Manchester United’s heavy spending in the transfer market has been there for all to see in recent history, with huge funds being dropped on players who have failed to make the grade.

Ruben Amorim has already spent upwards of £200m since his appointment last November, adding to the £600m splashed by Erik ten Hag in just over two years.

The £800m spent has been wasted on countless players not at the level required for success in the Premier League, which has often resulted in numerous huge losses on various players.

As a result, it’s unclear how much the manager will have available to spend in the winter window, but it hasn’t stopped numerous top talents from appearing on their radar.

The January window could be make or break for the manager, with the 40-year-old needing to make full use of whatever funds he’s handed by the Red Devils hierarchy.

United make contact to sign PL superstar

Over the last couple of days, United have been in constant talks with Bournemouth over a deal to land Antoine Semenyo in January, with Amorim’s men looking to jump the queue for his signature.

The Ghanaian winger currently has a £65m release clause within his contract at the Vitality, but certain sides will have to act quickly, with such a clause ending on January 10th.

If the Red Devils are to complete any transfer for the 25-year-old this winter, they will likely have to fend off interest from rivals Manchester City, who are also keen on a move for his signature.

Semenyo isn’t the only Premier League star currently in their sights for January, with Nottingham Forest sensation Elliot Anderson another player being considered by the board.

According to David Ornstein, the Red Devils have already reached out to Sean Dyche’s side over a potential move for the 23-year-old who’s started every league game this campaign.

He also states the England international is the club’s top target at present, with the youngster seen as the perfect immediate and long-term solution to their midfield issues.

Ornstein stated: “We’re talking the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, plenty of others will be in the frame as well. I think some of them already calling Nottingham Forest, Manchester United have made their interest known. I think he’s top of their list, or there, or there abouts for a number six come this summer.”

Why Anderson would finally get Sesko firing at United

As part of Amorim’s recent shopping spree at United, he oversaw the completion of Benjamin Sesko’s arrival from German side RB Leipzig for a reported £74m.

Given the fee, the Red Devils fans were no doubt excited at the prospect of finding their leading talisman, but it’s safe to say the move has failed to take off as yet.

The Slovenian international has only netted two league goals out of his first 13 appearances, subsequently struggling to adapt to the demands of England’s top-flight.

He will certainly need time to get used to Amorim’s system, but any struggles could be eased if they complete a transfer to sign Anderson in the January window.

The English star may well be a box-to-box midfielder, but it’s his all-round game which could aid the 22-year-old with his efforts in front of goal in the final third.

His underlying stats showcase his talents at both ends, which could hand the manager the long-term fix to such an issue, which has often plagued him in 2025/26.

Anderson, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by one journalist, has completed 1.2 dribbles to date, whilst also winning 7.3 duels per 90 – showcasing his box-to-box talents – but also placing him in the top 5% of midfielders in the league.

Elliot Anderson – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

17

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Dribbles completed

1.2

Duels won

7.3

Ball recoveries

8.4

Progressive passes

8.4

Passes into final third

8.1

Stats via FBref

He has also made 8.4 recoveries of the ball per 90 in 2025/26, with his overall total of 142 in the first 17 outings, by far and away, the best of any player in England’s top-flight.

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However, it’s his efforts in possession that could hugely benefit Sesko at Old Trafford, with Anderson averaging a total of 8.4 progressive passes and 8.1 passes into the final third per 90.

Such numbers showcase the midfielder’s incredible ability at playing the ball into forward areas, which could see the Slovenian be the beneficiary of countless chances in front of goal.

To put Anderson’s numbers into context, he’s currently playing more forward passes than 95% of other midfielders in the league – a phenomenal feat for a deep-lying option.

Whilst he would reportedly cost around the £100m mark, a deal for the Forest star would certainly provide an immediate solution to the problems at the heart of the United midfield.

His creativity is certainly an added bonus, with such numbers only going to improve Sesko’s chances of success during his own time at the Theatre of Dreams.

Related Better than Anderson & Wharton: Man Utd join race to sign £52m midfielder

Manchester United have identified another top target for the midfield department ahead of January.

Posts ByEthan Lamb

Newcastle fans have been discussing their club’s interest in towering French defender Christopher Jullien, but it seems fans would rather make a shock swoop for Sunderland man Papy Djilobodji.

Sunderland are set to offload a whole host of first team players this summer, and Newcastle fans are eyeing up a deal to buff up their defensive ranks.

Of course, the most impressive part of the Magpies’ late surge up the table last season was the beastly partnership of Florian Lejeune and Jamaal Lascelles, but Rafael Benitez hasn’t exactly got tons of depth outside of those two.

The Magpies have been linked with a move for Jullien, who currently plays for Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

The giant centre back was mightily impressive last season, but his stats don’t come anywhere close to Djilobodji, who spent the season away from Wearside on loan with Dijon.

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The 29 year-old Sunderland flop averaged 6.7 clearances per game, the third most of any player in Ligue 1. For reference, Jullien averaged 5.9, while Lascelles boasts an incredible seven clearances per game.

The 13-cap Senegal man is also in the top ten in Ligue 1 for both interceptions (2.4 per game) and blocks (0.8 per game). Once again, both of these numbers are superior to Jullien.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Fans like what they see of the 13-cap Senegal man, and the fact that he is desperate to leave the Stadium of Light could make him available at a bargain price, perfect for a signing that would be to add depth rather than improve the starting eleven.

Almost two thirds of fans voted to sign Djilobodji over Jullien, and you can find the full poll results down below…

	Adam Gilchrist is one of several Australians keen to find form ahead of the CB Series deciders © Getty Images

Australia will treat Friday’s dead-rubber against Sri Lanka as their first final ahead of the best-of-three CB Series deciders with India starting on Sunday. Sri Lanka have only pride to play for but Australia know they cannot afford to lose momentum after winning their past four games of the tournament.”We’ve certainly taken the approach that our finals campaign starts now,” Gilchrist said in the lead-up to the Sri Lanka match at the MCG. “You could say it would be better not playing the game and have a clear run into the finals and preparation. But we’ve got this game to use how we want to use it, and it’s not as a practice game. If we get lethargic we lose momentum.”I’m sure every individual is looking to have their own specific things. I’m sure Ricky [Ponting] will want to back up now, the runs that he’s scored, and Symmo. I’ve had a few teens, twenties scores since my hundred in Perth, so it would be nice to get a bit of momentum back up.”Australia lost last year’s tri-series finals to England and Gilchrist said with he and Brad Hogg farewelling international cricket during the deciders – and with the CB Series itself on the way out – it was important the hosts were in form to face India on Sunday. “We don’t have that trophy in the cabinet and it’s the last tri-series that there will probably ever be,” he said.”It’s been an integral part in the success of Australian cricket and the Australian cricket calendar, and indeed the world cricket calendar. Although it’s become tired and everyone’s ready to move ont o a different format this triangular series, when it used to be called the World Series Cup, countries used to covet this trophy and loved to be here.”Mahela Jayawardene’s men cannot make the finals following their disappointing run since their win over India in Canberra more than two weeks ago. They have suffered four defeats from that moment on and Jayawardene said their pride was definitely on the line in Melbourne.”No team wants to lose four-five games in a tournament and not have a successful run,” Jayawardene said. “Every game we play, we play to win and give everything. Things haven’t gone our way, we have one more chance to rectify those things.”They are unlikely to risk Farveez Maharoof, who has a side strain, while Australia will regain Mitchell Johnson after he was rested for their match in Sydney earlier this week. It will be the last match Gilchrist plays at the MCG and he said as the CB Series had continued the reality of retirement had really hit home. However, he remains at ease with his call.”There’s not a decision I’ve made in my life – and this is all due respect to my wife about marriage because I’m pretty certain that was the right decision – but I’ve never been surer every single day that I wake up, that this is the right thing to do,” Gilchrist said. “I’m getting more and more reflective and it’s natural to do that. The way people are expressing their emotions and thoughts and opinions of me, and to me, that’s making it even more of an emotional time.”Australia (likely) 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 Matthew Hayden, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Michael Hussey, 7 James Hopes, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Mitchell Johnson, 11 Nathan Bracken.Sri Lanka (likely) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Dilruwan Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Chaminda Vaas, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Ishara Amerasinghe.

Cricket has lost one of its greatest friends with the death of Mike Turner. He was a player, administrator, fund raiser and mentor but, despite almost 60 years in the game, remains a largely unsung hero of the sport.If Turner, a gentle man perhaps best suited to a background role in administration, made an unlikely saviour, Leicester made an unlikely location for a miracle.But Mike Turner changed the face of world cricket forever when he introduced the Midland Knock-Out Cup to Grace Road in 1962. The competition lasted only one season, but might represent the single greatest change the game has ever undergone.The Midland Knock-Out Cup – a 65-overs a side tournament – was the first limited-overs competition involving first-class sides. Itssuccess led directly to the Gillette Cup – which is generally acknowledged as the first limited-overs cricket tournament – whichstarted in 1963 and laid the foundations for many of the innovations that followed: Twenty20 cricket; Packer; ODIs; floodlights;power-plays; coloured clothing. The roots of them all are in Leicester.At the time, Turner was a young, energetic and enthusiastic secretary (today’s equivalent of a chief executive) of Leicestershire. Agedonly 27, he had the vision – and the cheek – to question the traditional order but also the skills to organise a successful alternative.”You have to remember the context,” Turner told magazine in 2009. “The game was in the doldrums at the time. There had been a post-war boom but, by the 1960s, spectator numbers were falling. Membership numbers were falling. We were worried about the game’s future.”I saw an opportunity. All the county secretaries were at The Oval drawing up the fixture list for the 1962 season. As each fixture wasallocated, they were written on to a huge blackboard on the wall of the room.”Anyway, I just happened to notice that several midlands clubs had a gap in their schedule. So I invited Derbyshire, Northants andNottinghamshire to take part in a limited-overs, knock-out competition.”I saw a nice little trophy in a second-hand shop and had it re-plated and engraved. I’ve no idea what happened to it; I haven’t seen it fromthe moment I presented it to Northants. I thought the competition would run every year.”It was very revolutionary. There had been talk of one-day cricket, but this was the first limited-overs cricket. Most league cricket wasplayed on one day, but involved a tea-time declaration, while the Rothmans Cavaliers’ (the equivalent of the Lashings team) games werealso declaration affairs. But mid-week league cricket had been played over 20-overs for years and had always been very popular.”The attendance was relatively good and we received very good coverage in the press. Crucially Gordon Ross (an influential journalist) came to the game and took a great deal of interest. He soon became the PR man for Gillette.”Six months later, the TCCB (the forerunner of the ECB) unveiled their plans for the Gillette Cup (which later became the NatWest and thenthe C&G Trophy). The rules were strikingly similar: 65 overs aside and a maximum 15 overs per bowler. They would be refined over time, but Turner’s influence was stamped all over it.”It wasn’t just the spectators that one-day cricket attracted,” Turner said. “It was the sponsorship. The Gillette Cup was the first majorcounty sponsorship and was soon followed by the John Player League. As a game was televised every Sunday by the BBC, it meant we suddenly had advertising around county grounds. It was a great deal for the game.”Did I create a monster? I’ve reflected on that a great deal. It was the right thing for the game at the time, but there are alarm bellsringing now. The growth of Twenty20 and players declaring themselves unavailable for Test cricket does worry me. I fear for a dilution ofTest cricket.”Francis Michael Turner was born in Leicester on August 8, 1934. His relationship with the club that defined so much of his life began in 1946 when he first stepped on to the Grace Road playing surface, though at the time it was his school playing field. Less than 20 years later, he had negotiated the purchase of the site with his old headmaster and Leicestershire had a new home. Grace Road cost £24,000 in 1965.He dreamed of playing cricket for a living. But, after joining the staff in 1951 and playing 10 first-class games as a legspinning allrounder, he concluded that he could contribute more in administration and, aged just 25, was appointed secretary of a club that most thought was slipping out of the first-class game.”When I was appointed secretary of Leicestershire in 1960, I was told that the foreseeable life of the club was five years,” he said.”I was only 25 – still the youngest secretary in the game’s history – and it was a difficult time. But we had a fantastic run.”I decided we needed a figurehead senior pro to lead the side. I wrote to Tom Graveney in the early 60s and invited him to captain us. He wrote me a lovely letter. He said I had made him a very good offer, but that he couldn’t face playing out of such a dilapidated pavilion and didn’t want to be at a club where he got splinters every time he went for a shower. It made me realise that I really had to do something about the pavilion. We built the new one in 1966, signed Tony Lock in 1965 and Ray Illingworth before the 1969 season.”Leicestershire enjoyed their golden years under Turner’s astute guidance. They won their first trophy in 1972 – the Benson and Hedges Cup – before in 1975 they secured their first County Championship title as well as recapturing the Benson and Hedges Cup and defeating the touring Australian side. As well as buying the ground and building a new pavilion, he also raised the funds for the indoor school which was opened in 1993.Turner’s eye for a fine player helped the club attract such world-class talents as Andy Roberts and David Gower, who he rated as his finest signing, while the likes of Jonathan Agnew, Peter Willey, James Whitaker, Nick Cook, Phil DeFreitas, Chris Lewis all developed, in part, at the club.A measure of his success is that when he retired as secretary in 1993 after 43 years with the club and 33 as secretary, Leicestershire were so well managed that they went on to win the County Championship in 1996 and 1998. He was awarded a testimonial by the club in 1985, was made a vice-president in 1994 – the year he was also awarded an MBE – and became a director in 2003 when the club became an Independent Provident Society. He stepped down in 2007.While some recent developments years pained him – he supported the campaign to oust Neil Davidson as chairman in 2010 – he remained a regular visitor to the ground and a wise sounding board for many in the game. Several generations of players, administrators, umpires and journalists were grateful for a kind word here or some wise advice there. Leicestershire’s new chief executive, Wasim Khan, was among many to hail him as a “tremendous support,” while former ECB chief executive, David Collier, said “he taught me a great deal.”Many clubs were grateful for Turner’s advice on obtaining Grant Aid. Until very recently, the ECB relied on him to update their booklet on the subject and sent it to the 8,500 member clubs of the National Cricket Association. He was also still offering advice to clubs by telephone until very recently.”The gospel truth is that I’ve brought in £26 million for first-class clubs in terms of successful grant applications,” Turner said. “And I’ve helped bring in £15m for the little clubs who want to extend their pavilion or something like that. Everywhere I go I see something I’ve been involved in. It’s very satisfying.”Away from cricket, Turner raised a great deal of money for charities. He was Chairman of Charities at Glenfield Hospital and helped raise £1.4m for a breast care centre that was opened in 2001. He died peacefully in his sleep on the early hours of July 21 and leaves three children: Michael, Helen and Susan. His wife, Pat, died last year. The flag at Grace Road was flying at half-mast on Tuesday.”I retired in 1993, but I only live over the road so I pop in all the time,” he said. “I was thrilled the indoor school was named the Mike Turner Cricket Centre. I loved Leicestershire and I loved cricket so I enjoyed it all enormously. I have been very fortunate.”The game may reflect that it was fortunate to have him, too.

Surrey’s 17-year-old allrounder Sam Curran has been named in the England Under-19s squad for their tour of Sri Lanka. Hampshire offspinner Brad Taylor will captain the team.Wellington schoolboy Curran, who has made a big impact with his left-arm seam bowling since debuting for Surrey in July and scored his maiden first-class fifty in the ongoing Championship match at The Oval, is joined by another 17-year-old in Somerset batsman George Bartlett.The rest of the squad, which includes Lancashire opener Haseeb Hameed, Essex batsman Dan Lawrence and Hampshire legspinner Mason Crane – all of whom have made an impressions in first-class cricket this summer – featured in the Test and one-day series with Australia earlier this summer.The tour will feature a tri-series with Sri Lanka and India as England continue their preparations for next year’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.As part of the England Development Programme, the ECB has also selected ten players to take part in a winter training camp at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough.EDP chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: “The tour to Sri Lanka before Christmas represents the last chance for the players to impress ahead of the final selection of the squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in January and February next year.”We have selected a strong squad based on performances against Australia under-19s this summer, alongside giving opportunities to a couple of players who haven’t featured at this level before. It is now down to them to show that they deserve to be named in the World Cup squad when that is announced towards the end of December.”The tri-series involving Sri Lanka and India Under-19s will present a tough challenge, and it is a further learning opportunity for all the players in subcontinent conditions. It should be a great tour and a precursor to what they can expect in Bangladesh during the World Cup next year.”England U-19s squad for Sri Lanka: George Bartlett (Somerset), Hugh Bernard (Kent), Jack Burnham (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ryan Davies (Kent), Ben Green (Somerset), Haseeb Hameed (Lancashire), Adam Hickey (Durham), Max Holden, (Middlesex), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire), Brad Taylor (capt, Hampshire), Callum Taylor (Essex), Jared Warner (Yorkshire)EDP winter training squad: Ed Barnes (Yorkshire), Aaron Beard (Essex), Josh Dell (Worcestershire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Tom Keast (Nottinghamshire), Felix Organ (Hampshire), George Panayi (Warwickshire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire), Ben Twohig (Worcestershire)

Bengal

Manoj Tiwary is back as Bengal captain•PTI

Where they finished last season
Second from the bottom in Group A with no wins. Bengal barely managed to avoid relegation, thanks to Wriddhiman Saha’s resolute 92 in their final game of the season against Madhya Pradesh.Big Picture
The last time Bengal secured the Ranji title was when Sourav Ganguly made his first-class debut in the final in 1989-90. In the silver-jubilee year of the landmark, has taken charge of the Cricket Association of Bengal.The previous season, which came after a creditable semi-final finish in 2013-14, was a big low. Manoj Tiwary, who has been entrusted with captaincy again, will be keen to spark a turnaround. Bengal have been bolstered by the arrival of Pragyan Ojha, who had impressed in the A games against Australia after having remodeled his action.”Murali sir [Muttiah Muralitharan] told me to keep things simple and keep bowling. He is as an inspiration… he just told me to keep bowling to improve myself. It is a simple message, yet very powerful,” Ojha told ESPNcricinfo.He will head up a revamped spin department, which includes former U-19 offspinner Aamir Gani with usual suspects Ashok Dinda and Veer Pratap Singh manning the pace attack.Naved Ahmed, who has played club cricket in West Bengal for close to a decade, gets a break. He is among the four uncapped players in the squad at first-class level.After making two half-centuries in the first two Tests in Sri Lanka, Saha missed the third because of a hamstring injury. But he has recovered and with Naman Ojha breathing down his neck, Saha will look to sharpen both his fitness and form ahead of the home Test series against South Africa.Players to watch
Pragyan Ojha
One of the most high-profile transfers of the season. Ojha, who has moved from Hyderabad, lends experience and variety to an attack, which looks well-rounded now, at least on paper.Coaching staff
Former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has replaced Ashok Malhotra as head coach. There had been reports of friction in the side during the pre-season tour to Sri Lanka, after which Laxmi Shukla decided to step down from the captaincy. It will be interesting to see how Bahutule builds the team.Sairaj Bahutule (head coach), Kamalesh Jain (physio), Goutam Deb (trainer), Gautam Sarkar (video analyst), Ranadeb Bose (bowling coach), Joydeep Mukherjee (fielding coach), VVS Laxman (batting consultant), Muttiah Muralitharan (spin consultant)Preparation
The Bengal set-up toured Sri Lanka for a fortnight, where they played against the Sri Lanka development and academy squads.Team news
Saurasish Lahiri, who captained Bengal in the Buchi Babu tournament in August, is a notable absentee. An offspinner who can bat a bit lower down the order, Lahiri had sealed Bengal’s passage to the Ranji knockouts in 2013-14 with a seven-for against Tamil Nadu.Squad
Manoj Tiwary (capt), Parthasarathi Bhattacharjee, Abhishek Das, Aamir Gani, Naved Ahmed, Veer Pratap Singh, Sourav Sarkar, Laxmi Shukla, Mukesh Kumar, Sudip Chatterjee, Ashok Dinda, Pragyan Ojha, Shreevats Goswami, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj ShawIn their own words
“We want to have a positive mindset and take it one game at a time. Ojha has been bowling well, he is working really hard, and that helps our bowling attack.”

Gujarat

Gujarat’s Jasprit Bumrah last played a first-class match in July 2014•Getty Images

Where they finished last season
Fourth in Group BBig picture
Last season, mere decimal points separated Gujarat from a place in the knockouts. Vidarbha, who qualified in third place from Group B, finished with 24 points and a quotient of 1.468. Gujarat finished with 24 points and a quotient of 0.965.For Gujarat, it was a reflection of all the missed opportunities over the course of a season that was equally encouraging and frustrating – Rajasthan held on for a draw against them, with two wickets remaining; Punjab and Maharashtra escaped with draws despite being made to follow-on; Vidarbha beat them after conceding a first-innings lead.As a new season begins, Gujarat will have the same question to answer: do they have the quality, individually and as a collective, to make those crunch moments count and step up from mid-table to challenge for knockout spots?Perhaps it was this question that prompted them to sign-up RP Singh, who will lead a pace attack that looks potent on paper with Rush Kalaria and Jasprit Bumrah. Axar Patel will miss the beginning of the season while he is away with India’s limited-overs side, but the team will not lack in the spin department, with coach Hitesh Majumdar indicating that Hardik Patel is a capable like-for-like option as a left-arm spinner. The squad also contains the veteran offspinner Ramesh Powar.”We’ve got a very good bowling side,” Majumdar says. “Teams will think twice about preparing bowling-friendly wickets against us.”On the batting front, Gujarat might need someone to step up and have a genuinely outstanding season, unlike last season. Six of their batsmen scored one century each, and only one of them went on to make 150. Majumdar recognises the issue, and says he wants his batsmen to show a greater appetite for runs. “Those who are getting 400-500 runs in a season, we need them to stretch it to 700 or 800.”Players to watch
After two stellar Ranji Trophy seasons, Manpreet Juneja found a place in the India A side, and showed he belonged with scores of 193, 84 and 70 against New Zealand A and West Indies A in September 2013. Just when he should have been pushing on for bigger things, his domestic form plummeted – he made 100 runs in nine innings, at an average of 11.11, in the 2013-14 Ranji season, and played only four matches in 2014-15, scoring 137 runs at 27.40. Despite that, he averages over 50 in first-class cricket, and Gujarat will hope he has rediscovered his best form ahead of the new season.Having missed out on the whole of the 2014-15 Ranji season with a knee injury, Jasprit Bumrah will be raring to return to long-form cricket for the first time since July 2014, when he was part of the India A side touring Australia. Bumrah is tall and asks questions with his angle, bounce and awkward action. If he’s fit and firing alongside RP Singh and Kalaria, Gujarat might have a more-than-handy pace attack this season.Coaching staff
Hitesh Majumdar (coach), Soham Desai (trainer), Parthav Patel (physio), Vijay Patel (coach in charge of overseeing senior and age-group teams).Preparation
In the pre-season, Gujarat sent teams to the KSCA tournament in Karnataka, the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai and the Bhausaheb Nimbalkar tournament in Pune. Coach Hitesh Majumdar says rotating their squad gave the selectors a chance to test out a number of players.Squad
Parthiv Patel (capt & wk), Mehul Patel, Rohit Dahiya, Priyank Panchal, Rujul Bhatt, Jasprit Bumrah, Samit Gohel, Manpreet Juneja, Rush Kalaria, Bhargav Merai, Hardik Patel, Niraj Patel, Smit Patel, Ramesh Powar, RP Singh, Venugopal Rao.In their own words
“We have been playing with the same group of players for the last three years, and they have gelled well. This time we are expecting results. We just need to cross that line.”

Rajat Bhatia, the former Delhi allrounder, has found a new home. Starting with the Group A Ranji Trophy match against Maharashtra in Jaipur on Thursday, Bhatia will represent Rajasthan, which is being run by a court-appointed ad-hoc committee.For a player to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) in the middle of the season is not a routine event, but it has prevented Bhatia’s whole season going to waste, and has given a young Rajasthan team an experienced hand, which they have often drawn from professionals.With four points from three games, Rajasthan are placed eighth in the nine-team pool, and face the risk of relegation. They played the first game at home, and shot Delhi out for a low score on the first day, but couldn’t convert that into an outright win. After that they travelled to east India to lose to Assam and concede a first-innings lead to Bengal.How Bhatia would have loved to make this transition before the first round, and play a team that has hurt him, Delhi. He is still not happy with the treatment he got. “I was sure my season was gone,” he said. “I thought maybe after the first game. Maybe after the next… but it was clear they were not going to pick me. This match, looking at the Delhi side, I can’t agree with the statement that I don’t fit in the XI.”I asked the selectors as to what was the reason for not picking me. I have not been dropped based on performance, or based on fitness. There was no explanation. They just said sorry. I don’t like to believe it but I have heard that the selectors wanted to pick me, but Gautam [Gambhir] didn’t want to.”Gambhir, the captain, of course told the selectors that Bhatia does not fit in his XI, so the selectors said they didn’t want to bench such a senior player. Given all that, Bhatia is thankful he wasn’t picked at all. “It’s a blessing in disguise that they didn’t pick me under some sort of pressure,” he said. “What if they had given me one game and then benched me? Then I wouldn’t have had this opportunity too.”I am thankful to the BCCI and to Rajasthan that I have been given this opportunity even after the deadline. That they saw that this experienced player sitting at home, so if he is available for Rajasthan, why not?”Bhatia has a prior association with Rajasthan. He was picked by Rajasthan Royals at the 2014 IPL auction after Kolkata Knight Riders didn’t retain him. Bhatia is the most capped Indian non-international in the IPL. Even though he turns 36 the day he makes his first-class debut for Rajasthan, he is a valued workhorse on the domestic scene. If he plays all the five remaining matches he would have played 100 first-class games. He has scored 5394 runs at 48.16 and has taken 119 wickets. Rajasthan hope his inclusion will bring some stability to their middle order, while his handy seam-ups provide a foil for Deepak Chahar’s swing and Nathu Singh’s pace.Rajasthan are hopeful of playing on a lively track that assists their quicks. But they are also mindful of being up against a settled Maharashtra batting line-up boasting of Kedar Jadhav, Rohit Motwani and Harshad Khadiwale. Maharashtra’s penchant to play attacking cricket will add some life to the contest.Rajasthan, though, can’t afford to take lightly the Maharashtra attack of Domnic Muthuswamy and Samad Fallah, who can be dangerous in these conditions. Having taken the first-innings honours against Haryana and Odisha, Maharashtra are placed fifth, a point behind defending champions Karnataka.

Auckland won the Super Over
ScorecardFile photo: Michael Bates picked two wickets and gave away just five runs in the one-over eliminator•Getty Images

Michael Bates’ magnificent performance in the one-over eliminator restricted Canterbury to 5 for 2 in five balls, Colin Munro then finished the game in one ball, smashing Hamish Bennett for a six to seal Auckland’s thrilling victory.It was a brutal end to Canterbury’s hopes in their chase of 171 after their final-wicket pair had batted splendidly to tie the game in the first place. Logan van Beek and Ed Nuttall came together with their team needing 32 off the last 15 balls. That equation became 16 off the final over, eventually it was just one run too many. Having fallen so agonisingly short, Van Beek, who made 24 off 15, with two fours and Nuttall, who hustled 13 off 8, with a six, could only watch as their team slumped to a fourth straight defeat in the Super Over.Earlier, opener Aiden Blizzard had kept Canterbury up with the required rate of 8.55 with his 38-ball 57. A knock made all the more necessary because Auckland kept picking up wickets in clumps. Captain Ronnie Hira was the first to go in the third over, Henry Nicholls followed him in the fourth and a score of 37 for 2 left both teams in with a sniff.The pendulum swung Auckland’s way thanks to their captain Rob Nicol – he dismissed Blizzard and Andrew Ellis in the space of two balls and Canterbury were left needing 65 runs in 44 balls with only four wickets in hand. Mitchell McClenaghan took two wickets in the 18th over, which meant the asking rate soared to 12.8, which turned out to be just enough.It was Auckland’s second win in three games and their batting did set it up quite nicely. In the first innings, Colin de Grandhomme got to a fifty in only 25 balls and Nicol came in during the third over and batted through the innings to make 50 not out off 48 balls. Bennett was the pick of Canterbury’s bowlers producing returns of 2 for 30 in his four overs.Prior to the start of the game, a minute’s silence was observed for Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand All Black who passed away at the age of 40.

Port-Of-Spain – The heart-beats were as rapid as the rhythms of theCarnival 2000 road march contenders.The sweat was running down the arm-pits profusely; the fingernailswere being bitten by the second.Such was the intensity of the moment yesterday.And yes, Tante Merle returned to the Queen’s Park Oval 25 years afterher first appearance when there was a similarly heart-stopping matchthat ended with team scores being equal.This time, victory was accomplished by Barbados by the narrowest ofmargins (one run) amidst unbearable tension at 5:25 p.m. with 12 oversremaining.The emotions were far-ranging throughout the final, pulsating hour.One minute the 3 500 spectators were in a frenzy as their championBrian Lara was leading the charge in pursuit of what appeared to be acomfortable victory.The next they were completely stunned when Hendy Bryan knocked backthe stumps of Marlon Black to complete a sensational collapse in whichthe last five wickets fell for 20 and the last seven for 45.When Black missed his irresponsible swing Bryan, unable to contain hisemotions, ran all the way to the long-off boundary with ecstaticteam-mates in pursuit. When he realised he could go no further, hedropped to the turf and his partners, including reserves Floyd Reiferand Sulieman Benn, huddled together before taking a lap of honour.Just the ball before, Barbados were crestfallen after their umpteenthappeal for a lbw decision was turned down, resulting in four leg-byesbeing credited to Trinidad and Tobago.Barbados knew fully well that defeat could have eliminated them fromthe Busta Cup depending on the results of the other two finalpreliminary round matches which end today.They now await their opponents in the semifinals, but their 48 pointsshould give them a spot in the top two and the right to host thatsemi.’The guys worked very hard in the latter stages of the game,’ managerTony Howard said after Barbados’ first victory in Trinidad since 1990and their first at the Queen’s Park Oval since 1983.’We had some long talks. Some serious pointed issues were raised andthe guys got it together. They went out there and demonstrated that.’This was a team effort. Everybody knew what they had to do.’With Lara beginning to play with increasing command, only diehardBarbadian supporters would have given their team a chance withTrinidad and Tobago on 141 for five in search of a winning target of163.Lara was one short of his 50, but his inclination to pull againstleft-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins caused his downfall.His shot was miscued and captain Philo Wallace gleefully accepted thecatch at mid-on. It was the third time in three innings that Collinshad claimed Lara.’One of the main turning points was when I got out,’ Lara admitted.’I thought that I needed to keep scoring. I felt that we had enoughwickets in hand to get it, but Barbados bowled well.’Even before Lara’s dismissal, Bryan started the fightback with twowickets in successive balls.One was Richard Smith to a catch inches off the ground by SherwinCampbell at first slip, and the other was first innings hero KenoMason, lbw pushing uncertainly forward.Bryan lost some control in the dying stages and gave up four wides.By then Wallace had also turned to Ryan Hurley’s off-breaks to relievethe hard-working Collins who also removed openers Daren Ganga andImran Jan.The little man came up big.Rodney Sooklal, swinging across, was palpably lbw, and Mervyn Dillon,essaying a sweep, was bowled behind his back to leave Trinidad andTobago 156 for nine.The ball before, there was poor judgement on the part of DinanathRamnarine after the left-hander, who had somehow survived for an hour,was run out attempting a non-existent second run.Collins and Bryan each finished with three wickets. Hurley had two,and the under-used Dave Marshall came up with the important wicket ofthe dangerous Denis Rampersad.Marshall’s diving return catch accounted for the No. 3 batsman, whomade 34, in the last over before tea and ended a second-wicket standof 50. The other batsman in that stand, Ganga, made 30 before edging adrive off Collins to first slip.No one would have predicted what was to follow.

Nasser Hussain – back, in form, for Essex Photo © CricInfo

Essex won their third consecutive victory in the National League as theybeat Derbyshire by just six runs in a close conclusion at Chelmsford. NasserHussain, who was in the Essex side for the first time in a month, was top scorerwith 47 in a score of 203-8.He was more cautious than usual and took 87 balls in his innings, but he hit a six over mid-wicket off medium-paced Tom Lungley as well as four fours. Stephen Peters (38) and Paul Grayson (37 n.o. from 35 balls) contributed most to the total.
Tim Munton had given Essex some early trouble by taking the first three wickets to fall and yielded only 24 runs in his nine overs. Derbyshire, too, found the going difficult at first and reached fifty only after 17 overs. Ronnie Irani bowled four maidens in his nine overs for a cost of 20 runs. The middle/late-order batsmen took up the challenge with greater despatch: James Pyemont scored 34 from 43 deliveries and Dominic Cork 24 from 33.Nevertheless Derbyshire were still a long way behind with 52 needed from five overs. Munton hit 18 from the same number of balls and Kasir Shah scored 20 from nine, but both batsmen were caught by Tim Mason on the long-on boundary off Grayson’s left-arm spin. Eventually Lungley’s run out brought the innings to a close on 197 with just one ball to bowl. Derbyshire have now lost eight out of nine matches in the League.