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England seamer impresses on comeback after Dane Paterson, James Pattinson share all 10

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2022Nottinghamshire 240 and 284 for 7 (Hameed 94, James 56, Robinson 3-55) lead Sussex 143 (Paterson 5-43, Pattinson 5-56) by 381 runsEngland’s Ollie Robinson increased his wickets haul to seven in the match but Nottinghamshire were in full control at the halfway stage of their LV= Insurance County Championship match against Sussex.Robinson proved deadly with the new ball for the second time, reducing the Division Two leaders to 40 for 3 in their second innings. But after Haseeb Hameed made 94 and Lyndon James 56, Nottinghamshire finished on 284 for 7, with a lead of 381.Earlier, Nottinghamshire pace bowlers James Pattinson and Dane Paterson finished with five wickets each as Sussex, who sit next to bottom of the table, were bowled out for 143 in reply to Nottinghamshire’s first innings 240.To add to their woes, any points take from this match – they have three thus far – may be lost, as they stand at minus six on their over-rate.Nottinghamshire needed just under an hour first thing to take the final five Sussex wickets, the key breakthrough coming in the sixth over when Paterson trapped Cheteshwar Pujara with an inswinging ball that was too good even for a player of the Indian Test star’s calibre.His wicket, ending a partnership worth 71, more than compensated the South African bowler for a chance missed earlier when Archie Lenham, the 18-year-old son of Neil Lenham and grandson of Les, who had battled courageously alongside Pujara in the face of a high class attack, was put down at second slip.With Pujara gone, Paterson and Pattinson ripped through the remainder so quickly that all five wickets fell for 23 runs in the space of 34 deliveries.Pattinson removed Lenham for a gutsy 31, the youngster looking disappointed to be given out leg before after the ball rolled away to third slip. Robinson was strangled down the leg side, prompting Luke Fletcher to appear alongside Pattinson to congratulate him on his first five-wicket haul of the season.Not to be outdone, Paterson knocked out Sean Hunt’s off stump before having Ari Karvelas plainly leg-before to finish with 5 for 43, Pattinson having taken 5 for 56.As on day one of a breathtakingly fast-moving contest, Robinson came up with a superb opening spell as Sussex, trailing by 97 on first innings, made early inroads.Again, his fourth and fifth overs were productive as Ben Slater, Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke departed in the space of six deliveries, the last-named pair without scoring.Slater went after a short ball with little chance of controlling the shot and was caught at fine leg. Duckett was caught behind off an inside edge before Clarke, offering no shot, was lbw to a ball that kept low.If they had winkelled out Hameed at that point, Sussex might have felt they were back in the contest but the sometime England opener, closing on 1,000 first-class runs in a season for the first time since his sensational breakthrough year at Lancashire in 2016, looked in splendid touch.A superbly timed straight drive for four in Robinson’s opening over was evidence of that and by the time he pulled Brad Currie to the fence for his ninth boundary he had 50 from 71 balls. Having seen the back of Robinson for a while, he and James added 138 in 33 overs.Hameed missed out on a hundred when a ball from Hunt, the 20-year-old left-armer, nipped away to have him caught behind. In his best spell of the match, Hunt also dismissed James, lbw trying to work him to leg.Currie removed Tom Moores shortly after tea with another delivery that found the edge and Steven Mullaney, whose 70 was the key innings in Nottinghamshire’s first innings, added another 42 before he was leg before sweeping another 18-year-old, the left-arm spinner.Pattinson and Liam Patterson-White added 34 before bad light brought the close forward by two overs.

Sat 14th and forced to admit that the reality of a relegation battle is no longer a world away, Ruben Amorim is reportedly demanding that Sir Jim Ratcliffe welcomes a reinforcement worth £80m for Manchester United this month.

Man Utd transfer news

Creating history that no one wants to be remembered for by losing five of his first eight league games in charge of Manchester United, the difficulty of the task at hand has never been more apparent for Amorim at Old Trafford. A third consecutive Premier League defeat looked inevitable from minute one against Newcastle United last time out, as does the departure of Marcus Rashford, who was back on the Manchester United bench but unused against the Magpies.

Just seven points clear of the dropzone following Ipswich Town’s victory over Chelsea last time out, Manchester United’s trip to Anfield this weekend couldn’t have been poorer timed as they look to avoid dropping closer and closer to disastrous circumstances.

In such a position, those at Old Trafford must find a way to welcome reinforcements even if they’ve previously seemed reluctant to do so this month, with Amorim desperate for fresh faces.

Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd "open" to letting £200k-p/w ace leave in January

Ruben Amorim has made up his mind on one of United’s top earners.

ByDominic Lund Jan 1, 2025

So much so that, according to The Daily Star, Amorim is now demanding Ratcliffe to sign Viktor Gyokeres this month, telling the Manchester United co-owner that he cannot wait for the summer transfer window and he needs a reunion with the Sporting Club star now.

It’s not always as simple as that, however. Gyokeres’ hefty £80m release clause means that, no matter how much Amorim demands his signature, the Swede may well be out of reach for Manchester United right now.

Likely left stranded with a striker who fans ironically cheered off the pitch in the first-half against Newcastle United – Joshua Zirkzee – and Rasmus Hojlund, who is yet to show more than glimpses of his potential, Amorim must simply survive the season.

Man Utd must back Amorim with "Rolls-Royce" Gyokeres

With the fear of a relegation battle growing more and more of a reality, United may be left with no choice but to spend their way out of trouble. It’s clear that the squad Amorim inherited is far from one built for success in his 3-4-2-1 system, but the Red Devils knew what their new manager required when they hired him and must now back their man in the transfer market.

Dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Zach Lowy, Gyokeres would drag Manchester United out of the embarrassment of a relegation battle and onwards at least, but INEOS must first reach his valuation.

A player who starred under Amorim at Sporting, scoring a hat-trick against Manchester City in a Champions League thrashing of the Citizens and hitting 27 goals in 27 games this season, Gyokeres is a must-buy for United in 2025. Whether Ratcliffe will listen to Amorim’s demands remains to be seen, however.

Ollie Pope cashes in on extra life to build spirited England response after early wobble

Valkerie Baynes11-Jun-2022Stumps Daryl Mitchell’s prize innings put New Zealand in a commanding position at stumps on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, despite a couple of late blemishes proving he’s only human and that England must take whatever chances they get.Led by Mitchell’s 190, New Zealand posted a first-innings total of 553, their highest score on English soil, after he and fellow centurion Tom Blundell put on a 236-run stand, their country’s highest-ever fifth-wicket partnership.England wobbled, losing Zak Crawley in the second over of their response, but then Ollie Pope showed intent with an unbeaten half-century as he made use of an excellent batting pitch – and some good fortune.Mitchell, dropped on 3 and 104 amid a rash of fielding errors by England, soured a memorable day somewhat when he put down a simple chance at first slip off Tim Southee when Alex Lees was on 12. England were already one down after Trent Boult had Crawley caught behind for just 4 with an excellent cross-seam delivery.Pope pressed the accelerator after facing 45 balls for his first 11 runs, racing to 37 from 56 as he twice pulled Matt Henry for six, the second instance prompting a ball change. Pope should have been gone shortly afterwards but Mitchell spilled another slips catch off Boult which raced away to the rope at third man.Pope set about making New Zealand pay as he moved to fifty with two fours in three Kyle Jamieson deliveries, driven with aplomb through the covers and cut through backward point. Lees, meanwhile, got in on the boundary action too, with five fours on his way to 34 not out at the close.It wasn’t until well into an extended evening session after rain had forced an early tea break that England finally broke the tourists’ stride after they had marched on from Blundell’s dismissal for 106.His exit brought debutant Michael Bracewell to the crease and he played impressively during a 91-run partnership with Mitchell before falling one run shy of his fifty.It was James Anderson who struck first after tea, drawing an outside edge from Bracewell and Joe Root held on firmly at slip, still clenching the ball tightly in his right fist as he animatedly gestured that it was staying put this time after contributing two of England’s five costly missed chances for the New Zealand innings.Joe Root reacts after taking a catch to dismiss Michael Bracewell•AFP via Getty ImagesSo began a run of dismissals in which New Zealand lost four wickets for 24 runs in the space of 3.4 overs and, all told, their last five wickets for 57 runs. Stuart Broad claimed two in an over when he had Jamieson caught behind gloving a short ball then removed Tim Southee with another short ball which bobbed up off the splice and sailed to Root at gully.Jack Leach chimed in when he had Matt Henry out slashing to Crawley in the covers, but then Boult added 33 runs with Mitchell, during which time Boult drew level with Muthiah Muralidaran for the most career Test runs scored at No. 11 with 623. Boult remained unbeaten with 16 from 18 balls when Mitchell finally perished for 190 reaching for a slow, wide ball from Matthew Potts and edging to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.Earlier, Mitchell had backed up his century in last week’s first Test at Lord’s by reaching his second consecutive ton in the morning session after resuming on 81.He stared in slack-jawed astonishment when another fielding error saw him survive – then cash in – shortly after posting his ton. On 104, Mitchell lofted Leach down the ground and Potts, running round to his left from long-on made the distance comfortably but somehow managed only to get a fingernail to the ball before it bounced onto his knee and over the rope for four.Potts bowled the next over, only to concede back-to-back fours to Mitchell, the first bringing up the 200-partnership that had narrowly eluded him and Blundell at Lord’s, via an outside edge behind point and the second a crunching drive through mid-off.Having moved to 90, Blundell paused for treatment after copping a heavy blow to his finger whilst facing Potts. After that, however, he made fast work of reaching his hundred with two fours from three Leach deliveries, the latter as he advanced down the pitch and pummelled the ball back over the bowler’s head for one bounce over the rope, and then a scrambled single off the last ball of the over.Blundell, who managed 96 in a 195-run stand with Mitchell at Lord’s, fell when he took Leach on once more and chipped to Ben Stokes at mid-off.Mitchell carted Leach for 17 runs in the second over after lunch, striking fours through cover and long-on and six down the ground. He launched another six over wide long-on in Leach’s next over and by the end of New Zealand’s innings they had plundered 84 boundaries. That included four sixes in all to Mitchell and nine fours to Bracewell, who impressed on his first Test outing.

América's coach says potential move to the Brazil national team unlikely, but that 'hopefully, one day I can be worthy'

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América defeated Tigres 3-0 on Matchday 13

Las Águilas secured their spot in the Clausura 2025 final phase

André Jardine reached 100 matches with the club

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The dismissal of Dorival Junior as Brazil's head coach has brought names such as Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, and even América’s André Jardine into the conversation as a potential replacement.

Jardine is enjoying an exceptional moment, leading América to the top of the Clausura 2025 with 30 points. Las Águilas have already secured their spot in the tournament’s final phase, where they will aim for their fourth consecutive Liga MX title.

But is Jardine’s move to the Brazil national team even a possibility? Here’s what the coach had to say about the rumors linking him as Dorival Junior’s replacement:

"Obviously, I did a job in Brazil with the Olympic gold, and that is valued in Brazil," he said. "But, to be completely honest, Brazil is looking for top-tier coaches – [Carlo} Ancelotti, [Pep] Guardiola. I’m a step below that level. Hopefully, one day I can be worthy of that seat, which is a hot and heavy one.

"Brazil is thinking about a world-class coach. Right now, things are heated, but I’m happy. I enjoy the moment, every match, every day, and the achievement of every tournament."

AdvertisementAFPWHAT ANDRÉ JARDINE SAID

"First of all, I want to say that I appreciate the great value the Mexican press gives me today. I’m very happy with how I’ve been embraced here – it fills me with pride. I’ve felt welcomed in this country since day one in San Luis, loved by the fans. My son is Mexican, and I feel happy and fulfilled in this league. This is an important point – earning the respect of everyone, from the press and fans to rival coaches."

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

André Jardine has reached 100 matches as América's head coach, an impressive milestone in his tenure with the club. Since his arrival in mid-2023, the Brazilian manager has led Las Águilas to a historic period of dominance, securing three Liga MX titles in a row and positioning the team as a powerhouse in Mexican football.

Jardine's Record with América (first 100 Matches):

Wins: 66

Draws: 21

Losses: 13

Goals Scored: 191

Goals Conceded: 78

Titles Won: 3 (Liga MX Apertura 2023, Clausura 2024, Apertura 2024)

Under his leadership, América has established itself as the strongest team in Liga MX, currently leading the Clausura 2025 with 30 points. Jardine has also emphasized squad depth, rotation, and tactical flexibility, ensuring the team's consistency despite injuries and fixture congestion.

Jardine and his team remain focused on their primary objectives: securing a fourth consecutive Liga MX title and winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the only major club trophy missing from his tenure.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AMÉRICA?

After their 3-0 victory over Tigres on Matchday 13 of the Clausura 2025, América return to training to prepare for the first leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinals against Cruz Azul Tuesday at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes.

Following that match, Jardine’s squad will train on before traveling to Pachuca, where they will face Tuzos on Saturday for Matchday 14.

Adani’s foray into the league makes them the fifth franchise owner in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2022Adani Group, an Ahmedabad-based Indian infrastructure biggie, has bagged the rights to one of the six franchises in the newly-launched UAE T20 League.Adani’s foray into the league, through their subsidiary Adani Sportsline, makes them the fifth franchise owner in the tournament. The other four firms that have already brought franchise rights comprise: Capri Global, a non-banking financial company based in India, Lancer Capital, the owners of Manchester United Football Club, Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Mumbai Indians and GMR Group, co-owners of Delhi Capitals.”We are excited to be part of the UAE T20 league,” Pranav Adani, the managing director of Adani Enterprises Limited, said. “The UAE is an amazing amalgamation of several cricket loving nations. It provides an excellent platform for enhancing the visibility of cricket as the sport goes increasingly global.”The Adani Group had last year put their hat in the ring to buy the Ahmedabad and Lucknow franchises in the IPL, bidding INR 5100 crores, though they were eventually outbid by corporate giants RP Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) and CVC Capital Partners (Irelia Company Pte Ltd).”We are extremely pleased to have one of Asia’s leading corporates as our franchise team owner,” Mubashshir Usmani, the general secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), said. “This is a resounding thumbs up to the unique opportunity that the UAE T20 league offers to experienced and established business owners. We are confident that this association will be mutually beneficial for both the Adani Group and the League. UAE’s T20 League will attract some of the biggest names in world cricket while also giving a platform and international exposure to local and upcoming players.”The six-team league, comprising 34 matches, was originally meant to be played in the February-March bracket, but the ECB remains confident it will host the inaugural edition of the league in 2022.ESPNcricinfo understands that one probable window would be in June, immediately after the IPL which is scheduled to end on May 29.

Liverpool are now ready to make an offer in the region of £54m for an “unbelievable” striker, according to a report.

Liverpool stall at the top of the table

The Reds are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, but following the 2-2 draw against Fulham at Anfield, Arne Slot may feel he needs to strengthen his squad in January to ensure his side have the best possible chance of winning the title.

Andy Robertson has not been at his best this season, and Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele has revealed that Slot is looking at the likes of AFC Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri to provide competition at left-back.

With Mohamed Salah still yet to sign a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield, potential replacements are still being looked at, and talks have now been opened with Barcelona’s Raphinha, who could be a high-profile signing for the Reds.

Liverpool negotiating with "complete" £100m player ready to move in 2025

He could be an upgrade on Darwin Nunez.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 16, 2024

PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko is another name on Liverpool’s list of attacking targets, and the winger is a player Slot will already know very well, given his time in charge of fellow Eredivisie side Feyenoord.

Not only is Slot looking at new wide options, but he is clearly also keen on signing a new striker, having opened talks with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joao Pedro over a potential summer move.

Liverpool ready to make offer for Joao Pedro

Now, there has been a new update on the Reds’ pursuit of the forward, with Caught Offside reporting they are now ready to make an offer of €55m – €65m (£46m – £54m). Arsenal and Manchester City are also interested in signing the 23-year-old, who is attracting the attention of some of the Premier League’s top clubs as a result of his performances for Brighton this season.

Liverpool are said to have prioritised the signing of the Brazilian, and they could start talks with Brighton over the intricacies of the deal as early as January. The Seagulls have set a price tag of £60m for their star player, who is open to leaving the club in order to play in the Champions League. Former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi was full of praise for the Brazil international during his time with the club.

Since then, the former Watford man has also received plaudits from Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, who described him as “unbelievable” at the beginning of last season.

The Brighton star’s year-on-year development is evidenced by his ever-improving record in front of goal since first emerging as a consistent first-team player for Watford in the 2020-21 campaign.

Season

League appearances

Goals

Assists

2020-21

38 (Championship)

9

2

2021-22

28 (Premier League)

3

1

2022-23

35 (Championship)

11

4

2023-24

31 (Premier League)

9

3

2024-25

10 (Premier League)

4

3

Joao Pedro has been in red-hot form so far this season, so it is clear to see why he is attracting the attention of the Premier League’s top clubs, and at 23-years-old he could be a fantastic long-term signing to strengthen Slot’s front three.

Aston Villa are enjoying brighter times under Unai Emery, with the Spaniard directing the club back to the glory days after some questionable form under Steven Gerrard.

The former Arsenal boss has reconnected the squad and implemented his own style of play to great effect, as his players continue to elevate their performance for the benefit of the club.

While the signings that the four-time Europa League winner has made so far at Villa have been impressive, the Villans haven’t always had a high success rate from new arrivals, as Dean Smith will know from one of his captures.

In the summer of 2021, Smith struck a deal with Southampton to sign striker Danny Ings on a three-year contract in a bid to bolster his front line.

How much did Danny Ings cost Villa overall?

Villa paid £25m to the Saints to take the sharp-shooter off their hands, with Smith describing him as an “outstanding” acquisition who has “scored goals wherever he has played”.

It was a fair evaluation by Smith, as Ings sits today on a domestic goal tally of 123 scored in 380 appearances for a variety of clubs, however only 14 of them came at Villa.

The Englishman was handed a salary of £6.24m-per-year by the Midlands club, making him their second-highest earner at the time – falling just short of Philippe Coutinho with a wage of £120k-per-week.

Considering that Ings arrived on the back of a glorious stint at St Mary’s where he had netted 46 goals in 100 appearances, his price and wage seemed verifiable with reference to the impact he was anticipated to make on the team.

Things didn’t quite go to plan for the Winchester-born whiz, as he bid farewell to Villa Park after just a year and a half, where in that time he’d cost the club a total of around £34m in both wages and transfer fees.

Was he worth that much?

When you divide the overall expenditure Villa paid to both purchase Ings and maintain his wage demands by the number of goals he scored, it works out that the 31-year-old cost the club around £2.4m per goal.

There was no denying the presence in leading the line that the former Liverpool forward would implement to the XI, however what he actually delivered at Villa Park was far from the standard expected.

After scoring 22 Premier League goals in 2019/20 and 12 in 2020/21, it was a disappointment to see Ings score only seven in his debut campaign in the top flight with Villa.

Luckily for the Villans, they had, and still have, a talisman to compare and contrast the poor form of Ings to in Ollie Watkins, who outscored the £25m man during both seasons he was at the club.

Upon reflection of his career in Birmingham, the England international with three caps dubbed his first campaign at Villa Park as “underwhelming”, which after seven goals in 30 appearances, is a fair call of judgement.

In January 2023, the striker moved on to the London Stadium to call it quits on his time with the Villans, signing for West Ham United as part of a £15m deal.

Since signing for the Hammers, the former Saints talisman has found the net on just two occasions in the Premier League, signalling that despite losing millions to sign him, Villa cashed in on his services at the right moment.

From millions in wages to a struggle for goals, Villa are fortunate enough to have been handed a life raft in the form of Watkins – who has struck four times in eight league games this season – to save them from the humiliation of Ings’ woeful spell, with their goals restored through Emery’s star man.

Barring a glitch or two, both teams are extremely well balanced, and the quality of resources at their disposal should mean that Eden Gardens is in for a top-notch contest

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan13-Apr-20183:08

Dasgupta: Gill better than most Indian batsmen in KKR squad

Big PictureForty-eight hours. After barely surviving a rollercoaster against the defending champions Mumbai Indians, that is the time Sunrisers Hyderabad have to recuperate and be back in full swing. It’s another reminder of how punishing the IPL can be, and the challenges teams face in staying fresh through two whole months in the peak of the Indian summer. Moreover, Sunrisers will have to switch cities, as they step out of home into the bastion that is Eden Gardens.With 41 victories, Kolkata Knight Riders are the third-most successful home team in IPL history. That trend extended with a dominant win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game. Knight Riders are among the most well-balanced teams. Their batting order is full of firepower, and they bat very deep. It came to the fore against Chennai Super Kings, when Andre Russell shellacked an unbeaten 88 off 36 balls to power them to 202, after they were 89 for 5 at the halfway stage.Knight Riders’ only concern at the moment is with the domestic fast bowler’s slot. Vinay Kumar, who is their senior-most player in that department, has fallen flat, having gone at 2.82 runs per ball in the two games so far. After their failure to defend 202 against Chennai, the bowling coach Heath Streak called for better execution from the players. And while Streak placed emphasis on a change in approach over wholesale changes to the XI, Knight Riders may consider testing the Under-19 duo of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in place of Vinay.Like Knight Riders, Sunrisers have a wonderfully-balanced side. Shikhar Dhawan has done his best to make up for the absence of David Warner with a pair of belligerent knocks. Sunrisers’ middle order has never looked stronger, after the acquisitions of Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan. And Shakib Al Hasan has added teeth to an already potent bowling attack. However, Sunrisers lack a quick striker to complement Dhawan at the top. T20 cricket has often shown us that having one partner buckle down while the other tees off isn’t necessarily a winning strategy. And assuming that Kane Williamson will be largely responsible for holding his end up to build the innings, Sunrisers cannot afford to have two slow scorers in their top three.In the newsMitchell Johnson was rested from Knight Riders’ match against Chennai Super Kings due to a “slight niggle”, but Streak confirmed that the left-arm pacer had recovered, and was hopeful of his return. Streak also said that Lynn’s shoulder problem shouldn’t be a concern. On the eve of the match, captain Dinesh Karthik confirmed the same but also said that team decisions would be made on the morning of the game.Bhuvneshwar sat out the Mumbai game due to a sore back. While he is their spearhead, Sunrisers wouldn’t be sweating too much in case Bhuvneshwar doesn’t recover, seeing as Sandeep Sharma, his replacement, fared well with returns of 2 for 25 in four overs.The likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Rinku Singh/Shubman Gill, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Siddarth Kaul, 10 Sandeep Sharma/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Billy StanlakeESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Of the 48 balls that Siddarth Kaul has bowled this season, batsmen haven’t been in control of their shots against 25 of them. The numbers are identical for Kaul’s teammate Rashid Khan. Kaul has taken a particular liking to the short delivery. He has bowled 11 of them so far – the second-most this season – and to great effect, giving away just nine runs, including a solitary boundary, and picking up a wicket. Sunrisers have never beaten Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Of the five matches these two sides have played here, the home team has won all of them. Among players with at least 600 career IPL runs, Andre Russell’s Smart Strike Rate of 220.40 is, by far, the best. No other player even touches the 200-mark. Glenn Maxwell is a distant second, with 1245 runs at a Smart Strike Rate of 194.79. Contrary to the norm this season, four of the last five meetings between these two sides have been won by the team batting first. Robin Uthappa has an excellent record against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL. Off the 53 balls he has faced from the bowler, Uthappa has scored 65 runs, and is yet to be dismissed.Strategy puntUse your fast bowlers against Narine. Royal Challengers did the mistake of bowling Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar at Narine upfront, and he sunk them with a 17-ball half-century. Chennai, too, turned to Harbhajan Singh for the second over with Narine at the crease. While the move paid off for them, the contrast is telling. Since the 2015 IPL, Narine has averaged 29.7 and struck at 240.5 while being dismissed thrice in nine innings against spin. Against pace, he averages 18.6, while the strike-rate drops to 156.9, and he has got out to them 11 times in 19 innings.Fantasy picksBatsmen at the top are most likely to score the big runs, which makes Chris Lynn an automatic lock. Even if he does end up being dismissed for a low score, Lynn is unlikely to scratch around, which will make the loss of points minimal. Likewise, Narine would make a safe pick, given his batting position and utility with the ball. Since the previous season, Narine has averaged 19.06 with the bat and struck at 186.92; with the ball, he has conceded just 6.85 runs an over: as fantasy as it gets.Quotes”Yes, we’ve got to be careful. He’s not the first bowler, and he won’t be the last bowler who won’t defend 17-20. We’ve seen (Dwayne) Bravo – what he can do. We’ve seen Andre (Russell) hit quite a few overs for those sort of numbers, like 20-plus. It’s tough when you’re defending the last one, but we did the same thing: hit their bowlers for 20-plus.”

Since taking the reins at Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, Ange Postecoglou has endured his ups and downs.

In terms of the latter, the Australian has had to deal with an unbelievable number of injuries, which derailed his incredible start to last season and sees his team down in 12th in the Premier League this year.

However, one of the undeniable successes of his time in North London is how he took what was a diabolically boring team to watch under Antonio Conte and turned them into arguably the most entertaining in the league.

Moreover, the former Celtic boss is trying to reshape the squad with younger, less experienced but more promising players for the long term, whereas that didn’t feel like a goal under Conte, especially as one of the players he sold in 2022 is now back in the Premier League and worth an astonishing 2300% more than the fee he left for.

Spurs' 2022 sales

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of other sales made that summer, starting with an attacker who could never quite get to grips with English football: Steven Bergwijn.

The Dutch winger was undeniably talented and had some stellar moments during his time with the North Londoners – like that late comeback against Leicester City.

However, as he never established himself as a key member of the first team, it made sense to move him on when Ajax came in with an offer of around £26m in July 2022.

The 27-year-old winger would go on to score 29 goals and provide 12 assists in 83 appearances for the Amsterdam side before agreeing to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad for around £17.7m in September.

Since then, he has scored eight goals and provided six assists in 21 games while picking up a salary of £147k-per-week.

Appearances

149

83

80

21

Goals

31

8

29

8

Assists

41

8

12

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

0.19

0.51

0.66

Another exit from the summer of 2022 was centre-back and American international Cameron Carter-Vickers, who rejoined Celtic on a permanent deal for around £6m after spending the previous season on loan with the Scottish giants.

The Tottenham academy gem only made five first-team appearances for the club but has since become a key member of the Hoops’ first team, racking up 146 appearances, in which he’s scored seven goals, provided two assists, won three league titles, three League Cups and two Scottish Cups as well.

However, there was another exit that summer, a player who has since returned to the top flight and is now millions more than he was when he left Spurs.

The Ex-Spurs player worth millions more today

Now, it’s famously difficult to judge how good a young player is and how good they could one day be, so every club has several youngsters they probably let go too soon, and in this instance, that youngster was Jack Clarke.

The Englishman joined Spurs from Leeds United in 2019 for about £8.5m, but after a number of lacklustre loan spells back with the Whites, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City and a slightly better six months with Sunderland, the club opted to sell him to the latter in July 2022 for a fee reportedly as low as £750k, but with a 25% sell-on clause.

Over the next two seasons, the often “unplayable” ace, as dubbed by pundit Alan Clarke, racked up a brilliant haul of 26 goals and 18 assists in just 92 appearances for the Black Cats, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.09 games, which was also enough to convince Ipswich Town to splash £15m on him in the summer.

Now, while the talent is undeniably there, it would be fair to say that the York-born dynamo has struggled at points this season.

The step-up to the top flight has seen his output come down by a significant margin, but even then, he’s been able to score three goals and provide four assists in 23 appearances, totalling just 883 minutes.

Appearances

23

Minutes

883′

Goals

3

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.30

Minutes per Goal Involvement

126.14′

That means he’s still been able to average a goal involvement every 3.28 games for the Tractor Boys or, more impressively, every 126.14 minutes.

This, combined with his previous campaigns and the fact he’s still just 24, has seen his valuation remain relatively high, with Football Transfers pricing him at €21.7m, which is about £18m or a massive 2300% increase on the price Spurs sold him for under Conte.

Ultimately, the club probably made the right call for Clarke’s career, but we reckon they might regret letting him go for such a low fee.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 19, 2025

Leicester City have been scouting an “impressive” young striker over the past few weeks, but there may be competition for his signature from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, according to a report.

Foxes hoping to avoid the drop

With a third of the Premier League season left to play, Leicester find themselves in a very precarious position, currently sitting two points from safety, having been on a torrid run of form since the end of 2024.

The Foxes have lost nine of their last ten league matches, most recently succumbing to a 2-0 defeat at home to title-hopefuls Arsenal, and they are now at serious risk of an immediate return to the Championship.

It can be difficult for clubs to plan for the summer when the division they will be in next season is still up in the air, but Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have been linked with a couple of forwards over the past week.

Leicester in race to sign "exciting" £8m star they were in for last summer

The Foxes are interested in signing a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Feb 13, 2025

Hertha BSC attacking midfielder Ibrahim Maza is one of the names on the shortlist, and a report from Denmark has now revealed Leicester have also been scouting FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju.

The relegation-threatened Premier League side are said to have sent officials to watch Dju in action a number of times in recent weeks, most recently conducting a scouting mission when Midtjylland took on Lyngby last weekend.

Leicester City’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Brentford (h)

February 21st

West Ham United (a)

February 27th

Chelsea (a)

March 9th

Manchester United (h)

March 16th

Manchester City (a)

April 2nd

Should the east Midlands outfit formalise their interest this summer, there may be competition for his signature from Crystal Palace, who are also keen, while Bayer Leverkusen and Torino have previously been named as potential suitors.

Dju impressing in Denmark

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in the Danish Superliga last season, providing 11 goals and six assists, and he has since gone on to follow it up with another impressive campaign.

The Guinea-Bissau international has made 26 appearances in all competitions, amassing 10 goals, with one of those coming in the Europa League against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Although the forward is not currently plying his trade in one of Europe’s major leagues, it is still impressive he has emerged as a key player for Midtjylland at such a young age, having previously received praise from the media for his performances at youth level.

As such, Leicester should undoubtedly pursue a move for the starlet this summer, but their chances of winning the race for his signature are likely to hinge upon them retaining their Premier League status.