Stars slip to heavy defeat as Davies rips through old side’s batting lineup

ECB Reporters Network10-Jul-2024

Freya Davies’ impeccable four-for set up Southern Vipers’ no-nonsense seven-wicket bonus point victory over South East Stars to cement their place at the top of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy table.Former Stars fast bowler Davies hadn’t taken four in an innings since taking 4 for 23 in a T20 for England against New Zealand in March 2021, and last haul of four or more in 50-over cricket was a six-for for Sussex Women in 2018.But she extracted great pace to take 4 for 14 at Falkland Cricket Club, to restrict Stars to 120, with local star Ava Lee and Charli Knott both grabbing two wickets apiece.Knott – on her penultimate appearance – then made sure the chase was straightforward with a classy 57, as holders Vipers avenged their Charlotte Edwards Cup semi-final defeat to Stars in style.Vipers chose to bowl, and after a rain delay which knocked the overs down to 46 a side, they ruthlessly sliced through the Stars’ batting.Mary Taylor made the initial breakthrough when she found Tash Farrant edging a drive behind to Megan Sturge, who was keeping wicket for the first time due to a finger injury to Rhianna Southby.But Davies was the bigger danger in dumping the visitors to 22 for 4 with her swing bamboozling Bryony Smith, Alexa Stonehouse and Kalea Moore.The ball to bowl Smith and the one which Moore gloved behind were particular snorters in an often unplayable first seven-over spell of 3 for 10.Alice Davidson-Richards and Bethan Miles recovered things somewhat by putting on 35 but another collapse of 25 for 4 stymied Stars.This time it was the Vipers’ spin which took hold as Miles and Aylish Cranstone were undone by Knott’s smart offbreaks, before the Australian turned Elastigirl to incredibly catch Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones in the leg-side deep.It was the start of two wickets in an over for Lee – playing on the ground she began playing on at Under-11s for Falkland – as the England Under-19s spinner had Davidson-Richards caught behind.Chloe Hill and Ryana Macdonald Gay held things up with a patient 34-run partnership for the ninth wicket before Hill was run out at the non-striker’s end and Dani Gregory was Davies’ fourth victim and Sturge’s third.The reply was emphatic from Vipers. Where Stars had only scored six boundaries in their entire innings, Vipers, led by Knott, had equalled that inside 14 overs.Stars were also not helped by an apparent hamstring injury suffered by Farrant in the first over, which forced her to leave the field.Knott and Ella McCaughan put on 46 for the first wicket inside eight overs before the latter was outfoxed by a big turning offie from Moore.Georgia Adams, after a 43-run alliance with Knott, and Emily Windsor fell but Knott was graceful in dispatching width to reach a 56-ball fifty, her third half-century and fifth score over 40 for the Vipers.It was only right that Knott would cut the winning runs as Vipers romped to the target in 23 overs.

Dravid sent a touching message to his successor wishing him luck which featured advice and some humour

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jul-2024″Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people.”Outgoing India head coach Rahul Dravid did what many consider the unthinkable – he made Gautam Gambhir smile with the above message. Dravid sent out a touching message to the new head coach, who takes over with the T20I series against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday. In a video posted by the BCCI on social media, Gambhir was made to sit in front of a laptop to play the message which he didn’t know came from Dravid.”As your team-mate, I saw you giving it your all on the field,” Dravid said to Gambhir. “As your batting partner and fellow fielder, I saw your resilience and refusal to surrender. Across many IPL seasons, I noted your desire to win, your assistance to younger players and your drive to extract the best out of your team on the field.”I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities into the new job.Related

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“As you know, the expectations will be high and the scrutiny will be intense. But even in the worst of times you will never be alone. You will have the support of the players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management and never forget for whom you play – for fans who are very demanding but will always be behind the team.”Soon after winning the T20 World Cup final last month in Barbados, Dravid had mentioned the role of “luck” that had helped his team lift the trophy and he hoped the same would help Gambhir too.”I also wish you a little bit of luck, as you know that all of us coaches need to make us look that little bit wiser and smarter than we actually are,” he said.Dravid’s dry humour also gave an appearance to elicit a smile from Gambhir. “Even if it’s difficult for you, crack a smile. Whatever else happens, that will shock people,” he said.

“I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”Gambhir’s reaction to Dravid’s message

“From one Indian cricket coach to another, one last thing. In the most heated of times, exhale, take a step back. I wish you the very best, Gautam. I am sure you will take the Indian team to even greater heights.”Reacting to Dravid’s message which made him “emotional,” Gambhir said there was a lot to learn from his predecessor not just for him but for the entire generation.”I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me,” Gambhir said. “The reason is not because it comes from the person who I have succeeded but from a person who I have always looked up to when I was playing.”I have always felt that and I said it in a lot of my interviews – I think the most selfless cricketer I have actually ever played with. Rahul has done anything and everything Indian cricket needed.”I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me but for the next generation and the current generation as well. That’s how important Indian cricket is, not me, not individuals.”I don’t get too emotional but I think this message actually made me a lot emotional which normally I shouldn’t. But it’s a great message.”It’s massive shoes that I can hopefully fill. Hopefully, I can do that with absolute honesty, transparency and hopefully, I can make the entire nation and more importantly, the person I have always looked up to – Rahul – proud,” he said.

Sunderland have now made an opening move to sign a Euro 2024 “icon” after confirming the signing of Habib Diarra, according to a new report.

Habib Diarra “happy and excited” to join Sunderland

The Black Cats completed their second signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday, as Diarra joined the club in a reported record deal worth £30 million. The young midfielder arrives from French side Strasbourg, where he excelled under Liam Rosenior during the 2024/25 campaign.

Diarra’s arrival at the Stadium of Light is seen as a replacement for Jobe Bellingham, who left the club earlier in this window to join Borussia Dortmund, following in the same footsteps as his older brother. After penning a five-year contract at Sunderland, the 21-year-old guaranteed that “he will give everything for this team and fight for the colours in the Premier League.”

Diarra said, via BBC Sport: “I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans.

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“Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

Sunderland make approach to sign £21m Euro 2024 ace

As the Black Cats complete a deal for Diarra, according to Tutto Juve, relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland have now made an approach to sign striker Georges Mikautadze from French side Olympique Lyon.

This report states that after an impressive campaign with Lyon, where he scored 11 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games, Sunderland have made the forward a priority signing, but do face competition from teams such as Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as clubs from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The Black Cats see the 24-year-old, who has been dubbed a “true icon” by scout Jacek Kulig, as an ideal player for Regis Le Bris’ system. Despite the interest from big teams across Europe, Sunderland are said to have an advantage in the race and that is Le Bris and his ambitious project at the Stadium of Light.

Georges Mikautadze’s 24/25 Ligue 1 stats

Appearances

34

Goals

11

xG

10.24

Assists

6

xAG

3.73

Shots per game

1.6

Shots on target per game

0.8

Key passes per game

0.6

Big chances created

9

Earlier this week it was reported by TEAMtalk, that Nottingham Forest were also among the teams chasing the striker, as they look to take advantage of Lyon’s current financial situation which has seen them relegated to Ligue 2. It was claimed that Lyon are open to offers for Mikautadze, as long as they receive a fee of €25 million, which is roughly £21.4 million.

Sunderland do already have Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda as options for the forward line, but adding a player such as Mikautadze, who was the Euro 2024 top scorer for Georgia, would bring European experience to Sunderland’s front line and a player who knows how to find the back of the net.

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, wants to have some “red-ball fun” but is aware the road back to the Test side will not be all that straightforward.As things stand, there are at least four others, including his Mumbai team-mates Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer, along with KL Rahul and Rajat Patidar, ahead of him in the pecking order. But he wants to give the long-form cricket another proper crack in a bid to add to his one-Test appearance last year, against Australia in Nagpur.”There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again,” Suryakumar told reporters in Coimbatore on Monday after Mumbai’s training session on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament.Related

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“I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now.”Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That’s not in my control. What’s in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens. But yes, I’m really looking forward. There are ten Test matches lined up and I’m obviously excited for some red-ball fun.”Suryakumar hasn’t played a first-class fixture since last year’s Duleep Trophy 13 months ago. Between then and now, he has recuperated from a groin surgery in Germany that kept him out of action for three months. During this period, he was part of the ODI and T20 World Cups.Suryakumar Yadav recently led India to a 3-0 sweep in the T20I series in Sri Lanka•Getty Images

He was named full-time T20I captain after Rohit retired from the format following India’s title win in the Caribbean. Recently, he led India to a 3-0 T20I series sweep in Sri Lanka. After the Buchi Babu fixture, he will head to Anantapur for the Duleep Trophy, where he has been named in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India C squad.”Red-ball cricket has always been my priority,” Suryakumar said. “When I grew up in the maidans of Mumbai and played a lot of local cricket, I started playing with the red cherry. The love for the longest format began there, and has always been there.”I have taken part in a lot of first-class matches for more than ten years now and I still cherish playing this format. There’s no question about it and that’s why I’m here before the Duleep Trophy.”I will always look for an opportunity to come and play for Mumbai, be it in first-class cricket or a tournament like the Buchi Babu. A lot of international players have played in this competition before and have gone on to represent the country.”Suryakumar’s return to long-form cricket comes at a time when India are slated to play ten Tests over the next four months, starting with the two-Test series against Bangladesh on September 19. That will be followed by three against New Zealand and five away, in Australia.For Suryakumar to make a pitch for a Test recall, he will need a series of tall scores. He is looking at the upcoming opportunity for Mumbai as a blessing to acclimatise to red-ball cricket quickly before the domestic season begins.”We are fortunate to have this tournament because we don’t get many multi-day games back home during this weather,” he said. “Yes, you can practise for a couple of hours, but standing in the heat for six hours and doing that three or four days in a row is only possible through a game. That’s very important going forward in the Duleep Trophy and, hopefully, in Tests.”Suryakumar has a decent red-ball record, having scored 5628 runs in 82 first-class matches at an average of 43.62. This includes 14 hundreds and 29 fifties. He could be a key player on turning tracks, where he can bring his attacking game to the fore. But he underlined the need to tailor his game to suit the demands of the format, and not bat like he would in a T20 game.”It’s necessary to adapt to the conditions well,” he said. “In Mumbai, you have red soil, but here [in Coimbatore] it is black soil and the wickets are a bit different. You have to be one step ahead in the challenging longest format and can’t bat like how you would in a T20.”But at the same time, intent is imperative. Everything else will take care of itself when you play. You can’t go into the game and ponder too much. You just have to go out, put your heart into it and enjoy the game. Stay humble if you do well. Go back to the drawing board and start again if you don’t.”

Glasgow Rangers could soon get the chance to bring a Champions League striker to Ibrox, with the forward in question open to the idea of a potential Gers move.

Rangers forwards Dessers and Igamane linked with Ibrox exits

Russell Martin is the man tasked by the 49ers Enterprises with bringing Scottish Premiership glory back to Ibrox, and the Gers are also looking to qualify for the Champions League, starting with next months qualifier against Greek side Panathinaikos.

However, Martin could be without some star attackers for the two-legged European clash at the end of July, with Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane both mooted to leave Glasgow this summer.

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Dessers could end up moving to Greece with AEK Athens after agreeing a £30,000-a-week contract, however, the two clubs are yet to shake hands on a fee with the Gers rejecting a £4.5m offer.

Meanwhile, Igamane has agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 side Lille over a Rangers exit, and like Dessers, there is still work to be done over reaching an agreement on a fee.

Should both depart, then reinforcements will be required in the final third ahead of the 2025/26 season, and by the looks of things, one man is keen on the idea of joining Lyall Cameron and Max Aarons through the Ibrox door.

Luuk de Jong “open” to Rangers move

According to reports from the Netherlands, relayed by The Daily Record, experienced striker Luuk de Jong would be “open” to a move to Rangers this summer.

The 34-year-old is on course to become a free agent when his PSV Eindhoven contract expires at the end of the month, and there is hesitation over new terms, with Ricardo Pepi set to be first-choice striker next season.

After three years with PSV, De Jong captained the Dutch side throughout the 24/25 season, including in the Champions League.

A Netherlands international, De Jong’s future is up in the air and Rangers are ‘touted as an interested party’, something he could be open to as he reaches the twilight years of his career.

As can be seen, De Jong, who stands at 6 foot 2, has scored goals in the Netherlands, Spain and Germany during his career, so he could be a shrewd addition who would provide plenty of experience for Martin.

Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman even labelled De Jong as “more dangerous than Neymar” for his threat in the air, and during his career, the striker has scored 113 headed goals.

“When there’s a cross coming in, Luuk is more dangerous than Neymar. He’s a different kind of forward to what we have, and I think all teams should have one like him.”

It wasn’t exactly a well-kept secret this summer that Birmingham City were interested in landing Peterborough United superstar Kwame Poku.

Unfortunately, the Blues’ drawn-out pursuit of the entertaining Ghanaian has seemingly gone cold now, as the likes of Russell Martin’s Rangers accelerate to the front of the queue for his coveted services instead.

This would have been a knock to Chris Davies and Co.’s confidence as they navigate up to the Championship, but it hasn’t stopped them from pressing on with other attacking targets, as the ambitious Blues look to close in on another statement addition up top.

Birmingham close in on statement reunion

As per a recent report from journalist Alan Nixon, the newly promoted outfit look to be edging ever closer to bringing former star Demarai Gray back to their ranks this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Much like their chase for Poku, it had been well publicised that the Blues wanted to make such a stunning reunion happen.

Now, it might well become a reality, with both Sunderland and Fiorentina, who had also been looking at signing the experienced Jamaica international in an £8m deal, left in Birmingham’s dust to seal the sublime move.

Whilst the Rangers-bound attacker had been viewed as the flavour of the month in the EFL after a sensational season on the books of Posh, landing Gray might well be an even more exciting pick-up than the 23-year-old.

Why Gray would be a more exciting signing than Poku

If Birmingham are deadly serious about going after back-to-back promotions, Gray joining will undoubtedly help them to pull off such an arduous feat, with the former Blues prodigy going on to have a lengthy career at the very top after waving St. Andrew’s goodbye in 2016.

Indeed, Gray is likely more well-known in English football now for being a Premier League regular on the books of Leicester City and Everton, than a one-time academy product emerging up the Blues ranks.

In total, the Birmingham-born forward has amassed over 200 Premier League appearances for the likes of the Foxes and the Toffees, with an impressive 19 goals and 14 assists coming his way from those contests, on top of a Premier League title astoundingly being lifted when situated at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester

169

13

14

Birmingham

78

8

4

Everton

75

12

6

Al-Ettifaq

50

4

5

Bayer Leverkusen

12

1

2

Poku might well have a certain level of freshness on his side – considering he has just tallied up a blistering 12 goals and 11 assists for Darren Ferguson’s men last campaign – but the table above really does speak for itself when judging the 28-year-old’s pedigree alone, with a season even under his belt in the Bundesliga when lining up for Bayer Leverkusen.

Moreover, whilst Poku was a breakout success for Posh last season, he has never actually bagged a goal in the Championship, despite ripping up the third-tier, with just a meagre two goal contributions next to his name at the difficult level from 20 clashes.

An “electric” attacker on his day – in the words of journalist Scott Saunders – his first major steps in the senior game did actually come in the Championship with his hometown club, notably netting a memorable hat-trick above three of the eight strikes he has managed in the division when donning Birmingham blue.

It will now be up to Gray to roll back the years on his expected return, with more Premier League appearances perhaps coming his way down the line.

Whilst Poku is the talk of the town as an up-and-coming ace, Gray has already cemented himself as a Championship-capable talent and beyond across his vast playing days, with another chapter soon to be added to his packed story when hopefully starring for Davies and Co.

Birmingham want to sign "fantastic" £8m ace who scored in St Andrew's win

He could be an excellent summer addition.

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Partnerships between Markram and de Zorzi and then Verreynne and Mulder help South Africa take a big lead

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2024With a lead of 239 and five wickets in hand on a surface that got better to bat on as the day went on, South Africa put fingertips on the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.Eight wickets fell on another action-packed day in Guyana where the advantage ebbed and flowed. South Africa took two early on but West Indies’ last pair got them close to drawing level in the first innings. Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph shared a 10th-wicket stand of 40 – the second-highest in the West Indian innings – to turn the match into all but a one-innings game and in that game, South Africa will feel they have the advantage.An opening stand of 79, half-centuries from Aiden Markram and Kyle Verreynne and an unbeaten 84-run sixth-wicket partnership between Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder – the highest of the series so far – all put South Africa in a strong position. But, with plenty of time left in the game, West Indies will not be too disheartened, especially as they have seen how quickly wickets fall early on.South Africa lost four in the first session of day one and West Indies three on day two, which could provide West Indies with an opportunity early on the third day. The pitch is expected to be at its best on the third afternoon and West Indies will want to be batting by then, especially with a big chase in their sights. Before they get there, West Indies will rely on their attack, particularly hometown hero Joseph, and Jayden Seales, who took 2 for 7 in his third spell, to get rid of South Africa’s middle and lower order. So far, they have held up well after a mini-collapse which saw South Africa lose 4 for 19 in nine overs after a solid start of 120 for 1.South Africa’s openers were tested upfront with seam movement from Seales and tight lines from Holder. Markram edged Holder short of first slip at the end of his first over but settled when he drove Seales for four through cover point five balls later. Tony de Zorzi was hit on the back pad by Seales and flirted with a run-out chance when he pushed a single off Holder but pulled Seales off his toes to announce himself. South Africa went to lunch unscathed on 30 without loss.Runs came quickly after the break and South Africa had more than doubled their morning score to 66 in 4.4 overs after the interval when they offered their first real chance. De Zorzi edged Holder to the left of wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva, who dived low to try and take the catch but could not hold on. De Zorzi was on 36 off 41 at the time and added only three runs off the next 31 balls he faced before he nicked off to give Seales a well-earned reward. De Zorzi punched his bat in frustration as he walked off when the opening stand was broken.Markram and Tristan Stubbs eked out six runs off the next four overs while they bided time but Stubbs’ patience seemed to be tested when he edged Gudakesh Motie past slip for three. Stubbs’ first boundary came off the 21st ball he faced when he reverse swept Motie through third but he did not look entirely comfortable at any point in the session. He survived an lbw appeal off Holder and held his end through to tea. Markram was lucky to get there when, on 42, he drove Motie to Alick Athanaze at silly mid-off but was put down. South Africa were 111 for 1 at the tea break, 127 runs ahead.Three overs into the final session, Markram reached 50 off 104 balls but seven balls after that was struck on the back foot to a Motie delivery that straightened and was given out lbw. Temba Bavuma could have been out on his third ball when he edged an away seamer from Joseph but it did not carry to slip. Motie had better luck when Bavuma went forward to a length ball, was hit on the pad. The umpire didn’t think it was out, but West Indies successfully reviewed to have the decision overturned.Jayden Seales and Gudakesh Motie brought about wickets in a cluster•AFP/Getty ImagesThat wicket sparked a mini-collapse. In the next over, Stubbs edged Seales to Da Silva and two overs after that David Bedingham was bowled to give Seales a second wicket in three overs and give the hosts a chance of keeping South Africa’s lead under 200. Mulder and Verreynne took them over that mark. They were in danger of being separated 12 minutes before the end of play when Mulder was given out lbw in Seales’ fourth spell but he reviewed and ball-tracking showed it was missing leg. The pair accelerated towards the end of the day with 26 runs off the last four overs, which included Verreynne’s fifty off 71 balls – his third in Test cricket. All of his half-centuries, and his only Test hundred so far, have come away from home.Earlier, the last-wicket stand between Holder and Joseph meant West Indies finished just 16 runs adrift of South Africa’s first-innings score of 160. After resuming on 97 for 7, Jomel Warrican chipped an overpitched delivery from Kagiso Rabada to Keshav Maharaj at mid-on to depart for a 16-ball duck.Left-arm seamer Nandre Burger shared the day’s opening duties with Rabada and started off bowling full but in his second over, began a short-ball assault to set up Seales. The first three deliveries of Burger’s third over of the day were increasingly short in length but his fourth was full on the stumps and Seales was struck on the pad and given out lbw.South Africa could have ended West Indies’ innings on the next ball when Joseph edged Burger to Markram at second slip but he could not hold on to a head height catch. The drop proved costly as Joseph went on to score 25 – but was dropped again on 15 by Mulder a third slip – and provided strong support to Holder, who approached the first hour of play with aggression. Holder hit the last ball of Mulder’s first over on the day over long-on for six, to bring up the first half-century of the match and his 14th in Tests. Joseph took on Burger, and hit his short ball behind square leg and past point and then, just for laughs, sent the full one out of the ground. In his first over of the morning, Maharaj beat Joseph’s sweep and had him out lbw and South Africa were batting again 90 minutes into the day.

The seamer picked up nine wickets in the match to strengthen his case as India’s third seam-bowling option

Shashank Kishore08-Sep-2024

Two balls across two innings defined Akash Deep’s impressive outing in the Duleep Trophy game, where he returned a match haul of 9 for 116 for India A against India B.The first one was Nitish Kumar Reddy’s wicket, courtesy of late seam movement that squared him up to hit the top of the off stump. The second was a set-up that involved playing with Washington Sundar’s mind.After troubling him with the ones that straightened from around the wicket, Akash switched back to over the wicket and bent the ball back off the seam from the same spot to beat his inside edge and rattle the stumps.”The balls I bowled to Nitish Reddy [in the first innings] and Washington Sundar [in the second innings],” Akash said when asked to pick his favourite wicket from the match. “I had been bowling a lot to him [Washington] from around the wicket in the nets. He has been batting a lot against me and had got used to it. So I wanted to do something that I hadn’t done against him before.”Related

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Such planning of his dismissals is something he has learnt from Mohammed Shami. His chats have been around trying to have batters guessing which way the ball will move from the same spot. Shami’s set-up of Ben Stokes at last year’s World Cup is possibly a good example.”When you bowl to a left-hander from around the wicket, the ball moves naturally towards the shine,” Akash explained. “I spoke to him [Shami] about how to get the ball to come back in [with the angle]. I have seen him do that.”He advised me not to focus too much on bringing it in. He said it will automatically come over time and when it does, it will become a wicket-taking ball. Because if it keeps going out and then you are able to bring it back in with the shine, it’s tough for batsmen. But he has cautioned me against trying it a lot. But as a bowler, if you’re able to do it, then batters will have a tendency to chase balls away as well.”This ability to generate lateral movement both ways stood out, as much as Akash’s ability to bowl long spells even when at times it felt as if there wasn’t much happening off the pitch. Akash sent down 41 overs across both innings, comfortably the most among all the bowlers in this match. He put this down to the conditioning work he did at the NCA over the past month.”My last proper match was my Test debut in March,” he said. “In the IPL, I played just one game. As a fast bowler, it’s difficult to come back [after such a long stretch]. I was at the NCA for a month, I played a lot of practice games keeping in mind the kind of situations we will face in a real match, so that the muscle memory is used to the rigours of a first-class match.”Akash’s memorable Duleep Trophy outing sets him up nicely to be in the race for the third seamer’s slot for the upcoming home Tests, if Shami continues to remain unavailable. Asked if this performance will help him add to his maiden Test appearance against England, especially with a Test tour to Australia coming up, Akash said he wanted to stay in the present.”I think of every match as my last match,” he said. “I don’t think too far ahead. What happens [the selection] is not in my hands. I’m here in the present, thinking about my process. I’ve now finished a match, tomorrow is a rest day so how can I recover well? I think more about those things. I’m only thinking in the present.”Is he satisfied with his performance?”As a player, the moment you’re satisfied, you won’t learn. As long as that hunger is there to learn, you should not be satisfied. Getting wickets and the final result is different. The ball that I wanted to bowl, how much of it was I able to execute properly? What could I have improved? That’s what I was thinking about all the time.”

Manchester United have submitted an offer for a former Premier League striker, who has release clause of £44m, according to a report.

Man Utd set sights on Gyokeres alternatives

Fabrizio Romano has now made it clear that Viktor Gyokeres is “only” thinking about signing for Arsenal this summer, with the Swedish striker refusing to turn up for Sporting CP training, meaning Man United will likely have to move on to alternative targets.

Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen is among them, with Rio Ferdinand recently insisting securing the Nigerian’s signature would soften the blow of missing out on Gyokeres, saying: “He’s a centre-forward, he’s experienced, he knows how to score goals at the top level. I’ve seen today that Galatasaray have put a £50m bid in.

“I mean, £50m to get a top-class striker, one of the top strikers in the world, is absolute peanuts in today’s market. I’ll be disappointed if he goes to Galatasaray for that type of money when Man United are crying out for a No. 9.

“I’ll be disappointed to miss out on Gyokeres if we don’t get a No.9 in. But if we got Osimhen, then I wouldn’t be too concerned.”

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness) United are also battling Galatasaray for the signature of a different striker, namely Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, with both clubs making contact over a potential deal.

In fact, it is claimed the Red Devils have even gone as far as submitting a bid, although it is unclear whether they are willing to match the €52m (£44m) release clause in the striker’s Fiorentina contract.

Serie A winners Napoli are also in the race for the centre-forward, who is in two minds about his future, with the next six days said to be ‘key’.

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The former Everton man’s previous stint in the Premier League didn’t go exactly to plan, scoring just two goals in the competition for the Toffees, but the Italian has really kicked on since returning to his home country.

Last season was the Fiorentina star’s most impressive campaign to date, scoring 25 goals in all competitions as his side finished sixth in the Serie A and reached the semi-final of the Europa Conference League.

Competition 24/25

Appearances

Goals

Serie A

32

19

Conference League

9

3

Italian Cup

1

1

UECL qualifiers

2

2

Football writer Mina Rzouki was also left impressed by the Italy international’s displays, describing him as a “king of kings” after bagging a brace in a 3-0 victory over Inter Milan back in February.

That said, it would be a big gamble for Man United to sign Kean, given that the forward struggled during his previous spell in England, so it may be wise to turn their attentions to Osimhen, who bagged 37 goals in all competitions last term.

Celtic are starting to accelerate their summer business and now find themselves in the hunt for a proven operator with plenty of Premier League experience, according to a report.

Celtic see off Sporting in statement pre-season victory

Rounding off their pre-season camp in Portugal, Celtic saw off Primeira Liga champions Sporting Clube de Portugal 2-0 courtesy of goals from Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan.

After a promising performance that will quell some anxieties experienced by supporters in relation to transfer business, Brendan Rodgers confirmed Celtic are close to making their sixth summer signing — Kawasaki Frontale forward Shin Yamada.

He stated: “He’ll have a medical over the next couple of days and we’ll have a look at him. We’ve lost a lot of goals, so we need to replace that. Hopefully, this can be one of a number of players we can bring in that aspect.

“He’s got intensity and workrate. It’s something the scouts have seen. In terms of the club, we will bring in players to develop and players for now. Even though he’s a bit older, he’s probably one that can give us that intensity and pressure.”

Contact has reportedly been made by Celtic in relation to Odsonne Edouard. However, Rodgers also appeared to distance himself from a move for the Crystal Palace forward during his post-match duties.

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Clearly, adding one or two alternatives through the middle has become a key priority for the Irishman, though he will also be keen to offer competition for Kieran Tierney on the left-hand side of defence.

With the Bhoys veering towards the start of their Scottish Premiership title defence, Celtic may have identified the man to fill their vacant slot.

Celtic plot surprise return for Jeffrey Schlupp

According to Africa Foot, Celtic could move to re-sign free agent Jeffrey Schlupp after he left Crystal Palace upon the expiration of his contract at Selhurst Park.

The Ghana international spent the second half of last campaign on loan in Glasgow, acting as a rotational figure alongside Greg Taylor as the Bhoys claimed the Scottish Premiership title.

Jeffrey Schlupp at Celtic – is he worthy of a permanent deal?

Schlupp’s record at Celtic

18 appearances, one goal, one assist.

Pros

Experience at a high level (280 appearances in the Premier League, FA Cup winner). Capable of featuring at left-back, in central midfield or as a left winger. Familiarity within Brendan Rodgers’ system.

Cons

Likely a stop-gap signing at 32 years old. Little sell-on value and doesn’t fit stereotypical transfer model. Any deal would be a sign Celtic have failed to land other targets, i.e. Flavio Nazinho.

Labelled “wonderful” by Rodgers, an added caveat to a potential transfer comes in the form of Schlupp having the same agent as Celtic forward Adam Idah.

However, some would argue bringing in a younger player would cover more bases in the long-term rather than someone approaching the twilight of their career.

Either way, Celtic will face competition for Schlupp, given that Hull City, Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion are also circling for the veteran defender.