All posts by h716a5.icu

Matt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland and then saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy his first-slip position

Daniel Brettig13-Nov-2017Getty ImagesMatt Renshaw’s hold onto an opening spot for Australia looks shakier by the day after he made another low score for Queensland. He also saw his national captain Steven Smith occupy for New South Wales the first slip position which the 21-year-old had occupied solidly over his first 10 Tests.In making a start before edging a typically precise Trent Copeland delivery behind to Peter Nevill, Renshaw added 16 to a recent red-ball sequence of scores that reads 45, 5, 4, 22, 17, 16, 1 and 19 since the first Test in Bangladesh. Such has been the debate around his place, with the Western Australia coach Justin Langer piling on the pressure among others, that Renshaw’s opening partner David Warner advised him to “steer clear of the newspapers”.”I want him to score runs this week. He has been under a bit of pressure this week, there has been a bit of talk in the media,” Warner said about Renshaw before the game. “You have to keep putting the numbers on the board. As a youngster, I would be steering clear of newspapers this week.”However, there was an even more tangible sign of shifting opinions when Renshaw walked out to bat. Smith, who typically fields at second slip whenever Copeland is in the NSW Shield XI and did so most recently in the opening round against South Australia, had swapped from second to first for this match, his last before the Gabba Test. The move indicated Smith felt a need to prepare for a different role from the one he generally fills as captain of Australia, and an indicator the selectors may be about to jettison Renshaw.More certainty was provided by the No. 3 Usman Khawaja, dropped in Bangladesh but in sturdy touch, while providing the spinal contribution of a Queensland innings that otherwise struggled for traction on a well-grassed Allan Border Field pitch that offered seam movement and the odd bit of variable bounce.Khawaja’s duel with Nathan Lyon was particularly arresting, while Copeland and Doug Bollinger also made the ball move around. NSW also found it difficult when they batted in the evening session, losing Nic Maddinson, Warner and then Smith in the final over of the day to a ball that leapt at him from Jack Wildermuth and was taken at short leg. Smith indicated the ball may have hit the arm rather than bat.

Italian journalist Rudy Galetti has provided an update on the future of Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.

The Englishman has failed to hit the heights expected since his big-money switch from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021.

What is the latest Jadon Sancho news?

Sancho could be the subject of late interest this window.

That is according to Caught Offside and Andrew Walker, who revealed that Aston Villa are one of the clubs considering a move for the England international just two years removed from his £73m move to Old Trafford. Following the long-term injury to Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, the Villains may need to delve back into the market to replace him, and Sancho might be seen by Unai Emery as the solution. The Midlands club aren't the only side interested in the former Dortmund star, with a number of sides in the Premier League and across Europe also interested in securing his signature.

Manager Erik ten Hag is open to letting the 23-year-old depart this summer should a reasonable offer be received, however, the Dutch manager would want reassurances that the funds would be reinvested in the squad, suggesting that any interested clubs should move quickly to avoid a change of heart from the former Ajax manager.

Sancho has featured prevalently this pre-season for the Red Devils as a false 9, and could be handed an opportunity in the role in United's opening game against Wolves, with Ten Hag stating about his striking options ahead of the game "Anthony Martial is available as well. Jadon Sancho can play there as well, he did it in pre-season very well. The squad can deal with it, as I already said this. There is a strategy behind it."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Galletti revealed that United are expecting to be busy in the coming days regarding the departure of both Sancho and Anthony Martial, with the club confident of receiving offers for the players before the window closes.

He said: "Manchester United are expecting to be busy when it comes to the exits of Martial and Sancho in the next days. In fact, in the event of a suitable offer for these two players, it will be seriously considered and evaluated. A farewell for Martial and Sancho is possible. Man Utd are confident of receiving some offers for both of them, especially in the second part of August and close to deadline day."

Should Manchester United sell Jadon Sancho?

It doesn't seem like a smart move for United to let go of Sancho now. Especially as he was one of the shining stars vs Wolves after his introduction, with him receiving one of the highest ratings in the team.

The player now seems to have found a role in the United squad in the false nine position, receiving the ball deep and creating in a midfield position. It was a timely discovery for the player, with reports stating that his manager had "ran out of patience" with the player operating in wide areas. Sancho's best performances last campaign often came when deployed more centrally, with Ten Hag stating after his performance against Leicester City, stating in the post-match interview "Today when you see he is coming on in the midfield position now, great runs, great passes, good in possession and also, especially the one that gives me a lot of joy, defensive transition."

The issue for the player would be game time. Clearly no longer favoured in the wide areas, his opportunities for playing time could be limited in the middle due to the presence of club captain Bruno Fernandes and new summer signing Rasmus Hojlund. However, he brings something to this United side that no one else offers and that could be the key that keeps him at Old Trafford this summer.

Essex have promoted Anthony McGrath to the position of head coach as successor to Chris Silverwood

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2017Essex have promoted Anthony McGrath to the position of head coach after Chris Silverwood, who led the club to their first Championship title in 25 years, stepped down to take up the role of bowling coach with England.McGrath was part of the set-up under Silverwood and is widely respected at Essex, who became the first team in 12 years to win Division One immediately after being promoted. McGrath joined as assistant in 2016, after the departure of Paul Grayson, and focused on working with Essex’s batsmen.He was favourite to succeed Silverwood, who caught the attention of England after two impressive seasons in charge at Chelmsford. A new assistant for McGrath, who will have responsibility for overseeing the bowlers, will be appointed in due course.”I am absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity, and really excited to get started,” McGrath said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years at the club so far and I am honoured to take over the head coach role at such a great county.”The club have put faith in me to take over the excellent job Chris did and really continue the success we have had over the last couple of years. I am thrilled, obviously we will miss Chris, but it is now time to move forward and I can’t wait to get back with the squad.””I don’t think much needs to change from the formula Chris and myself introduced a couple of years ago. Obviously I will put my own stamp on things, but we have a competitive squad of homegrown players who are all passionate about the club.”We know we need to keep improving, as people will target us now we are champions, but that is normal. Every single one of us needs to keep raising the bar as we can’t stand still and I will be working hard to make sure we all do that. If we improve ourselves every day over the winter and bring it into the season, we won’t be far away from success in all competitions.”A former Yorkshire allrounder, McGrath was capped in four Tests and 14 ODIs by England. He retired in 2013 and was took on the role of coaching consultant with Yorkshire before moving south to link up with Silverwood at Essex. Their first season in charge saw Essex promoted as Division Two champions.Derek Bowden, Essex’s chief executive, said: “Having had discussions with Anthony following Chris’ departure, it was clear he had the knowledge and passion to lead this club forward. He was an integral part of the success over the past two years and brings a continuity that we were keen to implement.”The players know how he works, we know how he works and ultimately he was the outstanding candidate to take the club forward. Now it is important he brings in the right assistant head bowling coach alongside him, and we will be working hard to fill this position in the coming weeks.”

Leeds United goalkeeper Karl Darlow hasn't made the move from Champions League playing Newcastle United to just "sit on the bench" this season, according to The Athletic's Phil Hay.

Will Karl Darlow replace Illan Meslier at Leeds United this summer?

After a few months of bad news and general misery for Leeds and their supporters, the team managed to inject a bit of life and hope back into the club after fighting back from 2-0 down to earn a hard-fought draw against Cardiff City on the opening weekend of the Championship season.

That said, the fact that the side went 2-0 down to a club that just managed to avoid relegation to the third tier by the skin of their teeth last season is still a significant concern, and one of the players that did little to help their case was goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

While he wasn't directly at fault for any of the goals, he was still unimpressive and could have done better with the first goal, with Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross giving him just a five out of ten for his performance.

Read the latest Leeds United transfer news HERE…

The Frenchman will need to do better than that over the next few games, as with the £400,000 signing of Darlow from Newcastle last month, his spot is likely to be under serious threat from the former Nottingham Forest man, per Phil Hay.

He gave his opinion on The Square Ball YouTube channel, saying:

"Darlow I think will come into the frame before long I don't really don't think Farke has signed him to sit on the bench."

How old is Karl Darlow?

Born October 8 1990, the former Newcastle keeper is 32-years-old, which while just beyond the peak years for a goalkeeper – according to The Athletic – is a good age for a team's number one and should he perform well for the Whites, he could be there for several years to come.

Worryingly for Meslier, the Englishman has already demonstrated his ability to perform to a high level in the second tier on multiple occasions in his career, most recently with Hull City.

In his 12 appearances for the Tigers last season, he maintained a passing accuracy of 76.3%, won one Man-of-the-Match award and averaged a respectable match rating of 6.87, per WhoScored.

In fact, in his four spells in the Championship, he has never dipped below an average rating of 6.72, proving that he is more than equipped to step between the sticks should even the faintest opportunity present itself.

While he might've not quite had the quality to firmly establish himself as the Magpies' number one following their takeover and rise up the league, he certainly had his moments in the famous black and white, with club legend Alan Shearer lauding him for a particular performance against defending champions Liverpool in 2020, when he said:

"He should be very, very proud of his performance. When required, he came up with the goods. He was big and strong. He just kept them out. There was no way they were going to get past him this evening.

"The defenders in front of him had to work extremely hard, but when they got past the defenders he was just exceptional, superb."

Watching the battle for Leeds' number-one shirt this season will undoubtedly be enjoyable, but if Hay is correct, the writing may be on the wall for Meslier.

Dearth of wickets for Sri Lanka A on a day when eight players had a bowl

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2017Sunil Ambris raises his bat on reaching fifty•WICB MediaWest Indies made a solid start to their three-match unofficial Test series against the visiting Sri Lanka A team in Jamaica, putting up 236 for 4 in the 76.1 overs on day one. Much of their progress was down to unbeaten half-centuries from Sunil Ambris and Vishaul Singh, who went to stumps with an unbroken stand of 91.Given their foundation, the pair will be hoping to push on day two and put up big scores unlike John Campbell, who was out stumped after a patient half-century. Campbell was one of two stumpings to keeper Sandun Weerakkody, who also effected the run-out of captain Shamarh Brooks. He proved to be the most effective of Sri Lanka’s players after they were put in to field, followed by left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara who picked up 2 for 62. Pushpakumara was one of eight Sri Lanka players to have a bowl on the day.

West Ham United finally said goodbye to homegrown hero Declan Rice during the transfer window, as he joined Arsenal for an incredible £105m fee, a record between two British clubs.

The move was perhaps inevitable, with the midfielder impressing via his performances for the club in the Premier League and in Europe, where he became the first West Ham captain to lift a European trophy since the great Bobby Moore back in 1965, further endearing himself to the supporters.

David Moyes has yet to make a signing this summer, despite having money to spend following the Rice sale.

Could the Scot perhaps avenge his departure by signing a young talent from Arsenal in the coming weeks?

What are the latest West Ham transfer rumours?

According to a prior from talkSPORT, the Irons are interested in making a move for promising striker, Folarin Balogun, this summer as Moyes aims to bolster his attacking options.

Mikel Arteta appears to be keen on letting the 22-year-old depart the Emirates before the transfer window shuts in the next few weeks, valuing the striker at £45m.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

Italian forward Gianluca Scamacca is close to securing an exit from West Ham after just one season in London, with Fabrizio Romano stating Atalanta will be his next destination and this leaves Moyes rather short in the attacking department.

How many goals has Folarin Balogun scored?

The American international has made ten appearances for Arsenal, scoring twice, yet it was his season long loan spell at Stade Reims which brought him widespread acclaim.

The 22-year-old was a sensation in Ligue 1, netting 21 goals across 37 games, finishing the 2022/23 season as the fourth highest scorer in the division, behind just Kylian Mbappe, Alexandre Lacazette and Jonathan David. Not bad company to keep.

Although relatively inexperienced, Balogun ranked first across the Reims squad for goals and assists (23), shots on target per game (1.6) and third for big chances created (eight), showcasing just how important he was to the French side.

Comparing these figures to the West Ham side demonstrates that the Arsenal striker could slot into Moyes’s starting XI with ease. His 23 goals and assists was 12 clear of Jarrod Bowen at the Hammers, while Said Benrahma registered 0.8 shots on target per game and Bowen created nine big chances, indicating just how effective he was compared to the West Ham players last term.

Will Still, the Reims manager, lauded his striker last term, saying: “He's unbelievable, he has real talent but he is also just a top person.” And his recent form even led to a debut for the United States.

He scored on his second appearance for his country, taking his club form that took Ligue 1 by storm onto the international stage, and it’s clear he is ready to make an impression in the Premier League.

His spell in France was a big learning curve and compared to the rest of the West Ham squad, Balogun could provide a key attacking threat, and this could benefit Moyes during 2023/24.

The young menace might not have a long term future under Arteta, but Moyes could give him an ideal platform to shine.

With West Ham having suffered the disastrous blow of losing Rice to the Gunners, the Europa Conference League winners could exact some revenge by poaching Balogun before the September deadline.

He replaces Axar Patel, who sprained his left ankle during a training session ahead of the first ODI, which takes place in Chennai on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2017Ravindra Jadeja is back in India’s ODI squad. The selectors have named him as a like-for-like replacement for the left-arm spinner Axar Patel in the squad for the first three ODIs against Australia. Axar sprained his left ankle playing football during a training session ahead of the first ODI, which takes place in Chennai on Sunday.Jadeja had initially been rested from the squad, along with India’s other premier Test-match spinner R Ashwin. The two had also been left out of the limited-overs leg of India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, and their prolonged absence from the ODI squad – despite chief selector MSK Prasad’s reiteration that both were only being rested – was viewed by some as the team looking beyond them for one-day and T20 cricket.While Ashwin has been playing for Worcestershire in the County Championship in England during his time away from the ODI team, Jadeja has not played any competitive match since the second Test in Sri Lanka in early August. He missed the third Test after earning a suspension for accumulating six demerit points within a 24-month period.Jadeja is currently ranked No. 2 in the ICC Test bowling rankings, but has endured a difficult time in ODIs of late. He took four wickets at 62.25 while conceding 5.92 per over in the Champions Trophy in June, and followed that up with two wicketless matches during India’s tour of the West Indies.

Fulham have reached an agreement on personal terms with Benfica star Morato with Marco Silva's side expected to lodge a third bid "in the coming days".

Who will Fulham sign?

The Whites, after a successful first full campaign back in the Premier League, will now be looking to bolster their ranks further after officially completing a deal to sign Wolves striker Raul Jimenez.

The Mexico international's arrival comes as their first signing of this summer transfer window, boosting Silva in his attempts to reinforce the attacking area.

Fulham's star striker from last season, Aleksandar Mitrovic, is edging towards a move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and there is a belief they'll pay his asking price of around £50 million.

Mitrovic himself has been agitating for a move to the Middle East, with the Serbian making it clear behind-the-scenes he wants to leave Craven Cottage.

Speaking on the matter recently, Silva admitted it was an unwelcome distraction to his pre-season preparations.

"It's not the ideal situation, I have to tell you. Not because he received an offer, it's the situation about himself," said Silva on Mitrovic recently.

"As you know, he's not going to play tomorrow, he didn't play last Wednesday. He's not working properly with his team mates and when I say this is not the ideal scenario, this is the situation.

"When it's out of my control as a manager, this is not something that concerns me, but I would like to have a different scenario in that situation … Sometimes you have individual decisions that is for them to take care of."

As for other signings in key areas of the squad, Fulham are believed to be closing in on Calvin Bassey from Ajax, with the defender set for a medical after the west Londoners reached an £18 million agreement.

Elsewhere, the Cottagers are also eyeing up a move for winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, with Fulham apparently pushing and in pole position for the Chelsea star.

While Bassey is edging nearer a move to Fulham, there are some reports that Benfica's Morato could join him.

Indeed, that is according to Sports Zone, who claim that the Brazilian has reached an agreement on personal terms with Fulham and a five-year contract.

Silva's side have already had two bids turned down for the 22-year-old, but there are suggestions a third will arrive "in the coming days".

Morato's representative, Giuliano Bertolucci, is apparently pushing for Benfica to let him join Fulham before the window shuts.

How good is Morato?

Called a "magnificent" centre-half by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Morato only managed nine league appearances for Benfica last term and 14 the season before (WhoScored).

Each of those campaigns, though, he averaged an impressive passing accuracy of over 90 per cent whilst averaging over two clearances per 90 (WhoScored).

Still young, there is room for Morato to grow and improve in the English top flight, potentially as a back up before playing his way into Silva's plans.

While Bassey is close to joining the club, if Fulham were to sign two central defensive stars rather than one this window, it would be quite the statement of intent.

In his second coaching stint in Bangladesh, Champaka Ramanayake hopes to hand pick talent from different corners of the country

Mohammad Isam17-Aug-2017Champaka Ramanayake, former Sri Lanka fast bowler and the new head coach of BCB’s High Performance Unit, hopes to widen the search for fast bowlers across Bangladesh in his second coaching stint in the country. He previously worked as the bowling coach of the national team from 2008 to 2010.”The coaching will be the same but maybe I will look into the youngsters who have never been seen before,” Ramanayake said. “I am thinking of going around the country to find raw talent. Definitely there is talent, because cricket is big in the country. There should be lot of players with natural talent, so I am looking forward to finding them.”Ramanayake, the second high-profile appointment after Courtney Walsh, the bowling coach of the national team, underlined the importance of having a comfort factor in working with young bowlers to be successful at the job.”I have worked for SLC for 14 years as a bowling coach. Early on I was working on the development side; working day to day with the youngsters helped me build a relationship and their confidence level,” he said. “The biggest thing you can give them is confidence, that they can do the job. The biggest satisfaction you can get as a coach is when you develop someone.”In his first stint in Bangladesh, Ramanayake focused on working with natural actions, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam being the most-notable names to come up around the time. “You shouldn’t make too many changes to natural ability. That’s my philosophy,” he said. “In Sri Lanka, we produced lot of freaks from nowhere because of their natural talent.”Sometimes, people try to change too many things and then you lose the natural ability. Everyone is different in this world, so you have to treat them differently. Actions are different so as long as they produce results and are effective, that’s the main thing.”

There appears to have been another twist regarding the long-running saga involving Harry Kane, with recent reports suggesting that Manchester United are still potentially in the running for the Englishman's signature.

What's the latest on Kane to Tottenham?

According to journalist Samuel Luckhurst, the Red Devils remain in the background in the battle to land the 29-year-old, with Tottenham Hotspur seemingly ready to sell the prolific marksman this summer, rather than seeing him depart for nothing next year.

Writing on Twitter, the respected insider revealed: "Spurs owner Joe Lewis has issued Daniel Levy with an ultimatum to sell Harry Kane or tie him down on a new contract (unlikely). United circling on off-chance Spurs are suddenly receptive to selling him to a Premier League club."

In his attached piece for Manchester Evening News, Luckhurst went on to add that the England skipper remains Erik ten Hag's 'ideal striker target', albeit with United having turned to Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund as an alternative option of late due to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's apparent 'reluctance to sell' to another Premier League club – a fact the former Ajax boss may be hoping will chance.

The piece also notes that Kane – who was previously valued at more than £100m earlier in the window – is said to be demanding a salary of around £30m a year, ensuring it would prove a mammoth financial deal for the Old Trafford outfit.

Should Man United sign Kane?

For all the potential concerns there may be over financing a move for the long-serving Tottenhman man – with United having already spent over £100m on Mason Mount and Andre Onana – it is fair to say that Kane would be a dream option for Ten Hag and co.

While enjoying success at the Theatre of Dreams is never guaranteed for even the most high profile of players – with likes of Alexis Sanchez and Angel Di Maria prime examples of that – Kane's proven Premier League experience would surely raise the chances of him making a telling impact in Manchester.

Having finished behind only Erling Haaland in the scoring charts last season with 30 league goals, the £200k-per-week hitman now boasts an overall tally in the competition of 213 goals to date, with Alan Shearer's record total of 260 now firmly in sight.

Not only a "goalscoring machine" – according to Match of the Day host, Gary Lineker – the beauty of the 6 foot 2 ace is his all-round game, as he is arguably "one of the best passers in world football", according to pundit Jamie Carragher.

That playmaking ability has seen the Walthamstow native strike up a fine partnership with Spurs winger Heung-min Son at N17 in recent years, with the pair having combined for the most goal contributions between two players in Premier League history.

The hope would be that Kane could replicate that impact alongside Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford, with the 25-year-old – who scored 30 goals last term in all competitions – mirroring Son in wreaking havoc down the left flank.

As per Ten Hag, there is "almost no better player in the world" than Rashford when running in behind and threatening the backline, with the United academy graduate regularly looking to hurt the opposition in that left channel, notably ranking in the top 13% among European forwards for progressive passes received as evidence of that trait.

To then have Kane – who ranks in the top 4% for progressive passes – dropping deep to play his compatriot through on goal would be a dream scenario, with Rashford potentially set to prove somewhat unplayable if supplied with such regular, quality service.

With the pair already familiar with each other due to their time in the Three Lions' set-up, a link-up at club level could be a match made in heaven.