Category Uncategorized

The Sri Lanka coach lavished praise on Pakistan, calling the hospitality the visitors had received “a privilege”

Danyal Rasool in Lahore10-Oct-2019Sri Lanka coach Rumesh Ratnayake lavished praise on Pakistan upon the conclusion of his side’s tour, calling the hospitality Sri Lanka had received “a privilege to be appreciated”. Speaking to the media after the visitors beat Pakistan by 13 runs to complete a 3-0 T20I series whitewash, Ratnayake said the tour had gone very smoothly, and made him confident his side soon wouldn’t be the only ones to have visited Pakistan.”This tour is a message for the whole world, and especially a message for future Sri Lankans,” Ratnayake said. “This has gone very smoothly. Us playing here will encourage so many other countries to also to be here.”To experience the hospitality of Pakistan is a great thing; I’ve experienced it after a long, long time, and if anything, it’s got even better. It was a lot of hard work for the whole system to have us here.”You’ve done a great job in having us here and the security has been impeccable. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it even though some of us came in doubt. But the doubt has been taken out now so I would like to thank you all for making it happen.”Sri Lanka were originally scheduled to visit Pakistan for a two-match Test series, but with several first-team players opting against travelling, the PCB and the SLC agreed to have Sri Lanka over for a limited-overs tour. The Test series the sides are drafted to play against each other will form part of the World Test Championship, with wins and losses particularly significant in smaller series like this one. That is understood to be one of the major stumbling blocks for the series taking place in Pakistan, as Sri Lanka would not have their full-strength side to choose from.However, with Sri Lanka cleaning up the T20I series in surprisingly comfortable fashion with the players available to them, and the general sense of safety Ratnayake said they felt over the fortnight, he sensed the prospect of his side playing Test cricket in Pakistan had increased. While admitting the board couldn’t force anyone to come who wasn’t willing, he suggested those watching at home would have seen “it is safe to be here”.”We’ll certainly explain that to them and they’ll have seen it as well. We’ll try and convince them as much as we can, but we cannot enforce anything. Hopefully, they’ve changed by seeing this series be so successful.”The crowd has been the same as 30 years ago; it hasn’t changed,” Ratnayake, who played seven Tests and 16 ODIs in Pakistan over the course of his career, said. “It was very touching when they were holding up signs saying ‘Welcome Sri Lanka’ and it was very moving to see that affection from the people.”

“If you remember the first press conference I did here, I said we’ll be playing against giants. We were the midgets then, so to speak, but now these boys are on par with anybody.”Rumesh Ratnayake

But while the words off the pitch were friendly enough from the visitors, Sri Lanka haven’t exactly been apprehensive guests, especially since they arrived in Lahore. A 2-0 ODI series win for Pakistan in Karachi suggested this might be the sort of tour on which Sri Lanka gained experience rather than having results go their way. But Lahore saw a remarkable turnaround, with the supposedly weakened hosts putting Pakistan to the sword in all three games, and sealing their first-ever 3-0 T20I whitewash in the process. Ratnayake said calling them a weak unit would be inaccurate.”It was not the weakest team. We chose the best team. In Sri Lanka we have about 30-40 good players, so whichever we chose we were most confident of. We believed they could do something at the highest level. We emphasised being fearless and having that belief and also the confidence to take good decisions. Good decisions give you the chance of winning a match. They were fearless and they executed our game plans brilliantly.”This performance will bring about a huge effect on the spectators, on our supporters, and on the players themselves. Our school system is a very good system. And those [young] players who are watching, the future players will certainly take heart from this and take courage and you’ll see a huge impetus in the growth of the game in the future.”What we were looking for is consistency. We won here, but as a coach what I’d like to see is do we have consistency in the future? This is just T20, there are two other formats, and we should not be over-awed by this. But certainly, we need to take a leaf from this and that should help us take it to another level in all aspects of the game.”Oshada Fernando looks at the heavens after bringing up fifty•AFPIt wasn’t just that Sri Lanka didn’t have their full quota to choose from. By the third T20I, they got downright funky with team selections. Having stuck with the same XI for the first two games, they decided to give the entire bench a run out for the final contest, making five changes. That, as some noted, effectively made the playing XI a third-choice side, but it wouldn’t prevent the visitors from beating Pakistan by 13 runs. Indeed, the Players-of-the-Match in the second and third T20I were two Sri Lankan batsmen who had never played a single T20I game before this series.”Some of them [the players] we wouldn’t have seen if Asantha de Mel [chairman of selectors] hadn’t taken the bold decision of playing the five players who hadn’t been part of the side today. We weren’t even sure what combinations we would play, but you saw Oshada Fernando and Bhanuka Rajapaksa in this series because of that.”

Arsenal are well and truly back in the Premier League title race.

Mikel Arteta's side have won their last five games in a row and have dramatically improved their goal difference after blowing away West Ham United and Burnley.

While the entire team deserved credit, Martin Odegaard has perhaps stood out the most, with his three assists and one goal suggesting that he could well be back to the form he showed last season.

With how impressive the captain has been of late, Arteta would surely have to have two of him in the team, and as outlandish as that sounds, the Gunners once released a youngster from Hale End at 13 years old who is now similar to the mercurial Norwegian.

Eberechi Eze's journey to Crystal Palace

Yes, you read that right; the Gunners once had a young Eberechi Eze on their books, only he wasn't with the club for very long as he was released at just 13 years old.

The next few years were tough for the Greenwich-born gem as he was released by Fulham, Reading and Millwall before finally finding his footing in West London at Queens Park Rangers.

The dynamic midfielder would make his debut for the Hoops in an FA Cup Third Round tie against Blackburn Rovers in January 2017.

Still, it was not until the 2018/19 campaign that he truly established himself in the first team after spending the first half of the 2017/18 season on loan in League Two with Wycombe Wanderers before coming back to finish the year at Loftus Road.

In the following campaign, Eze would score four goals and provide four assists in 42 appearances for QPR before exploding in 2019/20 and scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists in 46 appearances.

Such a remarkable return from a young player understandably brought with it eyes from the Premier League, and after some negotiations, Crystal Palace signed Eze for £20m.

How Eberechi Eze compares to Martin Odegaard

Now, it's undoubtedly a big shout to compare a very talented midfielder with one who is captaining a team fighting for the league title, but it's one made primarily by the football database FBref.

The comparison is made by grouping positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues and then ranking them based on how close they are to one another for several key metrics, and in this case, Odegaard is considered to be the seventh most similar player to Eze.

For example, the "silky" Palace gem, as described by former teammate Geoff Cameron, produces 0.55 expected goals and assists per 90 to the Norwegian's 0.48 while also producing 2.95 progressive passes per 90 to his 2.90.

Eze compared to Odegaard

Stat per 90

Eze

Odegaard

Goals + Assists

0.47

0.51

Progressive Carries

2.95

2.90

Expected Goals + Assists

0.55

0.48

Blocks

0.78

0.69

Touches Opposition's Penalty Area

4.50

4.38

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Premier League Season

This obviously doesn't make them identical players, but there is an undeniable similarity in their underlying statistics, which suggests that they could play similar roles within a team.

So, it would certainly have been beneficial for the Gunners to keep a hold of the talented Englishman as not only has he produced 34 goal involvements in 113 appearances for the Eagles, but he could also act as the perfect backup to their captain.

Oh, and there is also the small fact that the CIES Football Observatory now values him at around €40m, which is about £34m, and that is likely a conservative estimate in today's game.

Related Arsenal fumbled their own dream homegrown Rice partner for £0

The 21-year-old has been impressing on the continent in recent years.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 19, 2024

Ultimately, football clubs can't predict the future, and maybe Eze, who scored ten Premier League goals last season, did not show enough potential when he was 13, but they may now regret letting him go as it appears as though they fumbled their own homegrown version of their current captain.

With just one week to go until the January transfer window slams shut, Rangers are yet to solve some key issues within Philippe Clement's squad. The Gers signed Fabio Silva on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of the month, but have been unmoved when it comes to further additions.

Given their particular need to sign a new left-back, however, they could be in for a busy seven days, with a new target reportedly emerging.

Rangers' left-back problem

Whilst it's easy to focus on Rangers' attacking issues, especially following the news of Abdallah Sima's long-term injury blow, Clement and co should have their attention on welcoming a new left-back this month. As things stand, the Gers have just Ridvan Yilmaz and Borna Barisic to call on, with the former's future in doubt and the latter set to leave upon the expiry of his contract this summer. In the worst-case scenario, Rangers will be left without a single left-back to call upon by the end of the season, meaning that now would be an ideal time to act.

Rangers could sign their own Salah in late move for £3m Diomande partner

Rangers could ease Sima blow by signing a talented Dutch winger

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 24, 2024

Throughout the winter window, the Scottish giants have been linked with the likes of Cameron Pring and David Jurasek, but they have now reportedly shifted their focus elsewhere in search of a new left-back. According to The Daily Mail, via Rangers News, Rangers are eyeing a "deadline beating" move to sign Luke Thomas. The Leicester City full-back was on loan at Premier League side Sheffield United, before seeing his loan terminated. Now back at the Foxes, he could yet seek another departure.

With Premier League experience to his name, Thomas could certainly put an end to Clement's left-back woes, but it remains to be seen whether Rangers will turn their interest into a serious move to sign the defender before the end of the month.

"Brilliant" Thomas can solve Clement's problem

Still only 22-years-old, Thomas can provide Clement with a long-term solution to his left-back problem if Rangers made their move for the Leicester man this month. Thomas, himself, could do with the move too. He struggled to make an impact at Sheffield United, starting just 11 games, and is now in need of the fresh start that the Scottish Premiership could offer.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers certainly knows all about the player that his rivals could be getting, having worked with Thomas at Leicester previously. Rodgers is among those to have praised the 22-year-old, even as he missed a penalty in a Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool back in 2021. He told The Leicester Mercury: “I said to him afterwards that he was brilliant during the game.

"He’s developing so well. It’s another great experience for him. The atmosphere was great as it always is at Anfield. It was a really good game. It was unfortunate for him to miss the penalty, but in the game he was exceptional. He’s a tough boy and he will move on.”

Now, it could be Clement and Rangers who benefit from the Celtic manager's early work with their latest left-back target in what would be a welcome twist in the Scottish Premiership.

Cricket mattered very much at Sedbergh long before Lancashire contemplated playing here. It mattered even before the Ashes were a mischievous gleam in the eye of a Melbourne lady. And it therefore mattered well over a century before James Anderson brought one back off the seam to bowl Cameron Bancroft for 77 at 4.50pm on this second afternoon.Yet Anderson’s success, which he celebrated with a due degree of riotous joy, took its place in the honourable history of a ground on which many fine cricketers have played and celebrated. And it also reminded some spectators that the next Ashes battle begins at Edgbaston in almost exactly a month’s time.As so often in cricket a personal duel took its place within the context of a match and also extended more widely towards a future international contest. Plainly it is very doubtful whether Bancroft will make the Australian squad for that series but England v Australia requires no particular encouragement. The Howgill Fells have not seen anything like this.For the moment, of course, Anderson’s priority is his county. He was pleased to take two of the three Durham wickets which fell on 136 and rather destroyed the visitors’ relatively serene pursuit of the home side’s first-innings total of 337. That pursuit was all the more surprising in that it featured an opening stand of 70 between Bancroft and Alex Lees, who both profited from the waywardness of Graham Onions’ new-ball spell from the Evans End. The Durham openers’ partnership was their county’s highest since April 8; indeed it was the only one that has exceeded 14 in 12 attempts. The odds on either Anderson or Onions making an early breakthrough were therefore very short but Saqib Mahmood took the first wicket when Lees’ horrendously cramped pull only skied the ball to Anderson at mid-off.But rather than sparking a collapse – Durham’s season has not been short of them – Lees’ departure was the prelude to Bancroft and Gareth Harte redoubling their efforts and putting on a further 66 runs for the second wicket before Lancashire enjoyed by far their best period of a fluctuating day. First Onions swung one in to bowl Harte for 14; next ball Anderson cleaned up Bancroft, an echo of their duels in the Ashes series 18 months ago.Cameron Bancroft leads Durham out•Getty Images

In the next over Anderson had Graham Clark leg before wicket, thereby taking his 950th first-class wicket. Once again, there was the typical outburst of joy from a bowler who has devoted much of his professional life to his craft and who wears his supreme ability rather lightly. Having taken his 950th wicket, he turned his attention to taking his 951st, although that must wait until at least Tuesday.”I knew I was closing in on 950 because the lads are winding Glen Chapple up about me getting close to his number of wickets [985],” said Anderson. “I think I remember my first wicket – it was Ian Ward caught behind by Warren Hegg but it was a long time ago! I’m happy to have got to where I am at but it is not something I’m that fussed about. It’s about focusing on the moment and trying to do a job for the team – if I bowl well the wickets will look after themselves.”For their part, Jack Burnham and Liam Trevaskis knew if they batted well, the runs would come and this they did throughout much of the rest of the evening session. Spectators who missed their early shuttle buses to Oxenholme station in the expectation that the Lancashire seamers would run amok were disappointed and had to be content with the sun racing across Baugh Fell and all the greens in creation dancing across the slopes of Winder and Crook, the fells at the Evans End. They were not short-changed.The final wicket of the day was taken by Liam Livingstone, who had Jack Burnham caught at slip for 26 three overs before the close. Durham are 138 runs in arrears but have five wickets in hand. We thus seem set for a close contest, one that will honour the enormous effort of the people in this corner of Cumbria to put on a show worthy of players like Anderson and Bancroft. A day which had begun with Lancashire’s last five wickets adding only 62 runs to their overnight total ended in the gentle expectation of more fine cricket on day three. Few who have watched this game think themselves anything but deeply fortunate to have done so.

Newcastle United had scored through Alexander Isak's penalty. Nottingham Forest, without a win in seven matches and losing lionised manager Steve Cooper as a result, were surely headed for further misery.

But Newcastle's faltering form proved to unravel what promised to be a triumphant day at St. James' Park, and Chris Wood came back to haunt his former club with a well-taken hat-trick to offer some respite.

PIF eyeing Newcastle deal to sign "great" goalkeeper in January

This could be a shrewd move by the Magpies…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 28, 2023

The Magpies, having qualified for the Champions League last season, have now lost six matches from their past seven across all competitions and are in dire need of some reinforcements, having been decimated by injuries across the campaign.

Eddie Howe will remain convinced of his squad's ability to succeed in the Premier League, but there is no disputing the fact that something needs to change in January, with recent rumours suggesting that a summer transfer target could now make the move to Tyneside.

Newcastle transfer news – Kalvin Phillips

According to the Daily Telegraph, Newcastle bosses are confident that a deal can be struck to sign Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips on loan for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Magpies are desperate to fortify their squad with impactful signings this winter but are constrained by Profit and Sustainability rules, effectively restricting the options available in the transfer market.

Phillips would be allowed to depart the Etihad Stadium on loan and would bring industriousness and Premier League experience, with Howe and United's technical director Dan Ashworth hoping to agree a deal swiftly.

Transfer specialist Rudy Galetti has confirmed that the club are "set to open talks" to sign their number one target, but with Juventus also pushing for a deal, it's right that efforts are made early to secure his services.

Kalvin Phillips' Manchester City career in numbers

Having dazzled with Leeds United and played an instrumental role in his boyhood club's rise from the Championship and sublime return to the Premier League, Phillips turned the heads of more than a few top European outfits.

And when Manchester City came calling in 2022, the 28-year-old couldn't resist the allure of English football's standout side and completed a £45m transfer.

However, a dream move turned into a nightmare when injuries precluded a chance at wedging his way into a prominent position, and the £150k-per-week ace would ultimately only start four matches across the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign as the Sky Blues won the treble.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Tackling

Aerial duels

Intercepting

Discipline

Blocking

Direct free-kicks

*Sourced via WhoScored

Despite a full pre-season under his belt this summer, Phillips' fortunes have not turned any brighter and he remains marooned on the fringe of one of English football's greatest squads.

Often, pragmatism is a virtue and it seems that all parties have accepted that a change of scenery would be apt for Phillips' future, and Newcastle are only too happy to accommodate.

Kalvin Phillips' style of play

At his best, Phillips is a tenacious and cultured midfielder with a wealth of tools fit to serve a squad like Newcastle's challenge for continental qualification.

The 31-cap England star was fantastic as Leeds recorded a ninth-placed Premier League finish in 2020/21, on their return, captivating with their offensive efforts and winning over supporters through their energy and expression.

Across 29 appearances that season, he made 2.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game and completed 85% of his passes, leading The Times' Henry Winter to marvel over his all-encompassing skill set.

As per FBref, Phillips ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 9% for shots taken, the top 7% for clearances and the top 19% for aerial wins per 90.

While he has only received limited action over the past 12 months, such statistics do highlight the crispness and composure that Phillips holds within his skill set.

Once described as a “monster” of a midfielder by former Crystal Palace maverick Yannick Bolasie, Phillips' struggle to make an impact under Pep Guardiola's tutelage does not define him as a player, and he would be a credit to Newcastle's impressive team, perhaps even merging with Bruno Guimaraes in the centre to revive the squad's success.

Imagine Kalvin Phillips & Bruno Guimares

Howe is the mastermind behind Newcastle's stunning rise to the fore since the PIF takeover in 2021, but the £40m acquisition of Lyon midfielder Guimaraes has proved to be one of the most influential additions to any Premier League side in recent memory.

Having now amassed 84 displays for Newcastle, scoring 11 goals and supplying nine assists, the Brazilian is regarded as one of the division's standout stars, with teammate Dan Burn even dubbing him "world-class" for his performances.

Ranking among the top 16% of midfielders for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, the 26-year-old is the perfect orchestrator in the centre, but Sandro Tonali was signed in the summer to complement his style, and after struggling to acclimatise the Italian was banned from football for ten months in October for breaching betting rules.

#

Player

Club

1

Gavi

Barcelona

2

Adrien Rabiot

Juventus

3

Manuel Locatelli

Juventus

4

Rodrigo Bentancur

Tottenham Hotspur

5

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

*Sourced via Football Transfers

Once hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Josh Bunting, Phillips is composed and assured in his passing and could offer the kind of style to allow Guimaraes to assume an even more remarkable role.

While Newcastle probably need to make several signings to combat the injury problems, Phillips' availability on a loan deal marks an excellent opportunity to complete an astute move, and Howe must ensure that this one gets over the line.

Last weekend, Wolves picked up a convincing 3-0 victory versus a stubborn Everton side, which puts them 11th in the table.

The Old Gold have now won four of their last six matches in the Premier League, winning all of their last three.

With Wolves’ upturn in form and some players attracting interest from elsewhere, Gary O’Neil will look to strengthen his squad this January.

Wolves transfers latest – Hee-Chan Hwang and Ismaila Sarr

According to Footballer Insider, Liverpool and Spurs are interested in signing Hee-Chan Hwang from Wolves this January.

As a result, Wolves could well need a replacement. That perhaps explains links to Ismaila Sarr from Marseille, who has been dubbed "top-class" by journalist Rob Blanchette. Reports last month suggested that the Midlands side were monitoring his situation in France.

A move is likely in January, with the Marseille winger estimated to be worth £13m as per Football Transfers, however, Wolves may have to see some outgoings to raise funds for the transfer.

Ismaila Sarr’s style of play

With Hwang seemingly on his way out in the summer, if not January, O’Neil must start to look for a replacement.

The South Korean is a versatile attacker who can play on the wing or as a lone centre forward, and playing in the latter has seen him develop into a clinical striker this season. The former RB Leipzig star has scored ten goals and registered three assists in 20 matches, which shows how difficult he will be to replace.

However, the signing of Sarr wouldn’t be a direct, like-for-like replacement for Hwang, with the ex-Watford star only playing as a winger, mainly featuring off the right.

This would suggest that either Wolves are interested in signing a true number-nine replacement or trusting Matheus Cunha to thrive in a striker role. The stats below from the last year across the top European leagues sum up Sarr’s profile.

Non-Penalty goals

0.36

Top 15%

Touches (Att pen.)

6.08

Top 8%

Progressive passes received

9.29

Top 27%

Goals/Shot on target

0.40

Top 14%

Carries into penalty area

1.61

Top 27%

Sarr has featured 21 times for the French club this season, and he’s scored four goals and registered two assists. However, since his move from Watford, he has struggled to nail down a spot in the starting XI, especially recently as Gennaro Gattuso has opted for a three-back formation with Jonathan Clauss playing as a wing-back.

This has impacted Sarr’s stats slightly this season, but he still ranks relatively highly for goals per 90 and touches in the attacking penalty box. The 25-year-old is athletic, extremely fast, and dangerous on the counterattack, which would see him thrive at Wolves.

O’Neil also deploys a three-back formation, however, he likes to play with two inverted wingers or attacking midfielders. If Sarr were to move to Wolves, then he would play the role of Pablo Sarabia at right forward. This would allow him to get closer to the box, where he can hurt the opponent by using his direct approach to cut inside and shoot on his favourite left foot.

It's evident Sarr wouldn’t be a straight swap for Hwang, but he could certainly have a positive effect on the squad. The ex-Rennes star was worth as much as £26.5m in the summer, but his troubled start in France has decreased that significantly. However, it is worth taking a punt on an attacker who has five Premier League goals to his name already.

James Pattinson may get the chance to showcase his all-round skills at No. 7 as Victoria ponder five bowlers for the Sheffield Shield final against New South Wales, on what looks likely to be a docile Junction Oval pitch for the competition decider, starting Thursday.A fractured thumb, requiring surgery, has ruled out Nic Maddinson, leaving the hosts with the option of recalling the vastly experienced Cameron White or promoting Pattinson and playing him alongside Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland and the spinner Jon Holland. Pattinson had batted at No. 6 in Victoria’s final regular-season game against South Australia after Maddinson’s injury.Changed competition rules for the final, where the team gaining the most first-innings bonus points is declared the winner in the event of a draw, places more emphasis on the need for Victoria to have an edge to their bowling attack, rather than simply playing out the full five days and collecting the trophy, as has happened at times in the past. Pattinson, who, in the eyes of many is pressing for a berth on the Ashes tour this year after litany of injuries, expected an unsympathetic surface for bowlers at Victoria’s headquarters.”It has been [batsman friendly] at the Junction,. We played the first two games there after the Big Bash [League] and there were some pretty high scores, so it’ll be interesting too with the game going five days instead of four,” Pattinson told . “So an extra day there for a result and they’ve changed the rules with the points if it’s a draw, whoever gets the most points in the first innings will win the final. That’ll change tactics a little bit as well. The wicket has been pretty flat there, so it’ll be interesting to see how they go about it with the rule changes and the points system.”The Dukes ball will be another character in the drama, offering more consistent movement through the air than its Kookaburra equivalent, and also posing challenges for bowlers commonly used to hitting the seam rather than bending the ball before it pitches. “I was saying to a few of the bowlers sometimes it’s harder work [with the Dukes] than the Kookaburra because you have to get it exactly right for it to swing,” Pattinson said.”Some balls – if you’re a bit off – it swings own the leg side, so the thing with the Dukes, throughout the 80 overs it is a ball that offers you something. You might be 60 overs in and it is still swinging. As a batter, you’ve still got to concentrate, and as a bowler you’re still in the game, where sometimes when the wicket’s flatter, you’ve just got to contain for a while and try to contain the runs until the new ball comes.”With the Dukes I just feel like you’re in the game throughout the 80 overs, but it is difficult to bowl sometimes if it’s swinging too much and a few of the bowlers have said ‘how do we stop the ball from swinging too much because I can’t get it in the spot I want?’. So that’s a challenge it throws up, but all in all the bowlers do enjoy bowling with it. A lot of the bowlers enjoy the Kookaburra too; it’s just another challenge for the batters, so it’s good for cricket.”Since his return from a side strain that interrupted a longer-term rehabilitation from a major back surgery, Pattinson admitted there had been times when he wondered whether desperate measures to prolong his career would rob him of the high pace that characterised his most striking moments for Australia in his fleeting appearances since 2011.”When you go to a decision to have such a big surgery like I did with my back, it’s one of the things where you think, ‘will that hamper my pace.’ So that was the one thing where going into it I thought ‘am I going to lose some of my pace by doing this’ and is that a big risk,” he said. “For me to still have a bit of pace and to come through with rhythm and feel pretty natural – it’s a big tick and something that when you go in and have a big decision like that, you risk losing. But for me it’s great I’ve still got that and I’ve had a lot of help along the way.”When you first come back to playing cricket or any sport it’s just about finding that rhythm first and not trying too hard. I’ve found that quicker than I probably have in the past and that’s come from a bit of experience and coming back from injuries before. I’m just pleased with how fast I’ve found my rhythm now and I’m not searching too hard for it, which is good, so I’ve come in at the right time, the boys have done all the hard work getting there, so it’s good to be back playing.”I feel like I’m bowling with good pace and it feels pretty easy at the moment. Hopefully it can stay like that. We’ve got some tremendous bowlers in the team, I’d say we’ve probably got the best bowling line-up in Sheffield Shield cricket at the moment: Trem and Boland who’ve taken so many wickets this year and everyone knows what Sidds can do, so it’s pretty great to be able to bowl with blokes like that.”Victoria squad: Travis Dean (capt), Scott Boland, Andrew Fekete, Seb Gotch, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Jon Holland, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Matt Short, Peter Siddle, Chris Tremain, Cameron White, Eamonn VinesNew South Wales squad: Peter Nevill (capt), Sean Abbott, Nick Bertus, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Greg West

Arsenal are reportedly eyeing reinforcements to add to their attack in January, as Mikel Arteta and Edu bid to get the Gunners over the line in their charge for the Premier League title.

While it’s speculated that the midfield will be the primary area for adjustment this winter, a host of star forwards have already been linked as potential targets at the Emirates, with two forwards in particular having a strong claim to bolster Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal transfer targets – Strikers

One name speculated to be of interest to the north Londoners is Brentford talisman Ivan Toney, whose ban from football is due to expire in January.

A report from the Mirror claimed that the Bees have placed a £100m price tag on their striker, in the hope of warding off Arsenal’s expected interest to sign the Northampton-born gem in future windows.

Sadly for Thomas Frank, it looks as though the Englishman is hoping for a transfer, with a recent report from 90min claiming that the 27-year-old is ‘demanding’ a release clause to be introduced to allow a future departure to proceed without negotiation.

As well as Toney, Football Transfers have linked Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic to north London, stating that the Serbian is Arteta’s ‘preferred number nine target’, relaying in the report that the Gunners wanted to sign the 23-year-old in January 2022.

In Vlahovic and Toney, Arsenal could capture one of two verified hitmen, however the England international could be a better fit for the Emirates than the Serie A whiz.

Why Ivan Toney would be a better fit than Dusan Vlahovic

Admittedly, either striker would be welcomed with open arms in north London, with Arteta’s current options of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah far from the desired level of a prolific forward.

Recently, the Brazilian told news outlets in Brazil that scoring goals is not his “strong point”, while Nketiah has scored just 37 goals at senior level for Arsenal in 148 appearances, stressing the Gunners’ need for a reliable number nine.

Vlahovic is an assured goalscorer, with the 23-year-old having already scored 99 domestic career goals to showcase his proficiency in the final third.

Once lauded as “clinical” by Arsenal figure Eduardo Hagn, the Serbia international netted 21 Serie A goals in the 2020/21 campaign for Fiorentina, however his scoring prowess has not translated to Juventus, flagging warning signs for a potential transfer pursuit.

Last term, Vlahovic only scored ten goals in Serie A, suggesting that his clinical streak is not quite as transferable as first assumed, with him appearing to be struggling to adapt to Juve’s style of play.

Ivan Toney

Dusan Vlahovic

Eddie Nketiah

33

27

30

20

10

4

4

2

1

21%

15%

10%

1.3

0.8

0.5

12

4

2

0.8

0.8

0.3

In signing Toney, Arsenal could land a more reliable outlet in the final third than the towering Serie A gem, with the Englishman well-equipped to play in the Premier League, and has a consistent track record of high scoring throughout his career.

Last season, only Harry Kane and Erling Haaland scored more in the league than Toney, relaying his potency and calibre when leading the line in the English top flight.

Once dubbed a “lion” by Frank, the 27-year-old could be the no-nonsense presence craved at the Emirates in front of goal, with his assets far more threatening than that of Nketiah, as highlighted above.

Signing one of the league’s top goal-scoring talents could fire Arsenal to new heights, and fire the Gunners closer to their dreams of collecting their first Premier League title since 2004.

There was a sense of inevitability in the air at Southampton that James Ward-Prowse would move from the Saints, especially in the wake of the club's relegation to the Championship.

Ward-Prowse had almost become synonymous with St Mary's, a one-club man who could singlehandedly turn a game around for his side with a bit of flair – the 29-year-old making 410 appearances for the club in total, scoring 55 times.

West Ham United would swoop in and sign the Saints star for £30m in the summer, a transfer deal that could have completely derailed Southampton's attempts to win promotion straight back to the Premier League.

However, Russell Martin's men – 19 games into the second tier season – aren't feeling the after-effects of Ward-Prowse's exit whatsoever with this new central midfield gem slotting into the line-up seamlessly and replacing the former Saints number eight with ease.

Indeed, Flynn Downes has become an instant fan favourite at St Mary's, Southampton winning the deal to offload Ward-Prowse to the Hammers by gaining Downes on loan from the London Stadium for the season.

Even when the former Swansea City man has a relatively quiet game – as was the case in Southampton's last match versus Cardiff City – Downes shows off his Premier League-level qualities.

Flynn Downes' game vs Cardiff in numbers

Downes has been instrumental in the centre of the park for his new employers, Martin's possession-heavy style of football dictates that a midfielder such as the 24-year-old is constantly on the ball and present.

Against Cardiff last match, Downes amassed an astounding 110 touches in the centre of a midfield trio as per Sofascore alongside Stuart Armstrong and Shea Charles.

Yet, only two of the West Ham loanee's passes on the day were key with many of his touches and subsequent passes not resulting in a move flickering into life to unlock the Cardiff defence. Rather, Downes just ensured his side kept their fair share of the ball – Martin's men having 64% of the possession against the Bluebirds.

Charles and Armstrong were far more involved, leading to Downes picking up an average 6.8 Sofascore rating for his efforts in the uneventful and straightforward 2-0 win.

Downes does, however, shine and lead from the front for the Saints more times than not, the 24-year-old's style of play baring similarities to Ward-Prowse during his hay day on the South Coast.

Flynn Downes' statistics this season

The midfielder is unerringly composed on the ball, completing 71.9 accurate passes per 90 minutes this season in the Championship.

Labelled as an "outstanding" footballer by his manager after joining the club, he's also 'really brave' with or without the ball at his feet – Martin managing Downes at Swansea before taking the reins at Southampton – the 24-year-old is proving to be just that for the promotion chasers.

The Hammers loanee is always involved in passing moves and constantly alert, Downes does only have one assist to date but the Saints number four is always available to receive a pass to play someone into space.

Without Downes in the middle of the park, the Saints would arguably lose the glue keeping everything together and ticking over.

The midfield maestro will continue showing off his silky skills on the St Mary's turf, hoping that he can help his short-term employers win promotion back up to the top flight.

Downes will also want to get in on the act going forward by breaking his Southampton goalscoring duck, but the ex-Swans man isn't renowned for his goalscoring prowess with only four goals scored in his professional career to date.

Still, the understated midfield gem will continue plugging away as a key figure for a resurgent and new Southampton team succeeding without Ward-Prowse.

Fifties from Dinesh Karthik and R Ashwin weren’t enough to prevent India A from slipping to a 43-run defeat

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2018Shahbaz Nadeem celebrates a wicket•AFP

An unbeaten 87 from Hanuma Vihari and three top-order wickets from Shahbaz Nadeem helped India B make a winning start to their Deodhar Trophy campaign, as they defended 261 to beat India A by 43 runs. Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, took the new ball and struck with successive balls in his second over to send back Prithvi Shaw and Karun Nair, both lbw.India A’s top order continued to flounder until R Ashwin joined Dinesh Karthik at 87 for 5. The Tamil Nadu pair added 123 to bring parity back to the contest: at one stage, India A needed 52 from 47 balls with five wickets in hand.But Mayank Markande broke the partnership, having Ashwin stumped for 54 (76b, 5×4), and Nadeem dismissed Karthik in the very next over, having him caught and bowled one short of a hundred. Karthik’s 114-ball innings contained 11 fours and a six.India A’s lower order then collapsed against the legspin of Markande, who finished with figures of 4 for 48. The last five wickets only added eight runs to India A’s total.Ashwin had a good match with the ball too, finishing with figures of 2 for 39 in nine overs as India B, who chose to bat first, limped to 261 for 8 after threatening to post a much bigger total. Forties from Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer set up Vihari and Manoj Tiwary (52, 58b, 1×4, 2×6) to put on 99 for the fourth wicket. At one stage, India B were 194 for 3 with 12.4 overs remaining.The run-out dismissal of Tiwary, however, sparked a collapse. No one from No. 6 downwards got into double figures even as Vihari tried to keep the scoreboard moving at the other end. Following Tiwary’s dismissal, Vihari scored 39 off 30 balls to finish unbeaten on 87 (95b, 9×4). At the other end, India B’s lower order and extras combined to score only 28 off 45 balls. Even so, India B’s total of 261 for 8 proved more than adequate.