All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United's summer revolution continues, as Daniel Farke seeks to usher in the wholesale changes needed to turn them into true Championship contenders.

Is Divock Origi leaving AC Milan?

With plenty of departures to note, the German manager has inherited a team that has been gutted following their relegation from the Premier League.

Several of their star men have forced loan exits, and the future of those who remain are still uncertain. For a new boss seeking to put together a squad, the elements are certainly against him at this moment in time.

However, the addition of Ethan Ampadu and the expected arrival of Karl Darlow does show promise.

Especially if they are to add Divock Origi into the fold, who was also a reported target of theirs earlier this month. The AC Milan forward has seen his chances in Italy limited, and he could seek a return to England to reignite a career that once promised much.

FootballTransfers value the Belgian marksman at just €9m (£8m).

How many goals did Divock Origi score for Liverpool?

Origi had grown into something of a cult hero for Liverpool before his exit last summer, and his departure was met with widespread sadness from most of the fanbase.

He had been ever-present throughout Jurgen Klopp's reign, involved in many of their greatest triumphs including his famous Champions League semi-final brace against Barcelona, and subsequent goal in the final.

A man for the big occasion, he would score 41 times during his eight-year stay at Anfield, making 175 appearances.

It was expected that his switch to the San Siro would allow the 28-year-old to flex his goalscoring muscles with more regularity as a starter, but having made just ten starts in Serie A last season, that has been far from the case.

Dropping down to the Championship could see him cement himself as Leeds' star man, sure to play every game and spearhead their push for promotion.

The former LOSC Lille maverick could even finally realise that once sparkling potential, which was outlined in 2016 by journalist Aaron Flanagan. He claimed:

"Divock Origi was outstanding second half. Still got a few doubts about him but looks very powerful now. Dangerous with space to play."

The latter statement has remained the case, as his aforementioned Champions League final finish against Tottenham Hotspur showcased. Just an inch of space allowed him to fire home with his weaker left foot, creating something out of nothing and winning his side the ultimate prize.

In snatching such an asset from the Rossoneri, it could mark the avenging of the Whites' failure to capture Charles De Ketelaere last year.

Having been embroiled in a long-standing transfer saga throughout the 2022 summer, it was the Italian outfit who eventually captured him for a fee reaching €35m (£30m).

The Belgian maestro was coming off the back of a stellar campaign in his homeland, where he had posted 28 goal contributions across all competitions during the 2021/22 season.

Whilst he has since struggled, failing to score across 40 games most recently, it still represented a huge hammer blow for a side seeking a replacement for the departed Raphinha.

It could be argued that the failure to add that firepower left them severely reliant on the injury-prone Luis Sinisterra to score the goals they lost with the exit of their Brazilian talisman, leading to their relegation.

Now, to make up for such a frustrating steal, the Milan side could present a peace offering that rebuilds the broken relationship last summer likely induced.

Origi is clearly surplus to requirements for Stefano Pioli, and yet for Leeds, he could be a real star.

His acquisition should mark a no-brainer for Farke in an attempt to avenge the club's previous mistakes in the transfer window.

West Ham United have had their move for Carlos Borges hijacked by Ajax this summer, and now a fresh update has emerged on an alternative move that the club could make to soften the blow.

What's the latest on West Ham's interest in Demarai Gray?

According to The Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Everton winger Demarai Gray is one to "keep an eye on" for the Hammers.

The reporter revealed on Twitter:

"Turning into a nightmare window for West Ham following @FabrizioRomano story that Carlos Borges is now set to join Ajax. Deal looked as good as done. Keep an eye on Demarai Gray. Name that has been internally discussed, nothing finalised just yet between Everton & Fulham. #WHUFC"

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

How good is Demarai Gray?

David Moyes and his squad will head to the south coast in their Premier League opener against Bournemouth next weekend, however, there is still plenty of work to be done to get the team up to scratch for the season ahead.

West Ham will be looking to improve upon their troubling campaign in the top-flight last season falling into the relegation zone on a number of occasions, but ultimately finished 14th and made history when they won the Europa Conference League, earning them instant qualification into the Europa League.

Not only do the Hammers have the financial power to recruit well this summer due to the £105m sale of ex-club captain Declan Rice, but are an attractive prospect for players due to the opportunity to play European football at the London Stadium.

As a result, the signing of Gray presents an opportunity for Moyes to move on from the failed Borges deal by snapping up the services of a Premier League-proven winger, who could make an instant impact on the attacking threat next season.

Since the arrival of Sean Dyche at Goodison Park, Gray has found his game-time somewhat limited with the former Burnley boss preferring to deploy Dwight McNeil and Alex Iwobi on the wider flanks and at times, played the former Leicester prodigy in the centre-forward role due to injury issues.

However, there is no doubt that the versatile forward – who has a reported €14m (£12m) price tag – plays his best football when deployed on the left wing with 21 goals and 17 assists delivered in the position over his career so far.

Over 33 Premier League appearances last season, the 27-year-old – once hailed "absolutely electric" by 90min journalist Scott Saunders – scored four goals, delivered one assist and created five big chances, as well as averaging one successful dribble, 1.1 key passes and 1.8 shots on goal per game, as per SofaScore.

Time is running out for West Ham to get their business done, with the transfer window set to close in less than a month's time, so adding depth into key areas of the pitch will be essential over the coming days and weeks remaining to ensure they don't fall back into another relegation scrap in the bottom half of the table.

With that being said, if the Irons could seal a deal for Gray this summer it would offer Moyes an experienced and quality forward who could bolster the options available to unleash in the forward line next season.

Lancashire have been spirited against the Championship leaders but the weather looks set to frustrate their attempts to close the gap

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford07-Sep-2017
Tom Bailey kicks out in frustration after Ravi Bopara is dropped in the slips•Getty ImagesA slow day, it will be labelled, but Essex will not care. A grey day, too, people may say but that will not trouble the leaders either. The forecast rain did not arrive until tea time but by then Essex had reduced their first-innings deficit to 175 and it is hard to see how Lancashire can win this game if they are not able to enforce the follow-on. The sight of the shower-soaked white tarpaulins billowing in the breeze as they sought to escape the groundstaff’s control will not have dismayed Varun Chopra’s team one jot. When play was abandoned they still led their nearest rivals by 36 points and a draw will suit them fine.These are the seemingly unremarkable days which nevertheless go a long way towards deciding titles. They are the recitatives between the arias of individual accomplishment or the choruses of team effort that make the County Championship so memorable Replying to Lancashire’s 290, the very warm favourites for the title scored 115 runs for the loss of four prime wickets, the last of them being that of Ravi Bopara who was caught at slip by Liam Livingstone off Stephen Parry on the stroke of tea. Before lunch, though, Lancastrian hopes had been raised by the fall of two early wickets: Nick Browne was bowled by Ryan McLaren for 6 when not playing a stroke and Dan Lawrence taken low down by Dane Vilas at slip off the same bowler for 12.But in the afternoon session Chopra and Bopara added a vital 57 runs in 25 overs during which the ball lost its hardness and batting became a rather more manageable task. The venom was drawn from the Lancashire attack, although not before Chopra was leg before for 40 when playing across a full-length ball from Tom Bailey. Late in the session the umpires decreed that only spinners could be used because the light was deteriorating. That compulsion brought Lancashire the wicket of Bopara but the clouds had been gathering from the west well before the second interval and there was little surprise that no more play was possible.The first hour of the day’s play had shown why Lancashire have acquitted themselves well in red-ball cricket this season albeit that the session had begun with an anti-climax. Having resolved to sell his wicket very dearly on what was effectively the first day of this game Haseeb Hameed found he did not have a price in the sixth over of the second morning when pinned by a back of a length ball from James Porter which kept low in the sixth over of the morning. He had added only three runs to his overnight 85 but he departed to a warm round of applause, some of it presumably coming from folk who had only seen him bat on this third morning.Still, though, Lancashire batting was not done. Tom Bailey seems to have copied Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s stance but not his caution and he made 34 not out in a last-wicket stand of 57 with Kyle Jarvis. The last man’s contribution to this fun was 26 and the home spectators’ entertainment was only ended when Jarvis lost his leg stump to Simon Harmer the ball after he had hit the offspinner for a straight six. That left Lancashire with two batting bonus points and their last three wickets had doubled their score. Porter finished with 5 for 73 and should have something more substantial to toast in a couple of weeks’ time.

A round-up of the second day of Ranji Trophy games from Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2017R Ashwin, and Tamil Nadu pace-bowlers, Lakshminarayanan Vignesh and Krishnamoorthy Vignesh, took two wickets each to keep Andhra in check on the second day in Chennai. The three bowlers combined to leave Andhra at 64 for 5 in the 26th over before Bodapati Sumanth and Ashwin Hebbar punched their way to a century stand for the sixth wicket, to ensure Andhra took a 55-run lead by close of play.L Vignesh struck in consecutive overs early in the day to remove Prasanth Kumar and Hanuma Vihari. Ashwin then accounted for senior batsmen Y Venugopal Rao and Srikar Bharat in successive overs to boost Tamil Nadu’s hopes of a lead after they were bowled out for 176 on the opening day.Hebbar and Sumanth, however, rallied. The pair added 116 runs for the sixth wicket before Sumanth retired hurt on 44. Hebbar contributed 64, more than half of those runs coming through boundaries – he hit eight fours and a six – and he fell after Andhra had secured the lead. Sumanth, playing his first match since October 2015, returned to bat after Andhra were seven down and stretched the lead past 50. He was unbeaten on 72 off 193 balls with four fours.Shubham Sharma’s career-best 196 and his 197-run sixth-wicket partnership with Ankit Sharma (104 off 200 balls) powered Madhya Pradesh to 551 for 8 declared against Baroda in Indore.Resuming from his overnight score of 88, Shubham raced to his 150 soon after lunch, taking Madhya Pradesh to 400, while Ankit worked his way to a maiden first-class century. Shubham’s 196, his second first-class century, included 23 fours and he was denied the double-hundred by left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. Swapnil also dismissed Ankit but by that time, MP had already moved past 500. Puneet Datey (33 off 55 balls) and Ishwar Pandey (24 off 12 balls) chipped in to further stretch the score.Datey and Pandey then dismissed Aditya Waghmode and Dhiren Mistry respectively to leave Baroda at a wobbling 36 for 2 at stumps.The second day of the match between Odisha and Tripura was washed out in Cuttack

To say it's not been a great summer for Paris Saint-Germain would be an understatement. It began with the departure of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, before Kylian Mbappe revealed that he's not planning to put pen to paper on a new deal, leading to his exile to train with the rest of the Ligue 1 side's unwanted players.

Now, as if things couldn't get any worse, Neymar has asked to leave the club, according to Sky Sports, with the Brazilian keen to rejoin Barcelona this summer, as per ESPN.

The winger's father has attempted to squash the rumours by telling PL Brasil, via Fabrizio Romano: “I can not confirm a news that did not happen."

Given that Manchester City are refusing to sell Barcelona target Bernardo Silva this summer, according to Romano, it wouldn't be unwise for the Spanish giants to turn their attention towards former star Neymar this summer, though.

With that said, we've taken a look at how Barcelona could line up with Neymar this season.

RB: Joao Cancelo

Joao Cancelo's Manchester City future still reportedly remains uncertain, after spending last season on loan at Bayern Munich. And this could open the door for a move back to La Liga and to Barcelona this summer.

According to Romano, the Portugal international has agreed personal terms with the La Liga champions, and both Manchester City and Barcelona are now working on a deal which will see Barcelona use part of the budget gained through the reportedly pending sale of Ousmane Dembele to PSG.

The winger looks set to join Goncalo Ramos on PSG's list of reinforcements this summer.

Cancelo's potential arrival could see Joules Kounde pushed back into central defence, with Andreas Christensen linked with a move away to Manchester United this summer to free up a position next to Ronald Araujo.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan

In arguably one of the smartest deals of the summer, Barcelona welcomed Ilkay Gundogan on a free deal, and have themselves one of the most technically advanced midfielders in Europe.

Potentially partnered with Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, the former Manchester City man should get off to a solid start at the Nou Camp, forming a trio capable of dictating games against the majority of the world's best sides.

It will certainly be an interesting watch this season.

LW: Neymar

When we think of dream combinations that we never thought we'd see, Neymar and Robert Lewandowski is undoubtedly an option that springs to mind. Yet, we could finally see it this season.

The Brazilian has had the privilege of playing with some of the best strikers of all time in Luis Suarez, and Mbappe – who will no doubt be among the greats in years to come.

Now, however, it could be the turn of Lewandowski to enjoy the creative genius of Neymar, who scored 105 goals, and assisted a further 76 in his first Barcelona spell, before making the move to PSG for a reported world-record £200m deal in 2017.

If the La Liga side can secure Neymar's return, then Xavi will have himself an incredible side for the forthcoming campaign.

With that said, here's how Barcelona could line up this season in full:

With the 2023/24 Premier League campaign kicking off last week, Nottingham Forest will be looking to bounce back from their opening-day defeat at Arsenal in front of their home fans this weekend.

The Reds were beaten by the Gunners on Saturday lunchtime, with Taiwo Awoniyi's consolation unable to spark a successful turnaround at the Emirates Stadium.

After gaining automatic promotion from the Championship, Sheffield United's first away trip of the season comes at the City Ground, as they seek their first points of the season after being beaten themselves by Crystal Palace.

Ahead of the clash at the City Ground, Football FanCast takes a deeper look into the previous meetings in years gone by…

Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United: Who has the better head-to-head record?

There isn't much separating these two sides in this statistic, but Nottingham Forest just edge it.

The pair have each had their own spells of dominance in this fixture, with Sheffield United claiming 11 wins across their 16 meetings between 1925 and 1952, whilst Forest got their own back from 1963 to 1971, going unbeaten against the Blades during this period.

In recent times, the results have constantly swung back and forth, which is evinced in the stat below.

Nottingham Forest wins: 46 Draws: 32 Sheffield United wins: 44 Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United: Who has the more wins at the City Ground?

Forest will certainly be the favourites in their first home game of the campaign. Last term, the east Midlanders won the majority of their points at the City Ground, and it was a difficult place to go to, even for some of the league's strongest teams.

Treble winners Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw there in February, and three months later, Arsenal suffered a fatal blow in their title charge after Steve Cooper's side clinched a 1-0 victory to hand the Premier League trophy to the Citizens – whilst retaining their top-flight status in the process.

Though, Sheffield United can take some comfort in the fact that they've had their fair share of victories away at the Reds.

Nottingham Forest wins: 27 Draws: 16 Sheffield United wins: 17 Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United: Who has the better cup record?

Sheffield United have never met the Tricky Trees in any cup competition other than the FA Cup, where they have racked up a sizable advantage in victories.

The Blades are four-time FA Cup winners in comparison to Forest's two triumphs, but they have never won the League Cup, whilst the east Midlanders have won the competition on four occasions.

But it is Paul Heckingbottom's side who tend to come out on top when they are pitted against each other in the cup, with the Blades' last victory coming en route to the FA Cup semis in 2014.

Nottingham Forest wins: 3 Draws: 3 Sheffield United wins: 8 Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United: What were the last five meetings?

17th May 2022 – Nottingham Forest 1-2 Sheffield United: The last meeting between the pair saw Forest clinch a dramatic victory in the play-off semi-final second leg via a penalty shootout.

Brice Samba saved spot-kicks from Oliver Norwood, Conor Hourihane and Morgan Gibbs-White to send his side through to the play-off final at Wembley, where they defeated Huddersfield Town 1-0 to gain promotion to the Premier League, ending their 23-year absence from the division.

14th May 2022 – Sheffield United 1-2 Nottingham Forest: Three days prior, Forest defeated the Blades 2-1 at Bramall Lane thanks to goals from Jack Colback and Brennan Johnson, who scored his 19th goal of the campaign.

Norway international Sander Berge netted a vital stoppage-time consolation goal, which kept the tie well and truly alive going into the second leg at the City ground.

This fixture was the first time the two sides had ever faced each other in the play-offs.

4th March 2022 – Sheffield United 1-1 Nottingham Forest: Ryan Yates headed home a last-gasp equaliser to keep Forest within touching distance of the top six.

The crucial away point moved them up to eighth, two points adrift of the sixth-placed Blades, who were on the verge of moving five points ahead of their promotion-challenging rivals.

Ulitmately, Cooper's side ended the campaign in fourth on 80 points whilst Paul Heckingbottom's Sheffield United finished 5th on 75 points, setting up the aforementioned play-off semi-final clash.

2nd November 2021 – Nottingham Forest 1-1 Sheffield United: The reverse fixture produced the same result, and it was the east Midlanders again who fought back late on to salvage a point.

Morgan Gibbs-White broke the deadlock in the 78th minute for Sheffield United before Lewis Grabban levelled in the 83rd. At times, it was an 'ill-tempered' clash as the pair fought to get back into the win column.

Neither side had hit their rhythm yet, with Forest languishing in 16th at that stage, whilst the Blades sat one place above their eventual play-off rivals on goal difference.

19th April 2019 – Sheffield United 2-0 Nottingham Forest: Sheffield United moved into second place after defeating 10-man Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Bramall Lane. Chris Wilder's side went up that season, pipping Leeds United to the final automatic promotion spot.

Forest, under the stewardship of Martin O'Neill, sunk into 13th, 10 points adrift of the play-off places with three games to spare.

Who has played for Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United?

Billy Sharp (Sheffield United 2004-2005, 2007-2010, 2015-2023; Nottingham Forest 2012-13): The Championship's all-time top goalscorer spent a year on loan at Forest from Southampton during the 2012/13 season. He netted 10 league goals that year whilst laying on five assists.

Sharp made 377 appearances for boyhood club Sheffield United, scoring 129 goals whilst providing 44 assists. He was an integral part of the club's promotion to both the Championship and the Premier League.

The striker is now a free agent after being released at the end of the season. Rotherham United had been in talks to sign the 37-year-old, but if reports are to be believed, they decided to pull out due to the time it has taken him to make a decision.

David McGoldrick (Nottingham Forest 2009-2013; Sheffield United 2018-2022): The Republic of Ireland international was on Forest's books for four years. He made 73 appearances in total, scoring nine goals whilst providing five assists.

His time at Bramall Lane was far more fruitful. McGoldrick, like Sharp, was a key player during the club's return back to the Premier League, after spending 12 years outside of the division. The centre-forward racked up 42 goal contributions in 136 games for the Blades.

He now plies his trade in League Two with Notts County, who signed the forward this summer on a free transfer following a 25-goal season with League One outfit Derby County.

Oliver Burke (Nottingham Forest 2013-2016; Sheffield United 2020-2022): Burke, a Nottingham Forest academy graduate, was snapped up by RB Leipzig in 2016 for £13m after netting four goals in five games at the start of the 2016/17 Championship campaign. His time in Forest's first team was short-lived, making just 31 appearances.

He joined Sheffield United in September 2020 from West Bromwich Albion and went on to appear 36 times, which remarkably is the most amount of games he's played at a single club. The 26-year-old is now at Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.

Adlene Guedioura (Nottingham Forest 2012-13, 2018-2019; Sheffield United 2021-2022): The 62-cap Algeria international made a century of appearances for Forest across his two spells at the club.

Contrastingly, he appeared just twice for Sheffield United across a brief four-month spell and will certainly be better known for his time in a Forest shirt.

Guedioura, 37, is currently playing his football in Qatar with Al Wakrah SC.

Ben Osborn (Nottingham Forest 2014-2019; Sheffield United 2019-present): Osborn graduated from the Nottingham Forest academy and went on to make 230 appearances for the club before sealing a Premier League move to Sheffield United in 2019.

The former England youth international has been a valuable member of the Blades' squad over the last four years and now has the chance to play in the top flight again this season.

What is Nottingham Forest's biggest win over Sheffield United?

9th October 1976 – Nottingham Forest 6-1 Sheffield United: The Tricky Trees' biggest win over Sheffield United came during Brian Clough's era, as his side annihilated the Blades thanks to goals from Viv Anderson, Terry Curran, Peter Withe, Barry Butlin and a brace netted by Ian Bowyer.

The east Midlands club gained automatic promotion that year from the second tier of English football.

What is Sheffield United's biggest win over Nottingham Forest?

3rd December 1904 – Sheffield United 4-0 Nottingham Forest: It has been well over a century since Sheffield United's biggest victory over Nottingham Forest.

John Nicholson was the club secretary back then, but often took duties associated with being a modern-day manager. Nicholson's side dispatched the Reds handsomely thanks to goals from Alonzo Drake, John Lang, Jimmy Donnelly and Arthur Brown, with the latter finishing the campaign as the division's top goalscorer after netting 23 times.

They finished in sixth place, eight points adrift of champions Newcastle United whilst Forest ended the campaign in 16th.

Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United: Key match stats This will be the 123rd meeting between the pair The two sides will be in England's top flight simultaneously for the first time since the 1992/93 campaign Brennan Johnson has scored in his last two appearances against the Blades Morgan Gibbs-White will face his former side for the first time since departing Bramall Lane

After a lean start to the 2017-18 season, the India batsman hit back with a record-breaking double-century and says he is in a good frame of mind ahead of the Sri Lanka series

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2017Cheteshwar Pujara’s ability to bat hours on end, scoring massive amounts of runs, has become his signature. He has played the longest innings by an Indian in Tests, and his tally of 1611 runs last season is a national record in first-class cricket. So when he goes through a lean patch, questions are raised.In August, after the end of a productive series against Sri Lanka, Pujara went to play domestic cricket in England. He returned home with a top score of 34 in seven innings, and wasn’t his usual self in the Ranji Trophy either, where his first two innings yielded 35 and 13.”Sometimes, people expect a lot out of me because I have the habit of scoring big runs.” Pujara told . “The expectation is that I should score a hundred every second or third innings. It is difficult to always fulfil that.”Pre-season runs are a vital part of Pujara’s success. Upon his return from a difficult tour of the West Indies in 2016, when he was dropped from the XI, he struck 166 and 256 not out in two Duleep Trophy matches. They were vital innings, he felt, and paved the way to his becoming the highest run-getter in the world in 2016-17.Now, with two weeks to go for the home Tests against Sri Lanka, Pujara made his 12th double-hundred, another national record. He followed up with an innings of 182.”The moment I start scoring big runs, as a batsman, my rhythm comes back and my concentration improves,” Pujara said. “Everything looks good. So, it is a perfect start before I head into the Sri Lanka series.”Cheteshwar Pujara recorded his 12th first-class double-century•ESPNcricinfo LtdPujara said that his low scores prior to his back-to-back hundreds weren’t due to a lack of form. “I was playing on some tough pitches in England. All the matches were on challenging pitches and most of the games were low-scoring ones. I accepted my failures and I did learn so many things out of it.”It wasn’t that I was going through a bad phase or that I wasn’t timing the ball well,” Pujara said. “It was just a time where I had to stay patient. I was playing on tough pitches and if I get a good ball, just accept it and learn new things, what are the things I can still improve on and then start scoring runs again.”When I came back to India, in the first game, I had a little bit of jet lag but I was batting well and got good start and got out playing a bad shot for 35 [against Haryana]. Even in the next game [against Jammu & Kashmir], I looked in good touch but I made a mistake and got out [for 13]. So, overall I knew I was batting well.”The gap between the end of the Sri Lanka series and the start of the tour of South Africa is short. India play their last match at home on December 24 and the Cape Town Test begins on January 5. Pujara, however, is usually picked only for Test cricket and the last Test against Sri Lanka ends on December 6. So he will have more time to prepare for South Africa”When you travel abroad, you have to alter a few things,” Pujara said. “Obviously, the basic things remain the same. You have to have different preparations depending on the country you are visiting. If you are going to South Africa, there are certain things that I know that I need to do to perform well there, and I will work on them. I have played enough cricket in England that when we go there [in July-August 2018], I know the things I need to do there.”

The Renegades used their two biggest strengths – their bowling and their experience – to pick up a win against Brisbane Heat and go top of the table

The Report by Tim Wigmore23-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The Melbourne Renegades have a dreadful record in the Big Bash, with just one semi-final appearance in six seasons. Yet they are the first team in the 2017-18 season to win two games, and, brimming with options with bat and ball, have the feel of a side well-primed to challenge for the title this year. This was a triumph for the nous of Brad Hogg, Dwayne Bravo, Cameron White and Tom Cooper, who all produced exemplary performances, while Jake Widermuth’s three wickets showed the Under-30s could contribute too.The night after one teenage legspinner called Khan won a Big Bash game, another teenage legspinner called Khan briefly threatened to do the same. Shadab, who took the new ball, actually recorded better figures than Rashid – 2 for 17 from his four overs, compared to Rashid’s 2 for 22 – but received nothing like the same support.What happened to the Bash Brothers?
The irrepressible duo of Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum are one of the main drawcards of the Big Bash League. Not on Saturday night, though. This was meant to be the night when Lynn – player of the tournaments in the last two editions of the BBL – returned after a shoulder injury for his first game in seven months. Instead, Lynn was omitted as a precaution – a decision made easier by Brisbane’s opening victory and the expansion of the group stage this year. That left McCullum left to try and provide double the pyrotechnics. He thumped Cooper – unusually bowling the second over, rather than the first – through midwicket for four, and was then clean bowled attempting a reprise, just his second ever dismissal against offspin in the BBL. All that hype, and only five runs from the two Bash Brothers.The squeeze
When Wildermuth, enjoying the best night of his T20 career, snared two other wickets in the Powerplay, Brisbane Heat were floundering at 3 for 28 off 5.2 overs. They needed to consolidate, but they also needed to improve their lame run rate. For much of the alliance between Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Ross, the Renegades seemed almost as happy as the Heat. While the Heat had stopped collapsing, the two added only 39 in 6.3 overs, at exactly a-run-a-ball, and, as they manoeuvred spin as if it were the middle overs of a 1990s ODI. Only Ben Cutting, briefly, shook the Heat out of their torpor.The maestro
Dwayne Bravo took five wickets in the Renegades’ opening game, thereby becoming the first man ever to 400 wickets in T20 cricket. Here he had to be content with two – both in the final over, when another slow ball almost yielded a hat-trick. But as the Heat attempted to salvage a working total, Bravo conceded just 12 across the 18th and 20th overs. He was simply too precise and too smart – again.McCullum’s gambit
In T20, conservative tactics have seldom defended a score as underwhelming as Brisbane’s 8 for 132. Just as well, then, that McCullum is their captain. He made a between-innings decision to entrust Shadab with the new ball, and was not dissuaded when a misfield by Sam Heazlett allowed a four through midwicket in the opening over. In his second over, Shadab’s quicker ball snared Aaron Finch, who is markedly less effective against spin than pace.Given a third straight over, a delivery that skidded on upended Marcus Harris’s middle stump to provoke a little trepidation among the home supporters. But Shadab only had one over left, which McCullum used in the 11th over, in desperate pursuit of a wicket. The trouble was, the asking rate was so untaxing that Cooper and White had no need to take any risks. Shadab’s final delivery was a googly which Cooper just jammed his bat on in time. He had bowled wonderfully in taking 2 for 17, but it would not be enough.Experience wins the day
The Melbourne Renegades are easy to mock for their age – they have seven over-30s and two players, Hodge and Hogg, into their 40s. Yet T20 has proved the format most conducive to veterans. White and Cooper used all their game sense as they navigated the Renegades towards their target without discernible risk. And then victory arrived with a certain swagger: Hodge pulled a six third ball off the 19th over, before, two balls later, Cooper thumped a six of his own, to seal his half-century and the win.

Fulham are eyeing a late move for versatile Leicester City defenderTimothy Castagne as Sky Sports share details out of Craven Cottage.

Who will Fulham sign?

The 2022/2023 season represented a real success for Marco Silva, as his side comfortably swerved relegation and even contended for a Europe over a large period of the campaign.

Fulham even finished above west London rivals Chelsea and sealed a place in the top half, giving the Whites a solid foundation to build upon this term.

How they tackle the remaining summer transfer window, which concludes in just nine days, will be a crucial factor to their success. Silva's men, though, have signed just three players so far.

Defender Calvin Bassey swapped Ajax for Fulham in a deal worth £18.2 million, while Mexico international striker Raul Jimenez joined from Wolves and winger Adama Traore signed as a free agent.

Silva, speaking to the media earlier this month, candidly admitted that he needs his club to make more signings before September 1 particularly at full-back and other areas.

"Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” Silva said.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

The departure of star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic to Saudi side Al-Hilal also means Fulham may need to scour the market for a replacement, with Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun now heavily linked.

In terms of new winger, talks for Chelsea ace Callum Hudson-Odoi have stalled, and it is currently unclear who they're targeting as an alternative.

The full-back chase is another crucial factor for Silva, but according to Sky Sports, they have set their sights on a late move for Castagne of Leicester.

The Belgium international, who featured at last year's World Cup in Qatar, has dropped to the Championship with Leicester and we presume he could be open to a Premier League return.

Sky claim Fulham are targeting Castagne as we approach the final week of this summer window, and it is claimed that talks have already been held with the Foxes.

The 27-year-old is yet to feature under Leicester boss Enzo Maresca this season, putting his future into some question, and this could well be an opportunity for Fulham to pounce.

How good is Timothy Castagne?

If Silva wishes to reinforce his right-back area with experience and quality, Castagne may well be the right man.

According to WhoScored, the former Atalanta star was an untouchable for Leicester in the top flight last season, having featured more regularly than any other member of their squad over 22/23.

Castagne ranked among their best-performers by average match rating that year (WhoScored), with his versatility coming as another big draw.

Indeed, the defender can play anywhere across the defence, at centre-back or full-back, not to mention further out wide.

Former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, speaking after his side completed a deal for Castagne in 2020, revered the player for his speed and application.

"I’ve watched Timothy Castagne for a number of years – he fits the profile of how I want to work," said Rodgers.

"He’s fast, non-stop running – he wants to score but he can defend – good composure. He’s a brilliant signing for us. He’ll prove to be a really good asset for us.”

Gautam Gambhir’s 95 and another half-century from Kunal Chandela enabled Delhi to romp into the Ranji Trophy semi-finals with a seven-wicket win against Madhya Pradesh

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2017AFPGautam Gambhir’s 95 and another half-century from Kunal Chandela enabled Delhi to romp into the Ranji Trophy semi-finals with a seven-wicket win against Madhya Pradesh in Vijayawada. In their semi-final from December 17 to 21, Delhi will meet Bengal, who qualified on the basis of their first-innings lead against Gujarat.Delhi began the fifth day at 8 for no loss chasing 217, and lost Vikas Tokas in the fourth over of the morning. MP would have to wait another 20.5 overs for their next breakthrough, by which time Gambhir had added 98 for the second wicket with Chandela at 4.70 per over. Chandela, the 23-year-old opening batsman, made 57 off 85 balls, with six fours and two sixes; with this innings he had scored half-centuries in each of his first three first-class innings.Delhi never let up their pace of scoring; their third-wicket partnership of 95, between Gambhir and Dhruv Shorey, also came at more than four an over. It ended with a run-out, Gambhir falling five short of a hundred, having faced 129 balls and hit nine fours and a six. Shorey was unbeaten on 46 (77b, 6×4) as Delhi reached their target in 51.4 overs.