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Tom Westley rushed for a precautionary x-ray on a hand injury as Yorkshire secured their Division One future, and the news was good for Essex’s England No. 3

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-20171:24

County Championship Round-up: Yorkshire secure safety

Steven Patterson and Jack Brooks took three wickets each to help Yorkshire secure their Division One place for another year on the first day of their last Specsavers County Championship match of the season.Yorkshire started the day knowing that a six-point swing with Somerset would finally allay any lingering fears they had of joining Warwickshire in Division Two next season. When Somerset collapsed to 236 all out at Taunton against Middlesex, and lost batting points in the process, Yorkshire knew that a decent bowling display at Chelmsford would ensure their safety.There was a similar sigh in the Essex ranks that it was announced Tom Westley had suffered no more than bruising to his right thumb when rapped on the glove trying to fend off one that reared up unexpectedly from Patterson. The ball looped to second slip, but the Essex No 3 did not hang around to wait for the umpire’s raised finger.Never has a batsman dashed quite so quickly from the scene of his demise. Westley barely broke stride as he bounded up the pavilion steps straight into the physio’s room. With England’s party for the Ashes due to be named on Wednesday morning, the sizeable Chelmsford crowd awaited news of the injury. Westley went for a precautionary X-ray that showed no break; he will bat in the second innings.It was the first of Patterson’s three wickets. Later he would dismiss both Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster after the sixth-wicket pair that lifted Essex from the depths of 80 for five. That the county champions would take one batting point for their 227 all out was largely due to some lusty late hitting by Neil Wagner and Simon Harmer, who recorded his maiden fifty for Essex.The day started half-an-hour late and ended with 24 overs unbowled because of combination of drizzle and bad light. Varun Chopra made up for lost time, taking 10 runs off Brooks’s first over. He found the pitch sufficiently slow that he was moving several yards down the wicket before the bowler was in his delivery stride. He connected with one from Patterson which sailed so far over long leg that there was a delay while another ball was found.Nick Browne settled into characteristic studiously mode. He took 18 balls to get off the mark before denting Coad’s parsimonious start with an imperious straight-drive to the boundary. Coad gained his reward, however, when he had Chopra, on 28, hanging his bat outside offstump to give Alex Lees the catch at first slip.Westley cover-drove Patterson gloriously for one of three boundaries in his 13 before the same bowler caused him his discomfort.Westley’s departure precipitated a collapse with four wickets in the 11 overs that preceded lunch as the pitch suddenly became spiteful and Essex fell from 63 for one. Dan Lawrence, centurion in the morale-boosting victory at Hampshire last week, was third to go, playing across one from Brooks for eight.Browne, having faced 92 balls, became Coad’s second victim when he played down the wrong line and was bowled for 29, and Ravi Bopara was trapped plumb to Brooks in similar fashion to Lawrence for just for one.Ten Doeschate and Foster set about post-lunch reparations with a stand of 55 in 16 overs that was full of typical sharp singles and some lusty blows. Foster swept Coad effortlessly for six, but the ball after lofting Patterson straight past the bowler for a one-bounce four, the veteran pair were separated.Foster attempted to hammer Patterson over the midwicket boundary but failed to clear Kraigg Brathwaite stationed there for that eventuality, and departed for 25. Ten Doesechate followed seven runs later, nicking behind to give Patterson his third scalp. The Essex captain had faced 50 balls for his 30.Wagner weighed in with a crucial 44 at Southampton, and he carried on in the same vein. He bounced down the wicket and arced Coad over midwicket for six before his big-hitting came to a premature end when he miscued to mid-off to give Brooks a third wicket. The eight-wicket stand with Harmer was worth 41 in nine overs.Harmer was also nimble on his feet to drive spinner Karl Carver through mid-on for four and his eighth boundary, a straight-drive off Patterson, took him to his maiden fifty for Essex from 63 balls. He finally went lbw sweeping at Carver for 64. Jamie Porter’s contribution to a ninth-wicket stand of 39 was a single, and he was last man out when heaving Carver to long-off.

Leeds United have gone through a summer of change so far as they have had to deal with relegation from the Premier League and a host of players moving out of the door at Elland Road.

Who has left Leeds this summer?

Tyler Roberts, Adam Forshaw, Joel Robles, and Rodrigo have all departed on permanent deals, whilst Marc Roca, Rasmus Kristensen, Brendan Aaronson, and Robin Koch have left on loan.

Manager Sam Allardyce also moved on at the end of last season, after he failed to maintain the club's place at the top table, and has been replaced by German head coach Daniel Farke.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

The former Norwich tactician has been able to make one addition to his side to date, as Ethan Ampadu has joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea.

One player who could be on his way to Elland Road before the summer transfer window slams shut is Coventry City star Gustavo Hamer, as he has been linked with a switch to Yorkshire.

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

The Dutch maestro is an exceptional Championship performer, as his Sofascore rating of 7.35 placed him third within the entire league last term, whose ability to create for others could allow him to get the best out of misfiring Leeds forward Patrick Bamford.

Farke could get the ex-Chelsea striker back on the goal trail by signing Hamer to be an outstanding provider of opportunities from a midfield position.

Last season, the 26-year-old maestro racked up ten assists and created 16 'big chances' for his teammates. He also provided 1.8 key passes per game across 41 appearances outside of the play-offs.

Meanwhile, no Leeds player produced more than 1.5 key passes per match and Jack Harrison created the most 'big chances' for the team with nine.

Journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones compared Hamer to ex-Leeds star Pablo Hernandez, who assisted 21 goals in his last two second-tier seasons with the club, by saying that he could be a "Hernandez-type" figure under Farke.

This suggests that Hamer has the potential to be the German's main creative threat in the heart of midfield, which could benefit Bamford by allowing more room for error with his finishing as opportunities would come his way more frequently thanks to the Coventry gem's playmaking invention.

The Leeds centre-forward only scored six goals in 37 Premier League matches over the last two seasons but when fully fit, he had plundered 17 goals in 38 top-flight outings during the 2020/21 campaign.

He also managed an impressive 16 strikes in 45 Championship clashes throughout the 2019/20 title-winning campaign under Marcelo Bielsa, which shows that the ex-Middlesbrough loanee has the quality to be a terrific goalscorer for the Whites in each of the top two divisions.

Hamer's creativity could be the key to helping Bamford to rediscover his touch in front of goal as the Coventry star, who also scored 11 goals last term, has the ability to consistently provide the striker with the chances he needs to be a lethal scorer next season.

Therefore, Farke must push the club to complete a deal for the £5.2k-per-week whiz over the coming weeks in order to revive the former England international whilst also adding a sensational midfielder to his squad.

A blistering 219-run stand between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma laid the platform for India to inflict upon Sri Lanka their biggest defeat in a home ODI

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy31-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:01

Agarkar: Sri Lanka haven’t shown any fight

The last time Virat Kohli had elected to bat after winning an ODI toss, Rohit Sharma made an unbeaten 264 in an India total of 404.Now, against the same opponents, it seemed as if Kohli and Rohit were on course to become the first pair of batsmen to score double-hundreds in the same ODI. By the end of the 29th over, they had put on 219 in 165 balls. Kohli was batting on 131 off 93 balls, Rohit on 86 off 75. On a hard, flat Premadasa Stadium pitch bounded by one of the quickest outfields anywhere, India were 225 for 1 and the record ODI total of 444 seemed under serious threat.SL’s World-Cup spot in focus

Thursday’s loss means that Sri Lanka’s chances of an automatic place in the 2019 World Cup now depend on the results of the one-off ODI between West Indies and Ireland and the five-match series between West Indies and England before the September 30 cut-off.
Sri Lanka needed to win both of the final two matches against India to secure automatic qualification for the tournament. A win in the final ODI on Sunday will take Sri Lanka to 88 points on the ICC table. However, that may not guarantee them a World Cup spot – if West Indies beat Ireland in the one-off ODI and beat England 5-0, they can reach 88 points and edge Sri Lanka out on decimal points.
If Sri Lanka lose Sunday’s fixture, West Indies can qualify for the World Cup with a win over Ireland and a 4-1 series win over England.
If West Indies seal automatic qualification for the World Cup, Sri Lanka will have to play the World Cup Qualifier, scheduled for March 2018.

In the end, India got as far as 375. Kohli’s 30th-over dismissal, which gave Lasith Malinga his 300th ODI wicket, sparked a slump that saw India lose four wickets for the addition of only 49 runs, in 49 balls. Without a whole lot of batting to follow, MS Dhoni and Manish Pandey had to ration their risk-taking somewhat in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 101 off 74 balls. And so, instead of a world-record chase, Sri Lanka were left merely the task of bettering their own highest successful chase. By 52 runs.In the end, they never even threatened to get close, eventually folding for 207 in the 43rd over of their chase and slumping to their biggest defeat – by a runs margin – in a home ODI.The target was a speck that grew smaller and more distant with each over, and regular wickets meant Sri Lanka never got enough of a foothold to even think of going for it. Apart from Angelo Mathews, who made 70, and Milinda Siriwardana, who scored a punchy 39, no one got past 30 as Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav finished with two wickets apiece.Kohli based his decision to bat – it was only the second time he had done so, having won 16 tosses – on letting his bowlers and fielders put their feet up in the heat and humidity of the Colombo afternoon. Given those conditions, and the utter lack of help from the pitch for both seam and spin, Sri Lanka looked like they were serving a sentence during the first 29.2 overs of the Indian innings.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma added 219 for the second wicket in 168 balls•Getty ImagesTheir only moment of joy, in that time, came in the second over, when Shikhar Dhawan sliced Vishwa Fernando straight to third man. Given the form he was in, he would have rued that shot as he settled in the dressing room and watched Kohli and Rohit dominate the bowling.Kohli set off in a blaze of boundaries, hitting three successive fours off Fernando, off only the ninth, tenth and eleventh balls of his innings. None of the three balls were half-volleys. He drove the first ball to the cover boundary, on the up. The next two, near-identical balls closer to off stump, went past mid-off and midwicket. It took him only 23 balls to get to 30, with six fours, all either driven or flicked.At that point, Rohit was batting on 3 off 7. A lofted drive over extra-cover, off Mathews, moved the opener into his stride, and from there on, no matter who the bowler was, both batsmen did as they pleased. There were two mix-ups early in the partnership, with Kohli at the danger end on both occasions, and a run-out seemed the likeliest way, by far, for Sri Lanka to break it.After the first Powerplay, Rohit and Kohli turned on a steady stream of ones and twos, and manufactured a boundary every now and then to keep the run rate rattling along at well above seven an over. A bottom-handed whip from Kohli enabled him to hit Siriwardana against the turn and bisect long-on and deep midwicket. A deliberate, open-faced slice from Rohit sent the ball curling past the diving backward point fielder. Given the speed of the outfield, anything that beat a fielder on the circle left the boundary-rider no chance.By the 25th over, Kohli had already raced to his hundred, off just 76 balls, reaching the landmark with a whippy pick-up shot off Siriwardana. His next 19 balls brought him 31 runs, and he seemed unstoppable when he fell to one of the most innocuous balls he faced all day: a wide, full ball from Malinga that he slapped straight to sweeper cover.A total of at least 400 still seemed a formality, though, with Rohit reaching his hundred in the 34th over and Pandya, promoted to No. 4, clattering Akila Dananjaya for a couple of early lofted boundaries. But Mathews, carrying his injury-ravaged body creakily to the crease and delivering two short balls, dismissed both off successive balls, Pandya picking out the deep fielder with a pull and Rohit cramped for room while trying to ramp him over the keeper. When KL Rahul failed to keep a flick down off Dananjaya in the 38th over, Sri Lanka had done as much damage limitation as they could have hoped for. From there on, India’s dominance would resume unabated.

Luis Reece left his mark on his former county with a T20 best unbeaten 97 from 55 balls as Derbyshire beat Lancashire by 35 runs in the NatWest Blast game at Derby

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Luis Reece made his best score in T20 of 97 not out•Getty ImagesLuis Reece left his mark on his former county with a T20 best unbeaten 97 from 55 balls as Derbyshire beat Lancashire by 35 runs in the NatWest Blast game at Derby.Reece hit 10 fours and four sixes and with Daryn Smit who made 42 from 20 balls added 77 in seven overs to take Derbyshire to an imposing 211 for 5. Liam Livingstone threatened to chase that down by smashing five sixes in an 18-ball 44 and Karl Brown made 41 but the Derbyshire bowlers hit back to end a run of two defeats in the North Group as Lancashire finished well short on 176 for 9.The visitors had elected to bowl first but Reece struck the ball cleanly from the start, driving Ryan McLaren straight for six and pulling him for four as 59 came from the first five overs.Reece dispatched Jordan Clark over the midwicket boundary and drove Matt Parkinson for a third six before Stephen Parry removed the dangerous Wayne Madsen who missed a reverse sweep in the ninth over.Derbyshire were well placed at 103 for 3 at the halfway point of the innings and although Gary Wilson was stumped charging at Parry, Reece drove Parkinson for his fourth six after reaching 50 from 26 balls. Arron Lilley also had Alex Hughes stumped in the 14th over but Lancashire’s bowlers could not exert any sustained pressure and Smit joined Reece to take Derbyshire past 200.Both batsmen improvised well with Smit plundering three consecutive fours from Junaid Khan as 62 came from the last six overs to leave Lancashire facing a tough chase under the lights.Livingstone moved into overdrive from the off, pulling and cutting Matt Henry for three sixes and two fours in the second over which cost 26 and he clubbed Hardus Viljoen over the ropes at midwicket from the last ball of the third.Imran Tahir was driven for a fifth six but Madsen’s offspin ended the onslaught when Livingstone skied a drive to long on where Hughes took a well judged catch. Brown picked up the baton by pulling Madsen and Tahir for sixes before he played on to Matt Critchley and the legspinner Derbyshire hopes soaring in his next over when Jos Butler failed to clear long off.Dane Vilas was run out when he was stranded at the same end as Lilley who kept Lancashire believing by driving Tahir for six but after Steven Croft drilled the South African high over the long-off boundary, Henry returned to york him.When Lilley drove Ben Cotton to cover in the next over, Lancashire were fading fast and Derbyshire comfortably closed out the game.

Tottenham Hotspur are "ahead" in the race to sign Juventus defender Gleison Bremer this summer, and they're open to selling in the event of a suitable offer.

Who will Spurs sign?

Having officially completed the signings of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon on a free transfer, Spurs are not done there.

New manager Ange Postecoglou, who is currently overseeing Tottenham's pre-season tour of the Far East, is apparently plotting new defensive alongside the aforementioned trio.

Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips is already on his way to north London after both Spurs and the Lancashire side reportedly agreed a £3 million deal, while Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven remains a top target.

In recent weeks, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona's Clement Lenglet, Galatasary's Victor Nelsson and Bremer have all been linked too.

Bremer, who was a mainstay for Juve under manager Massimiliano Allegri last season after signing from Torino, is also a defender Tottenham are reportedly keen on.

A report out of Italy has shared the latest on his future in Turin, as the Old Lady are apparently open to selling any of their big name players, if the right bid comes in.

According to Il Biano Nero, Tottenham are "ahead" in the race for Bremer, and if a suitable offer arrives he "could say goodbye". In that event, Juventus will then turn their attention to signing replacements.

The outlet wrote:

"The Brazilian, in particular, always likes in the Premier League, with Tottenham ahead. And if the right proposal arrives, he could say goodbye, with Giuntoli that at this point he should invest in the defensive package, defined as complete just yesterday. So attention can move to the incoming market."

How good is Gleison Bremer?

The South American was one of Juve's star players over 2022/2023, and if they end having to agree a Spurs sale, there is little doubt he would be a major loss.

As per WhoScored, he was among their best-performing players per 90 – with Bremer even managing an impressive 90.2% passing accuracy out from the back.

The former Torino star also made more clearances per 90 than any other Juve player, all while playing the third-most Serie A minutes anyone in Allegri's side (WhoScored).

Speaking shortly after Bremer joined the club last year, Allegri was in no doubt over the player's quality.

"“I am very happy with the arrival of Bremer," said the Italian tactician.

"A physical player with the characteristics we were looking for. There aren’t many defenders of that level and the club has been very good at replacing De Ligt promptly.

“I am satisfied, but now the games are starting and there is only one month left for the start of the season.”

Meanwhile, members of the Italian media have called Bremer "shockingly good", especially during his Torino spell.

"Bremer was *shockingly* good at Torino," said Matteo Bonetti on Twitter.

"Obviously not on the radar of many casuals because the team didn't draw many viewers, but my goodness, some of the games he had against the top strikers in the league… Genuinely looks world class."

Eighteen months ago in Delhi, Australia’s World T20 victory triggered a chain of events for England women that culminate in tomorrow’s rematch

Adam Collins08-Jul-2017England, according to their slogan, are striving to ‘go boldly’ in this World Cup campaign. It isn’t hard to see that disposition reflected in their words as well as their play: expansive and forthright. Liberated of major host-nation expectations, a process that was actually helped along their opening-round loss to India, Heather Knight’s side are as healthy as they are happy.In turn, there couldn’t be a better time for them to cop Australia in the group stage of this tournament, and they know it. The world champions, of course, have done little wrong to date, reflected in a faultless win-loss ledger after four starts. But, as a result of captain Meg Lanning’s shoulder injury – it was still unclear on match eve whether she will take her place at No.3 in Bristol – they strike the more discombobulated figure of the two. Unavoidably so: all the depth in the world cannot replace the best player on the planet.”It’s still attached last time I looked,” Joe Dawes, Australia’s bowling coach, said. “That’s for the medical people to work out, I’m not sure. We’re preparing for her to play tomorrow, as far as I know, and see how she wakes up in the morning, I guess.”England are too, Knight confident that, no matter what, the utterly dominant batsman will be ready to roll when the team sheets are being inked. “We’re fully preparing for Meg,” she said.England have long been gearing up for this blockbuster. No moment was more significant to coach Mark Robinson’s wholesale reform of the side than their loss on the previous occasion the two teams met, in last year’s World T20 semi-final. It’s a constant point of reference any time he’s drawn on the post-Charlotte Edwards era.”We were different on the day when we played that semi-final,” he recalled. “We couldn’t do some of the basics – the non-skill things – in that semi-final. So, that’s just non-negotiable – an England coach should never have to talk about fitness.”In Robinson’s New England, his side also cannot allow themselves to be intimidated by the Australian machine. “We respect Australia but we have to respect ourselves and what have done as a coaching staff, and Heather as captain, is try and give the girls belief in themselves,” he said. “So for me, it is not about winning or losing, it’s about making sure we all turn up.”For Knight’s part, she sees the squad as being “in a really good place” – radically different to when they capitulated in that 2016 clash. “We function as a team a lot better,” she said. “We don’t rely on a few players; we have got a lot more leaders.”Meg Lanning’s shoulder injury has come at an inopportune moment for the world champions•Getty Images/ICCHelping with the psychology of preparing for an Australian clash is familiarity, with so many of the frontliners facing off regularly on the semi-professional T20 circuit. So now is as good a time as any, she thinks, to break England’s 24-year World Cup hoodoo against them.”It is the big games that we have been preparing for, and a lot of the work we have done is towards these big games and standing up,” she said. “There is always going to be that added pressure with the old enemy but hopefully we can, as a group, rise to that.”The precondition for an upset is England’s record-breaking batting continuing apace. They now boast four World Cup century-makers: Knight and Nat Sciver clocking their maiden ODI tons against Pakistan, then Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor combining for an outrageous 275-run tryst against a full-strength South Africa on Wednesday.”It is as good as it gets,” Robinson said of the stand – the highest for England in ODIs. “Both of them got into that lovely place where they were just playing with absolute freedom, on auto-pilot, in the zone, that magical place. And the joy they had with each other. They hopefully express that as a team; they play best when they are playing with a smile.”It capped Taylor’s return to the game in emphatic style, her 147 from 104 balls a galaxy away from when she walked away from it all following the aforementioned World T20 nadir due to crippling anxiety. “She never really expected to be in this position,” Robinson said. “The thing we talk about with Sarah is the bonus of her being here. Everything she achieves is extra.”Her year-long omission, according to the coach, did have unexpected benefits as the side quickly found its way under Knight’s leadership. “We played a lot without her which was probably quite good for us as a team (with) other players coming to the fore,” he said. “The team now know that they don’t have to rely on anybody.”Australia are less interested in words. They just want to do what they’re good at. “Win,” Dawes said of their plan against England. “We don’t worry too much about the opposition.” Simple as that. “We’re pretty happy coming into the business end and peaking nicely.”The surface, a fresh pitch, is expected to be hard and fast – just the way Robinson likes it. “Gloucestershire have been outstanding with the wickets they have produced so far,” he said. “With the way (women) play nowadays, hitting and manipulating the ball the way they can, they need the surfaces to do their skills justice.”For how that effects selection, Knight said it is “unlikely” a trio of tweakers will be used. But that has been the status quo for Australia’s side so far in this tournament, three of Australia’s four spinners rotated through the XI in each fixture. Dawes hinted that it will be the same again, regardless of the pitch, due to the tap seamers have been taking across the board.Robinson’s relaxed final thoughts are that they have earned this chance to knock off the champions. “Australia are an outstanding team,” he said. “We have got a great opportunity to see how far we have come, win or lose. We’ll have a yard stick to see exactly where we are at the moment.” Not at all a bad place to be.

Arsenal continue to be linked with a host of potential new signings despite their proactivity, yet there is one freshly touted option that could form a frightening partnership with another of their summer additions…

Who is joining Arsenal this summer?

The latest transfer claim comes courtesy of French outlet RMC Sport, who suggest that the Gunners remain interested in signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi.

Having enjoyed a truly outstanding season in his homeland, the 20-year-old finisher has unsurprisingly begun to garner widespread interest. Although Chelsea are noted as a potential destination, it is said that Mikel Arteta has enquired regarding his availability. Talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

Having had a €40m (£34m) price tag slapped on him back in May, the Frenchman will not come cheap despite his lack of experience. He would add to a transfer window of vast change for the north London outfit, having already welcomed Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to the Emirates.

It is the latter of this trio that would likely benefit most from the proposed deal.

How good is Elye Wahi?

With Chelsea having endured one of their toughest campaigns in recent history, their German maestro unsurprisingly suffered too. Especially since he was often deployed as a centre-forward, despite his preferred position being deeper.

As such, he was often lambasted for his lack of cutting-edge and consistency, despite scoring nine goals in all competitions.

Should Wahi enter the fold at the Emirates, to compete with Gabriel Jesus, at last, the 24-year-old magician will be allowed to move into his starring role, where he can instead shine just behind the striker, dictating the play.

After all, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he does rank in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90, and did manage to average 1.1 key passes per game last term in the league too.

Combining this kind of creativity with the speed and directness of Wahi would offer a new dimension to the slow, mediated build-up that Arteta has been famed for. The young marksman did notch 19 goals in Ligue 1 last term alongside a further six assists, as if to outline his goalscoring credentials.

He also did so with a 30% conversion rate, suggesting that should Havertz create, he can be safe in the knowledge that the German will often score.

Were the Gunners to tempt the France U21 international to join, it could even bare striking similarities with their capture of Nicolas Anelka back in 1997.

Moving from Paris Saint-Germain, the teenager joined under the newly-appointed Arsene Wenger and immediately fought for his first-team spot.

When it came, he proved instrumental in finally securing Arsenal that coveted Premier League title, recording 12 goal contributions in the league and even scoring in their FA Cup final win as they claimed the double.

The year following he would record a further 17 league goals, truly establishing himself as a fine asset for his legendary French coach.

His confidence to move to a new country at such a young age paid off, and with an injury to Ian Wright handing him his chance, he never looked back.

Wahi could seek to emulate this path, as a compatriot sharing many of the physical similarities with the 44-year-old.

The two stand at 6 foot and 6 foot 1 respectively, and were blessed with lightning-quick speed and an ability to leave defenders for dead whilst playing on the shoulder.

Such a notion is emphasised by words from his national team coach at youth level, Sylvain Rippol, noted:

"He's a racy player, a space-taking player who hurts the opponent in behind and who makes them retreat. There are not many like him. And when I see the form of Elye, over the last few months, of course, the squad needs his qualities."

Perhaps a switch to north London could kickstart his career in the same way it did Anelka's, who would go on to win two English leagues, three FA Cups, one Italian league, a Champions League and a European Championship.

Ahead of the team’s departure for the World Cup in the UK, Meg Lanning said that Australia’s female players shared the view that a fair deal for all cricketers was key to the resolution of the pay dispute

Daniel Brettig08-Jun-2017Australia women’s captain Meg Lanning has declared why her team is staying united with male players in the current pay impasse with Cricket Australia (CA), despite the board’s offer of massive pay increases for both international and domestic females in their current MoU offer.Ahead of the team’s departure for a World Cup campaign which will end after the June 30 expiry of the existing pay deal, Lanning said that Australia’s female players shared the view that a fair deal for all cricketers was key to the resolution of the dispute, even if pay rises for her group sounded attractive at face value. Women have not previously been included in the MoU, and have been paid separately by CA.CA’s proposal features average increases of A$79,000 to $179,000 for centrally-contracted female players, with average pay for domestic female cricketers to rise from $22,000 to $52,000. However, only international players – both male and female – have been offered any of the game’s blue sky above fixed rates of pay, rather than the fixed revenue percentage that has been at the core of agreements between CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) for two decades. Lanning said the players had no desire to be divided along these lines.”All the players are behind a revenue share model for all cricketers, and we’ve been able to stay really strong and we’ll continue to do that and hopefully there’s a resolution pretty soon,” Lanning said. “I think CA and the ACA are talking at the moment, so as players we just want to play cricket and we’ve left the rest of that to the ACA and CA. We’re looking forward to getting to the World Cup and playing, and we’ll leave it to the ACA to negotiate on our behalf.”[Pay rises are] certainly a step in the right direction, but it’s a whole player [group] agreement and we’re fully behind all players, male, female, state, international so that’s where we’re at. It’s about every player playing the game and grassroots as well. We’re not going to individualise any players or teams, male or female, it’s about all the players moving forward and getting a result that’s good for the game.”At the start, we came out with what we wanted and where we wanted to go and we’re pretty clear on that.”Lanning’s squad is due to depart for England at the end of the week, and all players have been handed short-term contracts for the duration of the tournament in acknowledgement of the fact it will conclude after the MoU deadline. While admitting the dispute was a topic of frequent conversation, Lanning insisted the players would forge on with clear minds when they begin their campaign to defend the title won in India four years ago.”It’s definitely been spoken about, it’s not something you can hide away from,” she said. “But as a squad once we get over to the UK we’re very keen on just playing cricket and our job and priority is to go over there, play really good cricket and win games. We won’t be distracted by it at all, everything’s in place contract-wise, so we’re just going to focus on playing and winning games.”These words arrived at a time when members of CA and the ACA negotiating teams have resumed talks after some weeks. Knowing this, the players were perplexed to be sent another package of graphics and video from the board’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts on Wednesday, in which the fixed revenue percentage model was again challenged.”The latest attempt by Cricket Australia to directly communicate with Australia’s cricketers has undermined current behind the scenes efforts to break the impasse for a new Cricket MoU,” the ACA said in a statement. “It is also a mischaracterisation of the true position regarding grassroots investment which every Australian male and female cricketer is passionate about.”The video comes a day after productive talks for a ‘without prejudice’ process for attempting to rebuild trust and break the current impasse. [It] is another attempt to directly communicate with players who have asked for the last 6 months to be left alone to concentrate on cricket. As has been the case with CA throughout the negotiation it is 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. This latest effort exposes what the ACA have been dealing with.”One member of the Australian squad particularly eager to get on the field will be allrounder Ellyse Perry, who had the latter part of her Australian summer curtailed by a hamstring injury suffered during the WBBL. Despite a lack of recent cricket apart from training, Lanning was confident Perry would be able to deliver her best in England.”She’s 100% fit, it was a pretty major injury she sustained in the WBBL, so she’s had some time to get over that and she’s been in full training now with the squad,” Lanning said. “She’s a very key member of our team, an important player for us, and looking forward to having her back on the park.”

Sean Dyche has made just one signing for Everton during the summer transfer window, with Ashley Young arriving on a free transfer following his release from Aston Villa.

Although a solid signing, he is hardly the most attractive name in the world and with the Toffees desperate to avoid battling against relegation from the Premier League for the third successive season, there will need to be much more quality added between now and the end of August.

With seven players departing Merseyside, Dyche has managed to free up some on the wage bill, yet this will prove to be wasteful if he doesn’t try and actively improve his first-team squad, with areas all over the pitch requiring some strength in depth, including the left-back slot.

Niels Nkounkou was one of the players to leave the club and this leaves Vitaliy Mykolenko as the sole left sided defensive option heading into the new campaign, something which Dyche will be hoping to sort sooner rather than later.

The Toffees have been linked with a move for Sassuolo left-back, Rogerio and with the player entering the final 12 months of his contract at the club, he could be available for a fee of around €10m (£8.5m) as he has communicated with the Serie A side that he doesn’t want to renew his deal – opening up the idea that he could move on this summer.

Dyche will face competition from the likes of Newcastle United, Benfica and Borussia Dortmund for his signature, with all three teams being able to offer Champions League football to the Brazilian sensation.

Could Everton sign Rogerio this summer?

With a more than affordable price tag, Dyche should be making an offer for the left-back as not only could he add some much-needed depth to that position in the squad, but he may also offer more than Mykolenko, especially in an attacking sense.

Indeed, last season, the 25-year-old registered more assists (three to none), progressive carries (110 to 31), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.22 to 1.56), touches in the attacking third (523 to 370) and crosses (113 to 57) than the Ukrainian, clearly suggesting he could pose a bigger attacking threat for Everton should he arrive this summer.

The Brazilian also ranks in the top 12% across Europe’s big five leagues for progressive carries per 90 (3.3) and the top 13% for progressive passes per 90 (5.56), while Mykolenko only managed to register 1.05 progressive carries and 3.39 progressive passes per 90, ranking him in the bottom 89% and 63% across these metrics, again suggesting that Rogerio would be an ideal attacking upgrade.

The current Everton left-back is more solid defensively, winning more total duels per game (3.4 to 3.3), making more tackles per game (1.7 to one) and more interceptions per game (1.4 to one), however there isn’t much between them and this indicates that Rogerio could certainly improve upon moving to the Premier League.

It would be a solid investment should Dyche sign Rogerio this summer, adding some quality to his back line who could not only prove to be a major threat in the final third, but also contribute well defensively and for just £8.5m, it could be a serious bargain.

Bayern Munich will have to "move heaven and earth" to bring in Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane this summer according to Simon Jordan.

Will Harry Kane join Bayern Munich?

The Bundesliga champions are currently the favourites to sign the England captain and have already had one bid rebuffed by the North London side according to reports.

This has not deterred the Bavarian side, who will continue their pursuit under the watchful eye of board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

According to German journalist Christian Falk, Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel recently visited Kane's house to discuss the possibility of a transfer, with the forward revealing in the meeting that the idea of winning the Champions League with the club is "appealing" to him.

This revelation has reportedly angered Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who is furious with the German side for discussing a move with the 29-year-old before they received permission from the selling club. This could force plans for a transfer this summer to a standstill, however, with the striker's contract expiring in the summer of 2024, the Spurs leading scorer could simply depart the club for free in a year's time.

Tottenham do recognise this potential outcome and have offered their star player a new, bumper deal that will significantly boost his £200k per week wages according to The Guardian. Yet, Kane has no "immediate intention" to sign the deal and will certainly not put pen to paper during this transfer window in spite of the club's clear desire to keep him.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan believes that Bayern would have to pay at least £100m to pry the forward away from North London this summer, with Levy believing that Kane could stay.

"I think they are going to have to move heaven and earth if they think that they are going to get Harry Kane for £80m to £100m, I don't think so. I've always maintained the view and it is predicated upon having had certain conversations with Daniel Levy but also looking at it through the prism of what Harry Kane is worth to Tottenham.

"If the main pursuit is top four, and the commodity of the devil you know best, you know you're going to get 25 goals out of Harry Kane. If you sell Harry Kane for £100m, you don't know what you're going to get from the next guy coming in."

What is Harry Kane's next move?

It seems incredibly obvious to most now that Kane wants to leave Tottenham in order to win some major honours, having still won zero trophies in his career in north London.

Whilst Bayern Munich may want the forward and vice versa, there is an understanding around Bavaria that they simply may not have the money available to pay the fee that the Spurs chairman is demanding, with Bayern legend Bastian Schweinsteiger telling talkSPORT:

"Bayern Munich, of course, would like to sign Harry Kane, but I also know that Bayern is not a club who will pay as much money as maybe the owner of Tottenham is asking for!"

It also seems like any potential move for the forward to Germany is dependent on the departure of former Premier League star Sadio Mane. The Senegalese forward joined from Liverpool in the summer of 2022 for a fee in the region of £35m however has struggled throughout his year at the Allianz Arena, managing just 12 goals and six assists across 38 games last season, with his most memorable moment being a suspension for punching teammate Leroy Sane in the face following the clubs 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Should Bayern Munich complete a move for the England captain this summer, one thing is for sure: It could be a record transfer for the German side.