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London Spirit host Southern Brave on Saturday in the women’s Hundred live on BBC iPlayer from 14:30 BST. The men’s match is on BBC Two from 18:00.

Most of the leading run-scorers in this year’s Hundred women’s competition could just as easily be a list of the best batters in the world game.

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Phoebe Litchfield, Grace Harris and Meg Lanning are among them.

Another name, although a county player since the age of 14, is more of an unlikely presence on the list. After all, Kira Chathli was unsold when this year’s draft was done.

The 26-year-old was signed by London Spirit as Heather Knight’s replacement when the former England captain injured her hamstring in May.

Given a role at the top of the order, Chathli has delivered 160 runs at a strike-rate of 144.14 in six matches.

“It’s gone OK so far,” she says, playing down her achievements.

Chathli was still in school when she first played for Surrey.

Though always talented, her career was drifting until it took an upwards turn after signing professional terms with the county last year as part of the new wave of deals for women’s players.

Those who have seen her career first hand say the right-hander is hitting the ball harder than ever.

“Generally, lifting weights in the gym has helped so much,” she says.

“The S&C [strength and conditioning] coaches will laugh at that because I never used to be very keen on doing it, but it really has helped, just getting fitter and stronger and I can trust the timing of my swing rather than trying to over-hit.”

To many people, the ‘lifting weights’ process means bench presses, bicep curls and drinking protein shakes, but these days things are more cricket specific.

Chathli, who co-founded a cricket coaching academy focusing on young girls in 2020, has worked on her grip strength to allow her to hit boundaries more regularly.

“I used to be quite a keen rock-climber,” she says. “Obviously I can’t do that any more but that also really helped me.

“I do play quite fearlessly and that has come from doing activities like rock-climbing – anything that’s got a bit of adrenaline, really.

Having missed most of last year through injury, Chathli began this season with a career-high 95 in the T20 Cup against Hampshire. She also made a match-winning 65 against Warwickshire in the Blast.

With Warwickshire the opponents again in the final, it was Chathli who hit the winning runs in Surrey’s chase.

“I quite like problem-solving,” says Chathli, a chemistry graduate from University College London.

“I used to play chess when I was younger so I enjoy that.

“I’m quite good at reading pitches and the pace of the game.

“I like whacking the ball, but I also really enjoy the tactical side of cricket and getting into a battle with the bowler – what are they trying to do, and what can I do to get the better of them?”

Chathli’s father is Harry Chathli, the public relations and business expert who served as Yorkshire’s chair between October 2023 and May 2024.

Her early introduction to the sport came on family trips to India – her father was born in Mumbai – or when watching him play club cricket.

“It was probably a little bit inevitable,” she says.

In 2016, Chathli made local news headlines when she became the first female player to score a fifty for the men’s teams at Dulwich Cricket Club – a club that has been in existence since 1867.

Her younger brother also scored a fifty in the same match that day, though it later took a turn.

“He smashed the ball straight to extra cover and ran me out,” she laughs. “That’s definitely logged in the memory bank.”

Nine years on, Chathli made her first fifty in The Hundred in Spirit’s win against Birmingham Phoenix earlier this month.

At the other end was Australia superstar and Spirit team-mate Harris, as she was when they took Surrey over the line in that Blast final.

“Grace is funny. She’ll keep it simple and say, ‘If they bowl length, just ramp it; if it’s full, just step back and clear it over the top for six’,” says Chathli.

“It’s nice to know her thought process, but that’s not really my game.

“I’m usually not fussed about milestones, but the fact it was my first [fifty] at the highest level that we have in this country, it’s hard not to be pretty happy.

Manchester City host Tottenham in Saturday’s 12:30 BST Premier League kick-off, with both teams seeking to build on a winning start.

It is almost 12 years since the pair played out an extraordinary match at Etihad Stadium, with City thrashing Spurs 6-0.

A lot has changed since then – so we’d thought we’d test your memory. How many players from the two starting XIs can you name?

“Joga bonito” is a phrase used by Brazilians to describe how the game of football should be played.

“Joga” is the verb “to play” in Portuguese, while “bonito” means “beautiful”. The philosophy revolves around individual skill, creativity and a mindset to attack.

Football is not just a game in Brazil, it is ingrained in culture, with more than two million registered players.

Rugby, on the other hand, still remains an unknown sport among the majority of the people from the South American country, even with Brazil making their debut at the Women’s Rugby World Cup against South Africa on Sunday.

Brazil, who are the lowest-ranked team at the World Cup in 25th, have only played 16 Tests of XV-a-side rugby and celebrated their first win in 2023 over Portugal.

Despite the vast difference in player pool, resources and global triumphs, the rugby-playing mindset remains the same as that in football.

“They have absolute speed and are at their absolute best when they are decisive and read what is happening in front of them and react in the moment,” Brazil women’s sevens coach Crystal Kaua told BBC Sport.

“I always say it is like driving in Sao Paulo [which has 12 million inhabitants]. With the motorbikes, if you see space then you have to take it. They aren’t big so they must make smart and fast decisions.”

To qualify for the World Cup, Brazil had to defeat Colombia in the South American play-off – a hurdle they had failed at six times previously.

With the women’s sevens team thriving on the World Series, the decision was made to push for qualification by bringing in their sevens stars for the play-off game, resulting in a comfortable 34-13 victory.

Among the 32 players selected for the World Cup, 11 have competed in at least one Olympic Games.

Fly-half Raquel Kochhann, who has only six caps in XVs, was one of those players that head coach Emiliano Caffera approached to help seal qualification.

The 32-year-old opted to study physical education at university and was recommended to play rugby for the first time because of her physicality.

“They cut my women’s football team but I still had my dream to represent my country so I tried another way,” Kochhann told BBC Sport.

“I played my first game of rugby for my club in 2011 and it was the first time they won the state games. I was MVP (most valuable player) from the tournament.

“Another team invited me to play with them, it was an international tournament in Uruguay where clubs play national teams. We played against Brazil and I saw them for the first time and said ‘wow I want to be part of this team.'”

Her footballing background offered a point of difference and helped seal a spot in the national sevens squad by 2012.

The rapid rise continued, with Kochhann playing sevens at the Rio Olympics after Brazil’s inclusion as the host nation, followed by involvement at last the two Games.

She was also the Brazil flag bearer for last summer’s Olympics in Paris, following a remarkable return to the sport after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022.

To make her return after 18 months even more astounding, Kochhann had also suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

“I told the team I need to step back and get treatment as I need to do chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” she added. “The reaction of my team was head down and sad. I said I don’t want this energy.

“It is just a normal injury and after this time I will come back to play with you. One of the girls said ‘after you take out the boobs are you going to run faster?’ Everyone laughed and I said ‘this is the energy I want to make the treatment easier’.

Defeating the odds is not just Kochhann’s story, but also Brazilian rugby’s.

Spain, ranked 13th in the world, defeated Brazil 41-12 in the lead-up to the tournament after seven games, including two non-Tests, were put in the diary this year to improve their competitiveness in XVs.

For their tournament debut, the players will wear a new kit incorporating symbols to represent the strength and ancestry of the players.

“The hard in Brazil is a different hard. The challenges I have seen are different to anywhere I have seen in the world,” Kaua added, having coached a large portion of the squad at sevens.

“These girls are tough, courageous and brave. Until you’ve been here you can’t imagine the magnitude of where our players come from.

“Half of the sevens girls are from those [tough favela] backgrounds, a large portion – maybe more than half. They are inspiring the next generation.

“People in those spaces are starting to see rugby as a genuine option to change their life.”

Brazil face South Africa, Italy and France in their pool, all of which are big rugby-playing nations, offering an ideal platform to catch the public imagination.

“It is going to be tough but I have no doubt that we are going to make some noise in one or two games,” said head coach Caffera.

Goal-kicking is a rarity in Brazil but is a skill that suits natural footballers.

Kochhann has turned to Youtube and Instagram to learn, having only drop-kicked conversions in sevens.

However, confidence with a ball is not something Brazilians lack.

“I am excited to show how Brazilian kickers can do,” said Kochhann, who only started practising goal-kicking off a tee in the last three months.

“My kick is different as it is a mix between a traditional rugby kick and soccer kick. I have my own way.”

The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation’s favourite sport. We’ll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the player.

Marc Guehi’s stock has never been so high.

The 25-year-old has been a mainstay for Crystal Palace since joining the club in 2021 – making 156 appearances in four seasons, and memorably leading them to their first major trophy when they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May.

A second Wembley triumph soon followed as Guehi and his team-mates saw off Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield.

Guehi’s commanding defensive displays have caught the eye of many suitors, with Premier League champions Liverpool keen to sign the England international this summer.

Marc: Yes. Home is my sisters. Everyone is just funny. I get to be myself in a way, if that makes sense? I don’t know if I’m the only one in football that feels like this but sometimes – not all the time – you have to put on a show. You have to not necessarily be someone you’re not but be an extension of yourself to kind of make it in this environment.

Marc: I love listening to music… learning different things, whether it’s trying to learn DJ-ing – I’ve tried to do that a little bit – or reading different books. I love going to the movies, to the cinema, because no-one goes to the cinema, so it’s nice to be in a cinema on your own… popcorn! I drummed at church for a long time. I drummed at school. I don’t have a drum set but I really want one. That’s a really good way to enjoy music and escape.

There is a famous scene in the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die in which executive director Charlie Methven is appealing for ideas to improve the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light.

“This is how I’d do it if I was DJ,” he tells a group of nonplussed staff as dance music strains at his laptop speakers.

“We want it to be rocking in there, a little bit mad… a bit noisier, a bit more in-your-face.”

Turns out he just needed a few more cowboy hats. And thumping victories never do any harm either.

The Red Roses came to town and delivered both. Their 69-7 thrashing of the United States happened in front of a 42,723 crowd – the biggest at any Women’s Rugby World Cup match anywhere ever – who revelled in the team’s 28th straight victory.

After pop star Anne-Marie, surrounded by pyrotechnics and whirling dancers’ limbs, had completed the pre-match show, it took only three minutes for the first chorus of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to ring around the stands.

For the most part, England’s wheels turned as smoothly and slickly as usual.

Ellie Kildunne, the reigning World Player of the Year whose dazzling feet and down-to-earth charm have made her the face of the tournament in England, lived up to that billing.

The full-back made 153 metres and five clean breaks, scored two tries and laid on two for her team-mates in a player-of-the-match performance.

To many first-time viewers of this England team, it was a sight to behold.

None of what occurred will be news to head coach John Mitchell, however. He will be looking more closely at the fine detail of his team, rather than Kildunne’s well-known headline-grabbing abilities.

The neat dovetailing of Tatyana Heard and Megan Jones – a centre partnership that combines power, pace and nous – will have been particularly pleasing.

Jones made perhaps the tackle of the match, marching Lotte Sharp at pace and drawing winces from the stands.

Her break, followed by Heard’s quick hands, set up Abby Dow’s score just after half-time.

It is difficult to see veteran Emily Scarratt, who arrived off the bench in the second half, edging her way back into a first-choice pairing any time soon.

Loose-head Hannah Botterman raged around in the loose and stole a prime turnover off the floor, perhaps inspired by the chance to show up United States’ Hope Rogers who was picked in World Rugby’s Team of the Year in her position.

Sadia Kabeya buzzed with energy in the back row, while fly-half Zoe Harrison’s kicking for posts was superb.

With Emma Sing, the squad’s most impressive off the tee, on the bench and the small change potentially crucial in the knockout rounds, it is an area where high standards must be maintained.

The driving maul is still a trump card and the neat off-the-top variation that gave hooker Amy Cokayne her try will have opponents second-guessing themselves afresh.

The scrum was dominant, especially in the early exchanges.

However there is room for improvement.

Some of the intricacies, tip-on passes in midfield particularly, went astray. Better teams will bring more line speed and pressure to bear on those skills.

Jess Breach scored two tries but won’t want to watch the way she was shrugged off by Erica Jarrell-Searcy for the United States’ score.

There were some slack kick-off receptions and Mitchell believed his team, who were only seven points up until Maud Muir crossed after 34 minutes in the wake of Alev Kelter’s yellow, could have been more clinical in the first half.

“We challenged them around lifting the intensity in the second half and I thought we lifted it well,” Mitchell said.

“We want to build pressure and square up a little bit more in our defence.

“All the threats that came at us were the ones we expected. There’s a lot we need to do, we only just got started.

“There is so much growth to come. We will get better. The tournament will get harder but we have so much left in us.”

It will get harder, but the crowds won’t get any bigger unless England make it all the way to the final at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on 27 September.

Samoa at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens will be followed by Australia at Brighton’s Amex Stadium in England’s pool campaign, before possible quarter and semi-finals at Bristol’s Ashton Gate.

Kildunne paid back some of the love that came her way afterwards.

“The fans definitely made a statement, you made that one really special. Thank you to everybody that came, having rugby in the north is pretty special as well,” she said.

“It’s a really good start and it is just the start.”

“West Ham is not a club that panics about its managers. We tend to stick with them, tend to support people, and see it through.”

Those were the words of Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady following the 3-0 loss to newly promoted Sunderland in their Premier League opener.

The club’s hierarchy and fans wanted a reaction against Chelsea on Friday. What they got instead was a 5-1 thrashing at home that was met with boos at the final whistle.

That was from some of those still inside the London Stadium, with many supporters opting instead to leave long before the game was over.

No manager should really be under pressure after just two games, but it is hard to excuse his side’s disappointing performances – and defend Potter’s record in charge since he replaced Julen Lopetegui in January.

He has won just five of his 21 games so far and, having conceded three against Sunderland, West Ham have shipped eight goals across their first two games of a top-flight campaign for the first time ever.

Potter is also the first Hammers manager in Premier League history to fail to get into double figures for points in his first 10 home games, taking just nine courtesy of two wins, three draws and five defeats.

The former Brighton and Chelsea boss knows he and the players have to do better, saying afterwards: “It’s the reality, but we’ve had a tough week.

West Ham made five signings in the summer, with highly rated full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and former Newcastle striker Callum Wilson among those to arrive.

Despite that, there’s been little sign of improvement on the pitch.

Defensively they are proving extremely vulnerable from set-pieces, with three of the five goals they conceded against Chelsea coming from them – and Hermansen at fault for two as he struggled to deal with corners.

Captain Jarrod Bowen summed up the hurt inside the West Ham dressing room as he told Sky Sports: “Fuming. Disappointing. All the emotions that come with being on the back of conceding eight goals in two games and not picking up a point yet.

“I thought the goals were really cheap on our behalf. We didn’t really make them work for those three from set-pieces, which we’ve always prided ourselves on over the years and a couple more finishes inside the six-yard box.

“We gifted the goals away.”

Former West Ham and Chelsea goalkeeper Rob Green said on Sky Sports: “It was just so far from good enough.

“The goals they concede, how they’ve gone about it, the energy that’s not there in the side, and already you’re going to be worried.

It is of course very early to suggest that a relegation battle beckons for West Ham this season, but there’s no doubt it is a significant concern for many of their supporters right now.

With one goal scored and eight conceded, they are currently showing that worrying combination of struggling to score and letting in plenty, which does not bode well for aspirations of avoiding a season of struggle.

Up next is a trip to Nottingham Forest, before successive London derbies against Tottenham and Crystal Palace – all three tricky games in which West Ham will need to show considerable improvement from what they have so far.

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports: “If I’m Sunderland, Burnley, Leeds, I’m looking at West Ham and thinking, ‘they’re the ones, they’re the weakest team in the Premier League we’re going to catch’.

“That squad isn’t good enough. They haven’t got enough good players. That midfield just couldn’t get near, they didn’t have the legs to get around. They need to get someone with real legs.”

New faces can revitalise a squad low on confidence, but Potter did not suggest there will be many incomings before the transfer window closes on 1 September.

“I think it would be a bit obtuse of me to speak about signings when clearly we have to improve and do better with what we have,” he admitted.

“We need to do more than we are as a group and as always we will look to strengthen while the window is open.”

Potter knows he is under pressure, and how these next few weeks pan out – both in terms of results on the pitch and business in the transfer market – will have a big say on his future.

“You’re under pressure all the time in these jobs, in this situation, that’s how it is,” he added.