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Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell has suggested that Tottenham could use defender Joe Rodon and midfielder Oliver Skipp as makeweights in a transfer for an exciting £50 million player.

Tottenham targeting new midfielder this summer

Amid uncertainty surrounding the futures of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and even Yves Bissouma (The Times), there are suggestions that Ange Postecoglou could look to the transfer market in search of a new number six.

Levy ready to back Ange with £100m as forward says yes to joining Tottenham

The Lilywhites chairman is prepared to spend.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 18, 2024

Chelsea star Conor Gallagher remains on Spurs' radar as an option for the role, while there have been reports linking Tottenham with Atalanta star Ederson as an alternative to the England international.

Postecoglou could benefit from the arrival of a dynamic, young and exciting new midfied engine man, with the Australian set to oversee numerous more games next season as well – due to Tottenham's involvement in the Europa League.

The right-back position could also see some changes ahead of next season, as both Djed Spence and Emerson Royal could quit Tottenham by the start of next campaign. Genoa are attempting to sign Spence on a permanent deal, while AC Milan are actively pursuing a move for Royal.

A new full-back and midfielder may well be needed, but one player who can actually fill both roles is Leeds United starlet Archie Gray. The teenage sensation was an ever-present under Daniel Farke as the Whites narrowly missed out on promotion, and he's been linked with a move to Spurs in the last month.

Tottenham could use Skipp and Rodon in swap deal for Gray

Speaking to Tottenham News, Sky journalist Bardell has suggested that Spurs could use Skipp and Rodon as makeweights in a potential deal for Gray – who Leeds are said to value at around £50 million.

“It’s a deal that would make sense," said Bardell. "I think we’re going to see these sorts of untraditional swaps this window with clubs looking to manipulate the market.

"Archie Gray feels like a player that would suit Tottenham and suit Ange Postecoglou. That would leave Skipp surplus to requirements, he’s not first choice anyway and Gray coming in would put him further down the pecking order.

“He’s a player that needs a fresh start. Obviously, Rodon was there last season and they would take him back. If they helped get Tottenham closer to a move for Archie Gray then that would be a superb piece of business.“

The Englishman is a rising star at Elland Road, with some members of the media even tipping him to cost upwards of £70 million after his fine campaign, a fee Spurs could obviously bring down with the sales of the aforementioned duo.

"Archie's had a fantastic season for Leeds," said pundit Carlton Palmer to Football League World last campaign.

"Gray has been outstanding, with 36 league appearances so far this season, proving both his versatility and his ability. The 18-year-old's current deal has him with the club until 2028, but the club are looking to extend that even further. This makes sense, to tie the player down, with speculation surrounding him from top Premier League clubs and European teams.

"Gray's only 18, but he's doing well under Daniel Farke by playing regularly, so shouldn't be in any rush to leave. But Leeds want to protect themselves, for sure, by tying him down to a longer-term contract, and I'm sure there would be a massive release clause in there. Leeds would probably be looking for £70-80 million for him."

A highly thought of player has "picked Rangers" over a huge English club worth a whopping £2.1bn, according to an update from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Rangers transfer news

Excelsior attacker Couhaib Driouech is the latest player to be linked with a move to Ibrox in the summer transfer window, with the Gers expressing interest in signing him this week. The 22-year-old bagged six goals and assists apiece in the Eredivisie last season, and could add much-needed firepower to Philippe Clement's attack.

Ryan Sessegnon is another individual to emerge as a reported target for Rangers, having not kicked on his career at Tottenham, once being tipped to be a regular for England. That's not to say that the 24-year-old doesn't still have a lot to offer, however, and he is viewed as someone who could dovetail nicely with Oscar Cortes in 2024/25.

Meanwhile, Scotland international Kenny McLean has also been backed to sign for the Scottish Premiership outfit in the summer transfer window, being looked at as an ideal replacement for the outgoing Ryan Jack. Currently at Norwich City, the 32-year-old made 48 starts in the Championship last term, primarily in midfield, helping the Canaries reach the playoffs.

Theo Bair has impressed for Motherwell in recent times, too, registering 21 goal contributions (15 goals and six assists) in just 41 appearances for the club, and he is being considered by Rangers, coming in as a possible upgrade on Cyriel Dessers.

Rangers agree new deal with Arsenal target

Taking to X on Friday morning, Romano confirmed that Alexander-Smith has signed a new deal with Rangers, with Clement's men fighting off competition from Arsenal, who are worth £2.1bn:

"Alexander Smith has signed a three year professional contract at Rangers, deal done. Eligible for USA & Scotland, Smith picked Rangers ahead of strong options in MLS and Premier League."

This is a massive coup for Rangers, considering what a highly thought of prospect Smith is, with so much expected of the 15-year-old, hence Arsenal's interest in him.

The attacking midfielder is clearly still an extremely young player who won't be playing a part in the first team just yet, but retaining his services feels significant, suggesting that he feels the Gers are the ideal place to be currently. He is eligible to play for either Scotland or the USA, and it will be interesting to see who he eventually chooses, with his country of choice having a big talent on their hands.

USA journalist Tom Bogert labelled him as a "highly-rated" player when Rangers were pushing to sign him, also confirming interest from the Gunners. The key now is for Rangers to allow Smith to progress at his own pace however, not putting too much pressure on him to make the grade too soon, with the aforementioned Sessegnon an example of a player who has struggled to live up to the hype.

Rangers express interest in rapid 22 y/o winger with 16 goal contributions

He would be an exciting addition to the Ibrox outfit.

ByTom Coates Jun 28, 2024

It will be fascinating to see how the teenager fares over these next three years, but given his potential, it would be a surprise if he wasn't blooded by Clement at some point during that period.

Big Bash clubs are set to be permitted a third overseas player in their XIs for the next two tournaments after the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) dropped their longstanding opposition to the move on the basis that it would take away a spot from a local cricketer.Amid an ugly dispute between Cricket Australia and Channel Seven over the value of the BBL’s broadcast rights, the likely change in overseas player regulations – as part of a series of tweaks to the MoU between CA and the ACA – is a late but welcome chance for clubs to improve the quality of their playing lists this year.The likelihood of expanded Australian squads being required for international matches this year due to Covid-19 “hub” restrictions has raised the prospect of weakening BBL playing ranks to a greater degree than usual. It is one of the central complaints from Seven to CA about the BBL after the free-to-air network paid in the region of A$40 million a season for the competition as part of its A$450 million component of the A$1.18 billion shared deal with Foxtel in 2018 to broadcast cricket in Australia for six years.The BBL figure represents almost 60% of Seven’s total deal, which also includes the rights to broadcast all Test matches played in Australia, and runs in contrast to CA’s strategic position where international cricket sits at the top of the pyramid in terms of player payments and other investments by the governing body. CA has in recent weeks also committed to helping to finance “marquee” deals worth more than six figures for overseas players outside existing BBL club salary caps.CA had hoped to hold its first player draft ahead of the 2020-21 season but that was shelved in August amid the complexities created by Covid-19Dawid Malan (Hobart Hurricanes), Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder), Liam Livingstone (Perth Scorchers), Tom Banton (Brisbane Heat) and Tom Curran (Sydney Sixers) are the overseas players to have been announced by their clubs so far either on new or existing deals. Three overseas slots per team would mean an additional 20 players join the BBL from beyond Australia’s borders.Such an influx would help to cover for the likelihood of players such as Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch, Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis missing large chunks of the BBL due to international commitments. Clubs are eager to sign up David Warner, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, a trio who have often missed the BBL in recent years, and may well end up doing so again should they want to rest in between international commitments and scheduled tours of New Zealand and South Africa in early 2021.One area of intrigue will be whether CA finally convinces the BCCI to allow some Indian players to take part in the BBL – the IPL has long been the only domestic T20 event to showcase Indian cricketers, whether they are core members of Virat Kohli’s national team or not.Overseas names, of both the established star variety such as AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan and Dale Steyn and emerging talents such as Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane, have been vital to the growth of the BBL over its first nine seasons. But teams have always been limited to having only two overseas players at any one time in their 18-man squads, even though the rules were tweaked in 2019 to allow up to six overseas players to cycle through on shorter deals during a tournament.CA and the broadcasters have been eager to allow for another overseas playing spot, but the ACA’s opposition has remained until recently, when the change was again suggested amid negotiations for a range of provisional alterations to the MoU.In addition to the overseas players clause, the players’ association is also working with CA on plans to use some of this years’ untapped player payment pool cash to provide a range of additional support measures for players, particularly in the WBBL. These would include investment in hub facilities in Sydney, plus greater allowances for player access to their families and other means of mental health assistance during what is sure to be a trying summer.

Tom Helm the bowling hero, as Joe Cracknell stars with the bat

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2020

Tom Helm was the bowling hero as Middlesex dented Kent’s Vitality Blast qualification hopes by landing a tense two-run win over the former South Group leaders in Canterbury.Set to chase 185 at an asking rate of 9.25 an over, Spitfires slumped to their second successive home defeat after failing to score the nine runs needed for victory off Helm’s nerve-tingling last over.Jordan Cox ended a near-heroic run chase unbeaten on 39, while skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond went for a season’s best 89 in trying to slog Helm’s first delivery of the final overThe hosts had made a dismal start in losing England star Zak Crawley to only the fourth ball. Aiming a lofted straight drive against Helm, Crawley’s bottom hand took over and tugged a simple catch to mid-on.Joe Denly soon followed, squared up by a Tim Murtagh cutter, the right-hander was caught at cover off a leading edge as Spitfires stumbled to 45 for 2 in the Powerplay.Heino Kuhn followed, down the pitch to Miguel Cummins, he spliced an attempted back-foot force low to Stevie Eskinazi at cover.Alex Blake gloved an attempted leg-side pull to the keeper against Steven Finn then Jack Leaning’s disappointing tournament continued when he picked out deep square leg to gift Murtagh a second scalp.Kent’s leading T20 run-scorer Bell-Drummond posted his third 50 of the qualifiers from 37 balls, reaching the milestone with a six over cover against Luke Hollman.With 51 required off the last four overs, Bell-Drummond moved into overdrive with a flailed six over long off against Nathan Sowter, a lofted paddle to third man against Helm, who was dispatched over the ropes at mid-wicket for another maximum.Needing 25 off 12 balls, Bell-Drummond and Cox nurdled fours to third man against Cummins who was then cracked for a massive six over long on by Cox.Grant Stewart was run out attempting two off the penultimate ball of the game from Helm and, with Cox off strike, Matt Milnes heaved at the last ball only to scramble a single and spark Middlesex victory celebrations.Bowling first after winning the toss, Kent leaked late runs to a fifth-wicket partnership worth 70 in seven overs between John Simpson and Luke Hollman.Spitfires had made a miserly start with the ball in restricting the visitors to four runs from their opening two overs, pressure that paid dividends when Max Holden, in looking to make room against Fred Klassen’s first ball of the match, skied his miscued drive to mid-off.Milnes undid his side’s good early work by conceding two boundaries and the first six of the game to Joe Cracknell in a scrappy fourth over that cost 22 runs.Denly’s second over went for 18 as Cracknell continued to tee-off and take his side to 65 for 1 after the Powerplay.Playing only his third T20 innings, Cracknell raced to a maiden short-form 50 from 21 balls with nine fours and a six, but his luck ran out next ball when he departed lbw playing across a full one from Stewart.Imran Qayyum struck in his first over of left-arm spin, drawing Martin Andersson down the pitch with a flighted delivery that beat the outside edge to have the right-hander stumped.Kent used three spinners in a bid to stem the run-rate, but Simpson upped the tempo with a straight six and swept four against Denly as the 100 came up after 11 overs.Eskinazi’s steady 22-ball stay for 26 ended in comical fashion and a run out. After being sent back wanting a single to backward point, the visiting skipper slid over and was on his backside watching as Cox gathered the throw to whip off the bails.Simpson, dropped off a sharp chance at wide mid-off when on 35, was run out in the final over for 46, while Hollman gave it the long handle to be run out off the final ball, for a quickfire 46 off 26 balls.Qayyum, the pick of Kent’s attack, completed four tidy overs to finish with for one for 21.

International players, including those representing England, could go on strike in the near future to combat increasing fixture congestion.

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Football's elite could refuse to play for their countriesStrike talks come after Rodri voices concernEngland stars would continue playing for their clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

Fixture congestion is becoming a very real concern in football and talk of strikes has started among the players as they look to put an end to the increasingly hectic schedule. Rodri publicly voiced his concern over the matter in a recent press conference and chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, Maheta Molango, has now revealed that stars would be more likely to boycott their international duties as opposed to their club commitments.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MOLANGO SAID

Speaking to , he said: "We've been very clear that we want to give priority to our domestic competitions. This is the bread and butter of our players, so I don't think that the issue is here domestically. I think the problem is more in terms of international competition, especially the national team competitions, for example, or this new format of World Cup that happens in the summer. So, I don't think that the focus is forcibly on domestic competitions. The focus is more on international ones and I think we need to define now what this may look like."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The PFA are believed to be working on legal action against FIFA due to the overloaded schedule and Rodri's public outburst was just the latest in a long list of players who have complained about what they have to put their body through across the year. Premier League champions Manchester City could play up to 73 matches this season, with their campaign potentially lasting until July as a result of the new Club World Cup next summer.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Players have already jetted off to represent their nations once this season and are set to do so again in October. Meanwhile, the European season has kicked off, as has the first domestic cup in England, meaning clubs competing in all three, like City, will have to play six games in the space of 20 days.

Roston Chase claimed a five-wicket haul for West Indies but his side has it all to do

The Report by Valkerie Baynes17-Jul-2020Ben Stokes and Dom Sibley picked up where they left off on the opening day to guide England into a commanding position at the end of the second with West Indies a wicket down and trailing on first innings by 437 runs.Having spent the best part of two days toiling hard in the field, an unchanged West Indies outfit from the one that won the first Test by four wickets in Southampton just five days ago, faces a fresh English seam attack.Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran all missed the last game but came into this one for the omitted Jofra Archer and the resting Mark Wood and James Anderson. Stokes, the fourth leg, will be understandably less crisp but he won’t turn down the chance to build on his contribution with the bat.Stokes faced 356 deliveries for his 176, his longest innings by far in terms of balls faced – he faced significantly fewer balls for his highest Test score of 258. Yes, it was slow going, but not as slow as Sibley’s 372-ball 120 and Stokes produced some jolt-you-awake shots when warranted, including an indignant shove all the way over long-on off Alzarri Joseph to add to his other six off Roston Chase the previous day.Chase could hold his head high, having claimed a five-wicket haul, but his side were left with it all to do after the stubborn-ness of Stokes and Sibley.Coming in with his side 81 for 3 on the first day, Stokes’ knock was the intelligent innings England required. It also carried with it the air of a man keen to go on after falling in the 40s in both innings at the Ageas Bowl.There were also 17 fours for Stokes, including the odd reverse sweep, one of which brought up his 10th Test century. It was another, attempted, reverse off Kemar Roach which brought about his undoing, but he had done his job.The moment wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich caught Stokes was hugely significant for Roach as it broke a Test wicket drought going back to August 31, 2019, and lasting 521 deliveries, or 86.5 overs. And just as he had done into that drought with two wickets in two balls, including Virat Kohli for a golden duck in Kingston, so he came out of it in the same manner, as Woakes was caught at gully next ball for a duck.Just as the tempo of Stokes’ knock can’t be criticised in England’s circumstances, nor can Sibley’s, as sedate as it was. Sibley had been at the crease as fellow opener Rory Burns, Zak Crawley and Joe Root fell, meaning it was hardly the time to change his circumspect nature.Sibley resumed on Friday tantalisingly close to his second century, not out 86 with Stokes unbeaten on 59 and England 207 for 3. The pair added 57 runs in the morning session and Sibley seemed stuck in the 90s for an age. There was even the possibility of Stokes beating him to the milestone but Sibley got there first, pushing Joseph through mid-on for three.Stokes went to lunch on 99 but brought up his ton on the third ball he faced after the break. Sibley finally holed out to Roach off Chase, ending a 260-run stand with Stokes off 568 balls, which was England’s second-longest partnership this century.Offspinner Chase bowled 44 overs – including 28 unchanged from the over before lunch to the end of the England innings – to claim 5 for 172.The quick turnaround between Tests was telling on West Indies’ quicks, with Shannon Gabriel moving gingerly from the start of the match and spending time off the ground in the hands of the team physio. Joseph also sought treatment for a sore biceps tendon as Roach toiled long and hard for his eventual reward, and Holder carried a heavy workload too.With swing in the air, Holder delayed taking the second new ball until the 94th over, about an hour into the day’s play. But even then, there was no breakthrough to be had until well into the second session.Sibley’s dismissal brought Ollie Pope to the crease for a short-lived stay, but Jos Buttler stuck around long enough to add 40 off 79 balls. After Curran had provided Chase’s fifth wicket, Dom Bess added an unbeaten 31 off 26 before Root had seen enough.Joseph ended up returning to the middle sooner than he would have liked – as nightwatchman – when Curran had Windies opener John Campbell out lbw for 12 late in the evening session.

An epic clash between two of world cricket’s bitterest rivals gave new life to the World Cup and knocked out the defending champions

The Retroreport by Andrew Miller05-Apr-2020

#RetroLive
Pakistan’s reign as World Champions has come to an end at the hands of their bitterest rivals, after the most richly anticipated clash of the 1996 World Cup served up a seething, bare-knuckle confrontation under the Chinnaswamy floodlights.The margin, 39 runs, looked substantial by the time the last rites of the contest had been played out, in front of a deliriously satisfied crowd of 35,000 partisan fans who – with whistles, hoots and bonfires in the stands – belied Bangalore’s previously staid reputation in an atmosphere that teetered at times towards anarchy.But the agonies that those fans endured in the course of the contest were real – as were those of countless millions from Karachi to Calcutta as the subcontinent came to a standstill for one pulsating evening. And never was the fate of the protagonists more on a knife-edge than during a thrilling opening stand of 84 in ten overs between Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar, one that appeared to have placed a daunting target of 288 well within Pakistan’s grasp.And yet, in the final analysis, India found the right men for the key moments, as they turned the tables in the middle overs and held their nerve at the death. Their basic team discipline was allied to top-notes of adrenalin-fuelled inspiration – not least a ballistic late onslaught from Ajay Jadeja – as they found the means to outlast a worthy opponent. Fittingly, and poignantly, it was Javed Miandad, 38 years old, and playing in his sixth World Cup after nearly three years of self-declared exile, who was on deck as Pakistan’s hopes faded to black. He bulwarked the closing overs before being run out for 38 from 64 balls, as the mounting asking-rate enveloped his dreams of one final glory.Pakistan will rue their fate in this contest for many years to come – rarely can they have had a contest more at their mercy. But rushes of blood littered their strokeplay as the game slipped from their grasp, not least the wild hack that Aamer, standing in as captain after the grievous pre-toss loss of Wasim Akram to a side strain, aimed at a pumped-up Venkatesh Prasad to eject himself from the contest at precisely the moment when consolidation was Pakistan’s watchword.Prasad’s send-off to Aamer was as feisty and uncomplicated as his subsequent command of the legcutter proved cool and calculating, and Pakistan’s middle order struggled to hit the ground running. Ijaz Ahmed opted to counter his threat with muscle but hoisted a leading edge to cover; Inzamam-ul-Haq attempted finesse, but steered a flat-footed poke to Nayan Mongia behind the stumps. And at 132 for 4, what embers remained of Pakistan’s fight were duly doused by the spinners, Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju, who throttled the contest with four wickets between them, and ensured that India’s lack of a fifth specialist bowler would not prove costly.It has been a slow burn of a World Cup, with mismatches and cancellations dominating an over-long group stage, in which the only real jeopardy for the senior Test nations has been the identity and venue of these knock-outs. And after squandering their chance of a home tie in Karachi with last week’s untimely loss to South Africa, Pakistan’s plans took a further hit in the build-up, with Wasim’s absence compounded by the loss of an important toss which left them the unenviable task of chasing in Bangalore’s floodlit debut.That prospect perhaps informed the tempo of the game’s opening exchanges, as Pakistan shelved their habitual aggression with the new ball and veered very early towards containment. Navjot Sidhu responded with a maturely compiled 93 from 115 balls, an innings in which he outscored his more illustrious partner Sachin Tendulkar by almost 2 to 1 in an opening stand of 90. But at 237 for 6 after 47 overs, India’s innings was in danger of drifting towards mediocrity.Until, that is, an astonishing late onslaught from Jadeja, whose natural attributes of strength and timing surged to the fore to eviscerate Pakistan’s death bowlers. No-one suffered more gruesomely than Waqar Younis, whose first eight overs had yielded 27 runs, but whose final two were smashed for 22 and 18 respectively – or dis-respectfully, you might say.Up until that moment, Pakistan seemed to have been earning their rewards for perseverance. At 168 for 2, Mushtaq Ahmed – a key player in the 1992 triumph – dislodged Sidhu with the flipper when a century was there for the taking, then followed up with a masterfully disguised googly to bowl Vinod Kambli on the charge for 24. Mohammad Azharuddin had already gone by then, supremely snaffled by Rashid Latif to give Waqar the wicket that his endeavours had earned, and when Mongia was run out for 3, a total of 250 seemed the upper limit of their ambitions and the Chinnaswamy was taut with apprehension.And yet, Jadeja’s part in that run-out seemed to click him into instant overdrive. Having survived a screechingly close lbw appeal from his first ball against Waqar, he decided thereafter not to let his legs be a target as he carved repeatedly and violently through the line and across the ropes.From consecutive Waqar deliveries Jadeja creamed four, six, four, six – the best of the lot an insolent slog over wide long-off as he seized on a fractional erring in line with disdain, and when Aaqib Javed banged one in short in between whiles, he slapped a further four off his eyebrows to send the whole of his country into raptures.By the time he holed out to long-on to end Waqar’s torment, Jadeja had racked up 45 from 25 balls, and with Kumble chiming in as well, India helped themselves to 50 runs in three overs that seemed, surely, to have put the game beyond reach.But Pakistan weren’t to be beaten quite that easily, and in scenes as eerily silent as a Hitchcock thriller, Aamer and Anwar made it their business to tear chunks out of the target in an opening salvo so calm and calculating it seemed to pan out in slow motion.Javagal Srinath was bunted over midwicket by Aamer in his first over, before Anwar opened his night’s work with back-to-back boundaries off Prasad, including a cover drive so pre-meditated, he might as well have started playing it on the flight over the border.The hits just kept on coming, so much so that Azharuddin turned to Kumble as early as the fifth over, but even he found himself soaring into the stands at long-on as Anwar kept his foot to the floor. And when Srinath was plucked off the toes high over midwicket for Anwar’s second six of the night, there seemed no earthly means of pulling India’s bowling effort out of its nose-dive.But then Pakistan blinked fatefully, and their reign as World Champions began to unravel. RetroLive

The popular show, which won 13 Emmys during its three-season run, appears close to a return

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• Warner picked up options on three lead cast members
• Jason Sudeikis expected to return
• Questions remain about other cast members

• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ted Lasso fans can rejoice, as it appears increasingly likely the show will return for a fourth season on Apple TV, according to a report.

  Warner Bros. Television, who produces the show, picked the options for three leading cast members: Hannah Waddingham, (AFC Richmond owner Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (the fiery Roy Kent), and Jeremy Swift (director of football operations Leslie Higgins).

  The report also suggests that the move wouldn’t happen without assurances that Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title character and co-created the show, and fellow co-creator Brendan Hunt (coach Beard) would return.

  broke the news of Ted Lasso nearing a greenlight for Season 4.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While many of the core cast will likely return, there are question marks about some of the bigger characters.

  Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tart, has not been picked up according to the report, due to the fact that he's tied to two shows in Prime Video’s and Apple’s .

  It's unclear which other stars might be considered for Season 4. The cast has repeatedly shown enthusiasm for returning to their roles, and many would likely make guest appearances if the opportunity arises.

  On a positive note, it appears likely Juno Temple will return as Keeley Jones.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The character of Ted Lasso originated as part of NBC Sports' promotion of their new deal to promote the Premier League.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR TED LASSO?

  reports if all deals for the cast and crew are set quickly, production on Season 4 could start as soon as early 2025. Ted Lasso remains Apple TV's most streamed show.

Nathan Lyon demonstrated why he had been so dismissive of the notion that he might be rested for the New Year’s Test by scything through New Zealand with his maiden five-wicket haul at the SCG. There were times on Jane McGrath Day, though, when the added assistance of Mitchell Swepson as a wrist-spinning offsider would not have gone astray.Australia claimed a first-innings advantage of 243 by the end of a day of considerable smoke haze in Sydney, though not enough to force a suspension in play. The Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, had been originally scheduled to watch day three’s play, but was otherwise occupied in his rapidly escalating response to the bushfire crisis sweeping the rest of the country.Pat Cummins started 2020 as he had ended 2019 with another incisive display, but it was Lyon who played the central role in cutting through the visitors’ top and tail on a pitch taking increasing amounts of spin. Mitchell Starc delivered a couple of threatening spells, but the third seamer, James Pattinson, found little to enjoy in the pitch and might easily have had his 16 overs for 58 runs, including nine boundaries, subbed out for Swepson’s legbreaks and googlies.Lyon defeated Tom Blundell and Jeet Raval before Cummins coaxed Tom Latham into a chip straight into the hands of mid-on, undoing some of the good work of the touring side’s openers who had reached 68 without loss. Cummins pinned Ross Taylor lbw shortly after lunch, before BJ Watling dragged Mitchell Starc onto the stumps and Colin de Grandhomme ran himself out.Things may have been worse for New Zealand, however, as Lyon dropped two straightforward return catches offered by the debutant Glenn Phillips and needed treatment for a cut to his right thumb after the first of them. Phillips survived no fewer than three chances on his way through to tea, the last of which a dismissal, caught in the deep off James Pattinson, that was ruled out by the subsequent ruling of a no-ball from the paceman.A fifty on Test debut with still a meritorious effort from Phillips before his dismissal, bowled through the gate by Cummins, ushered a rapid end to the innings.Nathan Lyon gets an lbw decision in his favour•Getty Images

Resuming at 0 for 63, the visitors made slow progress through the first half an hour, before Blundell misjudged a cross-seam delivery from Lyon and was bowled between his legs as he tried a shovel-pull shot to the leg side. Raval, who had been waylaid earlier in the Test with flu-like symptoms, walked out to play with far greater fluency than he had offered in the Perth Test, and for a time the scoreboard moved quickly.Lyon, though, was able to skid a stumps-seeking delivery into Raval’s front pad, winning an lbw verdict from Aleem Dar. Raval took a long time to review, appearing to use up more than his allotted 15 seconds, but Aleem allowed a decision referral that showed the ball striking legstump.Latham’s occupation ended the very next over when he miscued a Cummins delivery that held in the pitch and resulted in a simple catch for Mitchell Starc, and Phillips may well have followed had Lyon been able to hold onto a caught-and-bowled. Taylor hammered Travis Head’s offbreaks for a pair of boundaries in the final over of the session, but he was unable to last long after the interval as Cummins extracted enough reverse swing to bend the ball around his bat and strike him just in line with the off stump.Watling was becalmed before Starc managed to coax him into an expansive drive that only saw the ball edged back onto the stumps, and de Grandhomme dawdled too much over a second run to be dismissed through Matthew Wade’s throw and Tim Paine’s clean handling behind the stumps.Phillips enjoyed plenty of good fortune in getting through to tea, but it was little less than he deserved having been flown in for his Test debut the day before the match due to the spate of injury and illness affecting the New Zealand squad. The second new ball was now available to the Australians, and eventually Cummins found the ideal line and length to burst through Phillips, knocking back the offstump.Lyon defeated Will Somerville and Neil Wagner in the space of three balls, the former beaten twice before he was bowled, and then Matt Henry was alertly stumped by Paine when his defensive shot dribbled behind the stumps.David Warner and Joe Burns had very little trouble gliding to the close and adding another 40 to Australia’s advantage, but rain forecast for day four may complicate Paine’s declaration plans.

Fourth Test against England at the Wanderers will be Philander’s last before he retires from international cricket

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg23-Jan-2020Faf du Plessis: “A banker””With Vern, it’s great to know as a captain you can give the ball to someone with control. Test cricket is all about control, run-rate, putting guys under pressure through either spells where you feel you can get a lot of wickets – with Vern sometimes that is the case, when the ball is moving around, it feels like he can get a guy out at any stage or with the control factor. If the wicket is a bit slower, I know I am going to get control out of him.”In Test cricket you don’t want to be throwing the ball to someone and hope that he keeps the run-rate under 4.5, it releases a lot of pressure. I know that Vern gives me that control. He is a banker, most certainly always. Later in his career, it has been about managing his workload. This is a four-Test series. He didn’t bowl as much in the previous game as a bowler like him can bowl but had the foresight and understanding that we will need him here at Wanderers and if necessary push himself a little bit more, which he will be because it’s last.”Graeme Smith: “The last cog in the wheel””Under my captaincy Vern was like the last cog in the wheel. He was an incredible guy who came in and added to our bowling attack. His skill against left-handed batsmen was a huge thing. Being able to be effective and get us into games, allowing other people to be more aggressive and attack more because we always knew Vern was going to be reliable and give us what we needed.”I think the one thing that always gets missed about him is that he’s a fantastic competitor. He’s got the bit between his teeth and he gets into contests. And his ability to front up. We are all put under pressure in the international game. It’s how you regroup and front up again. Vern was fantastic from that perspective. An element of that needs to come back into our national side – how guys front up under pressure and perform when needed; when the moments are right.”He was outstanding. I would have loved to see him progress more in the short formats. My argument with Vern has always been has he always got to that level of talent that he’s had? Has he worked hard enough, at times, to get there. Certainly what he’s produced in the Test format for us, his record speaks for itself. He can be proud.”Now the conversation is how do we keep him in the system, because his knowledge on bowling and his skill is something we cannot afford to lose. As CSA we lose too much intellectual property all the time. Even post my 11 years of captaincy no-one sat down and said, ‘Look here, what did you learn? What are the systems?’ It’s an area we’re not very good at. So we’ve got to try and keep all this knowledge of international cricket and quality players in the system to hopefully develop the next heroes.”Quinton de Kock: “His own person””Vern’s his own person. He brings a lot, not just with his skills with the ball and the bat, but with his attitude towards the game. We’re going to miss that. I hope he can have a good goodbye.”Beuran Hendricks: “Special””With Vernon and me, there’s always that senior player versus younger player. I am always turning to Vern and making sure I get enough info out of him. It’s a special one for me to play with Vern even though it’s his last Test. I started my career with Patto [Dane Paterson] and Vern and it was special to share the new ball with Vern. “