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Lancashire bowled out for 204 with no one making fifty, Surrey reply at 83 without loss

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024Rocky Flintoff made a creditable 32 on debut, as Lancashire’s youngest first-class cricketer at the age of 16 years and 137 days, but it was champions Surrey who ruthlessly took first-day honours at the Kia Oval.Put in, Lancashire were bowled out for 204 inside 59 overs, with no one making it to 50, and Surrey then replied with 83 for no wicket before bad light ended play 15.4 overs early. Skipper Rory Burns was 44 not out, including straight driving George Balderson’s medium pace for successive fours, and Dom Sibley unbeaten on 37.Jordan Clark (4 for 57) and Dan Worrall (3 for 31) continued their fine red-ball seasons by spearheading a five-pronged seam attack in which Conor McKerr also took two wickets and Sam Curran one in what was, for both, their first Vitality County Championship appearance of the summer.Matty Hurst, with 46 from 64 balls, played Lancashire’s best and most assertive innings, while Balderson’s 33 and Josh Bohannon’s 26 were other worthy efforts in seam-friendly overhead and pitch conditions.But most eyes were on Flintoff, who made 167 runs in seven Metro Bank One-Day Cup innings after becoming his county’s youngest player in any format last month, and who came in at 33 for 2 in the 11th over after both Luke Wells and Keaton Jennings had fallen to the new ball.Wells went in the fourth over for 9, dragging an attempted off drive into his stumps against Clark, while Jennings looked aggrieved to be given out leg-before for 12, pushing forward to an inswinger from Worrall.Off the mark first ball, clipping Worrall confidently for two off his pads, young Flintoff was soon living up to his reputation as one of the best players of his age to emerge in recent decades – on a day when most 16-year-olds around the country were more concerned about getting their GCSE results.Uncannily like his father Andrew in build and mannerisms – the former England captain and television celebrity was watching proudly from a hospitality box – the young Flintoff saw off Worrall’s fine opening spell of 7-3-9-1 and helped Bohannon to add 40 for Lancashire’s third wicket in tough, overcast conditions.He did have some moments of good fortune, being dropped at third slip on 13 when he edged Tom Lawes and later also flailing a returning Worrall just over the cordon for four as lunch approached, but otherwise he looked comfortable at the crease and mature beyond his years as Lancashire reached lunch on 98 for 3.Bohannon had gone by then, chopping on to McKerr for 26, and unfortunately for Flintoff he sliced a drive at the first ball after lunch, and his 64th – from Clark – and saw Sai Sudharsan dive forward at backward point to scoop up a brilliant catch.Jordan Clark celebrates a wicket•Getty Images for Surrey CCCHurst played some superb shots but was dropped by Clark from a skier on 45 before McKerr dived to his right to hold a magnificent low catch at leg slip in Curran’s next over and from 155 for 4 the Lancashire first innings fizzled out as Worrall, McKerr and Clark combined to overpower the tail.Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, on his Championship debut, played one memorable cover drive before optimistically jumping down the pitch to swing at Worrall and edge behind while Balderson, playing defensively, nicked the same bowler to first slip.McKerr’s pace and lift did for Tom Hartley, caught at the wicket for 5, and only some defiance from Tom Aspinwall – who hooked McKerr for six and extra cover drove him for four in a bright 23 not out – took Lancashire past 200 before they lost both Josh Boyden, who lifted a simple catch to mid off on 5, and Will Williams, caught behind, from successive deliveries from Clark.

Manchester City are headed to the Club World Cup and expect to bring in a proven Premier League operator to strengthen their ranks before the tournament commences, according to David Ornstein.

Manchester City close to landing double midfield deal

With Kevin De Bruyne moving on to a new challenge elsewhere, Manchester City have wasted no time in finding a replacement for the Belgian icon and look set to wrap up a double deal in midfield before they jet out to the United States.

Pep Guardiola is closing in on AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders and Lyon star Rayan Cherki. The latter is set to arrive for a fee of £34 million after Florian Wirtz opted to move from Bayer Leverkusen to reigning champions Liverpool.

In the case of Reijnders, the final details of a transfer worth £50 million involving the Netherlands international are being ironed out before he officially links up with his new teammates at the Etihad Stadium.

Legendary defensive midfielder Rodri is also back after injury, creating a new-look engine room to take the Premier League by storm next term as the Citizens aim to reclaim the title.

Cementing what he wants his midfield to look like after a period of instability, Guardiola is also set to offer Rodri a new Manchester City contract to stave off interest from heavyweights Real Madrid – that could be worth £300,000 per week.

Man City now in contact for £29m DM who is Switzerland's "greatest talent"

City have stepped up their pursuit of a new midfielder, who just won a Player of the Season award.

By
Dominic Lund

May 28, 2025

Pressing on in their hunt for reinforcements, City are now closing in on another addition elsewhere on the pitch to equip themselves ahead of their Club World Cup endeavours.

Man City expect to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers

Taking to social media platform X, reputable journalist Ornstein has reported all parties involved – from both clubs to the player’s camp – ‘expect’ a deal to be done that would see Rayan Ait-Nouri arrive at the Etihad Stadium from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

There is still work to be done before a final agreement can be reached, but they appear to be in pole position to land their main left-back target relatively quickly.

Labelled “incredible” by Gary O’Neil, Ait-Nouri has registered five goals and seven assists in 41 appearances across all competition for Wolves this campaign.

Creating 24 chances on Premier League duty this term, the Algeria international provided a regular threat in forward areas for the Old Gold as they managed to secure their top-flight status.

Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake have both shouldered the left-back burden at Manchester City, though bringing in a natural in that position could gift Guardiola the added bonus of being able to move one of them to a central role once all paperwork is completed.

Deemed to be worth around £51 million on the market, signing Ait-Nouri appears to be a shrewd addition by the Citizens ahead of the new campaign.

Turning their attention away from title celebrations and towards the summer transfer market, Liverpool are now reportedly preparing a medical for one target who they believe will sign for the club within a matter of days.

Salah reacts to Alexander-Arnold boos

Whilst the focus throughout this week has been on further celebrations within a Liverpool squad who have seemingly not stopped partying since confirming their Premier League title victory, it was only a week ago that Trent Alexander-Arnold was at the centre of headlines for all the wrong reasons.

After coming off the bench for the first time since confirming his Liverpool exit, the scouse-born right-back was met by a chorus of boos with every touch of the ball in a moment that has since caused plenty of debate.

Everyone has seemingly had their say on the controversial moment, including Mohamed Salah, who chose to defend his teammate in a recent interview with Gary Neville.

The Liverpool forward said: “I think somehow the fans were being harsh with him. I think he didn’t deserve it at the time, he deserved the fans to treat him the best way possible because he gave it all to the fans.”

“We shouldn’t act this way with anyone who always appreciates the people, who came here even for six months. Imagine someone who gives you his all for 20 years. It’s shouldn’t be like this. I hope that will change next game, against Brighton or in the last game of the season, because he deserves the farewell.”

He plays a lot like Wirtz: Liverpool plot huge move to sign £85m "magician"

Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at a marquee attacking signing this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 17, 2025

Away from the headlines, though, Liverpool still have a right-back to replace and whilst the debate has continued, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have reportedly seemingly made a move to do exactly that.

Liverpool preparing medical for Frimpong

With Alexander-Arnold on his way out, those at Anfield have instantly shifted their focus towards a fresh option down their right-hand side. According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool are now preparing a medical for Jeremie Frimpong and believe that they’ll have their deal wrapped up to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star in a matter of days.

The Reds have moved rapidly since the Alexander-Arnold news and are reportedly set to trigger Frimpong’s bargain €35m (£29m) release clause to get their deal over the line. Whilst the Dutchman is a different type of player to Liverpool’s academy graduate, he would arguably offer a larger output down Arne Slot’s right-hand side based on this season’s impressive numbers.

Starts

25

28

Goals

5

3

Assists

5

6

Ball Recoveries

84

130

Frimpong is certainly a player who’s rated highly at Leverkusen too, with Real Madrid-bound manager Xabi Alonso telling reporters last season: “Since I got here for the first time, since the first day, Jeremie has been a key player for us and for myself.

“He’s a great guy. His personality… he brings a lot of joy to the locker room. So you need to keep him having this joy. But as well as become more mature.”

Clocked as the fastest player in the Champions League this season by PFF, the Netherlands star will certainly strike fear into opponents when overlapping Salah down the right flank.

Manchester City have been blessed with some incredible midfield gems over the years with the end of Kevin De Bruyne’s unbelievable journey with the Premier League giants now in sight.

With 108 goals and 177 assists next to his name, the Belgian will surely bow out as one of City’s modern day greats, with other stars that used to strut their stuff from the middle of the park in a similar dazzling way including David Silva and Yaya Toure among many others.

Now, it’s up to Pep Guardiola to find his next pool of exceptional midfield gems in the upcoming transfer window, with one target perhaps going down as a new take on Toure if everything aligns nicely.

Man City's pursuit of a new Toure

Before delving deeper into how City’s new target could go on to achieve greatness like the Ivorian, there are an extensive list of midfield names on Guardiola’s shopping list growing by the week.

Indeed, both German superstar Florian Wirtz and Nottingham Forest talent Morgan Gibbs-White have been incessantly linked with a big-money move to the Etihad, with Sporting CP winger Francisco Trincao also reportedly on City’s radar alongside arch rivals Manchester United.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

But, their focus might now have switched to sealing the signature of West Ham United star Lucas Paqueta, with reports from Spain suggesting that Guardiola and Co have set their sights on landing the enigmatic Brazilian this summer.

The Irons midfielder has been on the club’s radar for a while now, notably seeing a £60m bid rejected back in 2023, before they registered further interest in 2024.

Paqueta has been embroiled in a whole host of controversies at the London Stadium, but when assessing his midfield capabilities in isolation, he has the potential to become the Spaniard’s next Toure, with the South American a skilful, but tough presence centrally much like the ex-City number 42.

How Paqueta could be Guardiola's next Toure

It will be extremely hard for the Hammers number 10 to ever become as beloved as the now-retired midfielder, considering Toure would end his esteemed stay at the club with three league titles next to his name after picking up 125 goal contributions in total.

But, Paqueta – now valued at £30m via Transfermarkt – could slot into Guardiola’s main XI as a similarly lively presence anyway.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has garnered a reputation for being an entertaining figure in the heart of the West Ham midfield ever since his move to the London Stadium in 2022.

After all, even with a betting scandal weighing heavily, Paqueta has still managed to chip in with five goals this season in all competitions for Graham Potter’s lowly Hammers, which included a nicely-worked move being finished off by the 55-time Brazil international during Potter’s debut match from the dug-out.

Toure’s goal tally was always grander than just five for Guardiola’s men – with his lowest for a season coming in at the heftier seven – but Paqueta’s 18 goals and 14 assists overall for his current employers definitely makes him stick out as a tenacious yet attacking presence in the centre of the park akin to the former City icon.

CM

Toure

231

58

32

DM

Toure

210

24

20

AM

Toure

75

11

13

DM

Paqueta

5

0

0

AM

Paqueta

134

27

19

Much like the ex-Barcelona man before him too, Paqueta can either be unleashed as an attacking “maverick” – as he was once labelled by David Moyes – or slot into the side as a more defensively-minded midfielder, with his high tally of 6.3 duels won per game this season in the league sticking out in this regard.

City will just have to hope any scandals next to the Brazilian’s name begin to dissipate on his arrival to Manchester, with the serial trophy winners finding themselves burnt here in the past when Toure exited the club in 2018 after being reportedly shunned on his birthday.

Whilst it’s obvious the 27-year-old is a similarly flamboyant character, everyone at City will just pray the “incredible” talent – as he was also lauded by Moyes – lets his football do the talking like Toure also successfully managed.

Their answer to Wirtz: Man City preparing bid for "world-class" £85m star

Manchester City could still win their answer to Florian Wirtz by signing this superstar instead.

ByKelan Sarson May 8, 2025

Football’s back for those of a Liverpool persuasion, and it’s a big one at that.

Having sat out last weekend due to an early exit from the FA Cup, Arne Slot’s Liverpool return to action in the Premier League as they host resurgent Everton.

The international break is typically a gruelling thing, stunting progress and halting anticipation as teams fight for their respective goals. Liverpool, however, may have found the sojourn to have been a blessing, falling in the Champions League before losing the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United.

Ah well, there’s always next season – for those honours, anyway. Liverpool are still hunting down the Premier League title, 12 points clear of second-place Arsenal with nine matches to play.

Everton have been reborn under David Moyes’ wing, the Scotsman replacing Sean Dyche in January and crafting a nine-match unbeaten run after losing his league opener to Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

24/25

Goodison Park

2-2 draw

23/24

Goodison Park

2-0 loss

23/24

Anfield

2-0 win

22/23

Anfield

2-0 win

22/23

Goodison Park

0-0 draw

Everton’s patch of Merseyside was left giddy, exalted, after James Tarkowski hit parity in the dying embers last month, but Slot will hope for a different outcome here as his side look to end their dip in form across recent matches.

Liverpool team news

Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks set to join Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer, is still sidelined after injuring his ankle against Paris Saint-Germain.

Compounding the issue, Conor Bradley is not quite ready to return to the starting line-up after his period of convalescence; with Joe Gomez also out, Slot is likely to pick Jarell Quansah to deputise at right-back once again.

Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson Becker, however, are both expected to be fit following respective scares for their nations over the past two weeks.

This is all well and good, but Liverpool’s recent issues derive from a dried-up pool of attacking fluency. Indeed, Liverpool have been a day late and a dollar short of late, and fans online have been murmuring about freshening things up with a tactical tweak to the frontline.

However, Federico Chiesa may not be the answer for this one, not in Slot’s mind.

Slot must unleash Liverpool's "special" forward

Liverpool struggled to get going at Wembley, but it was substitute Chiesa who latched onto Harvey Elliott’s tidy through ball in stoppage time to spark fleeting hopes of a comeback.

But Liverpool failed to stage the desired response; time had been exhausted. Chiesa, however, did show off a glimpse of the quality that prompted the Anfield side to pay Juventus for him back in August, a quality that is illuminated given the ongoing profligacy of Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.

The international break will hopefully have served as a reset button for the wasteful bunch, but it more importantly means a fully-fit Cody Gakpo is ready to return from Netherlands duty brim-full, having only just returned from injury before the break and indeed last starting a Premier League fixture in mid-February.

It’s been a big blow for the Merseysiders, for Gakpo has been in fine fettle this season, scoring 16 goals and providing six assists across all competitions. The 25-year-old is currently level with last term’s haul, but he’s matched it in over 800 fewer minutes across all fronts.

Gakpo has to start against Everton, his clinical shooting giving rise to the success of his frontal peers. Diaz’s makeshift dynamism in a central striking role, for example, is heightened by the Dutchman’s presence, easing the goalscoring burden on Salah.

1.

Mohamed Salah

15

2.

Cody Gakpo

12

3.

Luis Diaz

7

4.

Diogo Jota

4

5.

Darwin Nunez

3

5=

Dominik Szoboszlai

3

5=

Alexis Mac Allister

3

The table above makes for somewhat grim reading, with Liverpool’s lopsided frontline clear through the shooting success clinched on home turf.

However, it does highlight Gakpo’s confidence on home soil, scoring three-quarters of his strikes this year at Anfield. Indeed, the Netherlands star has actually bagged in each of his past eight starts at Liverpool’s home ground.

His quality has been streamlined by Slot’s decision to field him in a more structured role off the left flank, as opposed to Jurgen Klopp’s choice of deploying across myriad points of the pitch.

This, of course, has meant Diaz’s qualities have been required in a more central position, but since Gakpo is now fit and ready to fire once more, would it really be wise to unleash Chiesa from the outset in an important derby fixture?

The stakes are high. With Arsenal narrowing the gap after beating Fulham, Liverpool cannot afford to fumble at this stage. The need for Chiesa’s finishing is effectively neutered by Gakpo’s return as he restores the balance and balance of potency up top.

The £120k-per-week Gakpo, after all, ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League this term for goals scored per 90 (0.51), as per FBref. It’s no wonder he’s been praised by Fabrizio Romano for “flying for Liverpool this season.”

Conversely, Chiesa has struggled to buy a game. Though he’s posted two goals and two assists apiece across 11 matches in all competitions – just three starts – Slot has thus far been unwilling to hand him any starting roles in the Premier League, and that’s not going to change in an important league fixture against heated rivals Everton, who are in hot form at that.

While we’d all like to see Liverpool’s nifty Italian earn some more action, it doesn’t feel probable that he will play from the opening bell in this one.

That said, if Gakpo can work toward establishing a healthy lead for Slot’s team, Chiesa could surely enter the fray in the second half – and with a point to prove.

Better than Kerkez: Liverpool will have £40m bid accepted for "insane" star

Liverpool are ready to sign a new left-back this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2025

Nottingham Forest have exceeded the expectations set by everyone ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season, with Champions League football firmly on the cards.

Nuno Espírito Santo has masterminded the Reds to third place in England’s top flight, boasting a five-point gap to sixth place with just seven league outings remaining.

The thought of welcoming Europe’s elite to the City Ground was a distant dream for supporters after two near-misses with relegation after promotion, but such hopes could come to fruition in the coming months.

However, if they are to be competitive in Europe and the Premier League next season, additions are desperately needed, handing Nuno the squad depth to rotate when needed.

Owner Evangelos Marinakis has wasted no time in targeting reinforcements for 2025/26, with one name remerging on their shortlist after previous interest in his signature last summer.

Nottingham Forest plot move for £40m talisman this summer

According to TBR, Forest are plotting a summer move for Evanilson after his impressive debut campaign in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

The Brazilian, who joined the Cherries for £40m last summer, has scored 11 goals in 27 appearances across all competitions, sitting as their second top scorer behind Justin Kluivert.

It’s not the first time the Reds have targeted the 25-year-old, after being firmly in the race for his signature just under 12 months ago before his subsequent move to the Vitality.

The report claims that Newcastle and Aston Villa are also in the race for Evanilson’s signature, with Nuno looking for reinforcements whilst also trying to move Taiwo Awoniyi on this window.

It’s unclear whether Andoni Iraola’s side would be open to parting ways with their star striker, but he could provide an alternative to one other forward currently on Marinakis’ radar.

Why Evanilson would be the perfect Gyokeres alternative

As a result of their impressive form, Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has emerged on Forest’s radar, with the Portuguese side demanding £60m to part with their star man.

The Swedish international has been in incredible goalscoring form since his move from Coventry City back in the summer of 2023, registering 87 goals in his 94 appearances.

However, despite their interest, the Reds aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 26-year-old this summer, with Arsenal and Manchester United also in the race for the forward.

Given the nature of the clubs also keen on the talisman, the Forest hierarchy could turn their attention to Evanilson in the coming months, with the Cherries attacker a more than capable alternative.

When comparing his figures with Gyokeres from the ongoing campaign, he’s managed to match or better the Swede in numerous key areas, highlighting how much of an impressive addition he would be.

Games played

25

27

Goals & assists

9

37

Shot-on-target accuracy

49%

40%

Shots on target per 90

1.5

1.3

Take-on success

32%

27%

Fouls won

2.1

1.6

Aerials won

38%

30%

The “world-class” Cherries ace, as dubbed by content creator Kirk Tovey, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists than Gyokeres, but has managed more shots on target per 90 at a higher accuracy rate – showcasing his accuracy in the final third.

He’s also completed more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst also winning more of the aerial duels he’s contested, offering a more all-round centre-forward option than the Sporting star.

Whilst the Swedish international undoubtedly remains as many of the supporter’s first-choice attacking signing this summer, a deal for Evanilson would be just as impressive as seen by the numbers procured this year.

Investment will be needed in various areas of the first-team squad throughout the upcoming window, with funds needed elsewhere, potentially leading the Reds to pursue a move for the Brazilian sensation.

£25m release clause: Nottingham Forest join hectic race for "superb" star

They could trigger his release clause.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 7, 2025

Under overcast skies in Centurion, being bowled out for 211 may not be all that bad, but it is a missed chance

Danyal Rasool26-Dec-2024There are names in cricket which will mean something specific to followers of Pakistan cricket, and almost nothing to anyone else. William Somerville. Nathan Hauritz. Duane Olivier. Marcus North. Others, who later went on to achieve greater prominence, only got their start belonging to this genre of player. Kyle Abbott, Adil Rashid, Colin de Grandhomme, Ajaz Patel, Will Jacks and Rehan Ahmed all took five wickets on debut against Pakistan, at a time when it was never clear if these bowlers had any business belonging to the five-wicket debut club. At SuperSport Park, Pakistan took little time adding a couple more to the oeuvre: Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson.That Pakistan were bowled out in about two sessions on the first day in Centurion is unremarkable; better batting line-ups than this have folded more cheaply in South Africa. Pakistan were once shot out for 49 at the Wanderers, though it was Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Jacques Kallis who took those wickets. They folded for 106 on another occasion, though Allan Donald and Fanie de Villiers split those ten. When they were skittled inside 43.1 overs for 157 in 2007, Makhaya Ntini and Kallis were the chief protagonists.So 211 is hardly a disgrace; indeed, it is perhaps even acceptable. But offering up nine wickets to Bosch and Paterson may be less so. Though Pakistan had not crossed 200 in the first innings in South Africa since 2013, being satisfied with that total is a bit like going to a buffet and walking out after grabbing a cappuccino. It may have solved the immediate need, but there was so much more available. The invitation to that buffet had somehow been secured; the hard part had been done.Related

'Someone needs to pinch me' – Bosch and Paterson script their own fairy-tales

Paterson, Bosch lead South Africa's Boxing Day domination

KG vs KG showdown grips SuperSport Park

Bosch began the way a nervous debutant on Boxing Day might, with a real loosener of a half volley wide outside off stump. So wide, in fact, that a man as lanky as Shan Masood had to reach for it. And why wouldn’t he? Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were seen off; Rabada would be the pick of the South African bowlers, and yet somehow end up wicketless. This was the time to feast. It was Pakistan’s highest opening partnership all year, having been put in to bat on a hostile Centurion surface. Masood has spoken multiple times about how you get value for your shots here, and these were effectively runs being offered on a discount.There was little wrong with going after that expansive drive, but the execution went horribly wrong. Until then, the batters had been beaten 11 times, survived one lbw shout on umpire’s call, and popped a couple into unlikely gaps. An hour after surviving some of the most testing fast bowling on one of the more trying grounds, Pakistan had given away the breakthrough to a first-ball half-tracker from a nervous debutant.Pakistan continued to make a hash of working their way through the buffet table. Babar Azam received one short and wide from Paterson, and hung his bat out so carelessly that he might as well have been holding out a stray steak knife in a crowded room. It had similarly lethal consequences; he would be dismissed from the room before he had begun to get his money’s worth.Corbin Bosch exults after bagging Shan Masood with his first ball in Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesTime and again, the day followed the same pattern. Rabada threatened without finding the end product, but there was, in truth, little else to fear from the remainder of the attack. Jansen was largely ineffectual, and even Pakistan in this kind of profligate mood weren’t giving him any wickets. ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data showed the batters were in control against 78% of his deliveries, the highest against any bowler from either side all day.It is something of a mystery, though, how Bosch didn’t go similarly unrewarded. Pakistan’s control percentage against him wasn’t much better at 74%, and he sent down 38 balls – nearly half of his entire innings – bowling wide outside off stump or down leg. But he must have been exceptionally nice this year, because Pakistan filled his Christmas stocking right to the brim.Saud Shakeel looked to have decided on a whim he no longer wanted to be known as the most conservative batter in the side, and raced out of the blocks with 14 runs in his first five balls; it is his fastest start in any format. When Bosch sent one down that truly deserved to be put away, though, Shakeel gloved it through to the wicketkeeper, his brief Boxing Day fling with belligerence over before it ever blossomed.Even the mild-mannered Kamran Ghulam, having kept his temperament in check and finding a way to balance positivity and responsibility, could not ultimately resist the lure of a hoick. Having held his own against a simmering Rabada, he ultimately hacked at Paterson, only for the top edge to go straight to none other than Rabada himself.Dane Paterson repeatedly did damage to Pakistan, picking up a five-wicket haul•Gallo ImagesAamer Jamal was having more success with this strategy; it is a mark of South Africa’s indifference with the ball over large periods that he and Salman Agha wrangled their way back into putting Pakistan into another respectable position, approaching 200 for 6 by tea. Ultimately, though, Jamal found a similarly unseemly way to fall to the debutant, playing with a horizontal bat to a ball too close to cut and chopping it on. Pakistan were unable to help clumping their dismissals together to undo all the good work that preceded them, as if regurgitating the contents of a recently consumed nutritious meal. They lost three wickets for no runs in eight balls, and the innings was effectively done.Though he was back to his positive self, Ghulam described the atmosphere in the dressing room as “excellent” after the day, and admitted there were regrets. “Rizzy [Mohammad Rizwan] and I were playing very well. We had it under control, and it was in our hands, and I should not have played the shot I did.”It is not, it would appear, the outcome of the day that disappoints Pakistan, but the waste of it. For 211 in Centurion under overcast skies means they may have left with full stomachs, but the nourishment on offer has not truly been taken advantage of.

NSW keen to avoid last finish, as South Australia and Victoria also need a lift amidst absence of Australia’s Test stars

Tristan Lavalette08-Feb-2023After a spectacular end to a thrilling BBL season, there is a quick turnaround in Australian domestic cricket with the resumption of the Sheffield Shield. The Shield paused in early December after six rounds, and teams have a further four matches left before the final starts on March 23. Here is a look at how the six teams stack up before the competition restarts on Thursday.Western Australia (32 points)Riding high after Perth Scorchers’ successful BBL defence, Western Australia will be hoping the momentum continues in the longer format which they dominated before the break. With four wins and 11 points clear on top, defending champions WA are almost certain to host the Shield final for the second straight season.Underling the wealth of talent in WA cricket, there are a number of selection dilemmas, as skipper Shaun Marsh is set for his first game of this Shield season, against South Australia on Thursday. Such is WA’s depth that wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe might be left out, while Scorchers captain Ashton Turner remains on the outer in four-day cricket but Marcus Stoinis is in the line to play his first first-class match since March 2020.Meanwhile, spearhead Jhye Richardson will be missing the match against South Australia as he continues to battle a hamstring injury, which had sidelined him for the second half of the BBL.WA will also be without tearaway Lance Morris, who is on Australia’s tour of India. He is the Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season with 27 wickets at 18.4. Spin-bowling allrounder Ashton Agar is also in India, but has only played one Shield match in the past two seasons.Queensland (21 points)Much like WA, Queensland have to bounce back quickly after Brisbane Heat’s emotionally-draining finals campaign. Queensland are joint second on points with Tasmania, as their campaign resumes against Victoria at the MCG on Thursday.Veteran opener Joe Burns has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in the BBL season opener in a boost for the Bulls, who will be without Test batters Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson is also touring with the national side, although his 12 wickets have cost 39.66 each in five Shield matches this season.Six Heat players who experienced the agony of the BBL final are set to line up against Victoria.Captain Will Sutherland needs to continue as Victoria’s ace bowler in the absence of Scott Boland•Getty ImagesTasmania (21 points)Tasmania have a great opportunity to start strongly when they play bottom-placed NSW at the SCG starting Saturday. They will hope to secure victory because what follows are back-to-back matches against WA, which could make things become more difficult for them.Tasmania looked a formidable side before the break, as 24-year-old Tim Ward was the standout of a solid batting order with 421 runs to be the third-highest run-scorer this season. Their attack is also led by veteran seamers Jackson Bird and Peter Siddle, who have combined for 44 wickets this season.Victoria (16 points)Victoria will be lacking batting firepower as they eye a lift up the ladder. Regular skipper Peter Handscomb is in India, and Glenn Maxwell remains on the path back from a broken leg sustained last November.Nic Maddinson will also be missing the rest of the domestic season having suffered a serious knee injury during the BBL, while Will Pucovski, who has made his return from personal leave only in Melbourne grade cricket, won’t be playing against Queensland.Victoria’s attack will be without seamer Scott Boland and spinner Todd Murphy who too are in India. Thus, there will be more burden on emerging allrounder Will Sutherland, who has bagged 23 wickets this season and taken over the captaincy reins from Handscomb.NSW will look on the experienced Moises Henriques and co to get them out of the doldrums•Getty ImagesSouth Australia (15 points)Redbacks face a tough test first up against WA, as they look to avoid a sixth straight bottom-placed finish. They are without Test players Travis Head and Alex Carey, with the onus on captain Henry Hunt, who is seen as a future opener for Australia.After top-scoring for Heat in the BBL final, Nathan McSweeney looms as key for Redbacks, and he had batted impressively before the break as well. Their lead quick Wes Agar will hope to continue after his strong first half of the season, where took 23 wickets.New South Wales (7 points)Blues are hoping to move on from a disastrous start to the season, where they were winless from six matches, and are staring down the barrel of finishing last for the first time in 14 years.Coach Phil Jaques was a casualty, with Sydney Sixers mastermind Greg Shipperd taking over in the interim.There is little room for error for Blues, who will rely on experienced campaigners Kurtis Patterson, Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott to get them out of the doldrums.

There is plenty of fast bowling talent in the country, but is sustained growth possible?

Mohammad Isam13-Jan-2021The darkest period of Bangladesh’s pace bowling has finally broken to a bit of a dawn. While the inevitable fading away of Mashrafe Mortaza added to the gloom, the pace surge in the two domestic tournaments of the 2020-21 season has been encouraging. The senior pacers have turned a corner with their fitness and form while a group of youngsters have emerged with a bit of verve.In the season-opening BCB President’s Cup, eight of the top ten wicket-takers were all pace bowlers. It was one better in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup when nine out of the top ten wicket-takers were also pacers. It is hard to remember the last time so many pace bowlers were among the wickets in any domestic competition, let alone two on the trot.This surprise stems from the atmosphere in which Bangladesh’s pace bowlers have generally operated in the last four years. The senior team’s management is very spin-oriented at home. They didn’t bother to pick even a token pacer in home Tests against West Indies, Afghanistan, England and Australia, since 2016. This spin-only strategy has given them home wins against three of those four teams, but it also resulted in a humiliating loss to Afghanistan.That last defeat, and a generally ineffective pace attack in overseas conditions, has instigated scrutiny on this lop-sided strategy. Russell Domingo, the current coach, has vowed to move away from this mentality and while his intentions are appreciable, changing the country’s pitches and its long-standing outlook will take a very long time.The pacers’ surge even amid thinning interest from the powers-that-be and the absence of Mortaza has put special interest ahead of the West Indies series that starts next week.”Mashrafe has been an outstanding player for the country for a long time but it [his absence] gives the likes of Rubel Hossain, and Taskin Ahmed, Al-Amin [Hossain] and Mustafizur [Rahman] the opportunity to step up and take the lead,” Bangladesh bowling coach Ottis Gibson told ESPNcricinfo. “I am sure the experience that Mashrafe has, cannot be replaced, but I am sure these guys will see it as an opportunity to step up over the course of the three years leading up to the 2023 World Cup.”Bangladesh is generally a place you hear a lot about spinners, but then I have seen the likes of Rubel and Taskin doing well, Al-Amin improving and Mustafizur working hard on swinging the ball back into the right-hander. Ebadot [Hossain] and [Abu Jayed] Rahi have done well in Tests. Khaled [Ahmed] is perhaps one of the quickest bowlers in the country. Somebody like [Mohammad] Saifuddin has been really good for the country, too.”Gibson said that the second wave of pace bowlers who have emerged in the last couple of seasons has been a much-needed boost to Bangladesh’s barren fast bowling coffers.”I expect great things of Hasan Mahmud who has emerged as an outstanding young prospect. Shoriful [Islam] is a tall left-armer, and someone who has made a name for himself in the President’s Cup after a very good Under-19 tournament. He has been drawn into the senior side now. Sumon Khan and Mukidul Islam have had good outings in the [recent] domestic competitions,” he said.According to bowling coach Ottis Gibson, Mustafizur Rahman is working on perfecting his inswinger to the right-hander•BCBMohammad Salahuddin, the two-time BPL winning coach who was recently Gazi Group Chattogram’s head coach during the Bangabandhu T20 Cup, had a few words of caution though.”There is a visible improvement in pace bowling,” he said. “Maybe in the first two tournaments of the season, the pitches helped them and the batsmen haven’t been really in good rhythm. So they did get to dominate the cricket. Winter is also a factor in our conditions, which helps the pace bowlers.”Taskin did well in the President’s Cup, but couldn’t quite replicate it in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup. They will understand the challenge better when the batsmen slowly get back into the groove. There’s a definite improvement but we will get a better picture when they start playing more regularly in February.”So far though, the pacers’ surge has been fairly impressive. The lockdown in Bangladesh since last March became a great opportunity for many cricketers to bring back focus on fitness. Taskin and Rubel were at the forefront of this drive.”Players have become more aware and professional,” Mizanur Rahman Babul, the Gemcon Khulna coach who has worked with many of these young pace bowlers over the years, said. “They have also understood the necessity of being professional in their overall approach. Those in the national team have personal trainers but the importance of fitness has also grown among those outside the national team.”They now take the initiative to raise fitness levels, even if there’s no cricket around. I think it has become a general trend across all cricketers in Bangladesh.”Taskin’s improvement in pace and fitness has been the most eye-catching. He has turned to working with Mahbub Ali Zaki, the BCB pace bowling coach who helped him when he had to correct his action in 2016. Zaki said that Taskin had to change his fitness routine to get leaner as well as maintain his action’s “balance while being explosive”.”I tried to replace Taskin’s skin fold by developing muscle mass,” he said. “He has been given a target to reduce his skin fold, to get to at least close to what Mushfiq has, while keeping his current weight.”We are trying to get him to be balanced while being explosive in his bowling. This is to ensure that he doesn’t just bowl line and length, but also at a high pace. He is doing a lot of these bowling drills, sometimes even at his garage at home.”The improved fitness levels among these pace bowlers first came into light during the BCB President’s Cup in October. Taskin returned as one of the fastest bowlers, but even more refreshing to see, even for seasoned coaches like Salahuddin was the accuracy among some of the younger lot.”Among the new lot of tall, well-built fast bowlers, the likes of Hasan Mahmud, [Mukidul Islam] Mugdho and Shoriful [Islam] are quite accurate,” he said. “They know where to bowl. They can swing the ball and also produce extra bounce. Such bowlers usually can take benefit from all types of wickets.”The Bangladesh senior team training for the West Indies series in Dhaka•LightRocket via Getty ImagesBut Salahuddin said that Bangladesh still require a fast bowler who can sustain his pace for longer periods, especially in Test matches. “These young bowlers will need a bit more pace. They have to bowl intelligently. But we don’t have an out and out express fast bowler, who are required in Test cricket where they can force out a wicket.”Gibson, who is about to complete one year in the Bangladesh role, explained how the lack of overs in domestic competitions has a direct connection to how fast bowlers can regress even in helpful conditions.”We have had a one-day and a T20 tournament, but to get them ready for Test cricket, we have to get time on their feet and miles in their legs, bowling and standing out in the field all day, and then being physically able to manage that workload and come back on the next day to replicate what they did on that first day,” he said.”Our fast bowling programme is a work-in-progress, but the selectors and board have had a message from me: if you want fast bowlers ready for Test cricket, especially in overseas conditions, they need to be bowling more in first-class cricket.”I have spoken to the selectors that if you want to develop a core group of fast bowlers, they need to be able to bowl more overs, 15-20 overs a day, in domestic cricket. At the moment, they average about 10-12 overs but to be better and more consistent bowlers they have to bowl more in domestic cricket.”Zaki meanwhile said that the current lot of pace bowlers is relatively young, which puts the onus on them to remain fit for a longer stretch, so that they can serve the senior side in the long run.”It is important that our experienced bowlers maintain a high level of fitness to keep them at the international level for the next five to ten years. We should definitely expect to see improvement in our more experienced players. They are not too old. These bowlers can give another five years of service to Bangladesh cricket.”A captain has to rely on them to either get him wickets or stop the run-flow, every time he gives any of them the ball in hand. They would be expected to be accurate in whatever skill they execute,” he said.It is crucial that this pacers’ surge isn’t a false dawn, as has been the case so many times in the past two decades. It is hard to forget how Mashrafe himself forged an impressive pace attack, albeit in the limited-overs format, that got Bangladesh important success in the 2015 World Cup and the landmark ODI series wins later that year. But all that work collapsed in the face of a team management bent on home dominance that they preferred playing Test matches on slow and dry pitches that turned from day one.But having a working pace attack even in home Tests has always meant that the bowlers will have enough confidence to do the same job in overseas conditions where Bangladesh can slowly build a reputation as an all-round side.

Earlier this year, following two more transfer windows of mass-spending by Manchester City, Pep Guardiola became the manager in football history to have spent the most on transfer fees, surpassing the £2bn mark.

Of course, considering he has won 18 major honours since arriving at the Etihad nine years ago, he does get results.

However, many of the players who arrive in Manchester for a huge fee with massive expectations do not live up to them, one in particular springs to mind, so is a repeat scenario in danger of happening for a current sky blue star?

Kalvin Phillips' Manchester City career

When Kalvin Phillips joined Manchester City from Leeds United for £45m in the summer of 2022, he was at the top of his game.

He’d racked up 234 appearances for boyhood club Leeds United, flourishing under Marcelo Bielsa, thereby becoming first-choice for England, starting all seven matches as the Three Lions reached the final of Euro 2020.

However, Phillips has, to date, made just 32 times in over three years for the Citizens, of which only six are starts, accumulating a miserly 921 minutes, the same time it takes to drive from the Etihad to the Eiffel Tower.

After spectacularly unmemorable loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich, the forgotten man returned to Manchester this summer.

He made his first appearance for the Citizens in 690 days when coming off the bench for a six minute cameo at Huddersfield in the EFL Cup but, having not even been named among the substitutes for any other fixture, fair to surmise that he isn’t back in Guardiola’s plans.

So, could a player in the same position, both literally and metaphorically perhaps, fall into the same trap?

Manchester City's next forgotten midfielder

As the table below documents, Manchester City have signed 17 players for £45m or more since appointing Guardiola, yielding mixed success.

Man City £45m+ signings (2016-present)
Players	Fee	Man City apps
Tijjani Reijnders	£46.5m	13
Nico González	£50m	26
Omar Marmoush	£59m	28
Jérémy Doku	£55.5m	93
Matheus Nunes	£53m	79
Joško Gvardiol	£77.5m	103
Erling Braut Håland	£51m	155
Kalvin Phillips	£45m	32
Jack Grealish	£100m	157
Rúben Dias	£62.1m	231
Rodri	£62.8m	272
João Cancelo	£60m	154
Riyāḍ Maḥrez	£60m	236
Kyle Walker	£45m	319
Benjamin Mendy	£49.3m	75
Aymeric Laporte	£57m	180
John Stones	£47.5m	283
All information via Transfermarkt

Aside from the new recruits, Phillips has made, by some distance, the fewest appearances for the club of any of the expensive signings, but it could be concerning times ahead for one of those listed.

As part of Manchester City’s January spending spree, which saw them pay more than all other 19 Premier League clubs combined, they recruited Nico González from Porto on deadline day for £50m.

A la Masia Barcelona graduate, the 23-year-old arrived with impressive pedigree, viewed as a shrewd addition, with Guardiola labelling him a ‘mini-Rodri’; considering the Ballon d’Or winner was sidelined at the time, he appeared to be a sensible deputy.

However, it hasn’t really panned out that way for Nico, starting only nine Premier League matches last season, despite Rodri’s absence, handed just 16 starts across all competitions, coming off the bench a further ten times, but not used at all on nine occasions.

When Rodri hobbled off at Brentford on Sunday, Nico was the player introduced into midfield, but Guardiola has favoured Tijjani Reijnders since his arrival in June, while Mateo Kovačić’s return following surgery could limit the Spaniard’s opportunities further.

His only league goal for the club, to date, came against Bournemouth in May, rounding off a free-flowing team move.

However, more recently, Nico was in the headlines for conceding a penalty at Stade Louis II, kicking Eric Dier in the face, thereby allowing Monaco to pinch a point in stoppage time.

Speaking on Match of the Day in February, former Man City defender Micah Richards praised Nico’s “intelligence”, adding that “having someone with that kind of football IQ in your team is priceless”.

It is clear that the 23-year-old is a high-quality midfield player, but the same would have been said about Phillips, before he was simply not trusted by Guardiola and lost in the shuffle, with fears the same could happen to the Spaniard.

With Rodri, potentially, sidelined, it’ll be interesting to see if Nico is the man deployed at the base of midfield for Man City’s next fixture, which is Everton at home, after the international break.

Man City have already sold Rodri replacement who can become a "£60m player"

Pep may have let this one slip through his fingers at Manchester City.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 8, 2025