Shaun Marsh, continuing his fine form from the JLT cup, was Western Australia’s highest scorer of the day
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2017Hilton Cartwright made 61 off 128 balls•Getty ImagesThe 111-run second-wicket stand between Shaun Marsh and Hilton Cartwright propped up Western Australia at the WACA, only for them to slide from 2 for 170 to 7 for 258 on day one against Tasmania. Tasmania’s rally was crafted by the pacers, who shared the wickets around; Jackson Bird, Sam Rainbird and Gabe Bell picked up two apiece as the hosts closed the day on 7 for 285.Being put in to bat first, Western Australia lost opener Cameron Bancroft cheaply – for 18. The century stand followed, as Shaun Marsh extended his fine form from the JLT Cup in the company of Cartwright. Captain Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Turner failed to build partnerships in the middle as Bird and Rainbird struck.Nathan Coulter-Nile, batting on 36, would look to lead the lower-order resistance come day two.
Manchester United are thought to be eyeing a possible surprise move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia ahead of both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Who is signing Romeo Lavia?
The Red Devils have been relatively busy so far this summer ahead of the 2023/24 season, with Mason Mount and Andre Onana already making the move to Old Trafford from Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively.
However, Erik ten Hag appears to be on the hunt for more additions ahead of his second year in charge, and it looks as if Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund will be the next big-money arrival.
A €70m fee has been agreed between the two clubs, with the player already agreeing a five-year deal. Hojlund has even undergone a medical and is poised to complete the relative paperwork on Wednesday ahead of an official announcement.
After the Denmark international, there could be more work to be done in midfield, with United and Ten Hag seemingly after a further addition to potentially play alongside Mount.
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Reports have claimed that Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is close to joining the club and reuniting with Ten Hag in the process, however, it appears as if the Red Devils also have their eye on Lavia, a player who has been heavily in demand over recent weeks.
The Daily Mail shared a transfer update in the last 48 hours and touched on the race to sign Lavia, with Southampton expecting a big week. They said that Liverpool, following the sales of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson will make an improved bid, something which has now happened, whereas Chelsea have maintained contact as well.
However, the report adds that ‘a foreign club and Manchester United are the surprise elements still in the mix’. It is believed that the Red Devils would need to sell first before making a move of their own, whereas Amrabat is a cheaper option at around £25m.
It appears as if the Red Devils may need to sell before making any further summer signings, and at the start of the window, the club reportedly put 13 players up for sale.
Donny van de Beek, Fred and Scott McTominay were the three central midfielders who could end up departing, with those at Old Trafford valuing them at £20m, £20m and £40m respectively. Van de Beek has been linked with a move to Real Sociedad, Fred a switch to Fulham and McTominay at West Ham, however, they are all still on the books in Manchester.
Should one or two depart, it could open the door for the club to make a move for Lavia, dubbed a defensive midfield “monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick. However, with Chelsea and Liverpool both keen, it could mean that United don’t have the time to make their move, so may end up going for Amrabat.
It is good to see that Old Trafford officials aren’t looking to stop after the eventually secure Hojlund’s services, so they may well be active in the market right up until the September 1 deadline in regards to both incomings and outgoings.
Official announcement yet to be made as BCCI awaits clearance on two new venues – Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram
Arun Venugopal05-Sep-2017Australia will arrive in India for a limited-overs series following the conclusion of their tour of Bangladesh in Chittagong, with Chennai scheduled to host the first ODI on September 17. The remaining matches will be played in Kolkata (September 21), Indore (September 24), Bangalore (September 28) and Nagpur (October 1). Australia will then travel to Ranchi (October 7), Guwahati (October 10) and Hyderabad (October 13) for the T20I series.ESPNcricinfo has independently confirmed the fixtures with each hosting centre, though the BCCI is yet to make an official announcement less than two weeks before the series opener. The board is awaiting ICC clearance for its two new venues – Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram.An Assam Cricket Association official confirmed that Javagal Srinath, the former India fast bowler and match referee, had inspected the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Monday on the ICC’s behalf. A report is awaited.In drawing up the itinerary, the BCCI has had to factor in other changes as well, with Bangalore, which was initially supposed to host the second ODI on September 21, now hosting the fourth ODI on September 28. The fixtures are likely to be made official in “a day or two” according to a top BCCI official. Prior to the series, Australia are also scheduled to play a warm-up fixture in Chennai on September 12.India beat Australia 2-1 in a four-Test series earlier in the year. India also got the better of Australia when they last hosted them for a limited-overs series in 2013-14, clinching the seven-match ODI series 3-2 and winning the only T20I in Rajkot.Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram, which was initially allotted a T20I against Sri Lanka, will now host a T20I against New Zealand on November 7 subject to ICC clearance. Kerala Cricket Association secretary Jayesh George said Srinath had inspected the Greenfield Stadium last week. A report is expected to be out soon.”We were initially supposed to host Sri Lanka in December and Odisha [Cuttack] were supposed to host the New Zealand game in November,” George told ESPNcricinfo. “But, there is a festival in Odisha in November, so we are now hosting the New Zealand game instead.”
Manchester United have been named as one of three teams who are still keen to get a deal done for Benjamin Pavard, as reported by Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
How many goals has Benjamin Pavard scored?
The 27-year-old has been a frequent member of Bayern Munich's first-team squad over the past few years, helping the side to four Bundesliga titles during his time with the club. In 2022/23, he helped them to glory again as a regular in the starting eleven and actually managed more starts for the German giants last time around than he did in the two previous campaigns.
He featured 30 times in total for Bayern – with 27 starts – and is partial to a goal or two as well, with four strikes to his name and one assist to boot. In total, the Frenchman now has well over 100 league games to his name for the Bavarians and has managed eight goals and six assists along the way.
Not only has he impressed domestically, but he also formed part of the Bayern side that won the Champions League trophy in 2019/20. He even found international glory with his country, having won the World Cup with France as well. Pavard then is proven on every possible European and World stage so far – and it means he has bags of experience, as well as the time on his side to continue performing at such a level for years to come.
Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard.
Are Manchester United signing Benjamin Pavard?
However, his time at Bayern may be coming to a close this summer. According to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Pavard remains keen to leave the German giants this transfer window after four seasons – and that has put three teams on alert.
It appears to be a three-way race between Premier League sides Man United and Man City, as well as Juventus, who want to bring him to Turin. The report states that nobody has made a "concrete" offer for his services yet but it does appear as though he will be finding somewhere new to play his football this summer. It's unclear also how much he could potentially cost or how much any bid would have to be worth to tempt the Bundesliga outfit into letting the defender move clubs.
Plettenberg said: "Benjamin Pavard, he still wants to leave FC Bayern this summer as he has no intention to extend his contract beyond 2024. It’s still a race between Man City, Man Utd and Juventus at this stage. Swap deal with Kyle Walker has been no hot topic in the last days. Bayern bosses are waiting for a concrete offer."
Pavard is still viewed as a really impressive talent in the game by some of the top coaches and teams around. Even new Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has liked what he has seen of the defender so far during his time in charge, labelling the Frenchman as "underrated" and a "top team player".
It shows that whilst the 27-year-old may sometimes go under the radar, he is not undervalued for his club despite them being arguably one of the best sides in Europe. He is capable of performing to an extremely high level then, having done so at the very top in Germany. Should United manage to land his signature this summer, their backline would have an instant boost of experience and skill.
Adam Wheater returned to Hampshire to haunt his former county with a thumping 50 and boost Essex’s hopes of reaching the Natwest T20 Blast quarter-finals
ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2017Adam Wheater left his former team-mates for dust•Getty ImagesAdam Wheater returned to Hampshire to haunt his former county with a thumping 50 and boost Essex’s hopes of reaching the Natwest T20 Blast quarter-finals.Opening batsman Wheater jumped ship from the Ageas Bowl for Chelmsford at the end of the 2016 season after losing his role as wicketkeeper to Lewis McManus.And the 27-year-old showed his previous employers what they let go as he sent Essex to just their third win on the campaign despite a career-best from George Bailey.James Foster picked up where Wheater left off to clinch the win with a typically classy unbeaten 33 to edge the away side to the 169 needed with two balls to spare.Hampshire’s coach Giles White said: “”Adam’s innings was very good, we know him very well and he’s scored some bright innings for us over the years. He played some great shots. I follow him from a distance and it has looked like a tough season in some ways but he has scored a couple of good scores against us.”Wheater said: “”It was a good win and a needed win, potentially if we hadn’t won this we could have been out if it. It was nice to score a half century here. I would like to say thanks to Hampshire for putting up with me for four years.”Wheater appeared to have a point to prove when he smashed Kyle Abbott out the ground before he took a fancy to Liam Dawson as he pumped him for back-to-back sixes to the short midwicket boundary.Varun Chopra had fun of his own by clubbing Dawson over the boundary but Gareth Berg had the last laugh as he pinned Chopra leg before.Wheater continued in his big-hitting bravura to reach a 25-ball half century, with four fours and four sixes. But without scoring another run he chopped on against Dawson.Current Hampshire gloveman McManus pulled off a pair of brilliant catches to see off a scooping Daniel Lawrence and Ravi Bopara for a golden duck as the hosts pulled the game back slightly.Ashar Zaidi departed after an entertaining 21 when he was stumped before Ryan ten Doeschate was bowled by Dawson, who ended with four wickets, next ball with 21 runs still required.Foster took Essex to needing five from the last over before he appeared furious with the umpires for refusing to dock Hampshire penalty runs for failing to start the final over in time. But it didn’t matter as Paul Walter struck the winning runs.Earlier, Bailey clattered his highest T20 score of 89 to hold together a promising Hampshire total.They started poorly when their captain James Vince was lbw to Mohammad Amir first ball, before Tom Alsop saw his stumps sent cartwheeling by Walter two overs later.Despite the early wickets, Rilee Rossouw was hitting the ball sweetly to follow his match-winning 60 against Middlesex the previous night.The South African clocked up a 54-run stand with Bailey before he injured his leg, and after a short stint with Vince returning as a runner, he chipped a caught and bowled effort back to Ashar Zaidi.Sean Ervine and McManus fell in consecutive balls – the former bowled by Zaidi, the latter run out in stuttering style. Bailey, however, was in complete control, clocking Zaidi for six to accompany his crunching drives to the boundary – reaching his half-century in 41 balls.Dawson was caught by Walter on the square-leg boundary for a swinging 18 before Bailey was dropped in consecutive balls, at point and then cover as he slogged his side to some late bonus runs.Bailey ended up on an unbeaten 89, beating his previous high of 76, but it wasn’t enough as Essex bulldozed their way to victory.
Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in Ligue 1 ace Habib Diallo, as Steve Cooper gets to work on strengthening his side ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The Reds left it late to confirm their survival in their return season to the Premier League, with the need for added quality fundamental this summer should they wish to extend their stay in the top tier.
Who wants to sign Habib Diallo?
As reported by TEAMtalk last week, Forest have joined West Ham United and Brentford in the battle for Strasbourg forward Habib Diallo.
The report claimed that despite interest from the other sides, the Tricky Trees are preparing the ‘first move’, with a ‘proven goalscorer’ a priority for Cooper this transfer window.
A separate report suggested that the Ligue 1 side would want a fee in the region of £20m for their striker.
How good is Habib Diallo?
In 37 Ligue 1 appearances last season, the Senegalese gem netted 20 goals for Strasbourg, marking himself as one of the most threatening forwards in a league packed with star talent.
The 28-year-old outscored names such as Lionel Messi and Neymar last term in the league, averaging a goal every 144 minutes to assert himself as a reliable marksman.
For Forest, adding a forward of star quality is integral this summer, with the club's top scorer last term being Taiwo Awoniyi who netted ten goals in the Premier League for the Garibaldi.
While the striker showed a lot of promise at the City Ground, the squad must integrate an upgrade in quality in order to avoid another relegation scrap next term.
Lauded as “powerful and quick” by one recruitment analyst, Diallo could be the perfect acquisition for Cooper to chase. Indeed, he is a player that could bolster the side’s form in the final third, and promote those around him.
Strasbourg centre-forward Habib Diallo.
One player that could benefit from the introduction of the Strasbourg star is Morgan Gibbs-White, who shone as one of Forest’s top creators last term, registering eight assists in an impressive first season at the club.
The Englishman could take his game to the next level by having a more lethal outlet ahead of him, with Diallo being the ideal target man to aim for in the final third.
Averaging 1.91 key passes and 0.46 through balls per 90 in the Premier League last campaign, the former Wolves man has the ability to be the dream provider for a striker with a range of methods of distribution.
Highlighted as a ‘striker in the purest sense of the word’ by scouting site Total Football Analysis, the 28-year-old's main strengths lie in his pace, off-the-ball movement and physical presence.
Placing his clinical nature aside, the striker could be a valued addition for Gibbs-White in terms of him returning the favour of the 23-year-old’s creativity.
Total Football Analysis regards the player as being a figure that can ‘create space for his partners’ with his hold-up play, making him a potentially strong asset for Forest’s approach in the final third.
Cooper could add more than just a goal-scoring threat to his squad by capturing Diallo, as he could potentially take Gibbs-White's own numbers to the next level.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has admitted that the differences between former coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli had not been handled properly
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-20172:19
‘Kumble and Shastri approaches different, but goal the same’ – R Sridhar, India’s fielding coach
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that the differences between former coach Anil Kumble and captain Virat Kohli had not been handled properly. Ganguly is a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that is tasked by the BCCI with identifying India’s new coach, and had zeroed in on Kumble last year. The CAC, it is understood, was also entrusted with the responsibility of breaking the impasse between Kohli and Kumble, but after discussions with Kohli, it reported to the board that the relationship was beyond repair.”The matter between Kumble and Kohli should have been handled a lot better, by whoever in charge. It was not handled properly,” Ganguly told reporters in Kolkata on Tuesday.On Sunday, during the state associations’ meeting with the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators, Ganguly disagreed that the CAC was undermined by the Kumble-Kohli episode. He had then pithily spelt out what kind of coach the committee was looking for: “[The one] who can win cricket matches.”With the deadline for applications for the job of coach extended till July 9 following Kumble’s exit, Ganguly, along with his former team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, will now have to look into the applications of the five candidates that have already submitted their resumes – Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Dodda Ganesh – as well as those of anyone else who applies for the post. The latest contender is former India team director Ravi Shastri, whom Kumble replaced last year. Shastri told ESPNcricinfo that “he will apply for sure”.Incidentally, Ganguly and Shastri were involved in a spat during the interview process to appoint the coach last year. While Shastri was affronted by Ganguly’s absence during the interview, the latter took a dig at Shastri not turning up in person to make his presentation. Now, asked about Shastri’s application, Ganguly said: “Everybody has got the right to apply. We will find out. I can also apply, provided I am not an administrator.”Kumble’s resignation came four days before the limited-overs tour to the Caribbean began, with him deeming his partnership with Kohli to be “untenable”. The exit had come following media reports that Kohli had told the BCCI that some players weren’t comfortable with Kumble’s “intimidating” approach to managing players. Consequently, despite Kumble’s successful one-year tenure, the board invited fresh applications for the head coach’s position instead of extending his contract, which ran till the end of the Champions Trophy.Kumble, who was given a direct entry, reapplied for the job, and was learnt to have accepted the BCCI’s offer to extend his contract for the West Indies series. He subsequently said, however, that he couldn’t continue given the reservations that Kohli had with his methods.
Tottenham Hotspur’s move for Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet is reportedly being ‘advanced a lot’, with a €5m deal potentially being enough to secure a transfer instead of €12m.
Are Spurs signing Clement Lenglet?
Spurs and Ange Postecoglou are busy in the transfer market making preparations ahead of the new season, with a number of new faces already through the door.
Attacking midfielder James Maddison has signed from Leicester City, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has arrived from Empoli and left-winger Manor Solomon has put pen to paper on a Spurs deal on a free transfer. Meanwhile, Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski have made their loan moves permanent in deals worth €40m and €30m, taking the club's total current summer spend to €136m.
Another player who was on loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season was Lenglet, but the club previously decided against making a move permanent.
However, a full-time transfer to north London appears to be back on the cards for the player who was hailed as "outstanding" by members of the media during the early stages of the previous campaign.
Sport Witness have shared a number of updates regarding Spurs and Lenglet, two of which have come in the last 48 hours from Spanish outlet Sport.
The first claimed that the La Liga champions are working hard when it comes to player sales, and a transfer to Tottenham for Lenglet is now being ‘advanced a lot’, with some optimism that the move will happen.
The second suggested that a fee of €5m (£4.3m) from Spurs could be enough for Barcelona to accept, despite the fact they had originally wanted more than €12m. Those at the Nou Camp are looking to get the player’s £204,000-per-week salary off the books, with the report stating €5m could be a bargain for the north London side.
Lenglet made 35 appearances in all competitions for Spurs last season, 26 of which came in the Premier League. He came in for praise from John Wenham during the campaign, with the pundit calling him reliable.
“I just wanted to give (Lenglet) credit because I think his performance went a little bit under the radar. I have been impressed with him so far.
“The fact he has instantly come in for Ben Davies and we don’t look any weaker, that is a huge credit to him really.
“He’s a new signing to the Premier League, I know he has a lot of experience from Barcelona and with France but he already seems very reliable, like we could drop him in for any fixture.”
The 28-year-old ranked highly for Spurs when it came to clearances, average passes and pass completion per 90, as per WhoScored. However, the Frenchman was the club’s 14th-best performer when it came to match rating.
As per FBRef, Lenglet has actually been compared to centre-backs Edmond Tapsoba, Micky van de Ven and Piero Hincapie, three players who have also been linked with a move to Spurs. Over the past 12 months, Lenglet ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs for pass completion, top 4% for through balls and top 4% for tackles in the final third, showing how he could be a shrewd addition for the right price.
Postecoglou may feel he can get the best out of Lenglet following his first year in England, and by the looks of things, a move could be one to keep a close eye on over the coming weeks.
The Bangladesh allrounder blamed overeager shot selection against part-time spin as the reason for his team’s defeat in the Champions Trophy semi-finall
George Dobell at Edgbaston16-Jun-2017Bangladesh were “nowhere near their best,” said Shakib Al Hasan, as they succumbed to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of India in the Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.They were progressing well at 154 for 2 with Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal well set with more than 20 overs left. But the introduction of Kedar Jadhav’s part-time offspin created “panic” in the batsmen who, in Shakib’s words, “played some silly shots” to be knocked over for 264.Shakib dismissed the idea that inexperience was to blame, pointing out that the players Jadhav dismissed were among the most seasoned in the Bangladesh side.”The way we performed today was very disappointing,” Shakib said. “We were in a good position to get 320 or 330. The batsmen were looking good to make individual hundreds and get us to 320.”But India bowled a few dot balls. And because it was a part-time bowler, the batsmen tried to score more runs and in doing that, they lost wickets. Losing two wickets to an occasional bowler obviously didn’t help. And from there on they kept on bowling in good areas and that put us under a lot of pressure.”We have played enough games to know these things happen. We are all experienced people. Bowlers bowl good balls and sometimes you can’t score runs. It doesn’t mean you panic and play big shots and get out. We played some silly shots. And on this wicket, a score of 260 or 270 is not even par.”In that situation, it was important for them to bat another five or 10 overs, like the way I did with Mahmudullah against New Zealand. If they could have batted until the 40th over, both would have scored their hundreds and we might have made 330 or 340.”That was the game-changing period. It is disappointing. Playing in a semi-final is a big thing for us but we were nowhere near our best.”Shakib wasn’t overly impressed with Bangladesh’s performance in the field, either. While he accepted the batsman had made life “very hard” for the bowlers with an inadequate total, he was disappointed by their response.”We have a solid bowling line-up,” he said. “But there isn’t much help for the bowlers on these wickets unless you are a super quality bowler. Most of our bowlers need a little bit of help from the wicket, but we haven’t been getting any. I haven’t taken any wickets in the tournament.”With our total and that wicket, we knew it was very hard for our bowlers. But still I think we were nowhere near our best in our bowling and fielding.”Shakib insisted there were no divisions in the squad, though, and suggested that the team would learn from the experience.”It’s a group,” he said. “It’s nothing individual. We play as a team, we win as a team and we lose as a team.”Now we have time to regroup and come back strongly. We’ve come a long way and from here we can only go forward. We will have a good break and think how we can move forward.”
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez is 'open-minded' over his future this summer as speculation continues to grow over whether he will stay or leave, according to journalist Dean Jones.
Is Emi Martinez leaving Aston Villa?
According to talkSPORT last month, Martinez is on Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino's radar this summer, as the outlet stated on their Twitter account: "BREAKING: CFC are open to offers for both Kepa Arrizabalaga & Edouard Mendy. Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in a new number one with Inter Milan's Andre Onana and AVFC’s Emi Martinez on his radar. – talkSPORT sources understand."
Manchester United were said to be readying an offer for Martinez as a potential replacement for David De Gea and had been impressed by his 'elite mentality' and performances across the last three years, as per Football Insider.
Nevertheless, the Red Devils look to have turned their attention towards Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana and have reached a verbal agreement to sanction a deal for the Cameroon international. Journalist Rudy Galetti also revealed his news on Twitter, saying: “Andre Onana, the details: Man Utd and Inter already reached a verbal agreement about the transfer fee: £42m+£5m add-ons; new contacts expected in the next 24/48h to discuss the details and complete the move. The Cameroon GK is ready to join MUFC.”
Last term, Argentina international Martinez enjoyed a productive season for Aston Villa, keeping 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
Capology understand that the former Arsenal stopper earns around £120,000 per week on a contract that runs until June 2027.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Aston Villa could be tempted to cash in on Martinez in light of his exploits at the World Cup with his native Argentina.
Jones stated: "I don't think Martinez has been desperate to leave Aston Villa. I think it's more that he's open-minded about if the possibilities are going to come for him in his career, then it might come down at a time when he is a World Cup winner and there might have been a temptation for Aston Villa to cash at a moment like that, because of what his value would be on the market."
What else has happened or could happen at Aston Villa this window?
Aston Villa have been hard at work this summer as they prepare for Europa Conference League involvement in 2023/24 and Unai Emery has already brought in two players in the form of Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres from Leicester City and Villarreal, respectively.
L'Equipe via The Daily Express claim that more arrivals could be on the way, stating that the Villans have submitted an 'opening proposal' to Bayer Leverkusen in an attempt to bring France international Moussa Diaby to Villa Park.
One report in Spain has suggested that Joao Felix is on the radar of Aston Villa; however, he is not keen to join a club that aren't involved in the Champions League, making a move to Paris Saint-Germain a more appealing transfer for the Portugal international.
Emery will surely have a few more tricks left up his sleeve as the Spaniard looks to work his magic once again this season and tries to help his side rise up the Premier League standings.