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Former Aston Villa forward Gabby Agbonlahor has made a transfer claim on the club’s interest in Luis Suarez.

The Lowdown: Suarez links

Steven Gerrard has been extremely busy ahead of his first season in charge, completing deals for Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara and Diego Carlos.

However, he doesn’t plan to stop there, with recent reports from The Telegraph stating that Villa are exploring a move for Suarez after the 35-year-old was released by Atletico Madrid.

Villa correspondent Gregg Evans revealed on Wednesday that the club are still ‘weighing up a move’ for Suarez.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s comments

Agbonlahor, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider after hearing about Villa’s interest in a move for Suarez.

He feels that a move could materialise for the Uruguayan to provide some competition to Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, providing Suarez doesn’t ask for a ‘crazy’ wage.

“It depends on wages.

“I don’t see Villa paying Coutinho wages on Suarez, I don’t think they would do that. If the wages aren’t crazy then I don’t see why not.

“Adding an experienced striker like Suarez for a season, why not? Gerrard knows him well, he’ll get the best out of him.

“Villa need a bit of help up front. Watkins is a top player and Ings is a top player but you need a couple more strikers in there for some competition up there.”

The Verdict: Possible?

With no transfer fee involved, there is no reason why Villa and Gerrard can’t get a deal over the line for Suarez.

However, like Coutinho agreed to, you’d expect that Suarez would have to lower his previous £263,000-a-week wage for there to be any chance of a Premier League return.

Coutinho took a 70% pay cut but is still on £125,000-a-week in the Midlands, something Villa may well be open to offering Suarez, who has scored 69 goals in 110 Premier League games.

In other news: Sky Sports: Villa and Gerrard already now prioritising a fourth target; NSWE are closing in. 

The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell has detailed the latest financial situation at Ibrox, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst prepares for his second season in charge of the Teddy Bears.

The Gers have obviously endured their fair share of financial issues in the past but Campbell suggests that they are in a good place right now and should find themselves ‘in the black’ in the near future, so long as they can earn a spot in the Champions League group stages next season.

Van Bronckhost’s side narrowly missed out on an automatic group stage place when they lost on penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-final last month but will be hoping to replicate their strong European performances when they enter the qualifying stages at the third round next month.

Things were looking bleak for the Ibrox outfit in the wake of the pandemic as they posted £23.5m in losses but after a full season of capacity crowds, Europa League runs and player sales, they are back in a strong position.

Campbell confirmed that, if Rangers do fail at the qualifying stage, then a player may need to be sold in order to balance the books.

He writes:

“It is thought that with the money generated from the sale of Nathan Patterson to Everton (although it isn’t all up front), the compensation for Gerrard and his team joining Aston Villa and the Europa League revenue, it will see Rangers in the black for the first time in over a decade.

“That is where they need to be, but they also need to put a winning team on the park — and that means there will be movement this summer.”

Supporters will no doubt be glad to hear that their club is in a strong financial position and will be hoping that Champions League qualification allows them to be active in the summer transfer window.

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If the worst happens, then Rangers have a number of saleable assets including Ryan Kent, Calvin Bassey and Joe Aribo, so there seems to be little danger of the Ibrox outfit slipping back into the red.

And, in other news… Rangers dealt transfer blow, Gerrard will be gutted

Tottenham Hotspur could sign Gareth Bale 2.0 this off-season…

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, Antonio Conte is set to make Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Filip Kostic his first summer signing at Spurs as part of a £150m spending spree.

Both the Italian head coach and sporting director Fabio Paratici are said to be keen to invest in his consistency, whilst the Express recently claimed that the north Londoners had scouts in attendance as the Bundesliga outfit clinched the Europa League over Rangers last week.

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Meanwhile, the very reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london has seemingly confirmed their interest, as he revealed on his YouTube channel:

“I know certainly that they’ve got a lot of interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 29-year-old Filip Kostic – their left wing-back, so that’s one they’re going to look at, they’re going to try and sign.

“I think there’s a lot of interest in him, but we’ll see. I think there’s a growing confidence that he might be someone that they can bring in this summer.”

He could be available for just €15m (£12.5m).

Bale 2.0

Indeed, the Serbia international has been a mark of consistency over the years, delivering the goods for Frankfurt since 2018.

Kostic finished the season as Oliver Glasner’s highest-rated player in the German top flight, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.11, only further emphasising his ability to impact games week in, week out.

He bagged seven goals and provided 13 assists across the Bundesliga and Europa League, playing at left wing-back, and those returns far usurp all of Conte’s current wide options in defence combined.

Across the last three domestic campaigns, the 29-year-old has proved to be a major creative influence, averaging at least 2.4 key passes per game, on top of a minimum of 1.4 tackles per game.

Interestingly, Kostic has earned comparisons to Bale throughout his career. After all, the Welsh legend started his career in the very same role before transitioning into a lethal presence in the final third.

Dubbed a “mentality monster” by team-mate Kevin Trapp and described as having an “outstanding ability” by Glasner, the £18m-rated machine would evidently be a fantastic upgrade to Conte’s squad.

He is practically the perfect fit for what the Italian is trying to achieve in N17, and for just £12.5m, Paratici and co would be foolish to not pay it.

AND in other news, Kane eyeing new Spurs contract in big Conte boost…

Aston Villa remain interested in signing midfielder Yves Bissouma from fellow Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins. 

The lowdown: Villa interested in Bissouma

Initially linked during the January transfer window, a report from The Athletic claimed that Steven Gerrard would return with a swoop for the Mali international in the summer.

Since then, the Villans have added versatile French ace Boubacar Kamara to their squad as NSWE look to back the manager in his quest to take the club to the next level.

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Despite the ex-Marseille midfielder’s arrival, it appears that a move for Bissouma could remain in the offing…

The latest: Villa ‘still there’ for Bissouma

Taking to Twitter, reputable French journalist Hawkins discussed the possible interest from AS Monaco in the Brighton colossus, as well as the ongoing admiration from Villa Park.

Translated from French, he said: “To replace Aurélien Tchouaméni, Monaco is thinking of Yves Bissouma. The Brighton midfielder has several offers. Aston Villa is still there. ASM is in the process of completing the sale of Aurélien Tchouaméni. It still blocks on the transfer fee.”

The verdict: Statement signing

During the 2021/22 campaign, the 25-year-old Brighton enforcer scored twice and provided a further two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions in a disjointed season interrupted by injuries and Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Overall he earned an impressive 7.07 Sofascore rating whilst winning 5.6 duels and making 1.9 interceptions and 1.8 clearances on average per top-flight match, demonstrating a particular competency in the defensive facets of a midfielder’s game.

With the futures of Douglas Luiz and Bodymoor Heath academy graduate Carney Chukwuemeka up in the air, Gerrard may certainly be hoping to bolster the central midfield options at his disposal in the coming weeks.

With Bissouma heading into the final 12 months of his contract on the south coast (Transfermarkt), signing the 18-cap star – who was dubbed ‘world class’ by former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour – could well be a statement signing by Villa to add to the captures of Kamara and Philippe Coutinho already this month.

In other news: NSWE now eyeing another defender; Villa chiefs sent to club after Gerrard approves

Liverpool are set for some changes this summer when it comes to their squad with some players out of contract and a reliable source has given an update on one transfer that will divide the opinion of supporters.

What’s the latest?

According to Liverpool reporter for The Athletic James Pearce, Divock Origi has now agreed on terms with AC Milan ahead of his contract expiry at Anfield this summer.

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Pearce wrote in an article for The Athletic that although a contract has not been signed as of yet, the Liverpool striker has come to an agreement on personal terms in a deal that will see him join the Italian club.

It comes after Origi failed to make enough appearances to trigger an extension clause on Merseyside, which means he will be free to leave this summer and now AC Milan are looking like the most likely club to secure a move for the player.

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that Origi has become a cult hero at Liverpool despite being a fringe player. He has provided some of the biggest and most iconic moments during his time at the club and supporters will surely be gutted to see him leave this summer after eight years.

For the Reds, the 27-year-old has scored 41 goals and contributed 18 assists in 175 appearances, but it’s not his tally of goal contributions that has put him in the hearts of the supporters with his influence in big moments stealing the spotlight.

Origi scored one of the most iconic goals in the club’s recent history when Trent Alexander-Arnold whipped in a fast corner to land on the end of the striker’s foot against Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Anfield, scoring the fourth and final goal to send Liverpool through to the final where they went onto win the entire competition.

Another reason he is so adored by the red side of Merseyside is that in the Premier League, the Belgian goal machine has scored 27.27% of his league goals against their fierce local rivals Everton, with his most recent winning goal coincidentally coming from the Merseyside Derby last month.

With that being said, it is no wonder that supporters would be gutted to see him leave the club this summer with the striker offering important goals and important moments in one of Liverpool’s most victorious periods over the last few years.

AND in other news: Klopp eyeing £150m “wonderkid” who “suits Liverpool’s style”, it may be bye-bye Salah

Liverpool have taken their Premier League title challenge with Manchester City down to the last day of the season after taking all three points from St Mary’s last night.

Jurgen Klopp made the decision to rest key players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold for their penultimate league game after a tough 120 minute FA Cup Final on Sunday against Chelsea where the club picked up their second trophy of the season.

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Luckily for the German coach his decision to rest players paid off. Although the game was tight between the two teams, Liverpool pulled through and prevailed in their efforts winning 2-1.

Despite the tight scoreline, the Kopites dominated in every area of the game with 71% possession, 20 more shots, over twice as many accurate passes and winning more duels than Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Tuesday evening.

The goal-scoring started with Southampton taking an early lead when Nathan Redmond found the back of the net in the 13th minute of the game, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Liverpool’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup top scorer Taki Minamino who delivered a defiant response by equalising in the 27th minute.

In the second half, the hosts struggled to contain their visitors and Joel Matip managed to put one past Alex McCarthy in the 67th minute to kill the game and ruin Manchester City’s Premier League title party and take their title chances all the way to the final day of the season.

One player who didn’t get on the scoresheet but remained resilient and put on a solid performance to become Klopp’s unsung hero in the game was James Milner.

According to SofaScore, the 36-year-old midfielder was supreme in possession, making 123 touches, 86 passes, six key passes and successfully delivering 100% of his long balls.

The former £150k-per-week England international was also superb from a defensive point of view, winning 80% of his duels whilst making four tackles, one interception and producing a clearance, proving that he was a huge presence in the centre of the pitch.

With those kinds of statistics in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that writer Taj Ali took to Twitter to describe the veteran as a “beast.”

The Liverpool vice-captain is currently negotiating a new deal with the club after Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to keep the former Man City star at the club for next season, and spoke out on Klopp and his current contract situation recently in an interview with Alan Shearer for The Athletic:

“He’s one of the very best managers in the world and if he wants me here for another year, it would be silly not to play, wouldn’t it?”

The Merseyside giants will have to hope Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa can steal the game from Man City on Sunday if they have any chance of winning the league but Klopp’s side have done their job in making sure they can stay involved with the challenge which is all the manager can ask from his side ahead of their Champions League final clash with Real Madrid at the end of the month.

AND in other news: Liverpool eyeing bid for “complete” £36m-rated colossus, he’s even better than Fabinho…

Famed transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed sporting director and club chief Fabio Paratici has pulled off a ‘masterpiece’ at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Good times return?

The brief Nuno Espirito Santo era is one Spurs supporters will be hoping to quickly forget.

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Paratici’s decision to appoint the ex-Wolves boss was met with criticism, particularly after Nuno was given his marching orders for terrible results and an arguable lack of exciting football (The Daily Mail).

Seven months on, new manager Antonio Conte has re-instilled faith in Lilywhites and guided them to a possible Champions League qualification finish – depending on how north London rivals Arsenal finish the campaign.

To even be competing for a Premier League top four place seemed like a pipe dream back in November, testament to Conte’s phenomenal job at Hotspur Way.

The Latest: Romano makes ‘masterpiece’ claim…

Taking to Twitter, Romano claims Spurs official Paratici was actually responsible for bringing in the former Chelsea manager – claiming he’s pulled off a ‘masterpiece’.

The journalist explained:

“Tottenham can’t lose Antonio Conte at the end of the season, no matter what happens with UCL race. He completely changed everything in the club since Paratici did a masterpiece to appoint him. #THFC Conte will meet with Levy at the end of the season to decide his future.”

The Verdict: Interesting claim…

Question marks surrounded Paratici following a 50/50 January transfer window but the game-changing Conte appointment appears to have vindicated chairman Daniel Levy’s decision to hire him.

Now, all focus for the 49-year-old will be on spearheading the club’s transfer assaults for this summer as he aims to back Conte and ensure that he can get most, if not all, of the six summer signings allegedly on the ex-Inter Milan boss’ radar.

In other news: Reliable source: Tottenham agreement ‘very likely’ as Conte closes in on ‘top signing’! Find out more here.

We will be keeping tabs on how these five young women go at the latest edition of the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia

Shashank Kishore17-Jan-2025Caoimhe Bray (Australia)A seam-bowling allrounder like her role model Ellyse Perry, Bray became the youngest to feature in the WBBL late last year when she was just 15. She marked the occasion by dismissing Deandra Dottin and then hitting the winning runs for Sydney Sixers.She had come into the spotlight after amassing nearly 1000 runs in the New South Wales Under-18s competition in 2024, which included a double-century in the final. Last September, she made her Australia Under-19s debut in a tri-series, where she hit 84 and picked up 4 for 20 against New Zealand.Bray has also represented Australia’s junior football team as a 14-year-old at the AFC Women’s Under-17 championships in Indonesia.Tilly Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket•Getty ImagesTilly Corteen-Coleman (England)A left-arm spinner who dismissed Meg Lanning on her Hundred debut as a 16-year-old, England’s Corteen-Coleman has come through the ranks following an impressive initiation in domestic cricket, where she picked up four wickets in four deliveries for South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.She followed that up with an impressive outing at the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2024, where she picked up nine wickets in eight games as South East Stars finished runners-up.Corteen-Coleman has already gained valuable experience in Asia, having represented England Under-19s in Sri Lanka last year.Niki Prasad recently led India to the Under-19 Asia Cup title•ICC via Getty ImagesNiki Prasad (India)As a 15-year-old in 2021, Prasad hit Deepti Sharma for towering sixes at a club tournament in Bengaluru, and there was a buzz around her in the cricket circles in the city. But a departure from her aggressive game to try and bat longer pushed her down the pecking order after she was initially in the running to play in the inaugural edition of this World Cup in 2023.Over the past 18 months, Prasad has rediscovered her big-hitting abilities through dedicated power-hitting sessions as well as a transformation in her fitness routine. In 2025, she will lead India as they hope to defend their crown. She is one of five players from the current India squad to have been picked up in the latest WPL auction; Prasad will play for the Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals.Karabo Meso has already featured in two T20Is as a wicketkeeper-batter•Cricket South AfricaKarabo Meso (South Africa)Set to play in her second Under-19 World Cup, Meso is seen in South Africa as the natural successor to incumbent wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta.Meso comes from a family with a sporting background. Her mother played netball and her father played softball. Meso herself started off as a prodigious track-and-field athlete before shifting to cricket and choosing the big gloves. She earned a maiden national call-up for the home series against Sri Lanka last April, and has subsequently featured in two T20Is.Related

All you need to know about 2025 Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup

Her eight dismissals and superb glovework at the previous edition of the tournament was noticed when she was picked in ICC’s team of the tournament despite South Africa not making it past the Super Six stage.Limansa Thilakarathna (Sri Lanka)Daughter of former Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Melbourne-raised Limansa, an Australian national, wants to be a legspinner like another famous Victorian, the late Shane Warne. In 2021, she became the youngest female cricketer – at 12 – to play at the premier level, when she was chosen for Cricket Victoria’s Under-16 squad. She currently represents Melbourne Cricket Club.Limansa’s Australian nationality has caused debate within Sri Lankan cricketing circles, but the selectors have stuck to their decision of picking her citing her all-round abilities – she bats left-handed and in the top four, apart from being a legspinner.

On the eve of MLS Cup, Jordi Alba admitted that Saturday’s final will carry a unique emotional weight. The Inter Miami left back will retire once the whistle blows, closing an illustrious career he hopes to crown with one more trophy. Facing Vancouver, he says there are no favorites — only a final chance to compete at the highest level.

Getty Images Sport'It’s clear how much the club has grown'

Alba is stepping into unfamiliar territory this weekend. Not because it’s a final – he’s already appeared in over 20 major finalsin his career – but because this one marks the end. When Inter Miami host the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS Cup, the Spanish defender will lace up for the last time before officially retiring from professional football.

Speaking during MLS Media Day, Alba emphasized how different this moment feels.

“I knew this would be a new experience, but an appealing one,” he said. “I reunited with former teammates, and it’s clear how much the club has grown. Reaching a final is historic for Inter Miami, and while I’ve been fortunate to play many of them, this one is special because it will be my last. It’s a final — there are no favorites — but if we perform well, we’ll have our chances.”

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA final loaded with emotion

Alba refused to compare Saturday’s match with his farewell at Barcelona, a moment he still remembers as deeply emotional. This time, he admits, the uncertainty comes from not knowing how it will actually feel until it happens.

“It’s different because I know it’s my last game,” he explained. “Of course it’s important – it’s a final – but it means even more for the club. No matter what happens, I’m leaving afterward. Hopefully, I can leave with a trophy. Busi is in the same situation as me. I don’t know how I’ll process it because you only feel those emotions in the moment. My last game with Barcelona was very emotional, but this isn’t just changing teams – it’s not playing anymore, and that makes it even bigger.”

Alba also spoke warmly about Inter Miami’s coach, someone he shares a long history with.

“I was lucky to play alongside him and then be coached by him. It’s a different relationship on the field, but the bond remains just as good,” he said. “He’s done an exceptional job regardless of what happens Saturday. I’m proud to have been coached by him – I learned a lot from working under him.”

Getty Images SportLooking back on a career beyond expectations

Alba also reflected on his trajectory, tracing it from L'Hospitalet to World Cup triumphs and Champions League glory. Over the course of his career, he picked up major honours – including the 2010 World Cup, the 2015 UEFA Champions League, multiple La Liga titles, and domestic cups.

Asked to grade his own career, he didn’t hesitate:
“I’ve had good and bad matches, like everyone, but I’d give my career an excellent grade. From the moment I left L'Hospitalet, everything felt like a dream. I achieved far more than I ever expected. I can’t complain — I accomplished everything I dreamed of and I’m proud of what I learned with every team I represented," he said. 

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Getty Images SportA farewell shared with Busquets

Saturday will also close the book on Sergio Busquets’ legendary career. For Alba, that shared endpoint has added another layer to an already emotional week.

“It will be his last game too,” Alba noted. “But everyone experiences these moments in their own way.”

Still, finishing his journey at home, in front of the club’s fans, feels like a privilege.

“It’s an honor to end my career with a final here,” he said. “It’s been a tough week emotionally. I’ll miss the game, but I never doubted my decision. Once I made it, it was firm and fully thought out. Now I hope the final goes our way.”

Babar Azam bagged a duck on T20I return as a second-string South African side cruised to victory

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2025Against a second-string South Africa side, Pakistan produced a second-rate performance, with the faultless visitors crushing the hosts by 55 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa’s top three, shepherded by a half-century from Reeza Hendricks, saw them fly into an advantage they never relinquished, rallying at the death after getting stuck midway to post 194.Pakistan’s response was found wanting in all phases of the game as South Africa’s seamers kept Pakistan on a leash, with Corbin Bosch and George Linde picking up clumps of wickets along the way. Pakistan were derailed both by a mounting asking rate and the fall of wickets, and their defeat was de facto confirmed long before the final wicket fell in front of an emptied-out Rawalpindi stadium.QdK, TdZ and ReezaSouth Africa’s top three of Hendricks, Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi was stellar but is not the first choice for too many – certainly not South Africa’s. But on a batting-friendly surface with small boundaries, the openers, Hendricks and de Kock, set the tone in the second over with Hendricks leaning across to wallop Naseem Shah over square leg for six. It set off carnage in the powerplay with de Kock joining in as the pair found five boundaries in the next ten deliveries.De Kock sliced one against Saim Ayub to give Pakistan a breakthrough, but not a breather, as de Zorzi ensured. The last two overs with the fielding restrictions saw South Africa plunder a boundary every other delivery, and it continued just beyond, too, with a majestic six over cover from de Zorzi fetching the visitors another 15 runs in the seventh. By the end of the seventh over, they had put up 89; it took Pakistan six more overs, for the loss of six more wickets, to get to that mark later.Reeza Hendricks laid down South Africa’s platform with a half-century•Getty ImagesCorbin Bosch torments Pakistan once moreAt the tail-end of last year, Bosch made his Test debut and was the bane of Pakistan’s existence all week, picking up wickets and scoring runs as South Africa trumped Pakistan in a thriller. Much water has flown in the relationship between Pakistan and Bosch since. He was signed up in the PSL, a deal he abandoned to take one up in the IPL. The PSL responded by banning him from the league for a year.Six months on, Bosch returned to Pakistan and in Rawalpindi, made sure he laughed last. With Pakistan desperate to keep up with a spiralling asking rate, they had no choice but to attack the fast bowler as he came on in the final over of the powerplay, with the hosts barely trickling along at just over a-run-a-ball. Babar Azam, facing his second delivery in his first T20I since December 2024, hacked wildly at a hard length delivery, but the pace meant he only caught the splice of the blade. The ball looped up harmlessly to cover, sending the returning fan favourite back into the dug out for a second-ball duck.A bad day for Pakistan’s high-profile starsThere was no visible evidence upon which Babar had been recalled, with his duck capping off a miserable day on which he also dropped a catch late on during South Africa’s charge at the death. He was not, however, the only failure on a day Pakistan littered the board with them.Captain Salman Agha has been under fire for his performances in the format. Coming in to bat at four at the end of the powerplay, he scratched around at the start – as he often does, the required rate climbing every delivery. After two runs off his first six, Bosch darted in a 144kph ball angling back towards the Pakistan captain, rocketing into his front thigh. Agha took a review along with him, there was no reprieve to be found. It finished off a day where he also bowled one over – the one just as the powerplay ended, and gave away 15 wicketless runs.Mohammad Nawaz did well with bat and ball•Getty ImagesLeft-arm fingerspinners shine all roundMuch separated Pakistan and South Africa on the day, but the only thing to unite them was the success each team’s left-arm spinner enjoyed with bat and ball.Linde and Mohammad Nawaz were the most effective men on either side on the day. Linde picked up South Africa’s flagging innings in the final five overs by taking apart Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16th over, smashing four fours off him in a 22-ball 36 run counterattack.Nawaz, meanwhile, had done the most to ensure South Africa’s middle-overs flagged, breaking the Hendricks-de Zorzi stand in the eighth over, and then deceiving the dangerous Dewald Brevis in his following over. He sealed his bowling spell with the wicket of South Africa’s stand-in captain – Donovan Ferreira – off his final ball to finish with figures of 3 for 26.The two also swam in each other’s slipstream during the chase. Linde came back from Ayub taking him for runs in in his first two overs, tossing a surprise ball out wide from around the wicket. It left Ayub reaching before tamely lofting it to cover, realistically killing off a chase just as the opener came to life. It was the first of three wickets as the offspinner also accounted for Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf.While the batters crumbled around him, Nawaz timed it beautifully. The game had long gone by then, but he found a level of ball-striking none of his peers were able to reach, smashing four fours and two sixes. When he chipped his 20th ball to long-on to conclude his innings and the game, he matched Linde’s 36 exactly. It was one similarity between a Pakistani and a South African on a day when the visiting collective pulled well clear of the hosts early.