A century after his birth the debate about Bradman and Australian identity rumbles on
Stephen Fay09-Nov-2008
The myth of Sir Donald Bradman is still potent enough to persuade an Australian publisher to bankroll an updated version of to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth. The myth is of an infallible cricketer who survived a dark imperial plot
to destabilise him (Bodyline), and then led a team of Invincibles whose brilliant exploits helped to forge a national identity. Graeme Wright,
the editor of the collection, argues that the myth is redundant. “[It] no longer applies in an Australia able to assert its own identity as a
nation,” he writes. But it is taking an unconscionable time dying.The Bradman shining through these pages is a sensational batsman (a report of each of his innings is plucked from and he gets a hundred every three visits to the crease). He was fastidious about his image when he was alive and his admirers, known as Bradolators – led by the former prime minister John Howard – kept the protection intact after his death. RC Robertson-Glasgow, who watched Bradman play, had fewer illusions: “There are no funny stories about The Don. No one ever laughed about Bradman. He was no laughing matter.”Australians still find it hard to make an unsentimental historical assessment of their hero. Professor Carl Bridge heads the Menzies
Centre for Australian Studies at King’s College London. “The prevailing hagiography does not do Bradman’s life and character
justice,” he writes. “He needs to be rescued from the naïve nationalist reductionism of the Bradolators.”But Professor Bridge concludes with a streak of pure Bradolatory: “Whatever the odd revisionist might unearth, [he was] without
doubt Australia’s greatest son.” Hold on a minute. What about General John Monash, who led the best-organised army on the
Western Front in 1918, or Charles Kingsford Smith, who piloted the first flight from the United States to Australia, or the Nobel
Prize winners Howard Florey, who developed penicillin, and Patrick White, the epic novelist? Or even Rupert Murdoch? After all Don
Bradman was only a cricketer. Bradman in Wisden edited by Graeme Wright Hardie Grant Books £19.99
While it’s impossible to deny that for large parts of this season, Arsenal haven’t performed to the standards they’ve set in previous years, they have also been quite unlucky regarding injuries.
Specifically, in late December, Mikel Arteta lost his best player and talisman to a severe hamstring injury that kept him out of the side for almost four months: Bukayo Saka.
The best way to demonstrate what a difference having the Hale Ender in the side could have made in that period is to look at his outrageous output, as despite missing so much football this season, he’s still managed to score 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 33 games, at an average of a goal involvement every 1.32 games.
So, with the Englishman unquestionably being the Gunners’ most important player, it would make sense to sign players who would make great teammates for him, which, based on recent reports, seems to be the opinion of Andrea Berta and Co.
Arsenal transfer news
Before we get to the player in question, it is worth looking at some of the other stars Arsenal are looking at who could help Saka reach that next level by improving the left-hand side, such as Jamie Gittens and Raphinha.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former has recently popped up as a target for the Gunners and could be available for around £51m, which for a youngster who’s scored at the Bernabeu and has racked up a haul of 17 goal involvements this season and could prove a worthwhile investment.
Likewise, while the reported price tag of £77m for the Barcelona star is indeed steep, he would undoubtedly be worth it, as in just 52 games this season, he has managed to rack up an unreal haul of 57 goal involvements.
Yet, what would likely help Saka more than anything else is signing a new striker, which is where Liam Delap enters the fray.
According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are now incredibly interested in the Ipswich Town striker, with Andrea Berta particularly keen.
Furthermore, it’s moved beyond just an interest, with the report revealing that the club have now made an offer for the Englishman, who has a £30m release clause in his deal following the confirmation of the Tractor Boys’ relegation.
He might not be the biggest of names, but given how well he’s performed this season and his potential, Delap is someone worth signing, especially as he’d be a dream for Saka.
Why Delap would be a dream for Saka
Now, there are a few reasons why Delap would be a dream signing for Saka this summer, but they ultimately boil down to his ability in front of goal, as the Arsenal winger would surely thrive with a more clinical striker to his left.
We feel comfortable calling the Englishman more clinical than the Gunners’ current options up top, as it’s a statement more than backed up by the numbers.
For example, Understat has worked out that his 12 league goals this season have come from an expected goals figure of just 11.85, which, in other words, means he’s actually outperforming his underlying numbers.
Delap
11.85
12
Havertz
11.76
9
Jesus
3.38
3
In contrast, prior to his injury, Kai Havertz scored his nine league goals from an expected goals figure of 11.76, and Gabriel Jesus scored his three goals from an expected figure of 3.38.
On top of being better at putting away his chances, of which he’d be provided plenty from the Hale Ender, the 22-year-old marksman is more than capable of creating his own chances.
For example, FBref places the “complete” forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, in the top 8% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 9% for shot-creating actions from successful take-ons, the top 10 % for carries into the final third and more, all per 90.
So not only would he help boost the Arsenal ace’s assist tally, but the attacking “monster” – in the words of Ipswich podcast Mark Heath – would almost certainly boost his goal output as well.
Ultimately, from price to goals and his ability to get the ball into dangerous areas, Delap seems like an ideal signing for Arsenal and, just as importantly, someone who’d be a sensational teammate for Saka.
Mega upgrade on Odegaard: Berta lining up Arsenal move for £100m "machine"
The £100m-rated star would be a game-changer for Arsenal.
Birmingham City supporters will be feeling extremely confident about their team’s chances of settling back into the Championship life well next season.
The second tier hasn’t always been the smoothest stomping ground for the Blues, with relegation depressingly coming their way at the end of the turmoil-ridden 2023/24 season, but after accumulating a record 111 points last season on the way to lifting the League One title, Chris Davies’ men will feel ready to take the difficult division by storm now.
A couple of new signings would certainly do the trick in helping Birmingham to manage the step-up with ease, as the likes of Bright Osayi-Samuel and Demarai Gray look set to join the assured St. Andrew’s camp very soon.
Away from all that speculation, however, a new signing was unveiled just yesterday, as ex-Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle moves back into the Championship with the Blues on loan, away from parent side Brighton and Hove Albion.
More new signings after Beadle expected
Arguably, Birmingham were well-stocked in the goalkeeper department, but with the 20-year-old just fresh off collecting nine clean sheets for the Owls in the demanding division, it was evidently too tantalising a transfer to refuse.
It will be a case this summer of boosting their personnel all over the pitch ahead of the daunting step-up hitting them in the face, with faces such as Gray potentially joining and adding lots of experience in the division, having lined up 72 times in the Championship across his varied career to date.
Yet, Birmingham have had success when shopping in Europe’s top leagues too – as seen in defensive colossus Christoph Klarer coming in from Germany last summer – and this approach could pay off again in Birmingham landing Alaves star Carlos Vicente.
Indeed, a fresh report from a Spanish outlet indicates that Davies and Co. have put forward an offer of around £8.5m to land the exciting right winger, alongside Greek giants Olympiakos lodging their own bid.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Birmingham have been before when splashing the big bucks to win a Spanish attacker, with Vicente perhaps going on to be Davies’ very own Jota, after the former £6m winger managed to wreak havoc in the second tier with the Blues.
How Vicente can be Davies' own Jota
Jota would sour his time with Birmingham when he eventually moved on to cross-city nemesis Aston Villa, but the ex-Brentford forward was a joy to behold for Blues fans at the peak of his powers at St. Andrew’s.
In total, the now-retired attacker – who funnily enough bowed out of his playing days on the books of Vicente’s Alaves – would tally up a mightily impressive eight goals and 11 assists for the West Midlands giants, with the £8.5m target now hoping to follow in Jota’s footsteps in making similar waves in the Championship for Davies’ men.
Games played
37
Goals scored
5
Assists
5
Shots*
1.0
Key passes*
1.7
Big chances created
9
Total duels won*
4.8
In the same fashion as Jota before he became a well-known name in England, Vicente has been starring in Spain for some time now, as seen in his sparkling 24/25 output, leaving him with a sturdy five goals and five assists from 37 La Liga clashes.
Away from just those standout numbers, however, Vicente looks even more ready for the demands of the Championship when glancing at the number of duels he’s won, winning 4.9 duels per game last season in the Spanish top-flight. Even when Jota was performing at his maximum for the Blues during the 18/19 season, he would only average 3.1 on the contrary.
In the here and now, too, if Vicente does go on to be as successful as Jota donning Birmingham blue, Davies and Co. stand a better chance at him staying put, with their ex-number 23 never seeing the top half of the Championship when at St. Andrew’s.
The aim this coming season will be to reach those heights and achieve even more, as signings such as the £8.5m gem entering the building attempt to help make those dreams a reality.
Osayi-Samuel 2.0: Birmingham City in contact to sign “high quality" EFL ace
Birmingham City is really flexing its muscles during the hectic summer transfer window.
When it rains, it pours, and Tottenham Hotspur are sure to be feeling the effects of the storm right now after Wolverhampton Wanderers' two late goals snatched victory from Ange Postecoglou to conclude a miserable week.
Just one week ago, Spurs were flying in the Premier League and revelling in an extraordinary start to the season under the Australian manager's wing, but an anarchic match against Chelsea resulted in a 4-1 loss after injuries to key players James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, as well as dismissals to Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero.
This exacerbation of problems resulted in a much-changed backline at Molineux today, with the notable absence of Maddison's creative ingenuity in the centre also felt.
And despite taking the lead through Brennan Johnson's early strike – his first for Tottenham – a lack of control in the centre allowed Wolves to gain a foothold, with poor finishing from the hosts the only thing stopped parity from being restored earlier on.
And with two stoppage-time goals from Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina turning the game on its head in the dying embers, questions must be asked of the attacking options on the pitch, with captain Heung-min Son at the epicentre.
Heung-min Son's performance vs Wolves
Son extended an unwanted individual record against the Old Gold today, extending his record of 11 matches against the club without scoring, with such a statistic emblematic of the South Korean's performance at Molineux today.
Ineffective in his centre-forward position, the 31-year-old took just 36 touches and completed 83% of his passes, with his only shot of the game blocked in the late stages, right before the turnaround, as per Sofascore.
The dynamic attacker did make one key pass, but he was definitely out of sorts in comparison to his fantastic feats this season, scoring eight goals across his past eight games as the focal frontman in the Premier League before today.
Handing him a 5/10 score in his post-match player ratings, the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick wrote: 'Missing the service for long periods but struggled to get into the game or hold up the ball effectively.'
Son did drop deeper and out wide on multiple occasions to get the ball rolling, so to speak, and did feel the void left in Maddison's wake, but it was one of his arguably worst displays under Postecoglou and he will now hope to return to blistering form after the forthcoming international break.
He was not the only offensive outlet to have flattered to deceive, with winger Dejan Kulusevski not really building on a strong start and ultimately leaving much to be desired.
Dejan Kulusevski's stats vs Wolves
To be fair, many of Kulusevski's best attributes were on display in the Midlands, with the Swede's relentless running and high energy charging the right channel; it is for this reason that Postecoglou has given him a starting berth across all 12 league encounters this season, having scored three goals.
Kulusevski started with a brilliant contribution, latching onto Pape Sarr's cross-field pass to weave it into the path of Pedro Porro, whose incisive whipped delivery was turned in by Johnson for his maiden Spurs goal.
But that proved to be the end of Tottenham's attacking intent, with the host taking control and launching a fusillade of efforts on Guglielmo Vicario's goal over the duration of the contest – it was only poor finishing that ensured the lead was preserved for as long as it was.
Kulusevski was indeed as energetic as ever but he failed to contribute defensively – making no tackles, clearances, or interceptions – and was actually dribbled past on five occasions, having failed with both of his own attempted carries with the ball at his feet.
Moreover, the 23-year-old only won two duels all game despite contesting in 16; having also lost the ball 13 times, the 45-touch wideman endured an afternoon to forget and will hope to rekindle his better form when his side return to action in a few weeks.
It's important to remain calm, with Spurs still thriving after Postecoglou's summer arrival and still in a promising position. With a fully-fit squad, it's plausible that the London club would still be undefeated in the Premier League this season.
But alas, calamity struck, and now is the time to rally together and ensure that the early-season exploits do not turn out to be a false dawn.
Liverpool will inevitably target new additions in 2024, having impressed thus far during the 2023/24 season after an industrial midfield rebuild in the summer, though still not quite at full throttle.
Jurgen Klopp's side's midfield issues were exposed against Luton Town last weekend, with a lack of specialist defensive options inhibiting a possible title charge, while Andy Robertson's injury several weeks ago has underscored the need for left-sided reinforcements on the backline.
The frontline is in better shape, but could still welcome some exciting young talent to enrich the ranks and maintain Liverpool's attacking fluency across multiple fronts, and a rising star appears to have been earmarked.
Liverpool transfer news – Assane Diao
According to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, Real Betis winger Assane Diao is on Liverpool's radar after an impressive start to the season in LaLiga, though the Reds will face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
The report mentions that the listed suitors have all made separate approaches over the past weeks, with Diao having 'dazzled' the Betis supporters with his electric displays.
Aged just 18, the Spain U21 international is reported to have a €30m (£26m) release clause embedded into his contract, with manager Manuel Pellegrini actively seeking to tie up fresh terms that will elevate that amount to €40m (£35m).
Assane Diao's style of play
Joining the Real Betis academy from Cadiz in 2021, Diao was originally slated for a central midfield role but maintained a level of attacking prowess that simply couldn't go unnoticed, prompting a move toward the left channel.
Having now scored four goals across his first ten professional appearances with his Spanish side, Diao is proving that decision right, possessing a natural eye for goal that has alerted the prestigious English clubs. Indeed, in total this term he has already found the net six times.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 23% for successful take-ons, the top 18% for tackles, the top 11% for interceptions, the top 1% for blocks and the top 6% for aerial wins per 90.
So what does this mean? Diao's natural predatory instinct is highlighted, striking at an age-belying rate so far, and while his goalscoring steals the headlines, he is progressive and tenacious in his application across the park.
Such skills could be a welcome addition to Liverpool's attacking options, with Luis Diaz certainly of a similar mould in his barrelling, breakneck motions toward the byline, having scored four goals from nine starts this term to emphasise his effectiveness.
With his shooting skills, Diao could benefit immensely from a dynamic centre-forward such as Darwin Nunez beside him in the frontline, with the Uruguayan striker hailed as an “agent of chaos” by journalist Theo Squires for the kaleidoscope of offensive tools he brings to the table.
Having posted seven goals and four assists already this season, Nunez ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 18% for shot-creating actions and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, emphasising his surging skills.
The £140k-per-week star is a dream for a rising talent of Diao's ilk to play alongside, and would only serve to enhance his skills on Merseyside.
Diao has been described as "sharp" and "intelligent" by journalist Josh Bunting and certainly looks to be a prospect worth investing in; given the riches Klopp possesses in an attacking regard already, he would find the perfect platform to continue his development at Anfield.
Tottenham Hotspur have been told they have a truly "perfect" youngster as talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor makes a James Maddison comparison.
Spurs form under Ange Postecoglou
Spurs supporters are quite simply in dreamland right now, as popular head coach Ange Postecoglou enjoys the best start made by any new manager in Premier League history. Wins over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley, Sheffield United, Liverpool, Luton Town and Fulham have sent table-topping Tottenham on an imperious run of form as they gear up to take on struggling Crystal Palace later today.
It's been a remarkable early-season run and Spurs' best start to a campaign since 1960/1961, where they went on to clinch a domestic double. Postecoglou is seemingly transforming the mood around N17, with Australian already setting a very high standard for his squad.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
"I don't go into a job not believing I can't make an impact," said Postecoglou ahead of Crystal Palace (via football.london).
"That's my role. Like I said a few times, my measure of that is not really having some predetermined timeframe of when that happens or it happens. It's just trying to focus on putting the things in place that are important for what we're trying to build. Along the way the progress comes at various times and at different sort of trajectories.
"We're in a good space at the moment but again we've still got plenty of work to do to make sure what we do now is sustainable. That's the main thing. It's not about making a short-term impact, it's about building something which hopefully brings sustained opportunities of success for the club."
Star players like Maddison and Son Heung-min are a huge part of Tottenham's upward trajectory and look set to play a key role once again versus Palace this evening. The former has quite simply dazzled since joining Spurs from Leicester City for around £40 million, as Maddison is showered with praise for his incredible impact.
Udogie transforms Spurs "just as much"
Another player to seriously impress at Tottenham this season has been Destiny Udogie, who forms part of Postecoglou's starting eleven week-in, week-out. The Italy international could miss Palace due to fitness issues, which would surely be a blow considering his excellence. TalkSPORT'S Gabriel Agbonlahor, speaking to Football Insider this week, even claimed Udogie has transformed Spurs "just as much as Maddison".
Destiny Udogie
“I really like Udogie. I’ve watched him a lot this season. He struggled initially with Saka in the derby, but in the second half – he was outstanding. Almost any left-back left one-on-one with Saka would strugglebut he owned him. He’s strong, he’s quick, he’s good on the ball, he can get into dangerous areas and get assists – he’s the left-back and player Tottenham were crying out for.
Dribbling
Ball interception
Tackling
“He’s the perfect left-back because he’s taller than the average, and he’s strong and aggressive. For me, he’s been a revelation alongside Van de Ven and they’ve really transformed that defence, just as much as Maddison has transformed them at the other end”.
Bangla bash: Rumana Ahmed (left) and Khadija Tul Kubra in Belgaum, on their tour of India•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Beat two-time runners-up (Pakistan): check Beat six-time winners (India): check Qualify for maiden Asia Cup final: check Heading into the tournament, Bangladesh were labelled underdogs likely to pull off an upset or two. On Saturday, with their 70-run rout of Malaysia in the last league game, they surpassed last edition’s runners-up Pakistan on the points table and set up their maiden appearance in an Asia Cup final, where they will take on defending champions India.On the penultimate day of what has been a momentous week for the side, in which they consigned both Pakistan and India to big-margin defeats, Bangladesh strangled hosts Malaysia to 60 for 9 in 20 in their 130-run defence. Vice-captain Rumana Ahmed starred with the ball, picking her second three-for of the tournament, after a 59-run opening stand between Player of the Match Shamima Sultana and Ayasha Rahman hoisted Bangladesh to 130 for 4.While Bangladesh have preferred to chase mostly, Salma Khatun’s decision to bat found validation in Sultana’s 54-ball 43 that complemented Rahman’s 31 off 27. After Winifred Duraisingam, the medium-pacer, separated the duo in the 10th over, Sultana stitched together a 27-run second-wicket partnership with Fargana Hoque. Duraisingam’s second strike, in the 16th over, however, ensured Hoque’s contribution was limited to seven.A huge swell of impetus to the Bangladesh innings came via the 36 runs Sanjida Islam and and Fahima Khatun added at over 10 runs per over. Sanjida smashed 15 off 12 while Khatun peppered three fours en route to her 12-ball 26.In reply, only three batsmen in the Malaysia line-up managed double-digit scores. Duraisingam top-scored with a 35-ball 17 as two run-outs, coupled with Ahmed’s 4-1-8-3 which proved too strong for the opposition to muster a fight against. Malaysia’s slow-paced surrender ended in a ninth wicket for the Bangladesh attack, in which five of the six bowlers employed returned at least one wicket each.
What to do with Rasmus Hojlund? On one hand, the Dane is a talented young striker who cost Manchester United a sum of £72m in 2023; on the other, he flattered to deceive across the 2024/25 campaign, wholly unconvincing.
Ruben Amorim took the wheel of a sinking ship when he replaced Erik ten Hag last November, but there’s no denying the Portuguese tactician failed to get the desired tune out of his Red Devils troops.
United finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur. The whole team lacked fluency and confidence, but Hojlund did himself few favours, scoring just three goals across 32 league games, averaging only one shot per game, as per Sofascore.
His woes have led to the expectation, or at least anticipation, that he will be offloaded this summer, and while Inter Milan have registered their interest this summer, talks are on standby; Jason Wilcox, technical director at Old Trafford, is unsure whether he will be signing off the 22-year-old’s departure, who reportedly wants to stay put.
While Hojlund’s future remains up in the air, it’s clear that INEOS and Amorim are congruent in their view that a new, high-performing centre-forward is needed.
Let’s have a look at the latest.
The latest on Man Utd's striker search
They started with Liam Delap. Man United were very much among the clubs interested in the Ipswich Town striker after his side’s relegation from the Premier League, thus unlocking his £30m release clause.
But it was Chelsea who activated the clause and added him to their ranks.
Still, United’s signing of Cunha and prospective transfer for Mbeumo could redefine Amorim’s frontline, and therre are other number nines who could be enticed by this resurgence-chasing team.
Sadly, it doesn’t look like that striker will be Viktor Gyokeres, who is on strike at Sporting Lisbon as he looks to engineer a move to Arsenal, which is now entering the final stages according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners’ shortlist came down to two, and they can’t have both. Therefore, a door has been opened for United to make a stunning swoop.
Man Utd in contact for new striker
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Man United are among the contenders for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who is valued at €90m (roughly £78m).
It’s that substantial price tag which effectively ended Arsenal’s long-standing interest in the Slovenia international, instead pushing ahead with the deal for Gyokeres.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
It may prove to work out just fine for the Red Devils, though, for Sesko’s camp have made contact with United as they look to secure the 22-year-old the high-profile transfer he craves.
However, Wilcox will need to work swiftly if he’s to lift the mood on the red side of Manchester, with Bailey confirming Liverpool and Newcastle United are also informed on Sesko’s situation.
Why Man Utd must sign Benjamin Sesko
Sesko will be aware that signing for Man United this summer would mean a season without continental competition. But then Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe last term, and the Devils have ambitious plans that the rangy forward would help realise.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
Described as “the new Haaland” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Sesko’s clinical nature, his pace and his physicality all combine to offer similarities to the game of Manchester City’s world-class goalscorer.
Sesko might not be as complete as Gyokeres (yet), but he’s the making of a world-class striker, with analyst Ben Mattinson even saying earlier in 2025 that he has a “superior profile” to the Sweden star.
It might not look like that at face value, with Gyokeres scoring 97 goals and supplying 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, winning the Liga Portugal in each of his two terms.
Furthermore, the 27-year-old proved his quality in the Champions League last year, dispatching a stunning hat-trick against Manchester City while under Amorim’s wing.
But Gyokeres is no spring chicken and has yet to compete in one of Europe’s top five divisions. Sesko, however, is competing in a tougher league, with less dominance to exert his authority.
Thus, it could be surmised that the Slovenian would produce a lofty tally of his own, were he playing as Sporting’s number nine in Portugal.
Matches (starts)
31 (17)
33 (30)
Goals
14
13
Assists
2
5
Touches*
19.1
30.7
Shots (on target)*
1.5 (0.8)
2.1 (0.9)
Big chances missed
8
10
Pass completion
67%
68%
Big chances created
1
5
Key passes*
0.4
0.6
Dribbles*
0.5
1.2
Duels won*
2.5
4.1
Clearly, passing isn’t his strong suit, but Sesko’s strength and movement as a frontman are things to be admired, having made real headway across the physical aspects of the game.
He’s getting better and better, and it’s certainly intriguing to note that only 18 big chances have gone begging across his past two Bundesliga campaigns, having scored 27 goals.
In fact, Sesko’s 39-goal, eight-assist return for Leipzig, across two seasons, has come over just 87 matches in all competitions, 62 of which came from the outset.
With Matheus Cunha and hopefully Bryan Mbeumo too flanking Amorim’s central striker at the Theatre of Dreams next season, Sesko would have the experienced, Premier League-proven teammates to bolster him and help him realise his potential.
And that potential is vast. Who knows whether Sesko would hit the ground running – or Gyokeres, for that matter – but Amorim is looking to turn Old Trafford back into a hothouse for development and success, and Sesko could be the perfect man to lead the line for many years to come.
The new Carrick: Wilcox racing to sign "incredible" £86m CM for Man Utd
Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign a midfielder who could be their next Michael Carrick.
The spinners did the job for Afghanistan once again, leading them to an 81-run victory
The Report by Ankur Dhawan22-Aug-2018Getty ImagesA second consecutive fifty from Hazratullah Zazai helped the visitors mirror their total of 160 from the first match, before Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan broke the back of Ireland’s chase to script a seventh straight T20I win for Afghanistan over them.The win by 81 runs equalled Afghanistan’s second-largest victory margin in the format, and rendered the final T20I of the series a dead rubber. It also meant Ireland were shot out for their fourth-lowest T20I total: 79.For a while it looked like a change in team and strategy would bring about a change in Ireland’s fortunes, when they stifled the run-flow and snaffled early wickets in the Powerplay. That is, until Zazai awoke from a stupor and muscled his way to a 54-ball 82. There was quite a similarity in the way the two teams started off with the bat – finding themselves 8 for 2 – but what separated them was Zazai’s sustained power-hitting and Afghanistan’s bowling depth.The inclusion of the experienced Boyd Rankin, who had recovered from a back niggle, and the introduction of spin in the Powerplay propped up Ireland early on. Rankin’s penchant for generating disconcerting bounce kept the dangerous Zazai in check in the first over, after Afghanistan had chosen to bat. Offspinner Simi Singh followed this up with the wicket of Mohammad Shahzad, who attempted an awkward pull to one that hurried on to him only to be caught at short third-man. Samiullah Shenwari followed soon after, caught on the square-leg boundary off a Peter Chase short ball that held up in the pitch.Overall the Irish pacers used the short ball effectively during the Powerplay and reaped rewards, as the run rate hovered around seven. However, having stabilised the innings considerably, Zazai and captain Asghar Afghan found an opening and they battered their way in, taking 19 off the 10th over bowler by the 18-year-old left-arm pacer Joshua Little. Then Zazai tore into Paul Stirling’s part-time spin, depositing him into the stands three times in four balls. The first of those three sixes brought up Zazai’s fifty off 34 balls.George Dockrell halted his charge in an excellent 16th over rife with full, wide deliveries which, Zazai’s wicket apart, produced three consecutive dots and just two singles. Much like the previous T20I, Afghanistan did not take full toll of the final five overs, but a few lusty blows from Mohammad Nabi (12) and an unbeaten 20 from Najibullah Zadran helped them to 160 for 8.Any hopes Ireland had of chasing the target were quelled quickly. Like falling through a series of trapdoors, they lost wickets in clumps.Aftab Alam set the collapse in motion, with the wicket of Stirling for a scratchy five-ball 2 before the spinners took over, taking eight wickets between them. Mujeeb accounted for Stuart Thompson, Andy Balbirnie and later Dockrell. Rashid made the most decisive inroad, getting William Porterfield – the only batsman to show a semblance of resistance – for a 23-ball 33. However, the wicket was rendered possible primarily by Alam’s brilliance in the field, with him intercepting Porterfield’s airborne reverse sweep at short third-man.It was the kind of moment that could deflate even better-placed opposition. Ireland, trying as they were to recover from 9 for 3, found themselves 46 for 4 in the ninth with that wicket, and they subsided quickly thereafter, bowled out in 15 overs.
With the league phase of the IPL finally coming to an end, a look at a few key numbers
Cricinfo staff29-May-20081 – Number of wickets that have fallen on the first ball of an innings. No first-ball sixes, but nine fours have been hit.3 – Three-in-threes, or hat-tricks. L Balaji, Amit Mishra and Makhaya Ntini were the three to achieve the feat, two of which came in the final over of a match, and two for the Chennai Super Kings. Chennai also performed a team hat-trick in their final league game against Deccan Chargers.6 – The number of hundreds in the tournament, but none scored by an Indian batsman. Four have been by left-handers – Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Marsh – while Brendon McCullum and Andrew Symonds have saved some face for the righties. Also, four Australians.8.02 – The Rajasthan Royals have been the best bowling unit, conceding 8.02 runs per over. Kolkata Knight Riders are next with 8.05, while the Deccan Chargers have been the most profligate, conceding 8.70 runs per over, marginally more the Chennai’s 8.65.9.05 – Kings XI Punjab’s run-rate in the tournament, the best among all teams. Rajashtan are second with a run-rate of 8.72, fractions ahead of Delhi Daredevils’ 8.69. Bangalore Royal Challengers are the worst with 7.43.10 – Sohail Tanvir has toyed around with opposition batsmen during the tournament, taking a wicket every ten deliveries, and his 21 wickets has cost just ten runs each. Tanvir now has the best bowling figures in Twenty20 matches [6 for 14], and the best average, economy-rate [5.97] and strike-rate in the IPL [among bowlers to have delivered at least ten overs].Add 0.12 to the 10, and you arrive at Shahid Afridi’s batting average in the IPL. While fellow Pakistani Tanvir may be the toast of this tournament, the Player of the Tournament at the World Twenty20 last year has had one to forget.11 – Tanvir has taken two hauls of four or more wickets in an innings, out of the 11 in the tournament. Nine other bowlers managed one, while Tanvir, and hat-trick heroes Balaji and Mishra are the only bowlers with five-fors.16- The numbers of maidens bowled in the tournament. Also, the number of wickets that have fallen on the final ball of an innings.19 – Partnerships of a hundred or more, of which Delhi have five, Rajasthan four, three each for Punjab and Deccan, Kolkata two, one apiece for Chennai and Mumbai Indians, and none for Bangalore.20 – The number of sixes conceded by Piyush Chawla, while four other bowlers, including fellow legspinner Shane Warne, have given away 16. However, with 17 wickets each, the two find themselves among the top five wicket-takers.31 – He’s nearly 39, but Sanath Jayasuriya’s wrists and shoulders were still strong enough to clear the boundaries 31 times, the highest for any batsman so far. Inverse 31, and you get the most sixes hit in an innings, 13 by Brendon McCullum in his epic 158.33.88 – Left is right. Left-hand batsmen average a good 11 more runs than their right-hand counterparts, who manage just 22.69. However, that stat is obviously influenced by the fact that quite a few tailenders are right-handers.36.28 – The percentage of dot-balls bowled. Rajasthan have bowled the most number of dot-balls – 647 – while Delhi have played out the least – 451.46.56 – The average score at the end of a Powerplay, given the average run-rate of 7.76. With Shaun Marsh dominating at the top, Punjab have scored 8.79 per over in that period [averaging nearly 50 runs per wicket], marginally ahead of the 8.76 Delhi’s dominant top order have managed and way higher than Bangalore’s 6.50. Mumbai have given away just 7.09 per over in the Powerplay, while Chennai’s 8.25 in the most expensive.47 – The number of free-hits, but batsmen have managed only 93 runs off them. Only four have been hit for six, while eight have been carted for four. Yo Mahesh leads the pack having bowled five free-hits, conceding 17.50 – The runs teams have scored, on an average, in the last five overs. Kolkata have done marginally better, scoring 54, while Delhi manage approximately 46. Deccan have conceded nearly 57 on an average, while the rest of the teams hover near or below 50.74.12 – The average for Shaun Marsh, who tops the batting charts with 593 runs. Among batsmen with over 400 runs, Graeme Smith comes next, averaging 52. Marsh has six fifty-plus scores from ten innings; Gautam Gambhir has five from 13.204.34 – Brendon McCullum’s strike rate in the IPL. He is the only batsman in the tournament [among those with at least 50 runs] to have scored at more than two runs per ball.258 – The number of sixes hit in the V between mid-on and mid-off, compared to 323 fours – a good indication that batsmen have been able to clear the boundaries with ease.447 – The highest match aggregate, scored by Chennai and Punjab in the second game of the tournament.