Ben Slater and Haseeb Hameed made unbeaten centuries as Nottinghamshire Outlaws bounced back from defeat at Leicester in their opening match with a eight-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks in their Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at the picturesque home of Welbeck Cricket Club in the north of the county.Opener Slater, who averages more than 53 in the List A format, again demonstrated his penchant for 50-over cricket by scoring 107 with Outlaws skipper Hameed making 101 not out as they shared a county List A third-wicket record partnership of 209 to inflict a heavy opening-match defeat on their Group B opponents, who managed only one win in the competition last season.Sussex were bowled out in the 48th over for 216 despite Fynn Hudson-Prentice’s 90 from 109 balls. The all-rounder hit nine fours and a six but found himself ploughing almost a lone furrow in an under-par performance by his side, who have up to now enjoyed a successful season, booking a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast and building a healthy lead in Division Two of the Vitality County Championship.Luke Fletcher (three for 35) and Toby Pettman (three for 44) were the most successful Outlaws seamers, although Brett Hutton, who took one for 41 bowling his 10 overs in a single spell, made a strong comeback after three months out with an Achilles injury. Left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White (two for 35) also impressed.The Outlaws stuttered at the start of their chase, finding themselves eight for two after losing Freddie McCann for two and Jack Haynes without scoring, but Sussex were unable to make any further inroads as their opponents cruised home with 50 balls to spare.The 19-year-old McCann, in his second List A appearance following his debut at Leicester on Wednesday, spooned a catch to mid-on off Ari Karvelas, while Haynes registered his second consecutive duck with a loose shot that had him caught behind, after which Slater was fortunate with a top-edge off Karvelas that flashed just out of the wicketkeeper’s reach.But with a required rate of only 4.34 runs per over and a quick outfield, Slater and Hameed did not need to take risks and were able to comfortably pace their innings once the newness of the balls had worn off, moving the total to 48 for two from 10 overs, 93 for two from 20, and 140 for two from 30.Slater found the gaps regularly enough to pass fifty for the 18th time in this format from 54 balls with eight boundaries, Hameed reaching his from 69 balls with his third four, a return to form he will have enjoyed after enduring a lean time in 2023, if not the shot that took him there, a streaky edge off the leg-spin of Archie Lenham.The left-handed Slater was seldom troubled, reaching his seventh List A hundred when he pulled Karvelas for his 13th boundary as the Outlaws closed in on their target, Hameed hitting the same bowler for six, four, four and one to complete his.Sussex found the going tough from the outset after opting to bat first. The pitch seemed to lack pace and, in the face of excellent, tight bowling at both ends from Hutton and Fletcher, they lost both openers for 33 by the second ball of the 11th over.Tom Clark nibbled at one outside off stump off Hutton before Tom Haines edged his drive against Fletcher, Tom Moores doing the rest behind the stumps.Joined by Hudson-Prentice, Oli Carter sought to rebuild but the arrival of Pettman in the attack made scoring no easier.The 26-year-old seamer, who has had limited opportunities in his four years with Nottinghamshire, was making his first senior appearance since last August but made it count with two wickets in two balls as a frustrated Carter found the fielder at mid-on and Sussex captain John Simpson was leg before.Simpson’s dismissal exposed Sussex’s inexperienced middle-order and Hudson-Prentice soon lost two more partners as 19-year-old Daniel Ibraham was caught at slip and 18-year-old Henry Rogers, on debut, skied to long-on as Patterson-White found immediate turn.Hudson-Prentice and 20-year old off-spinner Bertie Foreman added 64 before some smart relay fielding involving extra cover Ben Slater, bowler Lyndon James and ‘keeper Tom Moores ran out the younger player.Fletcher returned to dismiss Lenham caught behind and Karvelas via a miscued pull, in between which Hudson-Prentice cracked consecutive boundaries off Pettman before he was caught at mid-off, as Sussex were all out with almost three overs wasted.

Rangers are set to be very busy in the transfer market in the next few weeks.

Ever since Russell Martin was unveiled as the new manager last week, the Ibrox side have been linked with umpteen new signings and rightly so, considering their squad requires a major overhaul this summer.

So, could the Gers’ land an attacker labelled “unplayable” in a move reminiscent of a recent fans’ favourite?

Rangers' interest in a new midfielder

According to a report by Joshua Barrie of the Rangers review, Rangers are ‘interested’ in signing Kwame Poku this summer.

The 23-year-old is a free agent having left Peterborough United, with there unsurprisingly plenty of competition for his signature, including from newly-promoted Championship side, Birmingham City.

Poku began his senior career in non-league, representing Cray Wanderers and Worthing, earning a move to Colchester before joining Peterborough in 2021, making 147 appearances for Posh, most notably winning back-to-back EFL Trophies at Wembley.

Transfer Focus

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

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes he will “be a Premier League star in the future”, estimating that he’ll one day “cost £30 million”, so could Rangers tempt him north of Hadrian’s Wall on a Bosman?

Joe Aribo's Rangers career

Six years ago, in an eerily similar deal, Joe Aribo arrived at Rangers as a free agent, a reported £300,000 in compensation was paid, from Charlton Athletic, who were also in EFL League One at the time.

Aribo would go on to make 149 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 26 goals and registering 25 assists, most famously breaking the deadlock in the Europa League Final against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

A few days later, the Nigerian international helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup at Hampden, but this would prove to be his last outing in a blue jersey, sold to Southampton for £6m in the summer of 2022.

So, could Poku have a similar impact to that of Aribo? Let’s compare the duo to find out.

Appearances

31

39

Minutes

2,364

3,413

Goals

12

10

Assists

11

5

As the table outlines, Poku’s statistics this season were actually more impressive than those of Aribo from his final season at Charlton, despite the fact the former sat out three months of the campaign following hamstring surgery in December.

Writer Kai Watson labels the Ghanian international a “strong ball carrier” who is excellent at “cutting in on his left and getting a shot away”, concluding that he would be a “bargain” on a free transfer. Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson, meanwhile, asserts that he can be “unplayable” at times.

Meanwhile, Oliver Walton of Football League World described him as ‘one of the most in-form players in English football’ earlier this season, while Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis outlines how he boasts the best ‘attacking numbers’ across the entirety of the EFL, praising his ‘excellent finishing’.

So, let’s assess that assertion.

Minutes

2,058

223rd

Goals

12

11th

Goals per 90

0.52

7th

Assists

8

5th

Assists per 90

0.35

1st

Shots per 90

2.71

12th

Goals per shot

0.19

18th

Big chances created

9

28th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.9

2nd

As the table highlights, Poku had an exceptional season at Peterborough, ranked first for assists per 90 and second for successful dribbles per 90 as well, on top of his generally impressive attacking statistics across the board.

Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis also believes his best position is as an attacking midfielder, albeit he can be deployed out-wide, noting that his ‘biggest strength’ is his ability to progress the ball through midfield.

Meanwhile, Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘thrilling playmaker’ who is ‘great in tight spaces’ and a ‘very intelligent passer’, destined to go to the very top, so Rangers should do everything in their power to make this deal come to fruition.

Russell Martin considering selling "brilliant" Rangers 22 y/o who wants to stay

He wants to stay at Ibrox, but the decision could be made up for him.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 10, 2025

Newcastle United will be aiming to bolster their defence this summer, and Marc Geuhi is still earmarked as a target.

The Crystal Palace defender has been on the club’s radar for a while now, and, with his contract set to expire next year, Eddie Howe may look to strike a deal to bring him to the club.

A recent report states that the Toon might be able to strike a deal worth £40m to sign Guehi this summer, given his contract status.

With other interest in him from elsewhere, however, might Howe target an alternative?

Newcastle could target a move for Liverpool defender

While Guehi has been a target for the Magpies for quite some time now, it looks as though he could perhaps miss the boat.

According to The Chronicle, Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah is a player who remains on the club’s radar this summer, as they look to bolster their defensive options.

Although the Anfield side won the Premier League title last term, the Englishman played a bit-part role in the success and could move on to pastures new.

He is also attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen, with Erik ten Hag looking to launch a bid worth around £40m for the Liverpool starlet this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

While Guehi remains one of the players that Howe is desperate to bring to Newcastle, the window is getting shorter for this move to happen.

Could he perhaps strike a deal to bring Quansah north instead? Only time will tell.

Why Newcastle must sign Jarell Quansah

There is no doubt that Guehi is heading into the peak years of his career. He will turn 25 next month and helped Palace win the FA Cup just last month.

Quansah, on the other hand, just turned 22 earlier this year and still has plenty of years left before he hits his peak, which is why he could be a dream alternative to the Eagles star.

Metric (per 90)

Guehi

Quansah

Pass success rate

87%

89%

Tackles

1.1

1.5

Total duels won percentage

60%

64%

Possession lost

7.4

8.4

Interceptions

0.7

1.1

Balls recovered

4.8

4.2

As you can see in the table above, the England U21 international has the potential to offer more than Guehi from a defensive perspective, as he won a higher percentage of his duels and averaged more tackles and interceptions per 90 in the Premier League.

Under Jürgen Klopp, the defender made 17 league appearances throughout the 2023/24 campaign. He suitably impressed, finishing the season with an 89% pass success rate while winning 64% of his total duels contested and losing possession just 8.4 times per game.

When compared to his peers in the top flight that season, Quansah also ranked in the top 11% for aerial duels won per 90 (3.4) and in the top 3% for non-penalty goals (0.15) per 90.

It was perhaps no wonder that he was dubbed an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig that season for his performances. He hasn’t quite settled into Arne Slot’s side during the Dutchman’s maiden season at Anfield, however.

The defender was restricted to just 25 appearances during 2024/25, with only 13 of those coming in the starting XI.

Does he need a fresh start to fulfil his potential? Newcastle would be the perfect place for him to gain regular gametime.

With Champions League football on the horizon, Quansah could become a regular under Howe at the Magpies as a dream alternative to Guehi this summer.

He could be better than Mbeumo: Newcastle enter race for £38m "future icon"

Newcastle need a new forward this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 14, 2025

تحددت المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم من قارة آسيا، بعد نهاية المرحلة الرابعة والنهائية للتصفيات الآسيوية، اليوم الثلاثاء.

وكانت 6 منتخبات حسمت التأهل بشكل مباشر من المرحلة الثالثة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، وهي إيران وأوزبكستان وكوريا الجنوبية والأردن واليابان وأستراليا.

وتبقي مقعدين، للتأهل من قارة آسيا، حيث أقيمت المرحلة الرابعة النهائية، وتم تقسيم المنتخبات التي احتلت المركزين الثالث والرابع في المرحلة الثالثة، إلى مجموعتين من 6 منتخبات، كل مجموعة تضم 3 منتخبات، يتأهل المتصدر من كل المجموعة لاكتمال عدد المنتخبات من قارة آسيا.

وأقيمت مباريات المرحلة الرابعة بنظام الدوري من دور واحد، يتواجد في المجموعة الأولى كل من قطر والإمارات وعمان، بينما ضمت المجموعة الثانية السعودية وإندونيسيا والعراق.

وحسم منتخب قطر، تاهله من المجموعة الأولى لـ تصفيات كأس العالم، بعد تصدر ترتيب المجموعة الأولى من المرحلة الرابعة والنهائية برصيد 4 نقاط من فوز على الإمارات وتعادل مع عمان.

طالع | المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 (محدث باستمرار)

واستطاع منتخب السعودية، أن ينضم إلى المنتخبات الآسيوية المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم، بعد حسم صدارة المجموعة الثانية من المرحلة النهائية لـ تصفيات آسيا وذلك على حساب العراق بعد التعادل في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما مساء الثلاثاء 0-0. المنتخبات المتأهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026 من قارة آسيا

1- إيران

2- أوزبكستان

3- كوريا الجنوبية

4- الأردن

5- اليابان

6- أستراليا

7- قطر

8- السعودية

The home side were facing the prospect of a third defeat before Cartwright and Ashton Agar iced the chase

AAP13-Oct-2024

Hilton Cartwright guided Western Australia to victory•Getty Images

Western Australia’s One-Day Cup title defence is back on track after Hilton Cartwright’s late heroics lifted them to a four-wicket victory over Queensland at the WACA Ground.Chasing 301, WA were looking shaky after stumbling to 349 for 6 in the 41st over of Sunday’s match But Cartwright’s unbeaten 66 off 49 balls, which featured five fours and three sixes, helped get WA over the line with six deliveries to spare.Ashton Agar (21* off 27) produced an important cameo in what turned out to be a match-winning 62-run partnership with Cartwright.WA’s bid for a fourth consecutive one-day title was on thin ice following losses to South Australia and NSW. Given each team plays only seven regular-season matches, a loss to Queensland could have ended WA’s hopes of reaching the March 1 final.But Cartwright’s knock has kept WA’s hopes of a four-peat alive, with Queensland (two losses, one no-result) facing an uphill battle to reach the decider.WA paceman Jhye Richardson was named player of the match after taking 3-36 in 9.3 overs in Queensland’s total of 300.Queensland were in all sorts of trouble at 51 for 4 in the 12th over following the departures of Ben McDermott, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne and Jack Clayton.Usman Khawaja struck eight fours and a six as he combined with Lachlan Hearne to steady the ship.Bowling all-rounder Michael Neser then provided the late fireworks, cracking six fours and two sixes to give Queensland’s total a significant boost.Richardson was the pick of WA’s attack, bowling McDermott in the third over with a delivery that swung back in wildly. His dismissal of the dangerous Neser later in the innings ensured Queensland’s score wasn’t bigger.Cameron Bancroft entered the match desperate for runs after posting twin ducks in the recent Sheffield Shield draw with Queensland. Neser claimed Bancroft’s wicket in both Shield innings, but the WA opener managed to get through the early stages on Sunday before being trapped lbw by Labuschagne for 33.Sam Whiteman’s half-century ensured WA got off to a solid start, and Cooper Connolly’s 39 off 42 balls lifted WA closer to victory, before Cartwright and Agar finished the job.

Non-compliance concerns centre around USAC not fulfilling governance norms set by the US Olympic body, and longstanding vacancies in top administrative posts

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2024The ICC has warned USA Cricket (USAC) it risks being “put on notice” for non-compliance with its Associate membership status, barely a month after the last game of a historic, first-ever ICC global event staged in the country. The USA was a co-host, with the West Indies, of the T20 World Cup in June, staging games at three venues as the ICC acted on its long-held ambition of breaking into North America.But the difficulty of that ambition is evident in the warning, which says USAC is potentially in breach on two counts. One concerns USAC not fulfilling the governance norms set by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) necessary for it to earn the National Governing Body (NGB) status, which is mandatory for all sports that were last year added to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. And on the second the ICC has hauled up USAC for not having a “fit-for purpose administrative structure”, including not filling in the vacant CEO position after it sacked the previous incumbent months into his job.”USA Cricket is currently Non-compliant with ICC Associate Member Membership Criteria 2.2(b)(i) (governance structure) and 2.2 (b)(ii) (administrative and executive structure) and is at risk of being placed ‘On Notice’,” the ICC said in an note sent recently to all its members attending the global cricket body’s AGM, which will take place on July 22 in Colombo immediately after the ICC Board meets.Titled “Associate Member Membership Update”, the five-page document, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, was sent on July 11. The ICC noted that the USOPC had “expressed serious concerns” over the governance model of USAC. “The USOPC has written to the USAC expressing serious concerns about the ongoing governance of USAC. Whilst this does not put USAC in breach of ICC Membership Criteria, it reflects broader concerns regarding USAC’s governance.”However, USOPC have stated if USAC do not achieve NGB certification, they will be required to commence a process to recognise an alternate NGB for cricket, which could put USAC in breach of ICC Membership Criteria to be “recognized by the ICC (at its absolute discretion) as the primary governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket (men’s and women’s) in its country”.This is second time this year the ICC has put USAC on alert. After its quarterly meetings in March, the ICC sent a missive to USAC hauling it up over several issues, including warning it even back then that USAC was not doing enough to become USOPC compliant. The ICC also raised the issue of not having a CEO in place ever since it released the incumbent Dr Noor Mohammad Murad, as well as not appointing an independent director on its Board.That email, sent by ICC CEO Geoff Allardice six days after the ICC Board met in Dubai, was addressed to USAC chair Venu Piske, who was elected to the position in July 2023. While the ICC Board acknowledged USA’s “importance” as a “cricket territory”, Allardice noted in the email, seen by ESPNcricinfo, it was also aware of the “long history of problems” with USAC.The ICC Board had even toyed with the idea of suspending USAC membership in March for “being in serious breach of membership obligations”, but it did not happen eventually only because Allardice said it would disrupt USA’s preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Instead, the ICC Board decided to give USAC a “last chance” to “remedy” the non-compliance issues.As a primary punitive measure though, the ICC Board did stop the annual funding USAC receives until it fulfilled all membership criteria, only allowing “controlled funding” on an “exceptional basis” between April and July “to enable cricket in the USA not to be prejudiced”. During the T20 World Cup, ICC chair Greg Barclay and Allardice once again reiterated to USAC that it was in danger of being suspended if it failed to comply with the membership criteria.Now, in the July AGM note, the ICC said the USAC continued to still be in breach and recommended stronger sanction. “USAC still does not have a fit-for purpose administrative structure. USAC do not currently have a CEO, having terminated the employment of their most recent one after only a few months in the role. A recruitment process for a replacement CEO has commenced. In April, the two remaining USAC Development staff (the Development Manager and Women’s Manager) resigned. A process to replace these staff as has not yet commenced. Currently, replacement staff are temporary and part-time contractors.”It is Management’s view that USAC has not remedied all areas of non-compliance as outlined in the ICC’s letter to USAC dated 21 March, 2024, and is therefore at risk of being placed ‘On Notice’.”In its initial response, sent on July 12, USAC is understood to have told the ICC that it had appointed an independent director – Pintoo Shah – who also took charge as the Treasurer. His appointment was ratified by the USAC Board on the same day. The delay in filling up the independent position, USAC explained, was due to it amending its constitution to fall in line with USOPC regulations.The USAC email, copied to senior USOPC officials, also said it was harsh on ICC’s part to threaten “drastic action” when it was working hard to meet compliance. USAC said it was informed of the NGB accreditation process only on January 24, so it was unfair to expect it to be compliant by March when the ICC sent the initial warning, and especially when the deadline for compliance submission to USOPC was September 30.As for the vacant CEO position, USAC said that it had received several applications when it advertised for the position this April and shortlisted names, keeping ICC Americas in the loop. The new USAC CEO, it is understood, will be appointed immediately after the ICC AGM.

The Stokes experiment hasn’t worked and there are many reasons for it

Hemant Brar23-Oct-20202:39

Who should open for the Royals – Stokes or Buttler?

The worst innings in T20 cricket is not a first-ball duck. It’s the one where a batsman can neither hit out nor get out. Ben Stokes’ struggle with the bat on Thursday belonged to that very category.Opening the innings, Stokes laboured to 30 off 32 balls as the Rajasthan Royals finished with a below-par 154 for 6 and went on to lose to the Sunrisers Hyderabad. In other terms, Stokes consumed 26.7% of the total balls while scoring 19.9% of the bat-runs the Royals managed.It’s not that Stokes didn’t show any intent. He tried to slog, reverse sweep and scoop but was hardly in control. His control percentage of 68.75 was the worst among the top five in the Royals batting line-up. When on 17 off 19, he was dropped in the deep. Twice before that, the ball had fallen short of the fielder; Stokes failed to make use of those chances. In fact, he struggled so much that, ESPNcricinfo’s Luck Index favoured the drop catch, instead of it hurting the Sunrisers.The Sunrisers too had done their homework. Right from the outset, Jonny Bairstow stood up to the stumps to prevent Stokes from advancing down the pitch. The first time he went back was when Jason Holder came in to bowl – Stokes walked down and flat-batted him for a boundary over mid-on.Bairstow stayed back when Vijay Shankar came on to bowl. Shankar is arguably the least threatening of the Sunrisers bowlers and bowls at a pace similar to that of Sandeep Sharma, the new ball bowler. Out of the nine balls he bowled to Stokes, six were either on a good length or just short.The idea, it seems, was to bang it into the pitch and cramp Stokes for room. It worked as he managed only five off those nine deliveries. Also, while Stokes was in the middle, David Warner didn’t bowl left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, whose angle he would have found easier to score off.ESPNcricinfo LtdSo far in IPL 2020, Stokes has opened in all five matches he has played, scoring 110 runs in 103 balls. He is yet to hit a six, and his strike rate of 106.79 is the lowest among those who have played at least 100 balls in the tournament.There can be many reasons why Stokes hasn’t clicked as an opener. For one, he has been batting out of position. Stokes doesn’t open for England in any format. In international cricket, he has opened only once – against West Indies in a Test earlier this year when England were looking for a quick declaration. In white-ball cricket, his role for England oscillates between a middle-order stabiliser and a finisher.In fact, before IPL 2020, Stokes had opened only five times in T20 cricket, scoring 188 runs at a strike rate of 139.25. But those came over two years ago. With him batting out of position and teams bowling their best bowlers in the powerplay hasn’t helped his cause.He has been short of match practice too. Unlike most players, who had arrived in the UAE well in advance and had the time to acclimatise to the conditions, Stokes had to jump into the competition as soon as he finished his mandatory quarantine following his arrival from New Zealand, where he was on compassionate leave to be with his ailing father.By the time Stokes played his first game of IPL 2020, the tournament was already approaching the second half. While he didn’t get the time to get used to the conditions, the slowing pitches meant he is yet to find the timing. Like Shankar on Thursday, other bowlers too have consistently denied him room by targeting the stumps, or by bowling just outside off, on a good or short-of-good length.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile promoting Stokes to open the innings, the Royals would have expected him to take advantage of a hard, new ball as his numbers against spin are not very flattering. Since 2018, he averages 18.76 against spin while striking at 114.55.But with Stokes as an opener doing more harm than good, there is a case for Jos Buttler to swap positions with him. Buttler performs the best at the top of the order, while Stokes’ numbers are much better in the middle order. It’s time the Royals revisited their decision, or is it already too late?

Arsenal have asked about signing an “important” Real Madrid player amid their reliably reported talks for Brazil international Rodrygo, but negotiations over the latter are proving far from straightforward.

Rodrygo to Arsenal talks stall due to wage demands

As reported by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, a very reliable source when it comes to transfer news, Arsenal have been in discussions with all parties over a summer deal for the 24-year-old.

Arsenal offer "game-changer" a five-year contract worth nearly £30m to join

The north Londoners are moving ahead with ambitious summer plans.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

Rodrygo bagged 13 goals and 10 assists over 50 total appearances under Carlo Ancelotti during 2024/2025, but his future at the Bernabeu is far from certain amid Arsenal’s serious interest.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

It’s been reported that the South American is dissatisfied with his role in the squad, as he wants to be used in his preferred role on the left-hand-side rather than on the right, which is where he’s been forced to play due to the presence of Vinícius Jr and Kylian Mbappé (Ben Jacobs).

Sensing an opportunity, sporting director Andrea Berta commenced work to potentially tempt Rodrygo with a north London move, amid the club’s serious pursuit of a new winger who could provide further cutting edge in the final third.

However, since beginning talks, the transfer has hit a snag due to Rodrygo’s salary demands, prompting Berta to look at alternatives like Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.

The Japan international isn’t Berta’s only different option for the wide area, though, with another Real Madrid star under consideration at the Emirates.

Arsenal ask about conditions for Arda Guler deal

That man is Turkish attacking midfielder Arda Guler, who started Real’s last six La Liga games of the season and gradually became a more imperative player for Ancelotti during the latter stages of 24/25.

The 20-year-old bagged five goals and nine assists in 42 total appearances by the end of Ancelotti’s final campaign in charge, with the Italian branding him an “important” player in the squad.

Ancelotti also tipped the versatile forward to have a big future at the Bernabeu, leaving little surprise he’s on Berta’s shortlist of attacking targets for Arsenal.

That is according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who reports for The Boot Room that Arsenal have asked about the conditions of a deal for Guler. Whether they’ve approached Real themselves or the player’s agents isn’t exactly stated, but it is believed Los Blancos won’t sell him under “any circumstances” this summer.

Other forwards attracting Berta’s attention come in the form of Nico Williams, Rafael Leao, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Ademola Lookman, Bryan Mbeumo and Mohammed Kudus, as per TBR, with Arsenal seemingly in hot pursuit of a star new wide player.

Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra scored half-centuries before India’s offspinners took complete charge

Sidharth Monga24-Oct-20241:56

Manjrekar: Small sample but Washington shows promise as Ashwin’s successor

India 16 for 1 (Southee 1-4) trail New Zealand 259 (Conway 76, Ravindra 65, Washington 7-59, Ashwin 3-64) by 243 runsThree days ago, Washington Sundar was not even part of this Test squad, instead scoring a hundred and taking a couple of three-fors against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Brought in the XI ahead of the incumbent spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) and the back-up (Axar Patel) in the squad, he took seven wickets on the first day of a Test to bowl New Zealand out for 259. Five of his victims were bowled, one lbw and one caught as he took out the last seven wickets following three taken by Tamil Nadu team-mate R Ashwin.While this was Washington’s maiden Test five-for and his best figures in first-class cricket, the three wickets took Ashwin past Nathan Lyon’s 530 in 25 fewer Tests. The two could be involved in a showdown later in the year in Australia, but right now India were in a fight to defend their 18-series winning streak at home. Washington proved to be just the ally he needed.R Ashwin didn’t take much time to get among the wickets•BCCI

India called up a second offspinner from outside the squad ostensibly to lengthen their batting without compromising on taking the ball away from left-hand batters, but two left-hand batters in the top order – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra – still scored fifties and threatened to take New Zealand to a big total after winning the toss on a track on which batting last won’t be fun. New Zealand were 138 for 2 when Ashwin got Conway, and 197 for 3 when Washington accounted for Ravindra.As the series moved from Bengaluru to Pune, the clouds, seam and extra bounce all disappeared. There was no concept of good-toss-to-lose here. Nothing is ever easy in Test cricket, but this was one of the easier starts to an innings with the openers racing to 30 in seven overs without any trouble. But Ashwin was introduced early, and it took him just five balls to drift one in and then turn it past the outside edge to trap Tom Latham lbw.There was turn from the good part of the pitch, but not consistent. The partnership between Conway and Will Young looked threatening, but a sharp review demanded by short leg Sarfaraz Khan returned a faint touch of the glove to send Young back. Now Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja kept troubling the batters: in the 11 overs they bowled in tandem, they drew 24 false shots and conceded just 30 runs.Rachin Ravindra got to yet another milestone in his fledgling Test career•BCCI

Post-lunch, when India started with Jasprit Bumrah and Washington, runs came freely: 35 off the eight overs. Ashwin brought control first and then the wicket of Conway. Again the ball turned, but this time it was the drift and dip that put Conway out of position, and the turn made him look like pushing at a ball he didn’t need to play.Ravindra, Player of the Match in Bengaluru, brought New Zealand much-needed solidity because Daryl Mitchell was extremely uncertain at the start of his innings. He survived an lbw on umpire’s call, played risky sweeps of both kinds, and only looked comfortable after 20 balls or so. Ravindra, though, gave the bowlers nothing. Akash Deep got close to getting him with at short midwicket but the hit was too ferocious to catch for a fielder so close. An outside edge after two bouncers managed to beat slip and brought up his fifty.Ten minutes before tea, now in his third spell, Washington began to get it right. The first ball of this spell turned from middle and off to go past Ravindra’s bat and hit the top of off. Things began to happen now as balls went straight on or turned from the same spot. The penultimate ball before tea beat Tom Blundell’s outside edge, and the last one, slower and wider, turned back in through the gate to take top of middle.Tom Blundell was bowled by Washington Sundar on the stroke of tea•BCCI

Post-tea, Washington bowled in all his glory: at the stumps, but getting variable turn from the pitch. An inspired review accounted for Mitchell in a rare dismissal: offspinner getting an lbw from over the wicket when the batter is forward. As it turned out, this had turned just the right amount to both be hitting him in line and taking the leg stump.Tied down, frequently going back to full balls, Glenn Phillips ended his struggle of 9 off 31 with a chip straight to deep mid-off. Had you seen just the shot and not the field, you wouldn’t have been wrong to assume the mid-off was up tight and he was just looking to clear him.Mitchell Santner hit two sixes in his fighting 33, but Washington kept hitting the stumps at the other end. To Tim Southee he went wide on the crease from around the wicket. The angle beat the outside edge and hit top of off. Ajaz Patel was caught back to a full ball, and played on. To bookend his work, Washington produced another beauty to account for the set batter, Santner: one that pitched on middle and off and took the top of off.The accuracy and variations of pace and seam position, with a little help from the pitch, proved to be too good for New Zealand.With just 10-odd overs to bat to stumps, India shelved some of their ultra-aggressive approach from their last two Tests. Still, Southee swung and seamed one past Rohit Sharma’s watchful bat to take top of off. A small bit of joy for New Zealand at the end of a tough session.

As the Royal London Cup comes to Gosforth, it is a reminder of the strength of the club scene in England’s north east

Paul Edwards29-Apr-2019″I tell you what, there’s still a lot of passion for cricket in the north east,” says Steve Chapman. “We have three Saturday teams, an Academy team on Sundays, a midweek/senior team, a women’s team, an Under-14s girls team, two Under -15s teams, three Under-13s, three Under-11s, Under-9s softball and we’re starting a women’s softball team this year.”Chapman is the director of coaching at South Northumberland CC and Durham’s batting coach. He knows whereof he speaks. And another manifestation of commitment will be seen on Tuesday when South North hosts Durham’s Royal London Cup match against Lancashire. The ground can be found at the end of Roseworth Terrace and the two ends are named Grove and Park. This is no exercise in pastoral irony. The club’s home is in Gosforth, one of Newcastle’s more prosperous and most blossomed suburbs. Until he was made Durham’s director of cricket last year Marcus North was chief-executive at South North, whose first-teams have won five national competitions since 2006. The club has a powerful claim to be the strongest in the country.But the immediate validity of that claim will be tested in less than a fortnight when South North meet one of their great rivals, Chester-le-Street, in the next round of the Royal London Club Championship. The Durham club’s Ropery Lane home is a few hundred yards from the Riverside and its players are also well used to September’s great stages, when trophies beyond the ambition of most recreational cricketers are handed out.

There is a legacy of the mining villages each having a football team and a cricket team and largely those clubs are still the focus of the communityJohn Windows, Durham academy manager

Yet when debates take place about the strongest club cricket in England how many people mention the north east of England? And how many of those are aware that while South North and Chester may currently be at the apex of the pyramid, there are a host of other clubs, some relatively small, who sustain the game in an area usually associated with the mania of its football supporters?”It’s a strong community,” says John Windows, the manager of Durham’s academy and a former Northumberland player. “There is a legacy of the mining villages each having a football team and a cricket team and largely those clubs are still the focus of the community. The pits have gone, the banks have closed but the clubs are still there and I think cricket in the north east is based in them. There are a lot of small clubs that give more opportunities to youngsters than might be the case elsewhere in the country. Durham’s been fortunate to reap the rewards of that talent and that system.”England, too, of course. Both Steve Harmison and Mark Wood learned their cricket at Ashington while a young Paul Collingwood quickly established his second home at Shotley Bridge. “I think it’s the biggest factor,” he said when asked by Stuart Rayner to identify what part league cricket played in the success of Durham’s academy. “My life was at Shotley Bridge…literally seven days a week. I’d come home from school, put down my bags and walk to Shotley, whether to help my dad on the roller, or to get into the nets.”Paul Collingwood grew up playing at Shotley Bridge CC•Getty ImagesRayner’s fine recent book painstakingly chronicles the building and rebuilding of Durham following their “rescue” by the ECB in 2016, It is littered with mentions of local clubs in the north east where Durham’s many home-grown cricketers learned their skills. However, this is not to say there is no distinction between Northumberland and Durham. Such carelessness could endanger one’s health in an area renowned for its deep allegiances. After all, Northumberland remains, in cricketing terms, a minor, although soon to be “national”, county as part of an ECB revamp, and when presented with a choice between representing their club in a national competition or their county, most players choose the former.”Wearing my Northumberland hat, I think we would have the right to say that if you decline to play for the minor county, you aren’t allowed to play for your club side,” says Gordon Halliday, who manages to combine being secretary of South North with chairmanship of Northumberland. “But in practice we’ve never enforced that. We encourage clubs to release their players and some are better at it than others. In two weeks’ time South North are playing Chester-le-Street, and I would expect that two lads won’t be available for Northumberland’s game against Cheshire. We do have some clubs whose main priority is to win national competitions.”It is not difficult to recognise South Northumberland as one the relatively limited number of sides in England who enter national competitions with a realistic chance of winning them. Roseworth Terrace boasts a five-lane indoor school which would be the envy of some counties. Chapman attests that over 30 clubs use the facility each winter and points out that the site effectively houses two businesses: the cricket club and the cricket centre. And he is quick to deny any suggestion that any players disrespect minor counties cricket.”South North, like every Northumberland club, is proud of the minor county and we try to support them as much as possible,” he said. “We are unique in the facilities we can offer and we extend the county as much respect and courtesy as we can. We look up to the county rather than look down on it.”Roseworth Terrace hosting an England U19s game•Getty ImagesPerhaps it is also fair to say that some clubs in the north east also look up to South North. Chapman, who was born in Crook, County Durham, identifies it as the establishment club, although its status has been earned by excellence rather than privilege. “We have four or five lads in our first team that would walk into North East Premier League first teams but they like to play at South North, they like what the club’s about,” he says. “It’s a bit old school because people think I’ll play in the second team and if I’m good enough for the first team, I’ll get picked for it.”Of course, it might be argued that old school is out of fashion and that changing leisure habits mean it’s less easy for captains of, say, third teams to put out competitive sides. The north east is not immune from those pressures but one is still impressed by the vibrancy of the club game in this area. And it is not absurd to think that when Roseworth Terrace welcomes Lancashire’s cricketers, the game will, in its way, symbolise the strength of cricket in a region paid too little attention by national media.That strength has a rich heritage; Halliday does not need too much prompting to talk of the era when Courtney Walsh and Ian Bishop played for Tynedale. But the introduction of Premier Leagues has helped clubs in the north east to compete with the best that London, Yorkshire and the rest can put out. And if you want to be reassured that Durham will complete its recovery from the great duffing-up of 2016, you might do worse than visit Ashington, Hetton Lyons, Shotley Bridge. Or there is Gateshead Fell, Sacriston, Blaydon, Benwell Hill, Percy Main, Boldon. The collieries once associated with one or two of these places are gone but the cricket clubs remain. Their survival is a cause for celebration as we greet another glad season.