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An edge-of-the-seat finish at The Oval saw Surrey take another significant stride towards the Championship title

Daniel Norcross at Kia Oval22-Aug-2018
ScorecardAn astounding one-handed reflex catch by Will Jacks at short leg broke Lancashire’s resistance and gave Surrey victory by just six runs in a match for the ages at The Oval.The victory preserves Surrey’s unbeaten run in the County Championship and keeps them 32 points clear of Somerset in second place after their win against Essex at Taunton.This match had shifted to and fro throughout 10 sessions of absorbing play, and right up to the last ball was balanced so precariously that one wise young head in the press box had prepared for the eventuality of a tie by discovering that Surrey’s last one was in 1908.In the opening session, Morne Morkel looked to have taken Surrey to the brink of victory with a sensational three-wicket burst that first broke a stubborn partnership of 78 between debutant Josh Bohannon and Steven Croft, then exposed Lancashire’s usually fragile tail.Bohannon’s dismissal may be a harbinger of things to come. Surrey captain Rory Burns, mindful that the pink Kookaburra ball was so soft it was failing to carry to the slips, even off a bowler of Morkel’s considerable pace, had stationed himself at second slip, almost suicidally close to the batsman. Instantly his bravery reaped dividends as Bohannon drove forcefully, the ball screeching to Burns who clung on quite brilliantly.With England in a perennial search for an opener and with a constantly changing slip cordon that can barely hold on to the simplest of chances, the chance of a call up for Burns, this season’s leading run scorer, grows stronger by the day.When Joe Mennie fell to another snorter from Morkel, edging behind to Ben Foakes, Lancashire’s hot pot looked well and truly cooked at 209 for 8, still needing a further 63 for victory. Amar Virdi was keeping one end tight while Morkel was wreaking havoc from the other end. The prospect of a second new ball was hoving into view, but Graham Onions decided to smash Morkel out of the attack. An unusual, unlikely and hugely risky stratagem, one might have thought, but one that worked wonders as he planted the ball over the long-on boundary.Morkel was duly replaced with Rikki Clarke, but the new ball was not taken. It was a tricky decision for Burns. Virdi was wheeling away economically, the pink new ball in this match has leaked runs, and the old one is softer than marshmallow but with Sam Curran unused and therefore fresh, it began to look like an increasingly capricious decision.At lunch Lancashire had inched to 247 for 8, adding 70 runs in 31 overs, 16 of them delivered by the diligent Virdi. Straight after the break, Burns took the new ball. Curran, who damaged his hand fielding off his own bowling on the third day, was smote down the ground off the first ball for six by Onions. The target now just 18 runs away.Whilst there were no confirmed reports of umbrellas being gnawed through or spectators being taken away in ambulances as reportedly happened in 1882 at The Oval, the crowd was becoming increasingly panicked. Burns was taking his time between balls. Fielders were stationed in far flung parts. Then Morkel, resuming from the Pavilion End, castled Onions. Fifteen more needed for the last pair. Surely the game was now Surrey’s. Tom Bailey and Matt Parkinson had other ideas. An edged four past the diving third man and a coupled of squeezed singles took Lancashire to within one blow of the tie.By now, players and spectators in Taunton were watching the action on TVs in the pavilion. If Lancashire could get over the line, Somerset would move to within just 16 points of Surrey and play them in the penultimate match of the season. Suddenly Surrey’s supposedly insurmountable lead at the top of the table looked exceedingly precarious.Back at The Oval, Parkinson was on strike. Short leg stationed about three yards from the bat. Spectators pacing hither and yon, barely able to watch. Then the coup de grace. A short ball into the ribs. Parkinson clipped it firmly to the right of Jacks who, staying crouched but watching the ball, stuck out an instinctive right hand. The ball stayed put and he was mobbed by delirious team-mates. The crowd of around a thousand bellowed their approval, relief and belief that the title is now destined to return to Surrey after a 16-year sabbatical.Morkel has transformed the Surrey attack from reliable grafters into the most potent strike force in the country. Last season no one took more than Gareth Batty’s 25 wickets, and apart from Clarke, no one averaged below 29. Last season Surrey managed to win only two of their 14 games. In part, moribund pitches were to blame but there was a lack of cutting edge.This time round, led by Morkel’s 33 wickets at 14.12, they have five bowlers who have already taken 25 wickets or more and all of them at an average below 28.30. This victory was their seventh in nine matches. And, yes, the pitches at The Oval have offered much more to the bowlers.This match was won without Jason Roy, Scott Borthwick (both injured) and Ollie Pope (England duty). Surrey’s squad may well be tested further if Burns gets a call-up and Sam Curran is recalled, but victories like this, whilst being excruciatingly uncomfortable for their passionate fans, bring an air of destiny to their title challenge and it is the County Championship title those fans prize more than any other.As many a Surrey supporter gleefully shouted at the end of this truly terrific match, “who needs The Hundred?”

علق محمد بركات عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة على فوز منتخب مصر الأولمبي أمام منافسه العراق في المواجهة الودية التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم استعدادًا لخوض أولمبياد باريس 2024.

وفاز منتخب مصر على نظيره العراق بنتيجة 2-1 في ختام المباريات الودية خلال معسكره المقام بفرنسا قبل مشاركته في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية باريس 2024.

طالع | منتخب مصر الأولمبي يهزم العراق بثنائية في ختام الاستعدادات لـ أولمبياد باريس

وقال بركات في تصريحات صحفية عقب المباراة: “الفوز في مباراة اليوم كان مهمًا جدًا باعتبارها التجربة الأخيرة قبل المنافسات الرسمية، وسعيد بالنتيجة والأداء حيث كان الأداء الفني والبدني أفضل من لقاء أوكرانيا”.

وتابع: “ذلك يأتي في ظل تألق جميع اللاعبين خلال مباراة اليوم، وسعيد بمستوى النني وزيزو في ظل انسجامهما السريع مع الفريق”.

وأكمل: “منتخب مصر الأولمبي كان على قدر المسئولية وأشيد بتألق جميع اللاعبين، ونتمنى التوفيق في البطولة ودعم الجماهير المصرية من أجل إسعاد الجمهور بتحقيق الحلم الأولمبي”.

تحوم الشكوك حول مستقبل ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد لاعب ليفربول الإنجليزي، الذي يدخل العام الأخير في عقده مع الفريق.

وينتهي عقد ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد مع ليفربول في يونيو 2025، وذكرت تقارير أن ريال مدريد مهتم بالتعاقد معه.

وأفادت تقارير في وقت سابق، بأن جود بيلينجهام يعمل على إقناع مواطنه أرنولد بالانتقال إلى ريال مدريد.

وبحسب صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية، يأمل ليفربول في ربط أرنولد بعقد جديد كبير لإبعاده عن ريال مدريد.

وأفاد التقرير بأن ألكسندر أرنولد تحدث إلى المدرب الجديد آرني سلوت وهو متحمس للحقبة الجديدة مع الهولندي.

اقرأ أيضًا | واتارو إندو يرشح لاعبًا لخلافة محمد صلاح في ليفربول

وقال مصدر متصل بالنادي: “لقد تحدث ترينت مع المدرب الجديد بالفعل، لقد حدث هذا قبل بطولة أوروبا وهما على اتصال الآن”.

وأضاف: “لقد دارت بينهما محادثة رائعة في البداية لكن المدرب احترم حاجته إلى التركيز على البطولة”.

وأشار: “يرى ترينت، مثل بقية الفريق، أن هذه بداية جديدة وهو متحمس للعودة إلى التدريب لوضع الأسس لموسم جديد ناجح”.

وأفاد المصدر: “إنه ملتزم بالتأكيد لهذا الموسم وسيتم تقديم عقد كبير له للبقاء بعد ذلك، الجميع في النادي معجبون جدًا بترينت وسيبذلون كل ما في وسعهم للحفاظ عليه، لا يزال لديه الكثير ليقدمه”.

Everton is a footballing institution that is steeped in history, although very little of their success can be attributed to the club's recent glory, or lack of it, having not won a major trophy since the FA Cup back in 1995.

The eight-time English champions and five-time FA Cup winners have never looked like returning to their trophy-laden period in the 1980s and have instead dwindled down the Premier League table.

With the Toffees more accustomed to battling relegation rather than challenging for silverware these days, it is easy to get lost in the doom and gloom, but the club has still unearthed some gems in the transfer market, especially in the early to mid-2000s.

Tim Cahill's £2m move from Millwall in 2004 turned out to be one of the biggest bargains since the turn of the millennium, as was flying full-back Leighton Baines, who joined from Wigan Athletic for £6m in 2007.

While that pair reached iconic status in an Everton jersey, it was the signing of Thomas Gravesen from Hamburg in 2000 that set the trend for unearthing gems in the transfer window.

How Thomas Gravesen became an Everton fan favourite

Gravesen burst onto the scene at Danish club Vejle Boldklub and Hamburg before truly rising to prominence as a midfield sensation for Everton after joining for £2.5m.

A technically gifted midfielder with an eye for goal, the Dane quickly became a fan favourite and almost had the unique ability to change the atmosphere, conducting those around him playing his tune.

Away from the field, he was nicknamed the "mad dog" for his eccentric personality and maverick attitude, left an ever-lasting mark in his five years at Everton, becoming a crucial component to the energy and dynamism in Walter Smith's midfield, while his importance increased further with the arrival of David Moyes in 2002.

Widely recognised for his lung-bursting runs from deep and possessing a canon of a strike that struck fear into opposition defenders, Gravesen utilised that weapon to devasting effect at Goodison Park.

Thomas Gravesen's career in numbers

Clearly, his eccentricity off the field didn't prevent him from showing his talents on it, making 167 appearances for Everton, including a return on loan in 2007/08, scoring 12 and assisting 12 across both spells.

Having left a monumental impact on Merseyside, helping the club finish fourth in the 2004/05 season, Gravesen is also fondly remembered, if somewhat through slight bemusement, for sealing a £2.3m move to Real Madrid at the height of the club's Galactico era in 2005.

Although the 66-cap Danish international possessed the unerring technical attributes, namely his ability to dribble his way upfield and glide through opposition defences from deep, it was still odd for many during that time to see him playing alongside the likes of Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane and the great Brazilian Ronaldo.

Unfortunately, it never worked out as most envisaged during his time at the Bernabeu as he made 49 appearances and failed to reach the heights that his years at Everton promised.

Despite keeping a low profile since retiring from professional football in 2008 at the age of 33, he's certainly been busy.

What Thomas Gravesen is doing now…

According to the Danish tabloid BT, Gravesen knew he needed to plan for life after football, investing his wages into several financial businesses.

The tabloid claimed that the former midfielder made tens of millions from those investments and although they didn't say what he spent them on, he took his newly-found riches and moved to Las Vegas in 2012. The rest? Well, he was in Vegas…you do the math.

He put the money, estimated to be around £100million, to good use, gambling in Las Vegas’ legendary casinos, where he developed a particular passion for poker.

He was reportedly a regular at Vegas’ high-roller poker tables, where he was able to go under the radar as a non-celebrity.

From a solid box-to-box midfielder during his playing days to a poker aficionado worth hundreds of millions, it's been a whirlwind time for Gravesen since retiring, to say the least.

The 25-year old fast bowler had been reported for a suspect action in December 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2018

West Indies fast bowler Ronsford Beaton can resume bowling in international cricket after the ICC approved his remodelled action.Beaton was suspended from bowling earlier this year after he failed an independent assessment of his bowling action, which had been reported as suspect during an ODI against New Zealand in December 2017.On August 13, his remodelled action was re-assessed at Loughborough University in England, where the amount of elbow extension for all his deliveries was within the 15-degree limit allowed by the ICC. Beaton missed playing the CPL this year to work on his action and was replaced by Ali Khan at Trinbago Knight Riders.Match officials are still at liberty to report Beaton if they find he is not using his legal action, footage of which will be handed to them in due course.

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No próximo sábado (28/11), o Corinthians terá sua eleição para presidente do clube e, para aquecer a disputa, o LANCE! traz uma série de entrevistas com os envolvidos no pleito. Nesta semana, as conversas serão com os três candidatos a presidente. A proposta foi fazer as mesmas seis perguntas para cada um dos concorrentes. Como o critério adotado para a publicação é por ordem alfabética, a segunda entrevista será com Duílio Monteiro Alves. Confira abaixo:

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Duílio Monteiro Alves, candidato à presidência do Corinthians, 45 anos – É empresário e se tornou sócio do clube no dia em que nasceu, foi diretor cultural entre 2009 e 2010, e diretor de futebol (2011-2014 e 2018-2020).

1) Qual é a sua relação com o Corinthians (sem contar o envolvimento político com o clube, somente a relação passional)?
É uma relação que vem desde o dia em que nasci, 15 de março de 1975. Sou sócio do Corinthians antes mesmo de ter certidão de nascimento, porque meu avô, Orlando Monteiro Alves, fez minha carteirinha antes de meu pai, Adílson Monteiro Alves, me registrar. Cresci no clube, vivi ao lado do meu pai a Democracia Corintiana e todos os grandes momentos do clube e do futebol. Sou corintiano em tempo integral, com um amor que passa de geração em geração na minha família. Não existe minha história sem a história do Corinthians.

2) O que te leva a querer ser presidente do Corinthians?
Um amor enorme ao Corinthians e a convicção de que tenho a experiência, o conhecimento e o preparo necessários para conduzir o clube a um novo momento de sua história. O Corinthians tem o segundo maior valor de marca das Américas e o maior da América Latina, segundo a Revista Forbes. Precisamos aproveitar essa força e todas as estruturas que foram construídas (CT, CT da base, Neo Química Arena, etc) para que o Corinthians tenha cada vez mais protagonismo tanto no futebol quanto em tudo que envolve o clube, como o clube social e os esportes olímpicos e amadores.

3) Se assumir a presidência, quais serão as medidas em relação aos problemas financeiros do clube?
Primeiro, vamos criar uma força-tarefa nos departamentos Jurídico e Financeiro para renegociar processos e promover novos acordos que nos permitam cumprir com os compromissos sempre atuando com fluxo de caixa positivo. Paralelamente, vamos diversificar e trazer novas receitas através da tecnologia e da inovação, transformando o departamento de marketing, que terá também braços específicos, 100% focados nos esportes olímpicos, amadores, no clube social e na responsabilidade social. Para o clube social, por exemplo, vamos viabilizar o projeto Arena Fazendinha, que irá trazer grandes shows e eventos para nossa querida Fazendinha, que será revestida com gramado sintético padrão Fifa, trazendo novas receitas, facilitando a montagem e desmontagem dos eventos sem prejudicar os jogos e a utilização de outros espaços, viabilizando também seu uso frequente pelos sócios, além de poder voltar a receber alguns treinos do time principal e apresentação de novas contratações.

Além disso, teremos a finalização do alojamento do CT da Base, que já está em uso, e que certamente irá ajudar bastante na formação e revelação de novos atletas. Com isso teremos retorno dentro e fora de campo, sendo que as receitas geradas serão essenciais para equilibrar as contas mais rapidamente. Por fim, temos que tornar o Fiel Torcedor mais atrativo, aumentando os benefícios para quem não mora em São Paulo, trazendo conteúdos exclusivos, experiências e vantagens diferenciadas, buscando também inspiração em planos de torcedores que são sucesso pelo mundo, como o do Benfica-POR, por exemplo, que dá um desconto de R$ 1 por litro de gasolina abastecido. Há muito a ser criado nesse sentido e estamos preparados para isso.

4) Qual é a sua principal proposta para o próximo triênio?
É transformar o clube e ganhar títulos ao mesmo tempo. Já temos entendimentos firmados com uma das principais consultorias de gestão do Brasil e do mundo e com uma empresa de auditoria das Big 4, para aplicarmos as melhores práticas de governança do mercado no Corinthians. Nos últimos anos o Corinthians concluiu a construção dos equipamentos necessários para que possamos agora dar foco numa gestão 100% profissional e de excelência, otimizando esses equipamentos para que tenhamos máxima eficiência, gerando novas receitas e ampliando as já existentes. É isso que irei fazer, caso seja eleito presidente.

5) Quais são os planos para a Neo Química Arena? É possível torná-la mais rentável ao clube nos próximos anos?
Totalmente possível. E é uma das nossas prioridades. Primeiro, a gente está muito próximo de um acordo com a Caixa, que nos permitirá viabilizar de forma saudável o pagamento do financiamento da Arena. Isso, aliado à recente venda dos naming rights, fará com que o clube já comece a receber no próximo ano boa parte das receitas com a renda de bilheteria, que antes ia 100% para o fundo. Além disso, a Arena já conta hoje com um heliponto que a partir de dezembro promoverá voos panorâmicos, com uma universidade para 2.000 alunos, uma clínica médica, farmácia, academia, salão de beleza, barbearia, locadora de veículos, um coworking, além de um hotel, uma choperia, uma pizzaria e a tirolesa que atravessará todo o campo, que estão em andamento.

Iremos também criar, para os jovens empreendedores da Zona Lesta, o Hub Fiel, em parceria com grandes empresas. Um espaço com tecnologia e profissionais reconhecidos que serão mentores desses jovens, orientando-os no desenvolvimento de seus projetos inovadores. A Neo Química Arena vai ser o centro vivo da paixão corintiana, 24 horas por dia, sete dias por semana. Com essa gama de serviços, a volta dos jogos e a realização de shows, previstos no contrato com a Neo Química, a arrecadação da Arena aumentará muito nos próximos anos. E poderemos devolver para a Zona Leste todo o amor que a Zona Leste tem pelo Corinthians.

6) Por que o sócio com direito a voto e o torcedor corintiano devem confiar em você para a presidência?
Primeiramente porque nasci dentro do Corinthians, amo esse clube e tenho minha história e da minha família sempre caminhando junto com a história do clube, e jamais colocaria isso em risco se não estivesse preparado para esse desafio. Depois porque o sócio e o torcedor me conhecem e podem avaliar minhas conquistas nos últimos anos. Além de ser jovem e cheio de energia e vontade de encarar esse desafio, tenho muita experiência e conhecimento do que é a grandeza desse clube. Já fui diretor cultural, quando realizamos os inesquecíveis festejos do centenário e o Projeto Time do Povo, entre outros.

Também passei pela diretoria de futebol, tendo conquistado um Campeonato Brasileiro, a tão sonhada Libertadores, o Bi Mundial, a Recopa Sul-americana e três Campeonatos Paulistas. Nunca me afastei do clube, estando sempre à disposição para ajudar, não virei conselheiro vitalício em três anos, e tenho uma criação essencialmente democrática, de muito diálogo, requisito essencial para promover a união de que o Corinthians tanto necessita neste momento. Estudei e me preparei muito para esse desafio, e tenho convicção de que posso, junto com todos os que amam esse clube, realizar a transformação necessária para que o Corinthians seja cada vez maior.

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A Ferroviária recebe o Corinthians, em casa, no próximo domingo, às 11h. As equipes disputam, na Arena da Fonte Luminosa, o segundo e decisivo jogo pelo título do Campeonato Paulista Feminino de 2020.

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Na ida, o Corinthians venceu por 3 a 1, na Arena Barueri. Entretanto, a treinadora das Guerreiras Grenás demonstrou confiança nas suas atletas e falou sobre o pensamento para o último jogo do torneio.

– Estamos otimistas em buscar o resultado e o título. Confio no meu grupo, na qualidade de todas as atletas e no esforço que fizemos durante a temporada. A disputa ainda está em aberto, somos uma equipe que não desiste e que vai dar o máximo para trazer esse troféu para casa – disse

A Ferroviária decide o confronto em casa pela melhor campanha, e apesar da ausência de torcida, poderá exercer o mando de campo em um jogo importante. Tatiele falou também sobre a semana de preparação antes da final e a mentalidade para a partida.

– É uma semana importantíssima, com muita dedicação, empenho e entrega, de treinos fortes. Vejo um elenco e uma comissão muito focados, todos pensando no mesmo objetivo. Vamos lutar até o fim por esse conquista que é importantíssima pra todos nós – finalizou

A segunda partida entre Ferroviária e Corinthians acontece neste domingo, às 11h, na Arena da Fonte Luminosa, em Araraquara.

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نجح الأولمبي المصري عمر عصر في التأهل إلى منافسات دور الـ16 من لعبة تنس الطاولة، في إطار أولمبياد باريس 2024.

كان عمر عصر قد تأهل إلى دور الـ32 من اللعبة، بعدما فاز في دور الـ64 على نظيره بطل مدغشقر فابيو راكوتوار ريمانانا، بنتيجة 4/1.

وتأهل عمر عصر بعد ذلك الفوز إلى منافسات دور الـ32، حيث واجه نظيره الإكوادوري ألبيرتو مينو، ونجح في الفوز بنتيجة 4 أشواط دون مقابل.

وقدم عمر عصر أداءً رائعًا في الشوط الأول من تلك المواجهة، حيث فاز بنتيجة 11/5.

وكرر عمر عصر فوزه على الإكوادوري، في الشوط الثاني، حيث انتصر بنتيجة 13/11 بعد محاولات من خصمه للعودة.

وترك عمر عصر بصمته المميزة في الشوط الثالث، وأنهاه بالفوز بنتيجة 11/3، وأنهى عمر عصر مباراته الرائعة بعدما حقق فوزًا في الشوط الرابع، بنتيجة 11/2، ليتأهل إلى الدور المقبل. لحظة فوز عمر عصر وتأهله إلى دور الـ16 في تنس الطاولة

كانت المصرية دينا مشرف قد تأهلت بدورها، أمس، إلى منافسات دور الـ32 من تنس الطاولة عقب تفوقها على الإسبانية ماريا شياو، بنتيجة 4/1 (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

Chelsea will be hoping their 4-1 victory over ten-man Tottenham Hotspur will be the catalyst for a purple patch in form.

The Blues are currently nine points adrift of fourth-place rivals Arsenal following an inconsistent start to the season, giving themselves a mini mountain to climb.

Of course, when appointing a world-class manager like Mauricio Pochettino and unloading a war chest of funds on a long list of stars, the least Todd Boehly expects is a challenge towards the Champions League spots.

The American businessman has spent over £1bn across three transfer windows and while that is an incomprehensible amount of money to spend without achieving success, it looks as though he's going to dip into his deep pockets once more in January.

Chelsea's striker conundrum requires the most surgery but the importance of replacing the ageing Thiago Silva, who is mooted to depart next summer, shouldn't be understated.

Given Reece James's injury troubles, Malo Gusto has been relied upon at right-back for much of the current campaign, although Pochettino could well land an upgrade in that defensive berth in 2024.

With this in mind, the Argentine should look to reignite the club's pursuit of Denzel Dumfries.

Chelsea transfer news – Denzel Dumfries

According to a report from Calciomercato earlier this week, Chelsea are locked in a battle with Manchester United to sign the Dutch right-back from Inter Milan.

The Blues have expressed a long-standing interest in the 27-year-old having tried to sign him across multiple windows, however, the Serie A giants could reluctantly let him go in January or next summer.

The explosive Dutchman has established himself as one of the best right-backs in world football and that is reflected in Inter's value of the player, with the report stating that the club will demand at least €50m (£43m) for his signature.

While that figure could warn off his potential suitors, Dumfries is reaching the peach of his powers on the domestic and international stage, as demonstrated by his devastating metrics.

Denzel Dumfries style of play

One of the most defining characteristics of Dumfries' game is his attacking output and unique style of play.

The Dutchman isn't content with holding down the fort at the back and likes to actively contribute to his team's offence.

His penchant for driving up and down the field, described by journalist Antonio Mango as a "joy to watch", is simply a breathtaking sight as those lung-bursting surges up the field leave the opposition struggling to contain his relentless running power.

This attacking mindset is the foundation of his assist-making ability and it's this aggressive approach that not only puts pressure on the opposition but also creates ample opportunities for his teammates to score.

Dumfries illuminates this explosive ball-carrying and attacking threat with his superb attacking metrics, placing in the top 1% against his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for touches in the attacking box, top 8% for non-penalty xG, top 4% for carries into the penalty area and top 13% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

Denzel Dumfries per 90 statistics in the past year

Statistic (Percentile rank)

Touches (Att pen)

3.93 (Top 1%)

Penalty kicks won

0.07 (Top 1%)

Carries into the penalty area

1.05 (Top 4%)

Non-penalty xG

0.12 (Top 8%)

Assists

0.20 (Top 13%)

Progressive passes received

6.67 (Top 14%)

Key passes

1.37 (Top 16%)

Progressive carries

2.72 (Top 22%)

All stats via FBref

As the table above delineates, the flying Dutchman's aggressive approach is backed up by undeniable quality in the final third, posing a constant threat down the right flank through his incisive runs and willingness to take calculated risks.

Those metrics prove that Dumfries wreaks havoc against the opposition, making him a formidable force in the Netherlands's national team, while the former PSV star illuminates that quality by producing consistent statistical excellence on the domestic stage.

Denzel Dumfries' season by numbers

For Inter last term, the assist-making machine conjured up eight attacking returns in 34 appearances in Serie A and ten in the season before – five goals and five assists.

What's more impressive, Dumfries has elevated his game to new heights this season having already posted an exceptional six direct goal contributions in 13 appearances in all competitions, with Gusto, for instance, providing just two goal involvements from his ten outings.

But he doesn't stop there. The Dutchman has consistently averaged 1.4 key passes per game in the Italian top flight, demonstrating his ability to unlock defences with his precise distribution having also posted three big chances created, as per Sofascore – with Gusto, meanwhile, averaging just 0.4 in that regard.

Whilst his game is built on powerfully working his way into promising positions to create chances for his teammates, the £53k per-week prodigy has shown that he is a goal-scoring threat.

As mentioned previously, Dumfries' prominence as an attacking right back is underlined by his high volume of touches in the attacking penalty box, the amount of penalty kicks he wins and his non-penalty xG, but also the fact his tally of goals and assists (six) this term is only bettered by Cole Palmer (seven) in the Chelsea squad,

How Denzil Dumfries compares to Cole Palmer

Since making the £42.5m switch from Manchester City in the summer, Palmer has impressed his manager with how he's seamlessly slotted into his progressive system.

With the Blues suffering from a long list of injury casualties, the Englishman has had to showcase his versatility by slotting into various positions, orchestrating attacks from the right flank and as an attacking midfielder.

Given his tender age and transition into a new environment, Pochettino has been so impressed with how the 21-year-old has taken to his new surroundings, praising him highly.

He told Chelsea's official website: "He showed a great performance with character and personality,"

"We are happy with the way he has arrived. He arrived on the last day of the transfer window but is playing like he’s been here ten years, showing his character and personality."

Palmer's close control and ability to take the ball in tight spaces has flourished under the watchful eye of Pochettino, with the youngster creating the most 'big chances' in the Chelsea squad (five), the second-most key passes per game (1.4) and the second-most shots on target (0.7) in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.

As noted previously, Dumfries also averaged 1.4 key passes per game and was only just behind the Englishman with regard to 'big chances' created (three), ensuring that it could be argued the defender is almost as creative as the Blues' emerging talisman, despite operating further back.

Therefore, if Pochettino is able to successfully lure the 6 foot 2 powerhouse to Stamford Bridge, the Dutchman and Palmer would be an unstoppable force down Chelsea's right flank for years to come.

That would mean bad news for Gusto, indeed.

The fast bowler joined R Ashwin and Virat Kohli in complaining that it goes too soft too early

Alagappan Muthu in Hyderabad12-Oct-20181:08

Umesh echoes Kohli’s SG ball reservations

There are more rumblings against the SG ball with Umesh Yadav joining R Ashwin and the captain Virat Kohli in complaining that it goes soft too early and gives them little chance of taking wickets.After West Indies moved from from 113 for 5 to 295 for 7 at stumps, Umesh was asked about how India have been giving a lot of runs to the lower-order in Tests this year and he said: “If you are saying that lower order has scored runs, then you must realise that in India with SG Test balls on these kind of flat tracks you neither get pace nor bounce.”What happens with SG balls is that they become soft after 20 overs so the batsmen coming later don’t face much difficulty. So tailenders know that it will neither swing nor reverse. You just have to wait for something to happen and keep trying. But you can’t really do it on such a big ground, the ones and twos keep coming.”All you can do is to bowl one spot but then you will realise that nothing is happening even off the pitch nor is it swinging. So when middle and lower order comes in they know that ball has become soft and it doesn’t come at a pace and batting becomes easier.”Given these concerns, it was strange to see India choosing to take the second new ball only seven overs after it had become available. Nevertheless, they appear quite upset; enough that they’re blaming the SG ball for their being unable to break through the opposition as quickly as they’d like.And it wasn’t like India had a bad day in the field either. Even though they had to make do with only four bowlers – Shardul Thakur picked up a groin injury while bowling his second over – they managed to pick up seven wickets in 95 overs. Umesh himself had Shai Hope lbw in the 32nd over, dismissed Shane Dowrich in the same way in the 60th over and then had Jason Holder caught down the leg side with the second new ball.Kohli had claimed that a poor quality ball will lead to a lot of “dead sessions” in Test matches, but in India, only five of the last 25 games have ended up not yielding a result – and two of them – South Africa 2015 and Sri Lanka 2017 – were heavily rain-affected. In any case, SG has said that it is open to sitting down with the BCCI and if needed raise the seam of their balls by 1 or 1.5 mm to address this issue.