitting from Ross Whiteley

ECB Reporters Network15-Jul-2016
ScorecardRoss Whiteley’s blitz won it for Worcestershire [file picture]•Getty ImagesWorcestershire Rapids kept alive their slim hopes of reaching the NatWest T20 quarter-finals with a five wicket victory over local rivals Birmingham Bears after some explosive hitting from Ross Whiteley.The Rapids ended a run of five successive defeats in completed matches and completed a double over their neighbours to retain the Norman Gifford Trophy.Some explosive hitting by Ross Whiteley enabled the Rapids to reach their 165 target with four balls to spare.He showed the form which brought him 29 sixes in last season’s competition in smoting an unbeaten 42 off 20 balls with four sixes and three fours.Now the Rapids must now defeat Derbyshire Falcons in their final North Group match and hope other results go their way if they are to reach a fourth quarter-final in five years.In contrast, Birmingham’s colossal collapse when baqtting meant they have now lost three matches in a row in the competition to undermine their own hopes of a last eight spot.Dougie Brown, Birmingham’s director of cricket, said: “It wasn’t a case of the game drifting away. We were masters of our own demise again. We were last week as well. We lost eight wickets for 19 runs from a real position of authority.”Worcestershire were immediately on the back foot as they lost three wickets inside the first four overs.Tom Kohler-Cadmore clipped Rikki Clarke into the hands of deep mid wicket, Joe Clarke played on to Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Joe Leach sliced Recordo Gordon to backward point.Brett D’Oliveira, who this week earned his first England Lions call-up, and skipper Daryl Mitchell tried to repair the damage as their half century stand came up in seven overs.The Rapids needed 95 off the final 10 overs and Mitchell targeted the first over from Aaron Thomason to increase the tempo, striking two sixes as the all-rounder conceded 19 overs.The return to the attack of Clarke ended a stand worth 76 in nine overs as D’Oliveira skied a comfortable catch to Josh Poysden at backward square leg.Mitchell reached his half-century off 29 balls with two sixes and four fours but Clarke also brought about his downfall on 61 as he drilled a catch to Sam Hain at mid off. But then Whiteley moved into overdrive with support from Ben Cox to turn ther game in ther Rapids favour.Birmingham appeared to be heading for a score in excess of 200 after reaching 120 for 1 in the 12th over.But a dramatic collapse saw nine wickets fall for just 35 runs and the Bears were bowled out for 164 in 19.3 overs.Australian wicket-keeper Matthew Wade led the initial onslaught for the visitors in his second T20 appearance for the Bears.He raced to a half century off just 23 balls with the aid of three successive sixes over long on off spinner D’Oliveira in an over costing 25 runs.Wade and Sam Hain plundered 103 in just nine overs for the second wicket. But the Rapids struck back once Wade, having made 74 off 32 deliveries, was caught by Rhodes at long-on off Ed Barnard.Rhodes then came into the attack and in his second over picked up three wickets as Laurie Evans, Hain (46) and Clarke all perished to the off spinner.Ateeq Javid was run out attempting a second run in the next over from Rhodes before Mitchell pulled off a fine one-handed catch at mid wicket to account for Jeetan Patel.Rhodes finished 4 for 13 from three overs in only his second T20 appearance before Henry polished off the innings with two wickets in his final over of his current spell at New Road.

Manchester United let a two-goal advantage slip through their fingers as Sevilla fought back to claim a 2-2 draw which will ensured the Andalusians headed back to Spain in much a better mood than their English counterparts.

Erik ten Hag’s side looked like they were on the way to a fairly comfortable victory as Marcel Sabitzer scored twice in the opening 30 minutes and the score stayed like this until the final ten minutes. Two moments of madness cost United the victory, as Tyrell Malacia and then Harry Maguire scored own goals, meaning the Red Devils have a much tougher task next week than what was anticipated at half-time.

The Austrian midfielder certainly justified his selection as he netted United’s two goals along with making three clearances and succeeding with one dribble attempt during his time on the pitch.

It was another starter who significantly impressed for the Old Trafford side against Sevilla however, as Antony put in a wonderful attacking display that he can hopefully replicate over the next few weeks.

How did Antony perform for Manchester United against Sevilla?

The winger has endured a Jekyll and Hyde campaign so far during 2022/2023, enjoying some fabulous performances such as scoring a crucial goal in the 4-1 win over Real Betis last month, while also having a couple of shockers in the process, most notably in the 7-0 drubbing to Liverpool.

His potential appears limitless, yet in order to take his game to the next level, he will have to massively improve his consistency.

The former Ajax winger enjoyed a solid performance against the La Liga side last night and Statman Dave claimed the player enjoyed an “entertaining battle” with Sevilla left-back Marcos Acuna.

Statistically, Antony was United’s second-best performer across the starting XI with a Sofascore rating of 7.4/10 and this is the kind of performance Ten Hag will be expecting every week.

During his 81 minutes on the pitch, he took 49 touches and delivered one accurate cross, while he also succeeded with four of his six dribble attempts, suggesting he was in the mood to attack the opposition fullback.

The 23-year-old caused Sevilla all sorts of problems by taking four shots throughout the tie, and he also hit the woodwork, coming so close to being rewarded for his hard work. The Brazilian won half of his duels, made a tackle and interception whilst he also chipped in with two clearances, proving that he can also help out defensively and Ten Hag should be pleased with his display.

If the winger delivers another performance like this next week, then he could spearhead United’s progress into the semi-finals of the Europa League and continue their quest for continental glory.

England will host Ireland for two ODIs in 2017, in a move described as “an historic stepping stone for Irish cricket”. The fixtures, one of which will be at Lord’s, represent the first bilateral series between the sides, as well as the first time they have faced each other in England.Under the previous agreement between the ECB and Cricket Ireland, England played a biennial ODI in Ireland. Next year they will instead host Ireland at Bristol, on May 5, and Lord’s, on May 7, as part of their build-up to the Champions Trophy. The development is a further boost for Ireland as they seek greater engagement with Full Members and a calendar that can help them challenge for World Cup qualification via the ODI rankings.Ireland’s captain William Porterfield, who has led calls for more opportunities for his side, described the series as “absolutely massive”, while Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, thanked the ECB for helping to bring it about. Ireland are also due to host New Zealand and Bangladesh for a six-match triangular series in May 2017.”We would like to extend our sincere thanks to ECB for their support in bringing this series to fruition and, in particular, giving us the opportunity to play a two-match series in England for the first time,” Deutrom said. “Rounding the series off at Lord’s will, of course, make this truly memorable for everyone involved.”We have set out our stall to make cricket a mainstream sport in Ireland and perhaps one measure of that is for the Blarney Army, whether living in Ireland or England, to arrive in their thousands to paint the Home of Cricket green in front of a worldwide TV audience.”England were Ireland’s opponents in their first ODI, in Belfast in 2006, and they have met twice in World Cups but this move signals a greater degree of commitment from the ECB to helping their Associate neighbours. It is understood that part of the decision for England to host the games was in order to save Cricket Ireland the set-up costs.”This series will represent a historic stepping stone in the development of Irish cricket and give further impetus to the growth of the game in Ireland as a whole,” the ECB’s chief executive Tom Harrison said. “There’s always been a friendly local rivalry between Ireland and England on the sporting field and this is a great opportunity for cricket matches between the two countries to enjoy even greater status and profile.”Ireland recently played a two-match series against Sri Lanka and will host Afghanistan and Pakistan this summer, before playing ODIs against South Africa and Australia later in the year. They were added to the ICC ODI rankings last year, giving them a chance to secure automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup by reaching the top eight, but had struggled to arrange a competitive fixture list.England had previously only played one-off fixtures against Ireland, in Belfast once again in 2009, then at Clontarf, in Dublin, two years later, followed by matches in 2013 and 2015 at Ireland’s new home, Malahide. Ireland’s only win over England came at the 2011 World Cup, when they pulled off the highest successful chase in the competition’s history in Bangalore.”It’s absolutely massive for us to have the opportunity to play against England in a series,” Porterfield said. “What makes it extra special is the fact that one of the games is at Lord’s – where every cricketer dreams of playing.”I’m certain we’ll have a lot of support there from both the Irish living in London and travelling over from Ireland. There’ll be a great atmosphere and it will be one which the team will relish playing in front of.”Teams travelling to play England are also coming over here now to play series too so hopefully that trend will continue. We are getting more and more international fixtures with games against Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and South Africa still to come this year, and England, Bangladesh and New Zealand confirmed already for next year.”

Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2016
ScorecardTammy Beaumont struck 47 in Surrey Stars’ chase•Getty Images

Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory, chasing down the 135 set for them by Yorkshire Diamonds with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.In front of 2250 people at The Oval, England opener Beaumont compiled an assured 47, contributing to stands of 65 for the first wicket with Bryony Smith and 57 for the third with Sciver, who was unbeaten on 29 when clobbering the winning runs behind square leg.Earlier, Alex Hartley was crucial with the ball. The visitors had gotten off to a flyer, 72 without loss at the half way mark with Hollie Armitage and Lauren Winfield batting with ease. It was the left-arm spinner who removed them both in the space of three balls, Winfield caught and bowled for 29 then Armitage bowled for 43.It was the catalyst for an excellent second ten overs for the hosts, restricting the Diamonds to 5 for 62 in that period. Hartley was the clear stand out with 2 for 18 from her four overs without conceding a single boundary, while seamers Sciver and Rene Farrell bowled with considerable control at the death of the innings.Surrey’s fielding also improved dramatically, after twice dropping early chances Sciver executed a superb direct hit run out of dangerous Australian Beth Mooney, her throw released in one motion after completing a diving stop.In reply, Surrey’s innings followed in a similar fashion to the first, the openers able to see off the initial threat from England spearhead Katherine Brunt before 19-year-old Smith took the quick for three consecutive boundaries in the fifth over to turbocharge the chase.Her 50 stand with Beaumont was raised in 35 balls, and the score was 65 before Yorkshire made their first breakthrough when Smith was deceived one of Jenny Gunn’s myriad slower balls, a top edge taken at short third man.A sharp stumping from Mooney, also off the bowling of Gunn, removed No. 3 Cordelia Griffith shortly thereafter, bringing Sciver to the crease to join Beaumont with a further 62 needed at just under a run a ball.But it was the pace of Brunt that again helped the batting side when it mattered most, 13 taken from the 14th over (including three wides) to take Surrey score beyond 100, making the final result a relative formality.After the hard work was done Beaumont holed out with five required for victory, appropriate reward for offspinner Steph Butler who impressed in her first game of the tournament.With two losses to start the start their season, Yorkshire now have no margin for error. Their next fixture is at Southampton on Monday against the Southern Vipers.Meanwhile for the winners, after squaring their ledger at one and one they play the Western Storm on Sunday at Bristol.