Two players from the West Indies squad, Onaje Amory and Jaden Carmichael, have tested Covid positive at the U-19 World Cup. The tournament’s Event Technical Committee has allowed temporary replacements Kevin Wickham and Nathan Edwards for the two players who will now serve an isolation period.The announcement from ICC came just hours before a match that West Indies must win to make the quarter-finals. Offspinner Amory is the only West Indies bowler to complete all ten overs in the two games they have played so far, taking three wickets with an economy rate of 3.75. Carmichael has not yet played a game.Related
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There are provisions at the Under-19 World Cup for fixtures to either be postponed or relocated in case of a Covid-19 outbreak. But, with West Indies having adequate replacements on hand, there was no need to take any extreme measures. Wickham and Edwards were immediately brought into XI to play against Sri Lanka on Friday but their time with the team is temporary. They will be removed from the squad as soon as the infected players are able to return.West Indies are the third team to be affected by Covid-19 at this tournament. Four players from Zimbabwe tested positive in early January, and at least five India players returned positive tests too.So far, West Indies have a 1-1 win-loss record at the Under-19 World Cup. They lost their opening fixture against Australia by six wickets before beating Scotland by seven wickets. If they beat Sri Lanka on Friday, they will set up a quarter-final clash against Pakistan, Zimbabwe or Afghanistan.
New Zealand never felt that the target of 167 was beyond their reach, despite losing early wickets and falling behind the asking rate, in their semi-final against England in Abu Dhabi. So said finisher-turned-opener Daryl Mitchell after his unbeaten 72 off 47 balls dragged New Zealand into their first-ever T20 World Cup final.He put on 40 for the fifth wicket with Jimmy Neesham in a mere 17 balls after his side had slipped to 107 for 4 at the start of the 16th over.”No, it probably sounds weird, but it never felt like it was out of our grasp,” Mitchell said at the post-match press conference. “I think especially with that smaller side boundary on one side, we knew that there were going to be match-ups there that might suit us towards the end, and look, we were obviously very lucky at times; a couple sailed over the ropes that could have been a metre shorter and we’re all out.
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“But at the same time, we always knew that as long as we kept just within the certain numbers that we felt comfortable with that we were always a chance. I thought the way that Neesh [Neesham] came out and really dominated that one over really set the momentum heading into those last few, so yeah, take my cap off to him. He played a hell of a knock.”Mitchell’s rickety start mirrored New Zealand’s: he was on 12 off 10 balls after the powerplay and then 28 off 28 in the 13th over. Mitchell struggled against the swing and seam of Chris Woakes, but he somehow rode out that incisive new-ball spell and picked off the seamer for 6,6,4 to seal New Zealand’s victory, with an over to spare.”Yeah, I think the new ball is very challenging on that surface,” Mitchell said. “It was pretty two-paced to start off with, and as you could probably see, it was tough to get going at times.”I thought the way that all the batters that came in sort of hung in there and helped build a platform to try and allow us to launch at the end, and we were very lucky that a few just snuck over the rope and got us going… it’s a bit of a blur, but I can imagine it was a hell of a game to watch, and I think the way England played was very special as well. It’s obviously pretty cool to get the job done, but I know it’s a game of inches, that’s for sure.”Daryl Mitchell swings towards midwicket•ICC via Getty
Mitchell’s parents had flown into Abu Dhabi ahead of the semi-final to support him at his first World Cup. Mitchell’s father, John, is a prominent sporting figure in New Zealand; he is a former All Blacks player and coach. Mitchell had last met his father after exiting the World Test Championship bubble in the UK, where John was then part of the England rugby team as their defence coach.”It was cool to have dad there,” Mitchell said. “Obviously flying over from England, with what’s going on in the world at the moment with Covid, yeah, it makes it challenging at times, but it was cool to have him in the crowd. Obviously with the bubble life I can’t catch up with him, but I’m sure I’ll have a chat to him on the phone tonight and he’ll be pretty chuffed.”Mitchell is sort of a late bloomer, having made his domestic debut for Northern Districts in domestic cricket in 2011. It was only in 2020-21 that he had a bumper season after moving to Canterbury – a run that culminated in a first New Zealand central contract and a first call-up to New Zealand’s World Cup squad. Mitchell also had a stint with Middlesex in the most recent T20 Blast, scoring 209 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 144.13 in addition to picking up eight wickets.Related
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“I guess I actually consider myself very lucky to have played for New Zealand,” Mitchell said. “I think I debuted at 27, so to be able to get seven, eight years of domestic cricket under my belt before representing New Zealand, I think I actually consider myself very lucky.”I learned my game a little bit and [to] go through the highs and lows of domestic cricket so that once you get on to the international stage you understand what works for you both as a cricketer and as a person, you can just go about doing your business. I’m just enjoying being able to represent my country, play for New Zealand and share a changing room with all my teammates. It’s pretty cool. I’m having a blast and just trying to make the most of it.”New Zealand are just one step away from winning two world titles in the same year, but they aren’t getting ahead of themselves.”Look, we’re a bunch of Kiwis,” Mitchell said. “There’s only five million of us, so we’re obviously very proud to be representing our country. Obviously we’ve had some success in the last few years. But we’re going to enjoy the win tonight, make sure that obviously we celebrate that, but then we move on pretty quickly.”We know that we have a final on Sunday, and whoever we’re taking on should be good fun. We’ll give it everything we’ve got, but at the end of the day there’s certain things you can’t control, so we’ll see what happens.”
عقد كارلو أنشيلوتي، المدير الفني لفريق ريال مدريد، مؤتمرًا صحفيًا فيما يخص مباراة الديربي المرتقبة ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، مساء غد الأربعاء في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويستضيف ملعب “ميتروبوليتانو” مباراة الفريقين في إياب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.
وحقق ريال مدريد فوزًا بهدفين مقابل هدف في مباراة الذهاب على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”.
وقال أنشيلوتي، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “ندخل هذه البطولة في حالة جيدة، حماس كما هو الحال دائمًا، ستكون مباراة صعبة، نحن نعلم ذلك، لكننا واثقون من قدرتنا على الاستمرار في هذه البطولة، التي تعد خاصة جدًا بالنسبة لنا”.
وأضاف: “إنها مباراة تسمح لنا باستكمال الحلم في هذه البطولة، مثلما فعلنا في السنوات السابقة، هذا العام الأمر أكثر تعقيدًا ولكننا لا نزال نتمتع بنفس الثقة للقتال حتى المباراة الأخيرة”.
وواصل: “أتذكر كافة المباريات التي خضناها ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، كانت متقاربة، في بعض الأحيان فزنا، وأحيان أخرى تعادلنا، وأخرى خسرنا، غدًا سيكون الأمر متشابهًا، التفاصيل الصغيرة ستحسم نتيجة المباراة”.
وأردف: “لدي أكثر من 11 لاعبًا لخوض هذه المباراة، من لا يلعب ويشارك كبديل سيساهم، إنها مباراة حيث التغيير الجيد سيحدث الفارق”.
وفيما يخص تحذير اللاعبين، قال: “إذا ركضت كثيرًا فقد تتعادل، ولكن إذا أحدثت الفارق فمن المحتمل أن تفوز بالمباراة، الهدف هو أننا نريد خوض ربع النهائي بغض النظر عن هوية لاعبينا”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تشواميني: لا أركز مع الانتقادات.. ومبابي سعيد في ريال مدريد
واسترسل: “التدرب على ركلات الجزاء أمر صعب، لكننا لا نفكر في ذلك في الوقت الحالي، نحن نفكر في كيفية التعامل مع المباراة بشكل جيد”
وشدد: “اللاعبون مسؤولون عن الفوز، أما عن الهزيمة فأنت تعلم ما يحدث، إنها ليست مشكلة ريال مدريد بل هي مشكلة المدرب، إنه المسؤول الوحيد، هذا معروف منذ فترة طويلة”.
واسترسل: “إنه أمر جيد بالنسبة لي لأنني في وظيفة تحظى بشعبية كبيرة، وبما أنني في وظيفة أحب القيام بها ويحبها الكثير من الناس، فيجب أن أتحمل هذه المسؤولية”.
وأثنى أنشيلوتي على دييجو سيميوني مدرب أتلتيكو مدريد، حيث قال: “أعتبره مدربًا عظيمًا، لدينا فكر متشابه جدًا، كيف سيلعب أتلتيكو غدًا؟ أستطيع محاولة تخمين ما قد يحدث، لكنني أفضل التركيز على فريقي للتحضير للضغط والخروج من منطقة الخطر، يمكن لأتلتيكو أن يلعب بعدة طرق، تمامًا كما يمكن لنا أن نفعل”.
ومن جديد، تطرق أنشيلوتي للحديث عن ركلات الترجيح وكيفية الاستعداد لها، حيث قال: “يمكنك أن ترى من هو اللاعب الذي يسدد أفضل ركلة جزاء، عندما نعد قائمة الركلات الترجيحية نأخذ في الاعتبار ما نراه في التدريبات، إذا كان أحدهم أكثر دقة، إذا نظر إلى حارس المرمى أم لا”.
وأوضح: “عندما نعد هذه القائمة لا نأخذ في الاعتبار الجانب الذهني، كان لدي لاعبون سددوا تسديدات جيدة للغاية لكنهم لم يكن لديهم الشعور بتسديدها في ركلات الترجيح”.
وأكد: “إذا كان علي أن أختار منفذي ركلات الترجيح، فإن الجانب الذهني أكثر أهمية من الجانب الفني، لقد فزت بدوري أبطال أوروبا مع مدافعين سجلوا من الركلات، ليس من السيء أن تقول إنك لا تستطيع تسديدها، عليك أن تتحمل المسؤولية عندما تكون في حالة جيدة”.
وعن عدم تواجد لوكا مودريتش في التشكيل الأساسي مرتين متتاليتين، قال: “إنها مصادفة، لا أهتم بالإحصائيات عندما أختار تشكيلتي الأساسية، لا ينبغي لمودريتش أن يقلق، فأنا لا أهتم بهذه الأشياء”.
Manchester City made history on Wednesday night, breaking the record for the longest unbeaten run in the Champions League, previously held by cross-city rivals Manchester United.
It was a destructive win that sealed the deal for Pep Guardiola’s side, as they destroyed Czech side Sparta Prague 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The record now stands at 26 games.
It was a superb showing from the 2022/23 winners, who had four different goalscorers on the night. Unsurprisingly, it was Erling Haaland who scored twice, with his first a particularly impressive acrobatic effort. The other City players to find the back of the net were Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes.
There were several standout performers from the Citizens last night, although Foden was in imperious form against the Czech side.
Foden’s stats vs. Sparta Prague
It has been a curious season for the 2023/24 PFA Player of the Year winner. After a spellbinding campaign last term, in which he helped win another Premier League title, Foden has struggled to break into the starting lineup under Guardiola this term.
He has played nine games in all competitions, with two goals and two assists to his name so far. However, the City number 47 has just 494 minutes, equating to just 5.4 full 90-minute games in total, with injury and illness a contributing factor.
Against the reigning Czech champions, Foden impressed. His goal was a classic finish, dancing between a few defenders before drilling his shot low and hard into the bottom left corner. Outside of that, he was superb, a real creative force for the hosts in the final third.
His Sofascore stats also reflect a superb performance. The England international had 78 touches, completing 92% of his passes and creating two chances. He completed both of his attempted dribbles and won four of seven attempted duels.
Foden’s enterprising performance won him a 7/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He explained that the City attacker is finally “approaching his best form” after an indifferent start to the season, and called him a “constant headache” for the opposition.
The 24-year-old starred on Wednesday night, but another of his City teammates, Savinho, arguably outshone him.
Savinho’s stats vs. Sparta Prague
Since joining the Premier League champions this summer, Brazilian winger Savinho has shone. He has four assists in 11 games and has shown – notably on Wednesday night – that he could even be City’s answer to talented Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.
Not only are they both young, left-footed wingers, but the pair are similar statistically on FBref too. Amongst other stats, the City man averages 2.75 key passes per game and 10.5 progressive carries; comparatively, the Barcelona teenager averages 2.39 key passes and 5.57 progressive carries.
Savinho vs. Yamal stats compared
Stat (per 90)
Savinho
Yamal
Key passes
2.75
2.39
Passes into final third
0.50
2.73
Passes into penalty box
4.50
3.07
Progressive carries
10.5
5.57
Carries into final third
3.0
3.18
Carries into penalty area
5.5
2.73
Take-ons completed
2.75
3.41
Stats from FBref
The wingers are two of the most exciting talents in world football, so for City to have a player so similar to Bracelona’s exciting young talent, both stylistically and statistically, is an exciting luxury for Guardiola.
Focussing on the performance against the Czech outfit, former Girona winger Savinho stood out for all the right reasons and received an 8/10 rating from Martin. The journalist was full of praise for the Brazil international, explaining that he “ran the visitors ragged”, praising him for the fact he was “destroying opponents” on the right wing.
The 20-year-old was spellbinding having created five key passes and two big chances, even managing to register an assist for Haaland’s first goal. He completed four of his eight attempted dribbles, and worked hard off the ball, winning six ground duels.
It was a wonderful performance from City’s answer to Yamal, Savinho last night. He will no doubt be hoping to continue this form as the Premier League champions look to push for titles in all competitions.
10 managers who could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
The Spaniard’s time at the Etihad could soon be up.
Chelsea, Manchester City and the rest of the Premier League have discovered their PSR fate for 2023-24 after seeing the latest deadline pass.
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Clubs must adhere to Profit and Sustainability RulesForest & Everton stung with penalties last seasonNo punishments handed out this time aroundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
A number of clubs have fallen foul of Profit and Sustainability Rules in recent times, but the Premier League will not be bringing charges against any teams this time around. Leicester City remain at risk of facing future punishments as they are locked in a legal battle with the English top-flight.
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The Foxes won a case relating to spending in the 2022-23 campaign back in September, claiming that the Premier League had no jurisdiction over them as they tumbled into the Championship. An appeal against that ruling was lodged.
That means Leicester could still fall foul of PSR regulations, but all teams in the top tier have been declared compliant – with official accounts having to be submitted prior to the December 31 deadline.
WHAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE SAID
The Premier League has said in a statement: “Issues as to the jurisdiction of the Premier League over Leicester City Football Club in relation to PSR compliance are currently the subject of confidential arbitration proceedings.
“Accordingly, neither the league nor the club will make any further comment at this stage about any aspect of the club’s compliance or otherwise with any of the PSR or related rules, save to say that no complaint has been brought against Leicester by the league for any breach of the PSRs for the period ending Season 2023-24.”
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Nottingham Forest and Everton were stung with points penalties last season for PSR breaches. Clubs in the Premier League are only allowed to post losses of up to £105 million ($128m) over a three-year period. It was reported that several sides were close to that limit.
There is no escaping it: Manchester United have kicked off their Premier League campaign in poor fashion this season.
Erik ten Hag's men started brightly enough with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Fulham, but a defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion and, worse yet, a hammering at home to Liverpool on Sunday has already put the club under immense pressure.
That said, while the performances on the pitch have left much to be desired, the club's business off it has been impressive, with the likes of Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, and Joshua Zirkzee all giving the fans something to be happy about.
In fact, with Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in the squad, the Red Devils have one of the most exciting young strike forces in football, although they are being outscored by a former United forward who was sold by Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Zirkzee and Hojlund's form
So, let's start with Hojlund, who's coming into his second season at the club. While he had a tough start to life at the Theatre of Dreams, it would be fair to say that, on the whole, his debut campaign for the club was a relatively successful one on a personal level.
For example, in his 43 appearances for the club, the Danish international found the back of the net on 16 occasions and provided two assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.38 games, and while he's out injured at the moment, it wouldn't be surprising to see him kick on again this year.
Likewise, Zirkzee enjoyed a relatively fruitful year with Italian side Bologna last season, although he wasn't quite as prolific as his new teammate.
In his 37 appearances for the Rossoblu, the Dutchman scored 12 goals and provided seven assists, and while he scored fewer goals than the former Atalanta ace, thanks to his assist tally, he maintained a slightly better average of a goal involvement every 1.94 games.
However, while both forwards were productive last season, neither one was as clinical as a former United striker who was sold in 2019.
Romelu Lukaku's recent form
Yes, the goalscorer in question is the much-maligned Romelu Lukaku, who, despite his reputation among fans in England, enjoyed a stellar campaign in Italy last season.
However, the Belgian powerhouse has had quite a journey since Solskjær sanctioned his £73m sale to Inter Milan over five years ago.
Since then, he's fired Inter to a league title, moved to Chelsea for £98m, moved back to the San Siro on loan after struggling in West London and giving that interview, and then moved to AS Roma last season following a botched transfer to Juventus which enraged the Nerazzurri faithful.
However, this season, he has finally found a new permanent home at Napoli after completing a £30m move last month. While he's already opened his account in just his first appearance for the Partenopei, we are here to talk about his exploits last season, which earned him a move to Naples in the first place.
In his 47 appearances for Roma, the "absolute phenomenon," as Sky Sports presenter Dougie Critchley dubbed him, scored 21 goals and provided four assists. This means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.88 games and comfortably outscored both Hojlund and Zirkzee.
Lukaku vs Hojlund vs Zirkzee in 23/24
Player
Lukaku
Hojlund
Zirkzee
Appearances
47
43
37
Goals
21
16
12
Assists
4
2
7
Goal Involvements per Match
0.53
0.41
0.51
All Stats via Transfermarkt
That said, it's clear that Lukaku is back to near his best, and while his goals would be much appreciated by Ten Hag and Co, United got a considerable fee for him back in 2019, so ultimately, his departure was probably for the best.
Man Utd wonderkid left for £0, now he's like Scholes & better than Mainoo
The talented midfielder has been incredible away from Old Trafford.
Gary O'Neil and his Wolves side have had a tough start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, losing to Arsenal and Chelsea already, before getting a draw against Nottingham Forest to gain their first point of the season.
One area Wolves were looking to recruit over the summer was midfield, once dominated by a Portuguese trio of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes. The central department at Molineux has certainly lost a lot of quality in the past few years.
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.
Neves made 48 appearances for Al-Hilal last season in all competitions last season, scoring seven goals, and providing 12 assists in 4,073 minutes.
While Andre was signed from Brazilian shores, they must lust after the return of one player, in particular. That man is midfield sensation Vitinha.
Vitinha's time at Wolves
Vitinha spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Wolves, making 22 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing one assist in his 711 minutes played. That sole goal – a long-range stunner – came against Chorley in the FA Cup.
The midfielder played alongside the likes of Neves and Moutinho under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, finishing 13th in the Premier League that season.
The Portugal international initially came through the ranks at Porto, making 59 appearances for their senior team either side of his loan to Wolves, before earning a move to PSG in 2022, joining the club for around €40m (£33.7m).
vitinha-wolves
Since then, he's certainly become a fine young talent, one that's currently valued at £76m by the Parisiens.
Vitinha vs Neves comparison
Vitinha is now a key figure at PSG, making 46 appearances last season for the French giants in all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing five assists.
It's safe to say he's been pretty good. So good in fact that he's incredibly among the Ballon d'Or nominees for 2024. That's a far cry from that wintery night in Chorley, isn't it?
Whilst Vitinha is now entering his prime years, his ex-colleague Neves is currently spending his final playing years in Saudi Arabia. The duo are playing at different levels, but Wolves could certainly do with the passing qualities of either one of these midfielders right now. Here's how they compare…
Stats (per 90 mins)
Vitinha
Neves
Goals
0.23
0.14
Assists
0.13
0.02
Progressive Carries
1.86
0.84
Progressive Passes
7.84
6.51
Shots Total
1.80
1.80
Key Passes
1.66
0.96
Passes into Final Third
7.10
6.03
Tackles
1.60
2.36
Interceptions
1.11
1.54
Vitinha has really started to establish himself as one of the best passers in Europe, completing 7.84 progressive passes per 90, thus ranking within the top 7% of midfielders on the continent for that statistic.
Neves, in his final season at Wolves, averaged fewer progressive passes per 90 (6.51), fewer passes into the final third per 90 (6.03), and fewer key passes per 90 (0.96). Those are number which shows the level Vitinha is currently performing at in France.
An area Neves still outperformed the former loanee when comparing these two seasons is on the defensive end making more tackles and more interceptions per 90. To put those statistics into context, we can compare them to the current duo at Molineux.
Wolves' midfield pairing consists of Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, who are both brilliant players in their own right. However, Lemina is better known for his off-ball work, averaging 2.82 tackles per 90, whilst Gomes also offers similar assets going box to box, leaving them with a lack of passing quality in the middle.
Vitinha is the exact type of player Wolves could use in midfield to balance things, control games better, and bring their talented attackers such as Matheus Cunha into the game more.
Wolves could unearth the next Ruben Neves in "gifted" academy midfielder
David Lloyd and in-form Kiran Carlson contribute fifties against Northamptonshire
ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2021
Chris Cooke celebrates his century•Getty Images
Glamorgan 324 for 7 (Cooke 107* Lloyd 65, Carlson 54) vs NorthamptonshireChris Cooke celebrated his second century of the season as Glamorgan enjoyed a run-filled opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Northamptonshire.Cooke, who had scored an unbeaten 102 against Yorkshire in the season opener, serenely reached the close on 107 not out, after a chanceless afternoon and evening batting.David Lloyd and the in-form Kiran Carlson also reached half-centuries as Glamorgan racked up 324 for 7 having been put in by Northants.Lloyd reached a second half-century in as many matches in 69 balls, during a knock filled with crisp and positive striking.David Lloyd drives through the covers•Getty Images
While Lloyd had feasted on driving Ben Sanderson, Nathan Buck and Wayne Parnell, the experienced Gareth Berg was causing problems and taking wickets with his incisive seamers.The former Middlesex and Hampshire man’s eight-over first spell saw him take two for nine. After a 66-run opening partnership, Berg deceived Nick Selman into leaving a ball which angled into his off stump. Andy Balbirnie was rattled on the pads soon after to hand Berg his second wicket in 10 deliveries.Having bossed the session, Lloyd would have felt disappointed in the manner in which he departed to the last ball before lunch, as he tamely flicked Parnell to midwicket for 65.South African Parnell, who has been forced to wait for his Northants bow after his quarantine was extended by the NHS’ track-and-trace system, struck again after the interval to pin Billy Root.Carlson and Cooke then partnered up to put on 106 for the fifth wicket, with 20 boundaries shared between them thanks to a lightning quick outfield and a tiny square boundary on one side.Carlson has begun this season in style with scores of 55, 127 not out and 132 in his innings against Yorkshire and Sussex. He continued that form by bringing up a rapid 64 ball half-century.Captain Cooke followed him to the milestone with the day’s trademark square drive in 18 more balls than his partner.But Carlson and Callum Taylor fell in successive balls to Saif Zaib – yorked for 54 and beaten past the outside edge respectively – although the part-time spinner couldn’t bag a first Northants hat-trick for 11 years as Dan Douthwaite blocked a potential treble.Douthwaite entertainingly accompanied Cooke in a 92-run union before he was castled by Berg for 44 with the second new ball – Berg ending the day with 3 for 52.But it was Cooke, who had totted runs up almost anonymously, who became the first Glamorgan player to convert their fifty – as he reached a hundred for the sixth time in his first-class career in 180 balls with a glorious straight drive.
Legspinner enjoys successful day after Leicestershire made to follow on
ECB Reporters' Network10-Apr-2021
Mason Crane claimed six wickets in the day•Getty Images
Hampshire took 14 wickets in the day as they closed in on a comprehensive innings victory in their opening LV=Insurance County Championship match against Leicestershire.It took the visitors only 80 minutes to wrap up the Leicestershire first innings after the Foxes resumed on 151 for 4. The rout started with the second ball of the day, when non-striker Colin Ackermann, who had shared a partnership of 68 for the fourth wicket with Harry Swindells, was called through for a quick single and was well short of his ground when James Vince’s throw hit the stumps.Swindells went on to make a career-best 59 but fell to legspinner Mason Crane, who found good turn to pick up 3 for 11 in his spell.”We’d have taken 14 wickets at the start of the day and to be only two wickets away from victory is a nice feeling,” Crane said. “We stuck at it well. Any day you take six wickets is a good one and there was a bit of spin and bounce at times, though it was quite slow – I’d always settle for that in April. We’ve got the new ball now so hopefully we can get the job done.”Leicestershire’s second innings followed a similar pattern, though Harry Dearden hit some fine off-side drives in going to 62 and Lewis Hill battled hard in making 65. But there was controversy in the dismissal of Hassan Azad, the opener being given out stumped off Liam Dawson when wicketkeeper Lewis McManus knocked off the bails with his left hand while the ball was in his right hand, which was raised in the air as he appealed for a catch.Crane was again amongst the wickets, dismissing Dearden, Swindells and Ben Mike, but Leicestershire’s stubborn late resistance ensured play would go into a fourth day.Swindells said: “We tried to battle but 50s and 60s don’t win you games, once you get in you’ve got to go big, like James Vince and Liam Dawson did for Hampshire, and that’s a lesson we have to learn. I feel comfortable batting in the top six, but you’ve got to get big runs to keep justifying that trust. Getting 200 in our first innings on that track was way below par, it’s a 350-400 track.”
Nottingham Forest have been credited with making an ambitious move to sign a new striker this summer as Nuno Espírito Santo looks to bolster his ranks ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Nottingham Forest need goals
After securing Premier League survival on the final day of last season, Forest have been circumspect in their spending so far this summer by their recent standards. Moves for Elliot Anderson and Nikola Milenkovic have set the club back close to £50m, but they have been relatively frugal aside from that.
Nottingham Forest's new signings
Player
Fee
Elliot Anderson
£35m
Nikola Milenkovic
£12m
Jota Silva
£6m
Marko Stamenic
£4.6m
Carlos Miguel
£3.3m
Eric da Silva Moreira
£1m
It means that they are still yet to address their goalscoring issue, with only Burnley, Everton and Sheffield United having scored fewer than the City Ground side last season, and that return bolstered by an amazing run of form by Chris Wood.
Taiwo Awoniyi is highly-rated across the top flight but has yet to be able to stretch together a run of games for the Reds in his two seasons at the club. The Nigerian managed just 12 Premier League starts in 2023/24, following on from his 17 starts in his debut campaign.
As a result, a striker is likely to be on their transfer wishlist between now and the end of the summer transfer window, with the window slamming shut on August 30th, two weeks into the new season.
Nottingham Forest make contact over ambitious move
Now, it has been reported that Forest have made contact over an audacious move for Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez. The 23-year-old forward wowed Eredivisie viewers last season as he hit 23 goals in 30 outings, a return which saw him linked with a move to the Premier League amid reported interest from the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal.
"Gimenez truly is fantastic," Feyenoord icon Mario Been claimed after one particularly strong performance. "He hadn't even touched the ball before his first goal, but that was a fantastic finish."
Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez
However, Arsenal's interest in the £29k per week ace has gone cold, while Tottenham are advancing over a deal to sign Dominic Solanke which would also rule them out of any race for the Feyenoord man.
That has allowed other clubs to pursue a deal, and journalist Martijn Krabbendam claims that Nottingham Forest have made a move to sign the Mexico forward.
“There is slight interest in Giménez, Nottingham Forest did call,” he explained, though he added that Gimenez may be looking at a bigger club were he to leave Feyenoord this summer.
“I cannot imagine that Giménez would like that, or the amount must be enormous. There is talk that he will and can still go. Giménez also has to be sold at some point."
A move for Gimenez, who is valued by transfermarkt at a massive £34m, would certainly be a statement of intent from Forest, who have already shown in Sangare that they are willing to splash out on talent from the Dutch top flight if they believe it to be a good deal.