Pair add unbroken 112 in 30 overs to rescue their side from 165 for 6

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2024Warwickshire fought back superbly in the final session to reach 277 for 6 against Somerset on a hard-fought opening day of their Vitality County Championship match at EdgbastonNeeding a win to maintain their pursuit of Division One leaders Surrey, Somerset chose to bowl and their seamers reduced the home side to 165 for 6, but Jacob Bethell, with 60 not out off 134 balls, and Michael Burgess (63 not out from 79) added an unbroken 112 in 30 overs.The seventh-wicket pair bailed out a top order which contributed little apart from Rob Yates’s 69. Craig Overton and Josh Davey both took two wickets but Somerset’s bowlers mixed good balls with too many loose offerings which prevented them building the required pressure.Warwickshire, mired in a relegation battle, were very grateful for the work of Bethell and Burgess as they try to build a position from which to push for their belated first Championship victory of the season.After Overton, captain in the absence of Lewis Gregory, won the toss, Somerset’s new-ball bowling was inconsistent. Warwickshire openers Alex Davies and Yates added 52 in 13 overs before the former departed furious at himself after edging a footwork-free waft at Kasey Aldridge to wicketkeeper James Rew.On a pitch offering some but by no means lavish assistance to the seamers, Warwickshire advanced comfortably enough to 94 for 1 before a change of ball reversed the flow. Will Rhodes, having moved to 22 in assured fashion, was bowled off-stump by one from Overton that held its own and three more wickets followed for 19 runs in 44 balls.Hamza Shaikh, making his first first-class appearance for Warwickshire, collected his first boundary with a luscious on-drive off Jake Ball but fell in the fast-bowler’s next over when he sliced a drive to Tom Lammonby to backward point. Yates, having struck 13 boundaries, played on to Davey who then produced a peach of an outswinger to find Ed Barnard’s outside edge.Bethell and Dan Mousley, fresh from the free hitting of The Hundred, knuckled down to add 21 in 65 balls before Mousley was drawn into a drive at Overton and former Warwickshire batter Andy Umeed held a stinging catch at second slip.At 165 for 6, the home side was in jeopardy, but Bethell and Burgess batted beautifully. Bethell smashed a 15-ball T20 half-century against Northamptonshire earlier this year and his explosive batting qualities are well-known, but he now showed technique, concentration and selectivity to dig his team out of trouble.The 20-year-old reached his fifth first-class half-century from 107 balls and laid the perfect platform for Burgess to attack at the other end.Burgess lifted Jack Leach for six over long on and then cleared the ropes twice more in an over off the spinner to pass 50 from 66 balls to add to the century he struck against Somerset at Taunton seven weeks ago. It was a stirring fightback from the Bears which left a compelling day evenly-balanced at its conclusion.

England indebted to rookie as Sri Lanka’s bowlers probe away on rain-truncated day

Andrew Miller22-Aug-2024

Asitha Fernando ripped into England’s top-order after a morning rain delay•Getty Images

England 259 for 6 (Smith 72*) lead Sri Lanka 236 by 23 runsAsitha Fernando produced a compelling display of all-purpose seam and swing bowling, while Prabath Jayasuriya chipped in with two bewilderingly brilliant deliveries in an otherwise steady display of left-arm spin, as Sri Lanka fought gamely to stay in touch on a gloomy second day of the first Test at Emirates Old Trafford.By the close, England were indebted to their rookie keeper, Jamie Smith, who justified his promotion to No. 6 with a hard-earned 72 not out, his third half-century in five innings since taking over from his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes at the start of the summer. Harry Brook added another fifty of his own as England recovered from a dicey 125 for 4 to close on 259 for 6, with a slender lead of 23 in the bank.As had been the case throughout the West Indies series earlier in the summer, the impression after two days of action is that England should yet close out this contest with some ease, but the quality and spirit of the visitors’ bowling has forced them to graft with rather more diligence than might have been the case in previous incarnations of the Bazball era. Asitha in particular was superb throughout his 14 overs, spread across three key spells, including an incisive mid-innings bout of reverse-swing that belied the dank conditions.After sweating under the covers for several hour during a rainy morning in Manchester, the Old Trafford pitch was ripe for seam bowling when play finally got underway at 1.15pm, and Asitha was primed to cash in. With his bustling approach and a commitment to a full length, he posed problems from the outset, under still-dense cloud cover and with the floodlights in full beam.His performance went into overdrive from the first ball of his second over, when Dan Lawrence was pinned on the pad and given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel. Although that decision was successfully overturned, with the ball shown to be skimming over the bails, the information was stored away and perfectly processed by the bowler.Two balls later, and now with Ben Duckett on strike, Asitha fired the ball in a good two feet fuller, and was this time the successful reviewee, with the ball shown to be both pitching on and hitting leg stump as Duckett was turned inside-out on his attempted flick across the line.And in his very next over, Asitha served up the piece de resistance of his new-ball spell, an exceptional wobble-seam delivery, pitching half a foot fuller than the Lawrence ball, and straightening off the pitch to smash into the top of Ollie Pope’s off stump. England’s captain was gone for 6, and at 40 for 2 in the ninth over, England had a bit of a rebuild to undertake.Root is no stranger to skinny top-order scorelines, of course, and as he bedded in for the long haul, it was Lawrence who initiated England’s counterattack, with a brace of forceful whips through the leg side as Asitha strayed in length. But, having scored just four of his 30 runs through the off side, his vulnerability in the channel was superbly exploited by Vishwa Fernando, who nicked him off after a change of ends, using the breeze from the James Anderson End to push a lifter across his bows from his left-arm angle.Jamie Smith gets on top of a pull•Getty Images

Despite the conditions, Sri Lanka were able to find some appreciable reverse-swing off a typically abrasive Old Trafford pitch, meaning that Root and Brook had to be on their mettle even as their 58-run stand clipped along at more than five an over. Milan Rathnayake, Sri Lanka’s first-day hero, was picked off for three fours in an over as he strained for that swinging full length, but it was Asitha’s return to the attack that would prise the most vital wicket of the day.Root had reached 42 from 56 balls in another understated display of touch and timing when he was undone in expert fashion, climbing into a wider line from Asitha while still playing for the inswing that had been the feature of his over to that point. This ball, however, held its line and skidded straight on, and Dinesh Chandimal scooped up the low edge to leave England wobbling at 125 for 4.Brook, however, kept the foot down in his familiarly forceful manner, driving with heavy timing whenever the ball was over-pitched, and working the gaps well, with Sri Lanka’s field still veering towards the defensive given England’s reputation for boundary-hunting. He duly rattled along to a 59-ball half-century, his 14th in just 25 Test innings, and if it was beginning to feel as though something special would be needed to dislodge him, then Jayasuriya obliged shortly after tea.Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner had been diligent without being threatening for much of his day’s work, when out of the blue, he served up something unplayable: a perfectly pitched ripper that gripped and bounced on middle and leg to clip the top of off. Brook could only blink in astonishment – as, indeed, would Chris Woakes, some 18 overs later, when he fell in near-identical fashion, to almost the only other spinning delivery to deviate from the straight all day.Between those two moments, however, there was Smith, with the third fifty of his fledgling career, and unquestionably the hardest-earned yet. He was forced to graft against the swinging ball early in his innings, although one massive straight six off Jayasuriya signalled his refusal to be cowed, but it was the mid-point of his innings that displayed his savvy – in particular a relative grind through the 40s, after Rathnayake had induced two inside-edges in the space of three deliveries with his probing fourth-stump line outside the rookie’s eyeline.Woakes was the ideal ally for a defensively minded rebuild, as England – a batter light in Ben Stokes’ absence – focused on batting long, rather than rushing into a lead. Sri Lanka’s tactics arguably failed to adapt to the dominance that their bowlers were exerting in this period, although in reducing the pair to a run-rate of less than three an over in their 52-run stand, they succeeded in keeping themselves in the game.And when the light began to fail, only minutes after Woakes’ extraction, there was never any thought of Sri Lanka bowling spin in the gloom for the sake of filling out the overs, as had been England’s approach at the same stage on day one. Dhananjaya de Silva marched his players straight off for the pavilion, with six wickets in the bank, and the prospect of a night’s rest for his quicks before they continue their quest to stay in touch with a quietly engrossing contest.

There’s no certainty Liverpool will sign an out-and-out striker in the summer transfer market, even with Darwin Nunez in the process of leaving Anfield and joining Serie A champion Napoli.

It’s funny: in the build-up to the market, many of a Reds persuasion would have ranked the acquisition of a high-level striker among Richard Hughes’ chief priorities as Liverpool’s sporting director.

However, the Reds have armed themselves with a wide breadth of fresh quality, and though they are yet to sign a centre-forward, there’s no question that Arne Slot has the tools to defend his Premier League title and challenge for the various other trophies up for grabs.

Signing a new striker would hardly be a bad thing, though, especially with rumours linking Liverpool to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who was declared “the best striker in the Premier League” by pundit Jamie Carragher last season.

However, should Luis Diaz be on the move too, that stance will no doubt change.

Luis Diaz's Liverpool future: the latest

At the start of June, Liverpool reportedly rejected a formal approach from Barcelona for their trusty forward Diaz. The 28-year-old hit 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, filling in plenty at number nine to compensate for the struggles of Nunez and Diogo Jota.

Liverpool’s supposed stance is that he’s going nowhere, but that hasn’t stopped a gurgling stream of rumours from flowing through.

With interest coming from the Saudi Pro League too, there’s every chance the Colombian moves ship after his successful year in Slot’s system, for he has just two years remaining on his current deal and earns a comparatively meagre salary at £55k per week.

Given the potential finances involved in an agreement with a team like Al-Nassr, Liverpool’s position may well shift, though it would mean that the Merseysiders would need to sign a replacement.

Diaz’s dynamic qualities worked a treat for Slot last year, bringing something unique to the squad. Such players are few and far between, although Hughes has found a potential successor with similar properties.

Liverpool line up Diaz replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are interested in signing Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman this summer, albeit they are behind Arsenal in the race at this stage.

The Gunners, who have a long-standing interest in the 27-year-old, are engaged in negotiations, with the Serie A side seeking a €50m (£43m) fee.

With Hughes keeping an eye on Lookman, things may yet accelerate. A deal would depend on the outcome of Diaz’s quandary, but given his dynamic faculties, it’s a move worth exploring.

Why Liverpool should sign Ademola Lookman

Liverpool have one of the best left-sided forwards in the business in Cody Gakpo, but the Dutchman would need competition if Diaz were to leave.

Mohamed Salah is a matchless forward, but he turned 33 this month and cannot be expected to haul such a heavy load again without more goalscoring support from his peers – Lookman could help in that regard, for sure.

Lookman, indeed, could blend the skill sets together, especially as he has some experience as his team’s focal frontman, and performing prolifically at that.

102

29

7

98

33

14

62

10

12

38

14

9

Broadcaster Maximiliano Bretos praised Lookman for his “monster” 2023/24 season, winning the Europa League and posting 27 goal involvements across 45 matches.

It was his stunning hat-trick which won Atalanta the Europa League and ended Bayer Leverkusen’s incredible unbeaten run, which stretched across the vast chasm of a campaign.

There was no doubting it: this former Everton, Leicester City and Fulham prospect, who never quite brought it together in the Premier League, was a “superstar”, as had been said by 90min’s Sean Walsh.

Perhaps he didn’t quite reach the same heights last year, but he still scored 20 goals and provided seven assists for his Italian outfit – a higher tally than Diaz for Liverpool, it should be noted.

And the underlying data speaks in his favour too. As per FBref, Lookman ranked among the top 4% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goals, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90.

With Newcastle set to demand £200m for Isak this summer, Liverpool might be better off heading down this left-field track and signing a versatile forward who was recognised for his talent at a young age and has since realised his potential after first weathering adversity.

After all, FBref’s data reveals the Sweden international to have been among Lookman’s most comparable strikers in 2024/25, having played with a roundedness that aligns with the complete nature of Isak’s skill set, as has been noted by pundit Alan Shearer, who said in January, “his all-round game is magnificent.”

His performances out wide have also led the stats-led site to draw up Salah as one of his most comparable wingers, something which should hardly come as a surprise given the Nigerian’s ball-striking prowess and direct style of play.

Would he be expected to emulate Salah’s ridiculous output? Absolutely not. The Egyptian King scored 34 goals and supplied 23 assists in Slot’s system last year.

But the fact that Liverpool are pursuing a player with a semblance of their talisman bodes well for Slot’s project, especially as Lookman would be best utilised centrally or out on the left, meaning the forwards could play side-by-side.

All this hinges on Diaz’s fate, of course, but with so much exciting activity happening on Merseyside this summer, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans.

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Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ hopes of reaching the knock-out phases of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup were ended when an Essex side who were already eliminated still pulled off a crushing victory by seven wickets at Trent Bridge. Robin Das, opening and still unbeaten, posted a maiden white-ball century off the last ball of the match.The 20-year old Jamal Richards, one of five in the Essex side raised like Das in north-east London, earlier claimed 5 for 31 with wholeheated, bustling pace. His best figures in all cricket halted an Outlaws surge to 96 for 1 and later helped induce a plummet from 163 for 4 to 218 all out despite Ben Slater’s 47 and 52 from South African Matt Montgomery.Other youngsters then saw Essex maturely home as Das and Noah Thain, neither of them yet past his 23rd birthday, put on 185 for the third wicket. Das finished with 100 from 119 balls whilst the teenage Thain fell with victory five runs away for 83, his best in Essex cricket so far.If they could not quite match Essex’s partnership record for the third wicket (268 by Graham Gooch and Keith Fletcher, both veterans at the time) the elder statesman would dearly have relished their stand.Chasing 219, Luc Benkenstein soon went to a spectacular catch on the midwicket boundary as Jack Haynes, running back, caught the ball, threw it up, went over the rope but skipped back to grab it a second time. And Rob Lord made it two wickets in his opening 13 balls when Tom Westley lost off stump to one that kept low.But as Das and Thain went forward with a calm judgement that belied their inexperience, the asking rate, initially 4.38, remained between 4.19 and 4.55 throughout the reply’s first 35 overs. At this point they raced forward as the match was claimed with 39 balls to spare.The Outlaws, put in, had earlier built a 40-run platform from the day’s first eight overs before Haynes, reprieved on five and 14, edged a slash to fall finally for 17.In his 64th first-team match in all formats, Feroze Khushi at last saw his off-spin called up for a maiden outing but it was Richards, the sixth bowler of seven employed, who ended a 56-run stand when Slater was held by Khushi at backward point off his third ball and Haseeb Hameed was bowled for nought by his fifth, a beauty.When Richards, one of seven men aged 25 or under in the line-up, ended an impressive 33 from teenager Freddie McCann, Nottinghamshire, losing three in six overs, were 123 for 4 in the 26th.Tom Moores revived things with 33 from only 28 balls but fell in the deep attempting a second successive six over midwicket before Lyndon James, Liam Patterson-White and Calvin Harrison all came and went cheaply in a disastrous half hour.The last of the trio was wonderfully caught by the leaping Khushi to bring Richards his fourth success at the start of his second spell and he ended things when Montgomery, flailing, miscued to deep cover with 16 balls unused.

Southampton are now “interested” in signing a £400k+ defender who has been likened to Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph has revealed.

Still overseeing major rebuild at St. Mary's

The Saints came from behind to defeat National League side Eastleigh in their first pre-season friendly, with Adam Armstrong and Cameron Archer getting on the scoresheet, but new manager Will Still has insisted he is still very much in the process of a rebuild.

Still said: “I think there are a lot of things to learn. We’re going to have to work incredibly hard and we’re not going to walk over any opposition, you can see that it’s a team in the middle of a complete reconstruction.

“We’re restructuring the identity and style of play and after 10 to 11 days training we’ve seen a lot of positive things as well as things we have to work on.”

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Of course, Still’s main ambition next season will be to lead his side to promotion from the Championship, but he may have to bolster his backline if they are to achieve that goal, having shipped 86 goals in the Premier League last term.

Southampton have already made one new addition at centre-back, securing the signing of Joshua Quarshie from Hoffenheim, and they have now joined the race for another, according to an update from Joseph on X.

The Sky Sports reporter claims the Saints are now “interested” in signing Volendam centre-back Xavier Mbuyamba, and there are positive signs that a deal could be possible, with the Dutch club “keen” to cash-in on the defender this summer.

However, Watford are also interested in the centre-back, while Fabrizio Romano has revealed the likes of Gent and Rangers could also provide competition for his signature, and the transfer expert believes his price tag will be around the €500k (£434k) mark.

"Dominant" Mbuyamba could excel at St. Mary's

Earlier on in his career, the Volendam defender was often compared to Van Dijk, perhaps given that he is a “dominant” figure in defence, according to scout Jacek Kulig, who also praised him for his tackling and heading ability.

However, after coming through the youth ranks at Barcelona, before going on to sign for Chelsea, the Dutch defender’s career probably hasn’t panned out how he would’ve hoped, but there are signs he is now ready to test himself properly in England.

During his time with Volendam, the Maastricht-born ace has established himself as a key player, making 62 Eredivisie appearances across the past two seasons, and showcasing his attacking threat by scoring ten goals.

At 23-years-old, Mbuyamba still has plenty of time to fulfill his potential, and for a fee of around £434k he could be a bargain signing for Southampton this summer.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now submitted a £25m offer for an “extremely dangerous” forward, who has impressed at the Club World Cup, according to a report.

Wolves looking to sign new forward after Cunha departure

With Matheus Cunha joining Manchester United for a fee widely reported to be £62.5m, Wolves should be able to splash the cash on a replacement this summer, although it will be difficult to find a forward capable of recording similar attacking numbers.

The Brazilian enjoyed two very impressive full seasons at Molineux, regularly providing goals and assists to help propel his side to safety, which was by no means a guarantee for large parts of the 2024-25 campaign.

Season

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2023-24

32

12

7

2024-25

33

15

6

However, there were some concerns over the 26-year-old’s discipline, with former Premier League forward Clinton Morrison singling him out for criticism back in April, saying: “I think he’s got the quality, I’ve spoken about this. I think his discipline is because he’s not playing with the quality of players and he’s frustrated that the calibre that he thinks he is [isn’t there]. It is a lack of professionalism, don’t get me wrong.”

As such, Cunha’s departure could arguably be a blessing in disguise, and Wolves have wasted little time finding a potential replacement, with a report from Spain revealing they have now submitted a €30m (£26m) offer for Fluminense’s Jhon Arias.

Arias’ impressive performances at the Club World Cup caught the Old Gold’s attention, with his side reaching the semi-final before being knocked out by Chelsea, and talks are already underway over a potential move to Molineux.

Wolves battle to sign versatile £17m+ star who created 22 chances in 24/25

The Old Gold are ready to ramp up their pursuit.

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There is seemingly a good chance the Wanderers could win the race for the Colombian’s signature too, as he has expressed a desire to play in Europe, despite interest from clubs in the Saudi Pro League.

"Extremely dangerous" Arias could be coup for Wolves

Fluminense have little interest in sanctioning a departure, which could pose a problem for Wolves, but should they be able to tempt the Brazilian club into a sale, there are plenty of signs he could be a solid addition to Pereira’s squad.

The 27-year-old is versatile, able to play on both wings and through the middle, and he has been a regular source of goals and assists for Fluminense this season, amassing 17 goal contributions in 34 appearances in all competitions.

Brazil legend Kaka has also been left impressed by the forward, recently saying: “He has been outstanding in the league for some time.

“He’s an extremely dangerous player who can decide a match at any moment. He has stood out in every competition he’s played in, made history with Fluminense with their Libertadores win, and now he’s looking for a major victory at the Club World Cup.”

Consequently, it is exciting news that Wolves have submitted an offer, with Vitor Pereira in need of a player capable of recording similar numbers to Cunha next season.

Sunderland are making some exciting moves in their hunt to consolidate in the top-flight and are reportedly now circling for a talented Real Madrid youngster, according to a report.

Sunderland close in on Marcin Bulka and Habib Diarra

The Black Cats are wasting no time in building a side capable of staying in the Premier League, and it is fair to say that Regis Le Bris is making some serious progress on the transfer front.

Yesterday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Sunderland are set to sign Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra for a package of £30 million plus add-ons, adding a layer of steel to their engine room ahead of the new campaign.

On the same token, the Black Cats are on the brink of adding OGC Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka after an agreement was found between both clubs regarding the Poland international.

Plenty of due diligence has been carried out on Wearside ahead of what promises to be a special campaign for everyone connected to the club. Yverdon Sport midfielder Moussa Baradji is another reported target amid claims he could be available for £2.5 million.

Off the field, Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith has confirmed Florent Ghisolfi will become Sunderland’s director of football, even if there is a wait due to administrative procedures needing to be fulfilled before he can enter the building.

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An agreement appears to be close.

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He explained: “It’s thought that Sunderland and Ghisolfi are finalising the deal and as when recruiting a player from abroad, there are administrative processes to go through.

All being well, it will be in place in time for Ghisolfi to begin work as the players return to the Academy of Light in early July and the preparations for the new season begin in earnest.”

Back to on-field matters, Sunderland are reportedly set to step up their pursuit of a talented star who plies his trade at Real Madrid.

Sunderland willing to make offer for Gonzalo Garcia

According to reports in Spain, Sunderland are willing to offer a loan proposal for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia with a mandatory purchase option that could top £17 million.

Real Oviedo, AS Roma and Leeds United are also keen on the 21-year-old forward, who has emerged as a breakout star at the Club World Cup, being likened to Raul by Los Blancos boss Xabi Alonso.

Goncalo Garcia’s breakthrough at Real Madrid
Appearances	9
Goals	3
Assists	2

However, Real Madrid could look to negotiate a buyback clause of £25.6 million for the former Spain Under-19 international.

Enjoying a brilliant campaign combining his exploits at first-team level and with the La Liga giants’ second string, Garcia registered 28 goals and six assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.

Sunderland may need to push their negotiation powers to the max to force this one over the line, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get, which will be a mantra they will hope can prove decisive should negotiations ramp up.

Glasgow Rangers kicked off the Russell Martin era with a big result on Tuesday night in the Champions League at Ibrox, as they beat Panathinaikos 2-0.

Goals from Findlay Curtis and Djedi Gassama in the second half of the match, aided by a red card for the away side, secured the victory for the Light Blues, who now take a two-goal advantage over to Greece next week.

Whilst it was not a perfect performance from the Scottish Premiership giants, as they needed goalkeeper Jack Butland to pull off a number of impressive stops, there cannot be too many complaints about a 2-0 win in a European match.

Especially when you consider that the likes of Gassama, Cyriel Dessers, and Hamza Igamane were resigned to the bench and Thelo Aasgaard was missing through injury.

Due to various fitness issues, Martin opted to go with Brazilian centre-forward Danilo through the middle as the starting number nine against Panathinaikos.

He failed to register a goal or an assist in his 74 minutes on the pitch, but did not have a single ‘big chance’ in front of goal, and there could be more to come from the striker this season.

What Danilo needs to be successful at Rangers

Possibly the biggest hurdle the 26-year-old marksman needs to jump over to be successful at Rangers is avoiding injuries, as he has been absent for far too many matches since his move to the club in 2023.

The Light Blues reportedly paid a fee of up to £6m to sign the attacker from Dutch giants Feyenoord two years ago, but the clash with Panathinaikos was only his 49th appearance in all competitions.

Type of injury

Broken cheekbone

Knee injury

Knee injury

Date of injury

September 2023

December 2023

September 2024

Return date

October 2023

May 2024

November 2024

Days out

43

171

65

Matches missed

9

32

12

As you can see in the table above, Danilo has missed 53 games through injury since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, with two knee injuries and one broken cheekbone, which led to him having to wear a protective face mask.

The Rangers number 99 has showcased his quality when he has been available, as rare as that has been, though, with a return of 12 goals and nine assists in his 49 appearances.

Last season, Danilo scored five goals, created eight ‘big chances’, and registered four assists in 23 matches in the Premiership, despite only starting eight of those games.

But the Brazilian attacker did not get any service against Panathinaikos, and that is why the Gers need to sign more creative players to provide the striker with the opportunities he needs to score.

Rangers told to pay record fee for creative star

Rangers may have to pay a club-record transfer fee to land one of the creative stars on their wishlist for the summer transfer window, though, as per a fresh report.

Transfer Focus

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

According to IbroxNews, the Scottish giants will need to pay a fee of around £15m to sign winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Premier League side Crystal Palace.

The report claims that the Eagles would prefer to sell the 22-year-old forward, rather than send him out on loan, and they will want a fee of at least £15m to part ways with him.

Tore Andre Flo’s £12m move from Chelsea in 2000 remains the club’s current record signing to this day, which means that a £15m splurge on Rak-Sakyi would smash that.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed that Rangers have had an offer of a loan with an obligation to sign the forward for around £10m turned down by Palace, and they may now have to break their transfer record to bring the Englishman to Ibrox this summer.

Why Rangers should sign Rak-Sakyi

Splashing out a club-record fee of £15m would be a huge gamble by Rangers because there would then be immense pressure on Rak-Sakyi to be a superstar in Scotland.

The left-footed winger would have to win the club many trophies and or go on to be sold for a healthy profit for the transfer to be viewed as a success, which may be why the Gers may be hesitant to commit such funds to a deal.

However, Rangers could land an excellent right-wing prospect and reignite Danilo’s career at Ibrox if they decide to sign Rak-Sakyi, or if they are able to negotiate a loan deal with Palace.

The 22-year-old starlet, who was likened to a “slalom skier” by former boss Dean Holden, has shown great promise in his loan spells away from Palace so far, shining in League One with Charlton and in the Championship with Sheffield United.

Appearances

43

34

Starts

40

22

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

233

248

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes per game

1.3

0.9

Assists

8

2

As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi has scored 22 goals and provided ten assists in 77 games in the EFL in his career to date, which shows that he has the potential to score and create goals from the right flank.

At the age of 22, he also has the time left ahead of him to continue to grow and develop as a player, which is why he could be an investment that has the potential to grow in value, even if the club smash their club-record to sign him.

The left-footed wizard could also help to reignite Danilo’s Ibrox career by providing the striker with a winger who can score the ‘big chances’ that he creates, whilst also being able to offer creativity from the flank to ensure that the forward has opportunities to score.

Of course, the Brazilian forward also needs to work on his fitness to ensure that he is available for Martin to select week-in-week-out in the 2025/26 campaign, but if he can do that then Rak-Sakyi could be a dream winger for him to play with.

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ByDan Emery Jul 24, 2025

Whether that means that the Palace youngster is worth £15m is hard to say, as it will depend on how his career at the club ultimately plays out, but he is a quality winger who could thrive alongside Danilo and be a strong addition to the squad, however a deal gets done for him.

As he prepares to depart the ICC, Alex Marshall, the head of global cricket’s anti-corruption unit (ACU), has warned that “badly run” domestic T20 leagues “at lower level” remain a “threat” to the game with corruptors looking to use them as an entry point. Marshall, 63, has decided to retire from the ICC job this November, ending a seven-year term, which started in 2017 as general manager of the ICC’s integrity unit, which includes the security and anti-doping units apart from the ACU.Marshall, a former senior policeman in the UK, recently communicated his decision to the ICC, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, including parents and grandchildren in England. Marshall, who replaced YP Singh, was the fourth ACU head and was shortlisted by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, the independent chairman of the anti-corruption watchdog.Marshall said that while the malaise of corruption will continue to shadow cricket, he was “proud” that during his stint the ACU had been successful in helping players be more forthcoming about approaches from corrupters. “I am proud of the significant increase in trust from players who now report approaches to us frequently whereas there was a time when they lacked confidence in confidentiality and the action that will be taken,” Marshall told ESPNcricinfo on Friday. “They have now seen corruptors being disrupted, named, banned when they get involved in cricket. And the education we now do with players shows them who the corruptors are, what their methods are, so everyone is much better equipped and protected to keep corruption away from the game.”Immediately upon taking charge in September 2017, Marshall and his team investigated several people in Sri Lanka, a country where the ACU was busy at that point, conducting a number of probes concerning “various types of corrupt activities.” That operation lasted several years during which the ACU met the top-most authorities of the Sri Lankan government, including the President and Prime Minister, to paint them a picture of corruption that had seeped into the country’s cricketing system. Eventually, the ACU intervention paved way for Sri Lanka becoming the first South Asian country to criminalise several offences related to match-fixing.Related

• ICC anti-corruption unit chair Sir Ronnie Flanagan set to retire in October

• Heath Streak handed eight-year ban for corruption

• Sri Lanka passes bill criminalising match-fixing

• Jayasuriya banned for two years after ICC anti-corruption unit investigation

• 'We are investigating several people in SL' – ACU head Alex Marshall

Marshall said he was happy with the progress in Sri Lanka, where he says there are now stronger guardrails to ward off corrupt elements. “Sri Lanka turned out to be a good news story because there were serious issues which were addressed locally and with ICC,” he said. “Now with the legislation and stronger measures Sri Lanka is in a much better place to keep the corruptors away.”Another significant outcome of the ACU probe involved charging several Sri Lankan players under its own code, including sanctioning a two-year ban on former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya in 2019 for refusing to co-operate with investigations related to corruption in cricket.Two other former international captains, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Zimbabwe’s Heath Streak, who passed away last September, were charged by Marshall’s ACU for wrongdoing. Both players accepted their offence. In 2019, the ACU sanctioned Shakib across the three international formats for failing to report “not one but three” approaches made by alleged corruptor Deepak Aggarwal to engage in corrupt conduct in two tournaments in 2018: an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe and an IPL match the same year when the Bangladesh player featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad.In 2021, Streak was handed an eight-year ban by the ACU after admitting to five breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, including accepting a payment in bitcoin from a potential corruptor.As he prepares to leave his ICC job, Marshall has a word of caution for those administering, playing and governing cricket: that corrupt elements continue to wander around, waiting for any opportunity to enter the system. And one of those routes, Marshall stressed, was “badly” managed T20 franchise leagues, which are outside the ambit of the ICC ACU and are instead monitored by the member country boards.”I am confident that the cricket you watch is safe and clean,” Marshall said. “But I am also absolutely sure that corruptors are constantly looking for a route into the game, particularly in badly-run lower-level franchise leagues. The threat to the game is corruptors won’t go away while there is always money to be made and they will look for weakness in the system to get in.”

From 4 for 301, Queensland lost 6 for 66 in the first innings to be dismissed for 367 with Gannon picking up a five-for

Tristan Lavalette10-Oct-2024Test hopeful Cameron Bancroft fell for a duck to cap an untimely double failure, but Western Australia batters Mitchell Marsh and Hilton Cartwright repelled a Queensland rally late on day three in the Sheffield Shield.After gaining a 98-run lead, WA slumped to 47 for 3 in their second innings before Marsh and Cartwright combined for an unbroken 59-run partnership.Batting at No.4 as a specialist batter, Marsh played mostly watchfully but did occasionally bludgeon the ball in trademark style. He finished 40 not out, while Cartwright was unbeaten on 19 to get WA back on track after Bancroft fell in the first over.The leading Shield batter over the past two seasons, Bancroft has been a model of consistency. He last played Test cricket in 2019, overlooked earlier in the year after David Warner retired, and hoped to push his case for a return with allrounder Cameron Green facing a long stint on the sidelines due to a back injury.But once again he succumbed to quick Michael Neser after nicking off in an almost identical dismissal to his golden duck in the first innings.”It’s unfortunate timing,” WA coach Adam Voges said of Bancroft post play. “I’m sure he would have loved to have scored some runs in this game. It wasn’t to be, but he has scored a lot over the last few years.”Cameron Bancroft walks off after bagging a pair•Getty ImagesNo.3 Jayden Goodwin, who also fell first ball in the first innings, avoided the same fate as Bancroft but on 18 slashed seamer Jack Wildermuth to gully.Captain Sam Whiteman was unable to back up his brilliant century in the first innings after playing an uncharacteristically loose shot to edge debutant quick Tom Straker to second slip. It was the 19-year-old Straker’s maiden first-class wicket and he impressed in his five-over spell with fiery bowling.The flurry of wickets in the back half of the day has raised the prospect of a result after the match had appeared to be headed for a dull draw.With the surface flattening considerably since the early day one fireworks, Jack Clayton and Ben McDermott batted with relative ease in the first session against the old ball.WA relied on offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who celebrated his 27th birthday on day one, but he was thwarted on a surface providing little assistance.Whiteman turned to the left-arm spin of Cooper Connolly, but Clayton reverse swept to good effect as Queensland chipped away at WA’s massive first innings total of 465.The match went through a lull until the second new ball and quickly sparked back to life when quick Cameron Gannon had Clayton caught down the leg side by diving wicketkeeper Josh Inglis for 85.McDermott appeared to get Queensland back on track either side of lunch until falling lbw to Cartwright for 68. It sparked a collapse with Queensland losing 6 for 66 as the ball started to shoot through off divots.Playing against his former team, Gannon left off from his impressive finish last season when he was an unexpected hero in WA’s Shield triumph. Unleashing an unnerving line and length, he was the pick of the bowlers to finish with 5 for 57 from 25.2 overs.Recruit Brody Couch had a mixed debut for WA after crossing over from Victoria in the off-season. He was lively at times, the fastest of WA’s trio of quicks clocking at 140 kpm, and did unfurl a short-pitched barrage to liven a sedate period of play.Couch did struggle for consistency, conceding 86 runs from 21 overs, but claimed a maiden wicket for WA when he clean bowled Wildermuth for 24.Marsh did not bowl as expected and spent most of his time in the slips, while he also occasionally helped carry the drinks.