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Super-sized Warney
It used to be that England’s batsmen saw Shane Warne in their sleep, and he continues to stalk Kevin Pietersen in retirement. Pietersen was facing up to Doug Bollinger when he looked at the sightscreen and saw a huge sponsorship picture of Warne with a chicken burger. The backdrop hadn’t been turned white in time and Pietersen pulled away just as Bollinger was in his delivery stride. Bollinger let the ball go slowly and Pietersen picked it up with his bat, patting the bowler on the back while pointing out one of the ground’s old burghers.Mine, yours … oops
The final embarrassment of Australia’s fielding came when Matt Prior top-edged a sweep off Xavier Doherty and it went towards Marcus North at deep square leg. Adelaide has small square boundaries so the ball was also close to Ricky Ponting at midwicket. Both men ran towards the catch but just as they were nearing the take they spotted each other and stopped. As they looked at each other the ball plopped in between them. It was North’s catch but he deferred to his captain, and the two were still discussing the miss as they walked off the field after the declaration.Doherty’s pyrrhic victory
Though no-one has quite admitted it in as many words, Doherty’s selection was almost entirely influenced by Pietersen’s woeful recent record against left-arm spin. And what do you know, in the fourth over of the fourth day, X only went and got his man, as Pietersen aimed a wild swipe across the line and toe-ended a simple chance to slip. Unfortunately, by that stage, KP had already larruped him through midwicket to go to his highest Test score of 227, and having scored 10 fours and a six from the 60 balls he received from Doherty, there was only one winner in that particular battle of wits.Bells on his toes
Ian Bell was England’s most fluent batsman on the opening day of the series at Brisbane, where his unrecognisably confident 76 was like a dose of Xanax for a previously jittery dressing-room. He’s had to wait for more than 1000 runs to get another chance in the middle, but when it arose, his fluency was once again something to behold. He went dancing out of his crease to spin and seam alike, and eased eight fours and a six in his unbeaten 68, including a sweetly timed loft down the ground that was as effortless as Pietersen’s earlier assaults had been violent. On the evidence of the series so far, he’s not going to get a whole lot of opportunities to bat. But neither is he in a mood to miss out when they come.

Aston Villa have presented a ‘very interesting’ offer for Tottenham target Franck Kessie, according to Calciomercato.

The Lowdown: Kessie profiled

The midfielder currently plies his trade with AC Milan but is out of contract at the San Siro at the end of June.

The 25-year-old can play in a variety of midfield roles and is currently valued at £43.2m by Transfermarkt.

The Ivorian has made 26 appearances this season and has been presented with a pre-contract offer by Tottenham, but it seems as if Villa have now joined the race for his signature.

The Latest: Villa interest in Kessie

Calciomercato shared an update regarding Kessie on Monday evening. They name-checked Barcelona as being in pole position for the 25-year-old, before adding that Villa have presented a ‘very interesting’ argument regarding a move to the Midlands.

The Ivorian has taken a few days to decide his next move, with the report ending by saying that ‘we are close to the finish line’.

The Verdict: Revenge on Spurs?

Spurs pipped Villa to the signing of Rodrigo Bentancur in January, so it seems as if Johan Lange and co want to turn the tables in the summer when it comes to Kessie.

Steven Gerrard failed to bolster his midfield ranks following bids for Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, so you’d expect that a new midfielder is high on his wish list at the end of the season.

The Villa manager has the perfect chance to get a head start on his summer business with a pre-contract agreement for Kessie, who has been called ‘extraordinary’ by ESPN pundit Nicky Bandini, so this could be one to keep a close eye on over the coming days.

In other news: Journalist now drops key transfer claim regarding ‘phenomenal’ Villa star. 

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their interest in Brighton attacker Leandro Trossard…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are now interested in a deal to sign the Belgian winger as they have added him to their list of potential targets.

The report claims that the Toon are eyeing a move for the £15.3m-rated gem as they look to bolster their squad heading into the 2022/23 campaign. He is out of contract in the summer of 2023 and it remains to be seen whether or not Brighton will be able to pin him down to a new deal.

Howe will love it

Eddie Howe will surely love this prospective swoop from the Tyneside club, as Trossard is a proven Premier League performer who can come in and add to the Magpies’ options out wide.

Toon legend Alan Shearer once dubbed him “outstanding” and it is easy to see why when you look at the 27-year-old’s statistics in the top flight. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 this term, after a score of 7.03 last season, and has produced 10 goals and six assists since the start of 2020/21.

This shows that Trossard is delivering consistently impressive displays whilst chipping in with goals and assists from out wide. He has proven that he can perform in the Premier League, as shown by these statistics, and that is why Howe would surely love to have him at St James’ Park.

Instead of bringing in a player without experience in the English top flight, whether they come from the lower leagues or abroad, Newcastle can sign a player that they know can deliver. Whilst it is impossible to guarantee that he will be a good player for the Toon, the statistics suggest that he has a very high chance of being a strong addition to the squad.

It could also be a fantastic move by the club from a financial point of view. If Brighton are unable to tie down Trossard to a new deal, PIF could strike a bargain for the Belgian as they could tempt the Seagulls into selling for a cut-price fee.

Albion will lose him for nothing next year if he does not put pen to paper on an extension, and the Magpies can use that as leverage to secure a great piece of business.

It is now down to PIF to make sure that they are able to convince Brighton to part ways with the Belgian ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, as Howe will be buzzing if he is able to work with the 27-year-old next term.

AND in other news, NUFC now eye swoop for “breathtaking” £36m-rated phenomenon, he could be Ginola 2.0…

ScorecardDisciplined bowling followed by a strong batting performance enabled Gujarat Cricket Association XI to defeat Baroda Cricket Association XI by six wickets in the Nairobi tri-series final.Electing to field first, Gujarat’s bowlers led by Salil Yadav and Siddharth Trivedi struck regularly to leave Baroda struggling at 133 for 6, including the wicket of Yusuf Pathan for 31. It was only due to a 67-run seventh-wicket stand between Jyot Chhaya and Arvind Chauhan that Baroda recovered to 235 for 9. Chhaya top-scored with 45 off 61 deliveries, including three boundaries and a six. Yadav took 4 for 39 while Trivedi took 2 for 31.Gujarat began their chase on a poor note as both their openers were run out for single-digit scores. Captain Niraj Patel and Pratharesh Parmar then combined in an 88-run stand for the third wicket. Parmar was more aggressive, taking only 83 balls for his 78. However, two quick wickets brought Baroda back into the game, with Gujarat still needing 94 runs at that stage. However, Patel and Bhargav Merai ensured there were no further hiccups for Gujarat as they shared an unbroken 94-run stand for the fifth wicket. Merai was unbeaten on 58 off 65 deliveries while Patel played a patient knock of 80 off 110, as Gujarat were comfortable winners after losing to Baroda twice in the league stage.

Hampshire have refused to include Kevin Pietersen for their Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Kent on Sunday

Andrew McGlashan20-Jul-2010Hampshire have refused to include Kevin Pietersen for their Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Kent on Sunday despite a request from Andy Flower, the England coach, to allow him some cricket before the Test series against Pakistan.Last month Pietersen announced he would be leaving the county to move closer to his home in London. Now Hampshire have responded by opting to stick with their young players rather than risk breaking up a team purely for the sake of Pietersen’s match practice. It also means should Hampshire make Twenty20 finals day, which is being held at the Rose Bowl, that Pietersen won’t play even if freed from national duty for the showpiece occasion.Although the club insist Flower is comfortable with the decision – and it is debatable how much value a one-off 40-over hit would have been for Pietersen – it is a rare example of a county going against the ECB’s wishes. It leaves Pietersen, who has been low on form this season, as the only England player not to have any cricket before the first Test against Pakistan, at Trent Bridge, on July 29.”I would like to express my thanks to Andy Flower for agreeing to this sensible decision and wish him, Kevin and the rest of the England team the very best for their forthcoming internationals,” said Rod Bransgrove, the Hampshire chairman.”We have some excellent England aspirants here at Hampshire, including batsmen Michael Carberry, Jimmy Adams, Michael Lumb, Liam Dawson and James Vince. Whilst at different stages of their development, each of them have provided recent evidence of their ability to progress to represent England. It is our wish and responsibility to give them every possible opportunity to fulfil that potential.”Pietersen suffered a thigh strain during the final one-dayer against Australia but would have been rested anyway under England’s rotation policy. However, it means he won’t have batted in the middle for nearly a month when he faces a strong Pakistan attack including Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer at Trent Bridge.His form this season, since returning from the World Twenty20 where was Man of the Tournament, has been disappointing with poor returns against Bangladesh and Australia. However, the England captain Andrew Strauss, speaking before the Hampshire decision was made, remained confident Pietersen would return to his best.”Kevin has just turned 30 but he has got a lot of cricket left in him,” he said. “He has had a tough time, there is no doubt about that. He has not scored as many runs as he has done in the past. But he is a high-quality cricketer and he will come back and play match-winning innings for us.”There was a precedence for Hampshire’s move after Ian Bell was left out of a Friends Provident Trophy semi-final in 2007, ironically against Hampshire in a match where Pietersen did appear.

أكد محمد مجدي أفشة لاعب الأهلي أن فريقه سيبذل كل ما في وسعه للفوز بلقب كأس السوبر المصري في المباراة التي ستقام غدًا أمام الزمالك في الإمارات.

ويحتضن ملعب هزاع بن زايد بدور الإمارات مباراة السوبر المصري التي ستجمع بين قطبي كرة القدم المصرية.

طالع أيضًا | حكم سابق: الصداقة سبب اختيار فابيو لمباراة السوبر.. والجبلاية لا تدعم كلاتنبرج

وقال محمد مجدي أفشة في تصريحاته عبر مقابلة على قناة “أبوظبي”: “نادي الزمالك كبير ولديه فريق جيد ولاعبين على أعلى مستوى وحققوا في الموسم الماضي أشياء كثيرة جيدة، لكنا بدأنا هذا الموسم بمستوى جيد ومركزين جدًا في بطولة السوبر لأننا يجب أن نفوز بها”.

واختتم لاعب الأهلي: “لا أحب أن أعد بشيء لكن نحن نفعل ما علينا ونتعب وفي الأول والآخر بالتأكيد كل شيء قد كتبه الله، لكن نحن سنبذل كل ما في وسعنا ونقدم كل ما لدينا لأننا يجب أن نحقق السوبر”.

The January transfer window is in full swing and Newcastle have been busy as they get to work on improving Eddie Howe’s squad.

Kieran Trippier has already been brought in from Atletico Madrid and Burnley forward Chris Wood is also reportedly on the verge of arriving at St. James’ Park.

However, there could be more incomings at Tyneside before the end of the month as there are still positions in the team where signings could be mae.

Save the season

One player Howe could sign to potentially save the club’s season is central defender Sven Botman, as he would arrive in an area where the side needs strengthening the most.

The Athletic recently reported that the Ligue 1 side are desperate to keep him until the end of the season, stating that Newcastle’s chances of signing him are ‘all but over’. Whilst it is hardly promising for the Magpies, it also does not 100% rule out a move in the current window.

This leaves the club with a bit of wriggle room to work in and they could piece together an attractive enough offer to change Lille’s mind. It was previously reported that they would not sell Botman under any conditions unless they received £45m or more for his services and this could be the magic number for Nick Hammond to hit.

£45m would be a club-record transfer for the club and it could be worth it as the Dutchman could solve a major issue for the Magpies.

Howe’s side holds the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 20th-placed Norwich the only team worse off than them. They have conceded a whopping 42 goals in 19 matches, letting in 2.2 goals per game and keeping just one clean sheet all season.

AC Milan and Italy legend Paolo Maldini once dubbed Botman a “great player” and his statistics for Lille in Ligue 1 back that comment up. Last season, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.08 as he helped them win the league title whilst keeping an incredible 20 clean sheets.

This shows that he can perform consistently to a high level whilst functioning as part of a solid defence, which is exactly what Newcastle have been missing so far this season.

Therefore, he could come in and provide a major upgrade to the backline and possibly save the club’s campaign by adding a defensive toughness that was absent before, helping them to keep more clean sheets and win more points.

Howe must now ensure that he can get a record-breaking deal over the line for him before the window slams shut.

AND in other news, “Still trying”: Keith Downie issues five-word NUFC claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Wolves winger Adama Traore is likely to seal an exit from Molineux in the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Traore set to join Spurs

The 25-year-old’s Wanderers career looks set to have reached its conclusion, with various reports in recent days claiming that a move to Spurs is on the cards.

Antonio Conte sees Traore as a strong option to bring in and add quality to his squad, while Bruno Lage seems relatively content to allow the winger to leave.

The January window is not too far away from closing, though, so both clubs will need to act fast.

The Latest: Spiers expects move to happen

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Spiers was in little doubt that a move would still happen, delivering a telling six-word verdict.

When asked by a Wolves fan for an update on Traore’s future, the journalist replied: “Still talking, still likely to go.”

The Verdict: Get it sorted

In the interest of Wolves, Spurs and Traore himself, it is important that the deal is sorted as soon as possible now, with deadline day approaching next Monday.

Wanderers will need a little time to potentially sign a replacement for the Spaniard, or else Lage could risk having a lack of attacking options between now and the end of the season.

Granted, Pedro Neto will be back soon after a long-term injury absence but he can’t be expected to hit the ground running immediately after being sidelined for so long, so the Old Gold may need to strengthen their wide attacking ranks in the next six days while they still can.

In other news, Wolves have suffered a potential blow in their quest to sign one player. Find out who it is here.

Jack Harrison netted his first-ever hat-trick to hand Leeds United an impressive win over West Ham United on Sunday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side avenged last weekend’s FA Cup heartbreak by clinching all three points at the London Stadium, moving them nine points clear of the relegation zone.

The Argentine was without several players due to injury once again and named a bench that contained only one first-team star and even despite picking up further problems to Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo, the Yorkshire giants sealed the victory.

A fierce strike to open the scoring, a delightful dink and the all-important match-winner from the former Manchester City dynamo was enough to steer Leeds to glory.

However, there was an unsung hero amongst the starting XI – Pascal Struijk.

The Dutch colossus returned from injury, slotted straight back in and centre-back and looked like an absolute Rolls-Royce once again.

As per SofaScore, he led the visiting side for touches (71), proving to be a key cog in starting most of their attacks and in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, it was Struijk who stepped up with those long diagonal balls that set the likes of Harrison and Raphinha racing through.

Indeed, he made five accurate long balls from his 43 total passes.

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Elsewhere, the 22-year-old was an absolute brick wall at the back, registering a team-high five tackles, three clearances, two blocks and one interception. He also won 100% of his ground duels up against a tricky talisman in Michail Antonio, which is mighty impressive.

LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross was equally excited by Struijk’s display, also reinforcing the way in which he kept the Jamaican international quiet.

‘Excellent on his return to the side. Looked so solid and anticipated danger very well all afternoon. Kept Michail Antonio largely pocketed for the full 90 minutes,’ he wrote in his post-game column.

It’s no wonder the £18m-rated defender has been lauded as a “beast” by other reporters in the past. He looked like he had never been out of the side down in east London and deserves just as many plaudits as the goalscoring hero.

Struijk arguably stole the show against the Hammers, at the very least, he’s was an underrated and influential reason behind their stunning victory.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops positive Raphinha contract update…

A round-up of the fifth day’s games of the HRV Cup, New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 competition

Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2010

Auckland kept their cool to secure their first Twenty20 victory of the season, a two-run win over Wellington at the Basin Reserve. Chasing 170, Wellington slid to 7 for 3 after the second over, but James Franklin’s 48-ball 72, studded with five sixes, revived them. With Chris Nevin smashing a 24-ball 41, Wellington were actually in control going into the final three overs, needing 17 runs with both Nevin and Franklin at the crease. However, Daryl Tuffey removed Nevin and Michael Bates struck twice in two deliveries of the penultimate over to dent Wellington. The home side could have still won, needing six off the final five balls, but the last wicket pair couldn’t pull it off. Earlier, after being sent in, Auckland relied on half-centuries from opener Lou Vincent and Anaru Kitchen to post a tall total.It was a far easier outing for table-topping Central Districts, who coasted to a 19-run victory over Northern Districts at Pukekura Park. Ross Taylor blasted four fours and four sixes in his 53 to power CD to 184, with Daniel Vettori being carted for 53 runs in his four overs. Even though big-hitting allrounders Jacob Oram and Graham Napier barely contributed with the bat, they made amends while bowling; Napier got the big wicket of Vettori early and followed it up by dismissing Daniel Flynn, while Oram prised out Brian Watling to leave ND at 23 for 3. James Marshall’s half-century started a recovery but George Worker got two-in-two in his only over, the 12th, to dash ND’s hopes.It was the team batting first that won in Christchurch as well, where defending champions Otago crushed Canterbury by 43 runs. After choosing to bat, Otago’s top four each made at least 20, with Neil Broom’s 37-ball 58 being the top score. There was drama in the final over of Otago’s batting, when Ryan Burson took three wickets in four balls and gave away only two runs to leave Canterbury needing 160 to win. Canterbury’s chances were nearly extinguished by the end of the seventh over following a middle-order collapse in which three wickets went down in seven deliveries. From 45 for 5, it was mostly a question of reducing the margin of defeat.