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New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram’s availability for the home series against West Indies has been thrown in doubt after he suffered a hairline fracture to his left index finger while playing in the domestic State Championship.

Cricinfo staff24-Nov-2008
Breaking news: Jacob Oram © Getty Images
New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram’s availability for the home series against West Indies has been thrown in doubt after he suffered a hairline fracture to his left index finger. The incident occured while attempting a sharp catch at gully for Central Districts in the State Championship match against Northern Districts in Hamilton on Monday.Having opted out of the ongoing tour of Australia after sustaining a back injury in the first Test against Bangladesh last month, Oram was looking to return to full fitness in time for the first Test against West Indies starting December 11 in Dunedin.”I’ve got to a point now where I wasn’t disappointed, I just had a laugh,” Oram told .”I just thought ‘who have I annoyed so much to keep throwing this at me’. Hopefully it’s character-building.”An x-ray cleared him of any tendon damage but it is uncertain how much impact the injury will have on Oram. He, however, sounded hopeful of playing a role in the final three days of the ongoing match at Seddon Park if the swelling reduced.”But to what extent, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s no point going out there if I’m going to do myself or the team a disservice, especially with the big picture in mind.”This has thrown a spanner in the works but it could be worse.”Oram was desperate to prove his fitness and continued bowling a short spell even after suffering the injury. However, the worst-case scenario may see the fracture taking up to a month to heal.”I’ve got to show that I’m bowling-fit and capable of getting through overs. While I could still bowl and the right arm and the right hand were functioning properly, I thought I’d just continue bowling my overs. When I finished that spell, I came off, got it iced,” he said.This is not the first time that Oram has suffered a career-threatening injury. He was forced out of the Napier Test against England earlier this year and, in the return series, pulled out of the Twenty20 international at Old Trafford after injuring himself in the warm-up. He was ruled out of the first three ODIs but returned for the last two matches.He was also left out the Chennai Super Kings squad for the inaugural Champions League starting December 3 due to his injured back.West Indies will play Two Tests, two Twenty20 internationals and five ODIs on their tour of New Zealand.

Wolverhampton Wanderers ’emissaries’ have held discussions with AS Roma over the possibility of signing Amadou Diawara, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Diawara is a 24-year-old defensive midfielder who made 18 Serie A appearances and started 10 matches in Roma’s journey to the Europa League semifinals (via WhoScored).

His biggest strength is said to be reading the play and making interceptions, but he also excels at making tackles and delivering through balls.

The Guinean has three years left on his contract at the Stadio Olimpico and is valued at £12.6million by Transfermarkt.

Diawara was described earlier in his career as a ‘phenomenon’ and likened to France legend Marcel Desailly.

Roma and Wolves have already done business this summer, with Rui Patricio sealing a £9.8million move to the Italian capital.

The latest

Talks have taken place between the two clubs, with Roma intent on selling as they consider a swoop for Fulham’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

But it’s understood that Diawara isn’t particularly keen on the proposed move, and so Roma may have to look to alternative suitors.

The verdict

Why might Diawara be reluctant to make the move to the Midlands? Well, there’s the possibility that, despite his limited gametime in the league, he’s simply happy in his current surroundings.

He may also be harbouring hopes of climbing the pecking order after Paulo Fonseca made way for Jose Mourinho – a new manager can always provide new opportunities.

And finally, it should be said that Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho represent some pretty daunting competition for any of Wolves’ midfield targets, although perhaps he could be seen as a viable long-term replacement for the latter.

In other news, fans flocked to comments from this star after transfer news emerged.

A round-up of the third-round matches of the Premier League Tournament in Sri Lanka

Sa'adi Thawfeeq10-Dec-2008
Sri Lanka’s Test openers, Malinda Warnapura and Michael Vandort, scored centuries in the fourth round of the Premier League Tournament © Getty Images
Rain once again disrupted all five of the Tier A games; however, two clubs from Tier B – Saracens Sports Club and Police Sports Club – managed to score easy wins during the fourth weekend of the Premier League Tournament matches.The most exciting cricket, though, was on the first day at Maitland Place. Moors Sports Club were skittled out for 36 after being put in by Nondescripts Cricket Club. Moors SC crumbled against 23-year-old Kosela Kulasekara, a right-arm medium-pacer, who took 6 for 13 – his first first-class five-for. Moors SC lasted 21.5 overs for the second-lowest total in first-class matches in Sri Lanka, five more than the 31 made by Kurunegala Youth Cricket Club against Sinhalese Sports Club in 1993-94 and equaling Singha Sports Club’s 36 against Sinhalese SC in 2005-06.Eric Upashantha, the former Sri Lanka fast bowler and Moors SC coach, was surprised by the team’s poor showing, which is more embarrassing considering it is the team’s centenary year. “It was a typical first-day wicket with the ball seaming around which is what you would expect,” he said. “To be bowled out for such a low total was a real surprise. On any wicket you cannot get out for that kind of score. I would put it down to bad batting. The lads did not apply themselves.”Luckily for Moors SC, rain came to their rescue. No play was possible on the final day. Moors SC were at 133 for 6 after Nondescripts CC, boosted by a century from Sri Lanka A opener Kanchana Gunawardene, declared at 287 for 9. The team also spilled some catches, but Upashantha was confident they would overcome the setback. “This innings was a good eye-opener,” he said. “If we can win the championship at the end of the season it would be a perfect icing on the cake.”Saracens SC’s five-wicket win over Lankan Cricket Club was set up by left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara’s match figures of 11 for 123. He followed up his 5 for 58 in the first innings with career-best figures of 6 for 65 in the second. Lankan CC were routed for totals of 204 and 216, and Saracens SC, boosted by a fine century from Kasun Bodhisha, replied with 302 and chased down a target of 119. Saracens SC were fortunate that their match was played in Katunayake, about 30 km north of Colombo. They escaped the bad weather prevalent in Colombo and the suburbs on Sunday.Police SC were fortunate they required only 46 runs on the final day to beat Singha SC at Police Park. They lost five wickets while trying to wrap up the win before rain could play spoilsport. Middle-order batsman Supun Nirmala compiled a sturdy 116 to give Police SC a handy first innings lead of 108, which eventually helped the team to get their first win of the season.Left-handers Michael Vandort and Jehan Mubarak warmed up for Sri Lanka’s tour to Bangladesh with contrasting hundreds for Colombo Cricket Club. Vandort compiled an impressive 138 and Mubarak, fresh from a successful tour of Zimbabwe, made an unbeaten century as they added 173 for the second wicket to take Colombo CC to an imposing 343 for 2 in reply to Badureliya Sports Club’s 244 at the R Premadasa Stadium. The weather, though, had the final say with no play possible on the last day.At Havelock Park, rival captains Gayan Wijekoon (Chilaw Marians Cricket Club) and Malinda Warnapura (Colts Cricket Club) compiled unbeaten hundreds but their attempts to turn those contributions into victory were thwarted by rain. Chamara Silva, who has been out of the national side in recent months, guided Bloomfield to a first-innings lead over defending champions Sinhalese Sports Club at Reid Avenue. Silva’s stroke-filled 106 helped Bloomfield edge past Sinhalese SC’s total of 233 by 17 runs. At Panagoda, the return of Ajantha Mendis for Sri Lanka Army Sports Club failed to prevent Tamil Union from gaining a first-innings lead.Ranil Dhammika, the former Sri Lanka Under-19 player, kept Seeduwa Raddoluwa Cricket Club on top of Tier B with a sterling all-round performance against Burgher Recreation Club at Havelock Park. The left-hand batsman top scored with 94 in his team’s 359 and then tied down the opposition to 245 by claiming 6 for 72 with his left-arm spin.Player of the Week – Malinda PushpakumaraConsistency has been the key for left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara’s success with the ball for Saracens SC. In the past two seasons, 21-year-old Pushpakumara, a former Sri Lanka Under-19 player, has been the leading wicket-taker for his club. Pushpakumara has been among the top wicket-takers for Under 23 Youth Tournament Division 1, taking 41 scalps at 13.58 in eight matches in 2007-08 and 39 wickets at 16.17 from nine matches in the 2008-09 season.”At his age he is the best spinner of his type in the country. I am surprised that he has not been even considered for the development squad,” Dinesh Kumarasinghe, the Saracens SC coach, said. Last week Pushpakumara was once again outstanding with the ball, as his first ten-for helped Saracens SC to an emphatic win over Lankan CC. Kumarasinghe is confident that Pushpakumara, who is also a versatile fielder, has the potential to make it to the national side.

Nuno Santo has been dealt a massive blow ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Pacos de Ferreira in the UEFA Europa Conference League this evening…

What’s the latest?

Harry Kane, who has been linked with an exit throughout the summer, was left out of Spurs’ squad to face his potential suitors, Manchester City, on Sunday afternoon but he returned training with his teammates earlier this week.

The 28-year-old striker was named in Nuno’s 25-man squad for tonight’s encounter but it’s understood that he has not travelled to Portugal for the first of this two-legged tie.

According to the PA news agency (via the Independent), the England international has remained in London and will continue to work on his fitness ahead of potential involvement in Sunday’s match against Nuno’s former club, Wolves.

Meanwhile, speaking ahead of kick-off, the 47-year-old head coach told reporters (via the Guardian):

“What we must be sure of is that when we decide to put a player on the pitch, we have to consider all of the aspects. The fitness, the mental aspects. We are here to support all of the players equally.

“Harry, of course, has all of our support. His fitness is getting better each day. He worked today, he is going to work tomorrow and he is going to join the group on Friday. On Saturday we will make the decision on who is going to be involved in the next [league] game.”

Massive blow

To not have Kane involved later tonight should come as a huge setback to the Portuguese and the rest of the Spurs squad. Whilst Pacos are no great shakes, in comparison to a Premier League side, they will still pose a threat in a competition that the north Londoners could realistically win.

Spurs have been without silverware since 2008, so they should probably take this competition seriously, even if it’s a chance to rotate the starting XI. Nuno has plenty of strength in depth in all departments right now.

Their chances of success, however, are dented in the absence of their leading talisman, who contributed to 54.4% of all of Spurs’ goals scored in the Premier League last term, whilst he’s hit at least 19 goals in each of his last seven campaigns.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

He’s a crucial, crucial part of this Lilywhites squad.

Furthermore, it would’ve been a fantastic chance for Kane to get some minutes on the pitch as he steps up his training preparations. Whether he stays or goes before August 31st remains to be seen, but Spurs must continue on as if he’s sticking around and a game like this could’ve got him up to speed a lot quicker than a few fitness sessions at Hotspur Way.

In his absence on Sunday, they defeated the reigning champions but only by a solitary goal. In 90 minutes, they only registered three shots on target – fewer attempts than City – as per SofaScore.

Kane has averaged 3.6 shots per game throughout the course of his career, so he’d certainly help Nuno in that aspect too. Heung-min Son isn’t likely to start tonight, meaning Dane Scarlett, 17, is expected to start his first-ever game for the senior side. A huge gamble.

To make matters worse, Nuno is also without the services of young centre-back Joe Rodon, who too could’ve done with some minutes on the pitch.

Nuno should be worried heading into this encounter, failure to see off Pacos de Ferreira would be a disaster so early on in his Spurs managerial career.

AND in other news, Nuno dealt gutting Spurs transfer blow amid Fabrizio Romano claim, fans will be fuming…

Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik had a horror day with the ball on Thursday, but their streaky, quickfire 57-run eighth-wicket stand put Central within touching distance of the all-important first-innings lead after the second day against South Zone in Ban

Siddarth Ravindran at the Chinnaswamy Stadium23-Jan-2009
Scorecard

Mohammad Kaif led the Central Zone recovery with a fluent 73, and added 127 for the fifth wicket with Naman Ojha to give his team a genuine chance of gaining a first innings lead © Getty Images
Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik had a horror day with the ball on Thursday, but their streaky, quickfire 57-run eighth-wicket stand put Central within touching distance of the all-important first-innings lead after the second day against South Zone in Bangalore. Their efforts built on half-centuries from captain Mohammad Kaif and Naman Ojha, who started the recovery after the top-order crumpled to South’s fast bowlers. The day ended with the contest on the knife edge: Central need four runs to sneak in front, but South need just one wicket before that, with Central’s first-day hero and last man Umesh Yadav to take strike on the third morning.South would not have been in this precarious position if their fielders had turned in a better show, as Kartik benefitted from two missed chances -a low difficult opportunity to Rahul Dravid’s left at a wide first slip, and a far more straightforward catch for Abhinav Mukund at square leg with Central still trailing by 22.Robin Uthappa, bowling medium pace, maintained a stump-to-stump line to trouble Chawla and Kartik – there were two close lbw calls, with the ball pitching marginally outside leg on both occasions. Amid these slew of chances, Chawla and Kartik unleashed some glorious drives and cuts. The best of the lot was Chawla’s drive past mid-off after advancing down the track to Uthappa – it was so elegant that the batsman held the following-through for the cameras.Chawla finally fell after an ugly, across-the-line swipe to offspinner R Ashwin swirled to VVS Laxman at cover, with the score on 323. Three runs later, off the day’s final over, Pankaj Singh was lbw to L Balaji, rapped on the back leg when trying to turn one to midwicket. That brought to an end the day’s proceedings on a tense note.It hadn’t looked like Central would need the tail to wag when they were at 265 for 5, with Naman Ojha and Bhuvneswar Kumar going strong. Ojha had capitalised on several grassed chances to help Central claw back into the game through his stand with Kaif.It was Kaif who got the runs flowing after a soporific start. Uthappa was pulled in front to midwicket for a one-bounce four and two balls later was powerfully dismissed through extra cover. He then took on the spinners, with legspinner M Suresh launched over long-on and then slog-swept past midwicket.He went into lunch at 47 off 50, but was becalmed after the break. There were a couple of authoritative pulls off Sreesanth but by the time he fell to Suresh for 73, his strike-rate had sunk to around 60.Ojha did most of the scoring in the second session. There were several pokes past the slips for four against the quick bowlers but he was at ease against the slow bowlers. Ashwin was greeted with a slog sweep for four, after which Ojha was content pushing him for singles down to long-on till he reached his half-century. After going past that milestone, he twice lifted Ashwin over the sightscreen.Bhuvneswar was also harsh on Ashwin, repeatedly cover-driving him against the turn. He was solid but fell against the run of play: four balls after Ojha’s dismissal, he nibbled a delivery outside off from Uthappa to the keeper. Uthappa, a part-time bowler, could barely conceal his delight at getting his second wicket.It was his first strike that sparked Central’s collapse in the morning, as Tanmay Srivastava glanced one down the leg side to Dinesh Karthik. Shivkant Shukla, the other opener, was cleaned up by a big indipper from Sreesanth, a loose prod at a wide delivery accounted for Yere Goud, and Parvinder Singh was lbw to Sreesanth. Central’s top order, which almost read like a Who’s Who of Indian domestic cricket’s titans of tedium, was dismantled as four wickets went down for 26 runs. At that stage South were in control, but that was before Central’s middle and lower order got into the act.

West Bromwich Albion have completed a deal to bring Jordan Hugill to The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the West Brom website, the Baggies confirmed the signing of the Norwich City centre-forward on a season-long loan deal, with Valerien Ismael giving a lengthy explanation for the addition of the 29-year-old.

The Frenchman said: “Jordan has the player profile we have been looking for and is the type of striker we needed. I think with his experience, his mentality and his work ethic, he will suit us perfectly.

“Jordan will allow us to be more adaptable as a team. We will have some games that are different and we will need more physicality in the box, making life difficult for the opponent’s centre-backs.

“His skill and his experience will help him to score a lot of goals for us. He is able to score from open play and set pieces. I think we saw already in our first few games that we have had a lot of crosses into the box and it is important we have a striker in the area who is able to win those headers.”

Fans should be concerned

While it is undeniable that Hugill is indeed a player with a wealth of experience in the Championship, having made 207 appearances in the competition, as well as the fact that the 6ft centre-forward will add something of an extra dimension to the Albion attack, whether or not the 29-year-old is the proven goalscorer the Baggies have been searching for is very much up for debate.

Indeed, over his aforementioned 207 Championship appearances, playing for clubs such as Norwich City, Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough, the £1.8m-rated man has scored just 46 goals, as well as providing his teammates with a mere seven assists.

So, having scored roughly one goal every four games in the second tier of English football, while typically playing for mid to upper-table Championship teams, the former West Ham United striker has not exactly proven that he is a prolific marksman, nor does he often participate in the creation of goals.

As such, while the £36k-per-week forward may well go on to enjoy a successful campaign in what looks to be a very impressive West Brom side, Hugill could also quite easily repeat his Norwich City form last season – when the 29-year-old scored just four goals over 31 league games.

As such, fans should be slightly concerned that Hugill is the striker the club have waited so long to bring in this summer, as his signing would very much appear to be something of a gamble by Ismael.

In other news: Key West Brom figure drops update on “magnificent” £28k-p/w gem, it’d be a major boost

West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen is set to stay put with the Hammers this season, despite rumours linking him with a potential exit.

The Lowdown: Bowen linked with exit

The 24-year-old has done well in a West Ham shirt to date, scoring nine goals and registering 10 assists in 56 appearances overall.

He has also started all three of the Irons’ league games so far this season, but he has been linked with a summer move to Liverpool.

The Latest: Winger staying put

Thankfully, those claims appear to be wide of the mark, with The Athletic’s Simon Hughes claiming that Bowen will remain a West Ham player for the foreseeable future despite being monitored by Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.

David Moyes clearly sees him as a key player moving forward and will be keen to keep hold of him following such a strong start to the campaign for the Hammers.

The Verdict: Big boost for Hammers

This is a big boost for West Ham, with Bowen integral to the team’s success in recent times, providing attacking quality and a strong work ethic.

The former Hull City man may have been outshone by others this season, namely Michail Antonio, but he is undoubtedly a key cog in the Irons machine, and the London Stadium faithful can look forward to enjoying his talents for another few months at least.

In other news, one player is set to join West Ham on deadline day. Read more here.

A devastating Zaheer Khan was too much for Uttar Pradesh’s batsmen and his second five-for in back-to-back Ranji Trophy finals took Mumbai within striking distance of a 38th title

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga14-Jan-2009Mumbai 402 and 130 for 0 (Jaffer 74*, Samant 53*) lead Uttar Pradesh 245 (Shukla 99, Zaheer 7-54) by 287 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
7up against UP: Zaheer was just too good for domestic batsmen© Cricinfo Ltd
A devastating Zaheer Khan was too much for Uttar Pradesh’s batsmen and his second five-for in back-to-back Ranji Trophy finals took Mumbai within striking distance of a 38th title. Zaheer was the one big difference between Mumbai and Bengal two years ago, and he proved to be the same with UP. He didn’t stop at five this time, taking two more wickets to finish the job emphatically, and helped Mumbai to a 157-run lead.Umpiring continued to be the focus too. Shivakant Shukla, who resisted for 393 minutes and 99 runs, ended up on the wrong side of a marginal lbw decision, and that dismissal started UP’s slide. Wasim Jaffer and Vinayak Samant helped themselves to fifties against a lacklustre UP in the second innings to put it almost beyond them.It was almost unfair to unleash a superlative Zaheer on the domestic batsmen. He has played only three Ranji matches for Mumbai so far – he started his career with Baroda, and has rarely found time off from his international commitments since shifting to Mumbai. The first, when he took nine in the match against Bengal, brought them the 37th title. He was off colour in the second, in the semi-final this year, but has come back strongly with his best performance in the Ranji Trophy.In his second spell with the second new ball today, Zaheer took five wickets for 20 runs, and UP went from 214 for 4 to 245 all out. He started the day with perhaps the highlight of the match: a spell of immaculate reverse-swing bowling, although he went wicketless because Parvinder Singh handled him admirably. That seven-over spell from Zaheer was a fierce interrogation that would have tested any Test batsman.From round the stumps, and wide of the crease, Zaheer angled the ball in, and continuously got it to move away. He got Mohammad Kaif with a similar delivery yesterday, but Parvinder learned the lesson. He played as late as possible, kept the bat close to the body, and even took a blow on the forearm. There was no show of pain at that moment, and he went back to tackling Zaheer. Parvinder took 32 deliveries to get off the mark, but clearly he was not anxious about reaching that milestone, unlike Suresh Raina yesterday who ran himself out first ball.Parvinder lost that intense concentration half an hour before lunch to let Mumbai sneak back. His first error proved to be his last, as he chased a juicy wide delivery from Abhishek Nayar. Along with a fortuitous Shukla, he had frustrated Mumbai for 126 minutes, but those minutes translated into only 55 runs for the partnership. Nayar, a modest medium-pacer at best, has this happy knack of getting match-turning breakthroughs. He did that again here.After his 821-minute epic in the semi-final, Shukla had said he could bat on for three-four more days. It seemed the case, especially given the two dropped chances and various edges falling either short of fielders or in the gaps. But Shukla stayed patient, unhurried in his strokeplay and body language.Zaheer got him to edge one though gully, before Dhawal Kulkarni got back-to-back edges off him. After surviving the second of those outside-edges, Shukla walked away from the stumps and admonished himself, keen to make the most of those chances. But four overs later, Ajit Agarkar beat him outside the off stump twice. And then he tried to cut Sairaj Bahutule, and expertly bisected first and second slip with an edge. Neither Jaffer, blind-sided by Samant’s gloves, nor Ajinkya Rahane, at second slip, went for it. Shukla was 68 then.Shukla’s innings was similar to Rohit Sharma’s, though he wasn’t as quick, Two catches went unclaimed, he looked loose outside off, and in-between he hit a few attractive boundaries to reach 99. Along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shukla added 68 for the fifth wicket in quick time. Bhuvneshwar played an odd cameo – characterised by being beaten outside off comprehensively at one time, and driving the next ball for a crisp boundary.With more than 20 hours gone between dismissals for Shukla, it would have taken a special delivery to get him. Zaheer produced just that: a sharp inswinger, catching him in front of stumps. But Shukla was hit on the flap of the front pad, and height was a question. It was a touch-and-go decision, but one that went against UP again. Zaheer just proved too good against the other batsmen, who lacked application.So crushing was Zaheer’s effort that a dejected UP took the field with two days and a session to go still. Gone was the fizz their bowlers had in the first innings, and the resilience that has been their trademark all season. Jaffer and Samant found it easy, and did exactly what was required to start the home stretch towards yet another title.

A round-up of the first day of the sixth-round matches of the regional four-day competition

Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2009
Adrian Barath made his highest first-class score to drive T&T towards a comfortable position © Getty Images
Adrian Barath’s highest first-class score (163*) drove Trinidad & Tobago to a comfortable 280 for 4 against Leeward Islands at St Augustine. Leewards made an early breakthrough after T&T elected to bat, getting the wicket of Justin Guillen for 7. They had to wait nearly till tea for their second wicket though as Barath and Daren Ganga put on 159 runs.Barath was aggressive right from the start, lashing three fours off Gavin Tonge to bring up the 50 in the 11th over. He continued to dominate the bowling when spin was introduced and even medium-pacer Wilden Cornwall, who started off economically, came in for some punishment. He was off-driven for four and then lofted over long-off for six as Barath moved to 94. A cover drive off legspinner Omari Banks brought up Barath’s fourth first-class century.At the other end, Ganga was playing a restrained knock, inching along to 48 off 143 balls before falling to a diving catch from wicketkeeper Devon Thomas. Leewards snared a couple more wickets before Sherwin Ganga (20*) provided Barath company till stumps.In Crab Hill, allrounder Dwayne Smith’s four wickets helped Barbados bundle Combined Colleges and Campuses out for 198. Smith had the ball moving around during a post-lunch spell in which he picked up three CCC wickets to leave them at 120 for 7. The only significant contribution from a specialist batsman was Kurt Wilkinson’s 44, which he made off 39 balls after coming in with his side struggling at 46 for 3 on being sent in to bat. Wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton made 43 and No. 10 Kavesh Kantasingh made a streaky 30 to push CCC’s total towards 200.In reply, Barbados had lost both their openers in reaching 53 for 2 in the 20 overs before stumps. Barbados are currently in second place but have played a match more than table-toppers Jamaica.A game against struggling Guyana at the Providence Stadium gave Jamaica the opportunity to remain title frontrunners. However the first day of the match was interrupted by rain with only 67 overs of play possible. The entire session between lunch and tea was washed out and Jamaica could only crawl to 149 for 3 by stumps. Test discard Xavier Marshall’s lean trot continued as he was the first wicket to fall after Jamaica chose to bat, lofting a catch to mid-off when on 12.Jamaica’s other opener, Brenton Parchment, went on to make 44 before being caught behind off legspinner Davendra Bishoo. Guyana picked up a third wicket when offspinner Narsingh Deonarine got rid of captain Tamar Lambert but a patient Donovan Pagon and the experienced Wavell Hinds ensured there were no more breakthroughs till stumps.

Some Liverpool supporters are fully behind the idea of the Reds signing Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, following an update from a south coast journalist.

Gini Wijnaldum’s exit to Paris Saint-Germain has arguably increased the need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in a new central midfielder this summer.

The Dutchman was a hugely consistent performer for Liverpool and his absence could leave a void in the middle of the park as the season drags on, even though it hasn’t yet.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Much may depend on the likes of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain staying fit, and it was looking increasingly likely that no new signings will be made.

According to journalist Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window podcast [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, Liverpool are still interested in Bissouma, as well as Manchester United and Arsenal, having been linked with him in the past.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans keen on Bissouma signing

These Reds fans reacted positively to the update on Twitter, talking up the prospect of the Brighton man heading to Anfield.

“I’d take that”

Credit: @JamesTELyerMa

“PLEASE in God’s name came we get this deal done. Surely if we’ve walked away from Saul there must be a genuine reason”

Credit: @colz4liverpoolz

“Some player him”

Credit: @king_louie83

“Quality player”

Credit: @nayf89

“Perfect Gini replacement”

Credit: @Troy20082508

“Sign him already!!!”

Credit: @purethoughtts

In other news, some Liverpool fans want the Reds to sign one Euro 2020 star. Find out who it is here.