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Allrounder gives Surrey something to think about with unbeaten 77

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-May-2023Surrey 88 for 1 (Sibley 35*) trail Kent 278 (Evison 77*, Lawes 3-41) by 190 runsThe oldest game in county cricket. The Brown Caps versus the Spitfires. Defending champions versus relegation candidates. Actual South London versus Claiming to be South London.It’s been 314 years of this fixture between Surrey and Kent, and it has rarely lacked narrative. Even the first game back in 1709 had £50 on it. But even given the history and the contrasting presents of these two teams, the focus heading into this opening day at the Kia Oval was dominated by two cricketers in particular.It is two days since Surrey’s Ben Foakes was axed from the squad for the first Test of the summer. Ultimately for Jonny Bairstow, but essentially for Kent’s Zak Crawley.If you’re not up to speed with the situation, search “Foakes” and “Crawley” on Twitter and let the discourse wash over you and dissolve the meat off your bones. Essentially: Bairstow was always coming back in. Foakes had done a lot right. And a side who do things differently could have done things differently by promoting someone to open at the expense of an opening batter averaging 25.86 across 12 Tests under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.Whatever your view on all this, the relief of actual cricket offered sanctuary. Foakes would have certainly regarded it as such. Had he kept his place with England, there’s a chance he would have opted to sit out to preserve his back ahead of the Ireland Test which begins on June 1. Instead, here he was, getting on with his life.Crawley, similarly. This was a chance to focus on the stuff that actually matters. And when Surrey opted to bowl first upon winning the toss, here was the perfect opportunity to get to the middle and away from the noise. At the ground where his unbeaten 69 took England to a series-winning target of 130 against South Africa at the end of last summer, no less.Soon after the Test announcement on Tuesday, Crawley was interviewed by the BBC as the criticism of Foakes’ snub had already gone from zero to 100 on social media. Presented with the reaction, the opener indulged a familiar misguided swipe – this time at “the average punter” and their opinions, “which, of course, I don’t care [about] anyway”.Your heart sinks a little to read that because it’s a little out of character, and very much the words of a man done with the condemnation. He went on to explain that hundreds, actually, aren’t all they are cut out to be. “I could play brilliantly for 20 and get a good ball,” he said. “You could play terribly for a hundred and everyone says ‘well batted’, when actually I played better for the 20.”A shame, then, that he managed just 19, edging Jordan Clark to third slip an over after tucking Dan Worrall away for a couple of fours through square leg. The bat came down at an angle, offering the outside half when he could have perhaps left on length.By that point Kent were 30 for 2. Worrall had pocketed Ben Compton with a perfect delivery from around the wicket that clipped the top of off after the left-hander did opt to leave. Clark was promoted to open the bowling alongside Worrall after Kemar Roach had to cut short his stint with Surrey to return home for family reasons.There’s an argument to be made that Clark is one of the club’s best domestic signings. The extra bounce off a length to snare Crawley was replicated to get rid of Jack Leaning two balls after the lunch break for his 100th first-class wicket for Surrey.Two overs from that end later, Clark bowled Jordan Cox, going wider on the crease and sneaking one through the right-hander’s defence. Up ticked the tally to 101 and down went the average under the 30 mark by a sliver (29.99).There was a sense this was all a bit too one-sided for Division One. But for a few starts up top, Kent were powerless to stop Surrey stomping all over their top and middle order. The sight of skipper Sam Billings flashing Tom Lawes through to Foakes, who dived across first slip to take his second catch, felt like a key indicator of a batting group in disarray. At 118 for 7, the end looked nigh. Then Joey Evison happened.And he really did happen. A remarkable unbeaten 77 dragged Kent to a hugely unlikely 278, picking up only their third batting point of the season to boot. Since making the move down to Canterbury from Nottinghamshire last summer, the softly-spoken 21-year-old has shown the kind of fight you’d usually associate with a much rowdier individual.Stands of 74 with Wes Agar and 82 with Michael Hogan, for the eighth and tenth wicket respectively, began with the allrounder protecting the bowlers until they were comfortable enough to hold their own. Even while protecting them, Evison indulged in some outrageous shots, driving on the up, flicking over midwicket for six, and occasionally stepping out and blasting so straight down the ground that he threatened to punch a hole through the standing umpire. One of those, off his 77th delivery, took him to a second half-century of the season.The first was a four-hour act of defiance against Warwickshire, ending with Evison being dismissed for 99 by Hasan Ali. Not only was it Kent’s last second-innings wicket, but it confirmed defeat deep into the final day. Nevertheless, this knock was desperately required and upheld his reputation as the fourth emergency service as far as Kent are concerned.The addition of 160 for the last three wickets was especially frustrating for Surrey as it delayed tea to 4.39pm, before Lawes snared Hogan for Foakes’ third catch midway through the first over of the restart. With the momentum a little more Kent’s way, Hogan dismissed Surrey captain Rory Burns at the start of the eighth over.That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors. Fresh from his official appointment as Test vice-captain, Ollie Pope strolled out and looked as comfortable as you’d expect on his favourite ground. Along with an engaging early evening workout from Dom Sibley, the pair ensured Surrey are 190 behind heading into Friday, with plenty of scope for a lead going into the second half of this match.There was one other bright spot for Kent in the field. Seamer Arafat Bhuiyan, having signed on Wednesday until the end of the season, sent down his first five overs for the county.Arafat, born in Bangladesh with UK residency, was one of three graduates from the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to make his first-class debut on Thursday, along with Zaman Akhter for Gloucestershire and Zain-ul-Hassan for Glamorgan. Formed ahead of the 2022 season, the work SACA have already done to correct the under-representation of British South Asians in the professional set-up is remarkable given its standing start.Arafat is the seventh player to move from the scheme into a full-time deal, and he bowled tidily from the Vauxhall End after being brought on for the 12th over. Earlier in the day, the 26-year-old’s first run was cheered by the Kent dressing room, with applause eventually rippling around the ground.His spell with the ball began with a maiden to Sibley which eased the nerves, bowling with decent pace. Given the calibre of Surrey’s XI, a maiden wicket will likely be a noteworthy one, and any incision he can provide will be vital if Kent are to push back on their more vaunted opponents.Even for a fixture with as much history and a match with plenty of talking points, Arafat and his story were welcome additions.

Ben Stokes has been named men’s Leading Cricketer in the World in the 2023 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, published on Tuesday.Stokes, who achieved the honour in 2020 and 2021 for his performance with bat and ball, has made it three wins in four years primarily off the back of his leadership. Since being appointed as Test captain at the start of last summer, the 31-year-old has overseen a dramatic shift in the team’s fortunes, inspiring them to 10 wins in 12.Wins against New Zealand, India and South Africa, then successes on the tours of Pakistan – England became the first side to win 3-0 – and New Zealand, put Stokes in exalted company. Not only did he achieve 10 wins quicker than any previous England captain – Michael Vaughan was the previous quickest to the mark, from 16 matches – but the feat equalled that of Australia’s Lindsay Hassett, who had previously stood alone with 10 from 12.The revitalisation was much needed after England’s run of one victory in the previous 17 Tests before Stokes’ appointment. The allrounder also averaged 40 with the bat and 25.66 with the ball that summer, going on on to help England to the T20 World Cup in October, dragging the team over the line in a final yet again.Related

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“It’s hard to think of any other cricketer who could have transformed his team’s fortunes so suddenly as Ben Stokes,” Lawrence Booth, Wisden’s editor, said. “When he took over the Test captaincy, England had won one game in their previous 17. By the time they had become the first visiting side to win 3-0 in Pakistan, they had won nine out of ten, and were playing with unprecedented style and verve.”And he was forceful with both bat and ball, scoring a series-turning century against South Africa in Manchester. Later in the year, he steered England to the T20 World Cup with the defining innings of the final against Pakistan in Melbourne – the icing on the cake for a cricketer who has transformed the way the game is played.”The part played by Brendon McCullum, instilled by new men’s director of cricket Rob Key, is also credited by Booth, particularly the “pursuit of fun really did trump fear of failure”. Beyond the results, the shift was clear. They left 2022 having struck 89 sixes (65 under Stokes) – the most of any team in a calendar year. Booth hopes “Bazball” will revive more than a team given the nature of the 2023-27 Future Tours Programme.”More enterprise is needed to maintain interest in Test cricket, after the international fixture list confirmed a hopeless imbalance: between this summer and the end of the 2026-27 winter, England will play 20 of their 43 Tests against Australia or India; and only those three teams will regularly contest meaningful series.”Jonny Bairstow, widely acknowledged as the heartbeat of the Bazball movement with 681 runs last summer, becomes the first recipient of the new Wisden Trophy for outstanding individual Test performance, by a man or woman. Bairstow earned the prize with his performance against India at Edgbaston with hundreds in both innings, the second allowing England to chase down a national record target of 378. The silver trophy was previously given to the winners of England-West Indies Test series from 1963 onwards before it was replaced by the Richards-Botham trophy in 2020.Jonny Bairstow celebrates his second hundred of the match•Getty Images

Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are two representatives of that team named among Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year – an honour a player can only win once in their career and which is judged by their performance during the English home season.Foakes’ high standards behind the stumps were matched by his calmness in front of them, coming to England’s rescue twice. The first helped them over the line at Lord’s against New Zealand with an unbroken stand of 120 with Joe Root, before scoring 113 not out as part of a stand with Stokes against South Africa that put them in charge of the Old Trafford Test.Potts, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong start to his international career, taking 20 wickets at 28.00, playing the first five Tests of the summer. He underlined his worth as an incisive seamer by removing Kane Williamson three times and then Virat Kohli in the one-off India Test. Domestically, he was just as relentless, with 58 County Championship wickets at 17.87.New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell are also named among the five as the two batters who were a constant thorn in England’s side, with 538 and 383 runs respectively, in the three-match series. India women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur is the other overseas representative of the five, having led from the front with 221 runs – including an unbeaten 143 – to lead her country to their first ODI series win in England since 2009. She also led India to a silver-medal in the Commonwealth Games.India were pipped to gold by Australia, adding to their World Cup win earlier that year. Their leading runscorer in both competitions, Beth Mooney, subsequently earned her second women’s Leading Cricketer in the World honour in three years. As well as helping Australia retain the women’s Ashes, she averaged 100 across ODIs last year.Beth Mooney on the drive•Getty Images

There is also recognition for a spectacular 2022 for Suryakumar Yadav as the leading Twenty20 Cricketer in the World. Centuries against England and New Zealand – from 48 balls and 49 balls – saw him become the second international T20 batter to top a thousand runs in a year, eventually finishing with 1,164 at a strike rate of 187.Beyond the field, the life and times of Shane Warne are celebrated throughout the Almanack. The charismatic Australian leg-spinner, who died in March 2022, is given a lengthy obituary and other prose celebrating an enigmatic cricketer and character.”His contribution to leg-spin, cricket’s toughest skill, hardly needs restating,” writes Booth in his Editor’s Notes. “Just as immense was the blow he struck for all bowlers. Three of the Cricketers of the Century – Don Bradman, Jack Hobbs, Viv Richards – were batters, and the all-rounder, Garry Sobers, averaged 57. But Warne drew the gaze to the other end of the pitch. He was a one-man theatre, a walking box office.”The proliferation of T20 franchise tournaments over the last year is put under the microscope. The SA20, ILT20 and Major League Cricket and the ever-expanding IPL has seen the landscape under cricket’s feet shift immeasurably. Booth insists the increased cannibalisation within the game, both from franchise tournaments and international boards, must be addressed.”The question of what cricket wants to be is familiar enough – though has never been more urgent… Now, three power blocs are in a relationship that is part-symbiotic, part-parasitic: the T20 franchises, in it for themselves; the ICC, nominally in charge; and the national boards, keen to placate broadcasters and generate their own revenue.”The battle for time and space is not sustainable, causing chaos on the one hand, ennui on the other. Four days after lifting the T20 World Cup, Jos Buttler led England in an ODI series in Australia. They lost 3-0, but few could tell you much about it: no one watched, and no one – not even Buttler – greatly cared.”

Rohit Sharma, the India captain, has been ruled out of the upcoming Dhaka Test as he continues to nurse a thumb injury that he picked up during the ODI series in Bangladesh. Rohit is currently recuperating in Mumbai. Fast bowler Navdeep Saini has also been ruled out* with an abdominal muscle strain.Rohit injured his thumb while fielding in the slips in the second ODI, and was immediately flown home with the aim of having him ready for at least the second Test. Scans in the aftermath of the incident revealed a dislocation that needed a few stitches.ESPNcricinfo understands Rohit’s injury is healing well, but is still deemed risky given the volume of cricket India are due to play over the next two months. He is likely to undergo a medical assessment next week.A BCCI statement sent out on Tuesday said Saini would report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru “for further management of his injury.”With Saini ruled out, India’s pace reserves in Bangladesh have taken another hit, with the first-choice new-ball pair of Jasprit Bumrah (back) and Mohammed Shami (shoulder) already missing the tour. Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav are set to remain India’s preferred quick-bowling options in Dhaka, but should they need a third seamer – or should there be another injury – they are left with only two options to choose from, in Shardul Thakur and Jaydev Unadkat.India play six ODIs and as many T20Is in January against Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home, the squad for which will be announced in due course. The white-ball leg will be followed by a four-Test series at home against Australia beginning February 9.It isn’t clear yet if the new selection panel will be in place before the squad is chosen for India’s home season. As on Monday, no interviews had taken place.With Rohit unavailable, KL Rahul will continue to lead India, with Cheteshwar Pujara as his deputy. Rohit’s absence also means Shubman Gill, who hit his maiden Test century in India’s 188-run win in Chattogram, is expected to continue opening the batting with Rahul. Abhimanyu Easwaran is the reserve opener in the squad.The Indian team arrived in Dhaka on Monday morning after wrapping up victory in Chattogram in the opening session of the final day on Sunday. They’re expected to hold two training sessions – on Tuesday and Wednesday – in the lead-up to the second Test at the Shere-Bangla Stadium.*December 20, GMT 0800 The story was updated with the news of Saini’s injury.

As West Bromwich Albion set their sights on finishing inside the Championship’s top six, they’ll have to do so without one particular player who is continuing to endure a “frustrating” season.

West Brom injury news

Currently sat sixth and on a run of just two wins in their last five games, the Baggies are walking a tightrope and simply must get back to winning ways against Oxford United this weekend before what will be a difficult trip to face Leeds United.

Of course, what has not helped their season is the interruption of Carlos Corberan’s decision to swap The Hawthorns for Valencia midway through his side’s push for promotion. In his place, Tony Mowbray has since made his long-awaited return and will be desperate to create yet more history in the Midlands now that he is back in the technical area.

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A frustrating draw at Millwall last time out summed up West Brom’s campaign fairly accurately. The Baggies have lacked conviction at times which could yet prove more and more costly as the fixtures come thick and fast. Meanwhile, at a time when experience is key, they’ve suffered some disappointing news.

As confirmed by West Brom, Jed Wallace will now miss several weeks of action after suffering a calf strain during his side’s 1-1 draw against Millwall last time out. The club captain shared his disappointment on X, speaking on what he said has been a “frustrating” season on a personal note.

Having started just six Championship games all season, the 30-year-old will be forced to watch on from the sidelines as West Brom take on arguably their most important run of games in the current campaign.

A season to forget for Jed Wallace

An undisputed starter last season, Wallace has fallen down the pecking order in the current campaign in what could be a sign of things to come for the 30-year-old captain. On the goals front, meanwhile, he’s also suffered a frustrating drop-off – scoring just one in all competitions and failing to improve on last season’s total of six.

Whilst the numbers suggest that the Baggies are capable of coping without the winger, however, he remains their captain and a man with plenty of experience ahead of their battle to keep hold of their play-off spot.

At a crucial time, such experience should always be welcomed with open arms. Left to watch on and recover though, Wallace should be desperate to make a return before the end of the campaign and, crucially, for the play-offs if West Brom qualify.

In need of a return to winning ways, West Brom – without Wallace – square off against an Oxford side they must defeat if they are to keep the likes of Coventry City at bay.

Big picture

A shock defeat for South Africa against Netherlands earlier on Sunday has ensured that India will not face a must-win game against Zimbabwe to qualify for the semi-finals. Rohit Sharma’s men are already through the final four as a result of South Africa’s exit, and victory against Zimbabwe will seal their place at the top of Group 2 and set-up a semi-final showdown against England in Adelaide on November 10.While India have three wins in four games, it hasn’t been a smooth ride. In their opening match against Pakistan, they needed a Virat Kohli masterclass to give them a memorable, come-from-behind victory. Then, in their previous game, Bangladesh needed 85 from nine overs with all ten wickets remaining before slipping up. Zimbabwe are no pushovers either and India, as R Ashwin said in the pre-match press conference, will have to be “as clinical as possible”.Zimbabwe might be all but out of the tournament following their defeat to Netherlands earlier in the group stage, but they have put in spirited performances throughout. After dominating the qualifying tournament, they topped their group in the first round at the World Cup, and beat Pakistan in the Super 12s to give themselves a shot at the semi-finals. However, their batting let them down in the subsequent games.With their attacking style of play, Zimbabwe have won millions of hearts, especially back home. On Sunday, they will have a chance to sign off in style in front of a packed MCG.

Form guide

India WLWWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLWWL

In the spotlight

Rohit Sharma scored a scratchy half-century against Netherlands. KL Rahul struck 50 off 32 balls against Bangladesh. But overall, they have failed to give India good starts. In four matches, India’s average opening stand is 13 at a run rate of 4.27. Only Pakistan and Namibia have had worse starts in the tournament. Zimbabwe’s fast bowlers will test the India openers once again, especially if they are batting first.Regis Chakabva has struggled in this T20 World Cup•AFP/Getty Images

In seven innings at the World Cup, Regis Chakabva has scored only 45 runs at an average of 6.42 and a strike rate of 77.58. The wicketkeeper-batter started the tournament at the top of the order before being moved down to No. 6 for a couple of games. Against Netherlands, he came in at No. 3 but scored only 5 off 16 balls despite two dropped chances. Chakabva is someone who can score quickly, and runs from his bat could help alleviate Zimbabwe’s batting issues.

Team news

Barring a late injury or illness, it is unlikely India will make any changes to their playing XI. The same could be said for Zimbabwe as well.India (probable): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep SinghZimbabwe (probable): 1 Wessly Madhevere, 2 Craig Ervine (capt), 3 Regis Chakabva (wk), 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Milton Shumba, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Richard Ngarava, 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Blessing Muzarabani

Pitch and conditions

Out of five matches in Melbourne so far in this World Cup, only the first one was unaffected by rain. The last three were washed out and the one before that, between England and Ireland, was curtailed. Luckily, there’s no forecast for rain on Sunday. Given it will be a fresh pitch, expect some help for seamers, but the batters should enjoy the ball coming onto the bat.

Stats and trivia

• This is the first time India and Zimbabwe are playing each other in a T20 World Cup.
• Virat Kohli is 68 short of becoming the first batter to reach 4000 runs in T20Is.
• Suryakumar Yadav (965) is 35 away from completing 1000 T20I runs in 2022. Mohammad Rizwan is the only other batter to have achieved that feat in a year (1326 runs in 2021).
• Before 2022, Sikandar Raza had 524 runs in 42 T20Is at an average of 13.43 and a strike rate of 106.93. This year, he has smashed 701 runs in 23 T20Is so far, averaging 35.05 and striking at 151.40. Five of his six T20I half-centuries have come in 2022.

Quotes

“It [match-ups] is a feature that is existing, and it is definitely paying dividends. But as a playing unit, to only believe in that and say this is what it is and this guy will bowl to this person, you can’t work like that. But I think it is giving a tactical edge to teams.”
“This is a great opportunity to bowl against some of the best guys in the world, so there’s no reason why our guys would not want to actually get out there and produce the goods. How often do you get the opportunity to put Virat Kohli in your pocket? So I’m pretty sure that our fast bowlers will be raring to go come tomorrow.”

Teenage batter Rahul Jariwala and 25-year-old fast bowler Kyle Phillip have been recalled to USA’s 14-member ODI squad for next month’s four-match tour of Papua New Guinea. It is their penultimate series as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two, and USA will take on the hosts and Namibia in two matches apiece starting on September 11 in Port Moresby.Jariwala, 18, made his debut for USA in June against United Arab Emirates in Texas and played three matches as part of the home summer before being dropped for the recent tour of Scotland. He also doubles up as a wicketkeeper to provide cover in the role for USA captain Monank Patel. Jariwala’s recall was sparked by opening batter Sushant Modani’s unavailability for the tour of Papua New Guinea due to visa issues, according to a USA Cricket press release.Modani had made four fifty-plus scores in eight innings during the home ODIs in Texas in May and June, including a maiden hundred against Oman. He followed it up with 90 runs in three innings in Scotland, including a best of 52.Modani’s absence may open the door for 18-year-old opener Sai Mukkamalla to come back into the XI. Mukkamalla made his ODI debut for USA in May against Scotland in Texas and was in the squad for the Scotland tour earlier this month as a reserve but did not play a game. However, he has been in excellent form in recent weeks during the Minor League T20 franchise competition, scoring 102 runs at an average of 51 and a strike rate of 129.11. He helped his New Jersey Stallions side make the semi-finals before losing to eventual runner-up Atlanta Fire, who were led by fellow USA team-mates Aaron Jones and Steven Taylor.Phillip has not played for USA since their tour of Oman last September, where he took 3 for 43 on his ODI debut against Nepal. He only played one more match on that tour, going wicketless against Oman. He replaces Ian Holland, who is once again unavailable due to commitments with Hampshire.Phillip, who was clocked in the mid 140 kph range several summers ago playing for Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada, also offers USA an express pace option they have lacked since Ali Khan broke his forearm at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in July. Khan is recovering after a surgery to insert screws into his forearm to help repair the fracture.USA are currently in third place – one point ahead of United Arab Emirates – in the Cricket World Cup League Two competition, which is being used as a qualification pathway for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The top three sides at the end of the seven-team competition will automatically advance to the 10-team World Cup Qualifier next year, where the final two qualification spots will be up for grabs for the World Cup in India.USA squad: Monank Patel (capt & wk), Rahul Jariwala (wk), Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Jaskaran Malhotra, Yasir Mohammad, Sai Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Kyle Phillip, Gajanand Singh, Jessy Singh, Cameron Stevenson, Steven Taylor.

أكد عادل عبد الرحمن، لاعب الأهلي السابق، أن الفريق يسير بخطة ثابتة، نحو حصد لقب بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، للموسم الحالي.

الأهلي فاز على سيراميكا كليوباترا، بهدف دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت ينهما اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة للمرحلة النهائية من بطولة الدوري المصري.

ويتصدر فريق النادي الأهلي، ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري، برصيد 52 نقطة، قبل 3 جولات من نهاية المسابقة.

وقال عبد الرحمن خلال تصريحات عبر قناة الأهلي: “لا ننتظر هدية من مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز، دعنا ننظر أمامنا يتبقى مباراتين نفوز بهما ونحصد اللقب، دائمًا الأهلي وهو في المقدمة لا ينظر خلفه”.

طالع | رجل مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري

وأضاف: “الأهلي مثل العداء الجيد الذي يفهم في السباق، عندما يكون في المقدمة لا ينظر خلفه، الموسم الماضي كان خير دليل على هذا الأمر، فزنا بـ 18 مباراة متتالية ولم ننظر خلفنا”.

وأكمل: “إن شاء الله لا ننظر خلفنا هذا الموسم أيضًا، ولا ننتظر الهدايا من أحد، لأن نمتلك شيئا مهما جدًا في الأهلي عندما نتصدر ونصل للقمة لا نتنازل عنها، والروح لا بد أن تكون عالية جدًا في المباراتين القادمتين لحسم اللقب”.

Aston Villa's hopes of keeping Ollie Watkins after this season were given a significant boost by reports Arsenal no longer want to sign him.

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Arsenal made £60m bid for Watkins in JanuaryWill not return with new offer in the summerGunners going after younger targetsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners attempted to sign the England international with a reported £60 million ($75m) offer at the end of the January transfer window. Watkins was said to be open to the move, but Villa turned down the bid and instead sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr in a lucrative move.

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Watkins, 29, remains in good form for Villa having scored 13 goals and set up a further six in the Premier League this term. However, Arsenal will not return with a new offer for him in the summer, reports. The Gunners are set to target younger options, including Newcastle star Alexander Isak, Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

DID YOU KNOW?

Watkins and Villa could still come up against Arsenal this season. Should both teams win their Champions League quarter-final ties, they will meet in the next round.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR WATKINS?

Watkins will hope to add to his goal tally when his side take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Next Wednesday, they will visit Paris Saint-Germain for the first leg of their Champions League tie.

If the mantra of this England Test side, coached by Brendon McCullum and captained by Ben Stokes, is about “moving the game forward”, then the first day of the opening Test of the summer could scarcely have gone better. But after a flying start with the ball, England went back to old habits as New Zealand exposed familiar failings with the bat. Seventeen wickets went down on an apparently true Lord’s surface, and come the close it was far from clear which side was on top.The game began in fast-forward, New Zealand sliding to 12 for 4 inside the first hour, but gradually settled on to a more even keel. James Anderson, playing the 170th match of his Test career, and Matthew Potts, in his first, shared eight wickets between them as the tourists were rounded up in two sessions following Kane Williamson’s decision to bat first; they were in dire straits at 45 for 7 only for Colin de Grandhomme to marshal some lower-order resistance.After an encouraging opening stand of 59 between Zak Crawley and Alex Lees, England then shipped seven wickets during the evening session to bring New Zealand roaring back into the contest. Even after Kyle Jamieson produced the initial breakthroughs, they were still well placed on 92 for 2 and with thoughts beginning to turn towards consolidation. But Joe Root, in his first Test since resigning the captaincy, steered de Grandhomme to gully and England promptly lost 5 for 8 to revive memories of the grisly collapses that have disfigured their red-ball cricket over the last year.Related

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• Williamson relishing return, insists elbow will stand up to the Test

• Stokes wants 'blank canvas' – but not 'reset'

Crawley was the first to depart, having produced a number of eye-catching shots in his 56-ball 43. But after stroking Jamieson through the covers for four, he attempted another lavish drive off his next ball only to produce a thin edge through to the keeper.Ollie Pope’s maiden outing in first-class cricket at No. 3 did not last long, feathering behind off a rising Jamieson delivery, but it was the dismissal of Root that really shook England’s resolve. Tim Southee struck twice in the space of consecutive overs, trapping Lees lbw shuffling across his stumps after another dogged-but-insubstantial innings, before Stokes edged behind with just a single to his name. The slide gathered momentum as Trent Boult, straight into the side after his late dash from the IPL, claimed two in three balls, Jonny Bairstow dragging on to his stumps and Potts bounced out to conclude an eventful start to his Test career.In true McCullum style, England charged headlong into their new era – literally, in the case of Jack Leach, who suffered a concussion when throwing himself full length over the boundary rope to prevent four and had to be substituted from the game. Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire legspinner, was called in as Leach’s replacement for an unexpected Test debut, although New Zealand’s first innings was over long before he had completed his journey from Manchester to Lord’s.England ran rampant during an exhilarating morning session that saw New Zealand totter in at lunch on 39 for 6, as Potts, the Durham debutant, struck with his fifth ball and added two during an impressive first spell in Test cricket, going on to finish with 4 for 13. If England began the series with, in Stokes’ words, a “blank canvas”, they were soon daubing pretty pictures for an expectant crowd – and such a rousing start might help squeeze a few more in through the gates in the days and weeks to come.Only two of New Zealand’s top six made it into double figures, a grim sequence which included Williamson scoring 2 from 22 balls before edging behind off Potts, Ben Foakes swooping to his right for his maiden dismissal behind the stumps on home soil. Daryl Mitchell struck three retaliatory boundaries only to play on in Potts’ fifth over, and the new boy had a third shortly before lunch when bringing one back up the slope to clatter Tom Blundell’s off stump.Ben Stokes walks back after falling early•PA Images via Getty Images

New Zealand’s position worsened when Jamieson was out hooking to fine leg in the first over after lunch, and they were grateful for a counterattacking hand from de Grandhomme, who helped eke out 87 runs for the last three wickets.For all the buzz around England promising a fresh approach to Test cricket, it was the familiar sight of Anderson and Stuart Broad that greeted the New Zealand openers, the new-ball pair back in harness after being dropped for the tour to the Caribbean. Stokes, who wore a one-off shirt in tribute to the hospitalised former England batter Graham Thorpe at the toss, confirmed that he too would have opted to bat, but was able to settle straight into his new role orchestrating proceedings from mid-off.It took Anderson, playing his first Test since helping to secure a draw at the SCG in January, a mere seven balls to find his groove once again. Will Young was lured into pushing outside off but might have got away with a fast, low edge had it not been for a fantastic one-handed catch from Bairstow, throwing himself to his left from third slip. Anderson bagged the wicket of Latham in his next over, with Bairstow again the catcher – this time throwing himself for the rebound after dropping the initial, chest-high chance.Broad did not have to wait long to get amongst it either, luring Devon Conway into a hard-handed prod that again provided catching practice for Bairstow in the slips, leaving New Zealand deep in trouble at 7 for 3 in the eighth over.Their woes were deepened by the impact of Potts, handed his cap before play by Steve Harmison after being backed by Stokes – another Durham and England man – for his debut. Potts had never played a first-class match before at Lord’s, but walked off at lunch with figures of 3 for 8 after living up to his billing as a deck-hitting catalyst of a fast bowler.He was on the money from the outset, and his first victim could scarcely have been more illustrious, as Williamson was drawn into pushing at one in the channel. Mitchell looked more comfortable than most of his colleagues, but was undone by some extra bounce as he looked to defend from the crease, before Blundell also fell cheaply to Potts, whose relentless line left the New Zealand wicketkeeper uncertain of his response, and fatally late on an in-ducker.Jamieson threw the bat at four of his five deliveries after the break, before picking out Potts in the deep, but Southee was more successful in pushing England back, striking four boundaries in 26 off 23 balls. He fell in identical fashion to Anderson, and the removal of Ajaz Patel by Potts with the first ball of his second spell left both seamers contemplating a spot on the honours board. Potts limped off with cramp shortly after, replaced mid-over by Stokes, and the new captain finished the frivolity – at least until England’s madcap final hour.

Growing more and more desperate for defensive reinforcements amid continued injury setbacks, Manchester City are now reportedly entertaining the possibility of signing one particular addition as soon as the January transfer window.

Man City transfer news

Even after returning to winning ways for the first time in seven games last time out, Man City didn’t escape their battle against Nottingham Forest unscathed, with Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji suffering ill-timed injuries. With Pep Guardiola short on options once again just when he managed to turn a corner with the 3-0 victory, the Spaniard will be desperately awaiting the January transfer window.

On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast. The likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Viktor Gyokeres have recently stolen plenty of headlines regarding potential moves to the Etihad Stadium in 2025 in two deals that would go a long way to returning City to the summit of English football.

They’re not the only names to have been mentioned, however. According to GiveMeSport, Manchester City are now entertaining the possibility of signing Juma Bah as soon as January. The central defender is currently on loan at Real Valladolid from AIK Freetong, but the Citizens could attempt to cut that spell short to boost their defensive options in the winter window.

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Still just 18 years old, Bah would likely be seen as someone who can add depth rather than the solution to City’s defensive problems. At such a young age, the teenager would be a wise investment given Guardiola’s proven success when developing the next top stars. So whilst Bah would be entering quite the storm at the Etihad, the calm that follows could potentially result in an impressive rise.

"Promising" Bah is one for the future

With the likes of Kyle Walker and John Stones part of an ageing backline, the addition of a future star in the form of Bah would represent the type of transfer genius that we’ve become familiar with from Manchester City. The Citizens could instantly ease their future concerns by welcoming the teenage sensation, who was described as “promising” by EuroFoot after an impressive display for Valladolid.

If the Premier League champions are to make their move in the January transfer window, it will be interesting to see just how much of a part Bah plays. The last thing that City should do is disrupt his development and leave him confined to the reserves, and if that is to be the case, they should allow the defender to at least complete the season at Valladolid and continue to steal the headlines.