Tag Futebol

The Scotland allrounder on winning his 100th cap, and working for a building supplies company during lockdown

Shashank Kishore18-Oct-2021When the Covid-19 pandemic brought cricket to a worldwide halt, players from Associate nations, who were already faced with a shrinking calendar, were affected more gravely than most. With Scotland not playing a game between December 2019 and May 2021, the allrounder Michael Leask had to find a way to sustain himself – not just financially, but also mentally and emotionally.Where Chris Greaves, Scotland’s match-winner in their T20 World Cup opener against Bangladesh, worked as a delivery executive for Amazon, Leask found work at a building supplies company.”It’s something [resilience] that every individual in Scotland cricket has,” Leask said at a press conference on Monday. “Like how Chris has done delivery driving, I also worked, quite a few other guys do part-time work outside of cricket. It takes your mind away from cricket.”At times during lockdown it wasn’t easy for anyone, and Chris had to find another job to help him at the time. He’s now reaping the rewards from that, I think that time actually helped him take his mind away from cricket at the time. Now he has full focus on his cricket and he’s delivering for Scotland which is absolutely amazing to see.”I worked at a building supplies company, I also did some delivery driving at the time, to be able to do a little bit extra, not just sit at home and let time pass away. I always had something going on during the time, it was good taking your mind away from cricket during the tough time.”Leask is not new to bouncing back from adversity. In 2017, he had seriously stepping away from the game after Somerset ended his county contract. A chat with Scotland’s then coach Grant Bradburn changed his mind, and his career began to flourish.Kyle Coetzer won his 200th Scotland cap on the day Leask won his 100th•Getty ImagesHe played a key role in Scotland beating a Full Member team, contributing an unbeaten 38-ball 59 to set up victory over Zimbabwe in an ODI in Edinburgh in June 2017. The following year, Leask was part of the history-making Scotland team that defeated England for the first time in an ODI.On Sunday, Leask won his 100th cap for Scotland (this includes matches outside official ODIs and T20Is), a landmark that showed just how far he had come since grabbing the cricket world’s attention with a 16-ball 42 against England in his third ODI, back in May 2014. Sunday’s game was also the 200th in Scotland colours for their captain Kyle Coetzer, with whom Leask has had a long association.”I’m absolutely honoured to have represented Scotland for 100 caps, always been a dream getting the first cap, I never thought this day would even come,” he said. “To make it alongside Kyle making his 200th [is amazing]. I played alongside the guy since I was 4-5, we played for the same club. I idolise the guy, he’s an incredible guy who epitomises what it means to be Scottish. If you watched him on the park he plays with pride and passion, it just flows through the team. It’s amazing to see what he has done for Scottish sport.”Sunday’s win over Bangladesh was sweet in many ways for Scotland. First, they were up against a side that had recently beaten Australia and New Zealand at home. Then, having been put in, they were tottering at 53 for 6. To emerge from that to not just post a competitive total but also tie down an accomplished batting line-up spoke volumes about the preparation Scotland put in before the tournament.Unusually, Scotland also got through a packed fixture schedule before the tournament began. Shortly after a home T20I series against Zimbabwe, Scotland arrived in Oman late last month for a series of WCL League 2 fixtures as well as T20Is against Papua New Guinea and Namibia, and the warm-up games for the T20 World Cup.”We were here three weeks ago playing back-to-back 50-over games, so that has stood us in really good stead to be fitter, stronger and ready for this T20 World Cup, even though it’s a lot faster and more energetic,” Leask said, when asked about adapting to the heat of Oman. “We’ve had two 50-over games on the bounce which are very energy-sapping, so we’re actually ready to go. The boys are fit and ready to go.”‘We know bubbles can be difficult, and we’re trying to get away from using that word and be good around the way we handle ourselves as a group’ – Michael Leask•Peter Della PennaFor the moment, Scotland’s mantra is to take this T20 World Cup a game at a time, even if the tantalising prospect of the Super 12s is within their sights. Leask and his team-mates are fully aware that Papua New Guinea, their opponents on Tuesday, could do to them what they did to Bangladesh.”We’re trying to keep our feet on the ground and not look too far ahead,” he said. “If it [qualifying for the Super 12s] does happen, we believe it will, great. No team can be underestimated in T20 cricket, the beauty is, on any day someone can get big runs, take five wickets, do anything. Every member of this squad believes they can do it, that’s what stands us in good stead now.”They pose challenges very different to Bangladesh, but I think now we’re looking to take it game by game, day by day, stay in the moment, and try and get into the nuts and bolts of what we want to go in the next game before taking on Oman.”In a hectic tournament where teams can potentially be shown the exit door within 48 hours of taking the field for the first time, Scotland have tried to keep themselves away from external pressures. Spending time together has been the motto of their time in Oman so far, bubble or no bubble. Leask, for one, is missing being home watching his daughter take her first steps, but he’s happy to be where he is, on the world stage.”We obviously want to spend as much time together as a group. We know bubbles can be difficult, and we’re trying to get away from using that word and be good around the way we handle ourselves as a group,” he says. The morale is absolutely amazing, the way people are handling themselves, constructing themselves at training has been second to none.””You can almost take it for granted at times but having international cricket again has been great. We got a taste of cricket once again after a long break when we took on Holland [in May]. The squad found it exciting, it gave us a new lease of life. It almost makes you appreciate how lucky you are to one in the position you’re in. We’re on a roll, so we’re taking it day by day. We are really grateful to be in the position we’re in at the moment.”

حدد اتحاد الكرة، مواعيد مباريات دور الستة عشر والمباريات المؤجلة من دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس مصر الموسم الجاري 2025-2026.

وأخطر الاتحاد، الأندية المشاركة في المباريات المؤجلة من دور الـ32 والفرق المتأهلة إلى دور الستة عشر بالمواعيد المقررة.

طالع.. الأهلي يعلن تفاصيل إصابة أفشة وكريم فؤاد

وحسمت أندية سموحة والبنك الأهلي وبتروجيت وكهرباء الإسماعيلية وفاركو وإنبي حرس الحدود وطلائع الجيش والجونة تأهلها إلى دور الستة عشر حتى الآن.

وتتبقى مباريات الأهلي ضد المصرية للاتصالات، والزمالك ضد بلدية المحلة، والمصري ضد دكرنس، ومودرن سبورت ضد القناة، وبيراميدز ضد مسار، وسيراميكا كليوباترا ضد أبو قير للأسمدة، ونادي زد ضد نادي جي. مواعيد المباريات المؤجلة في دور الـ32 من كأس مصر

المصري ضد دكرنس – الإثنين – 22 ديسمبر – الساعة 2 ونصف ظهرًا

بيراميدز ضد مسار – الإثنين – 22 ديسمبر- 5 مساءًا

سيراميكا كليوباترا ضد أبو قير للأسمدة – الثلاثاء – 23 ديسمبر – 2 ونصف ظهرًا

زد ضد ألو إيجبت – الجمعة 26 ديسمبر- الساعة 2 ونصف ظهرًا

مودرن سبورت ضد القناة – السبت 27 ديسمبر – الساعة 7 ونصف مساءً

الزمالك ضد بلدية المحلة – السبت 27 ديسمبر – الساعة 2 والنصف مساءً

الأهلي ضد المصرية للاتصالات – السبت 27 ديسمبر – الساعة 5 مساءً مواعيد مباريات دور الـ16 من كأس مصر

طلائع الجيش ضد كهرباء الإسماعيلية – السبت 27 ديسمبر – الساعة 5 مساءً

البنك الأهلي ضد إنبي – الأحد 28 ديسمبر – الساعة 2 ونصف ظهرا

حرس الحدود ضد سموحة  – الأحد 28 ديسمبر – الساعة 2 ونصف ظهرا

South Africa’s serious stuff, in the form of back-to-back Test series in the subcontinent, is over. Their experimental stuff, over the course of an ODI series that began preparations for the home World Cup in 2027, is also over. Now, it’s time for the fun stuff, with a T20 carnival that will last for the next three months.There’s five against India, a month of the SA20 over the holiday season, three against West Indies and then the big one: the T20 World Cup, where South Africa are aiming to go one better than they did in 2024. There, they went on a magnificent eight-match unbeaten run to reach the final and had one hand on the trophy before a spectacular collapse saw India claim a sensational win. David Miller, who was dismissed as the final over began with 16 runs to get, was among the most distraught as South Africa watched another trophy slip away.Post-tournament, he has only played 10 white-ball internationals out of a possible 54. His last appearance for South Africa was in the Champions Trophy semi-final in March, where he scored a hundred in a losing cause. Since then, South Africa have had a change of white-ball coach, gone on to win the World Test Championship final and have played in some entertaining series everywhere from Zimbabwe to India.Miller, who is halfway to 37, may have raised questions about his future through his absence but it’s explainable. He was given special dispensation to miss the Australia series to play in the Hundred. He then picked up a hamstring injury that sidelined him for several months. Now, he is fully fit and raring to go as South Africa begin the quest to complete unfinished business.Related

• Strong India face shaky South Africa in key build-up to T20 World Cup

• Gambhir: Gill 'ready to start' T20Is against South Africa

• Gill, Hardik 'healthy and fit' ahead of first India-South Africa T20I

• Rock and Roll it podcast: Analysing India's ODI series win against South Africa

“It’s just great to be back. It’s been great watching the guys back at home even though I always feel I want to be there, but the guys have been doing so well, and it’s been lovely to watch,” Miller said from Cuttack, where the series against India will begin on Tuesday. “It’s been an interesting couple of months for me, just being at home and reflecting on a few things was really cool. I moved into a different space by trying out different things with my body and tapping into a few different training regimes. It was actually a really good time away. I enjoyed it. You’ve got to take the positives from what’s negative so it was really good. I’m feeling strong. I’m feeling fit and I’m feeling ready to go.”Is the possibility of trying for another World Cup title what keeps Miller going? Maybe, because he seems to suggest South Africa are getting closer. “I’ve spoken to a lot of different people and teams that have been very successful over the years with league trophies and World Cups and I don’t think there’s really one recipe to win a World Cup. It takes a team effort, it takes a group effort, management and players included. And it’s about standing up when the moments matter,” he said.”Looking back on that previous World Cup where we got to the final, there were some very, very close games throughout that World Cup and we got over the line, so you build confidence as you go along. We’re going to need some of that moving forward. In terms of players, there’s a huge group and pool of players that are putting up their hands so it’s going to be tough for the selectors. We’re really in a good space.”In personnel terms, South Africa have welcomed back two of their standout performers from the last T20 World Cup in Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje. Though Heinrich Klaasen has retired from international cricket, and Bjorn Fortuin and Gerald Coetzee were not chosen, they have Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch and George Linde while only Kagiso Rabada (who has a rib injury) is missing from a first-choice squad. They also have a different support staff to the one that oversaw the last T20 World Cup after Rob Walter’s resignation. Shukri Conrad has taken over the all-format coaching duties, with a support staff that includes batting coach Ashwell Prince, bowling coach Piet Botha and fielding coach Kruger van Wyk.It will be Miller’s first time working closely with Conrad. With the success Conrad has had with the Test, Miller is looking forward to the interaction. “I’ve dealt with Shukri very briefly in the past, in the one-off series against England a couple of years ago (January-February 2023) in South Africa where he was an interim coach and then a couple of A-side games in the past quite a few years ago. I’ve not had a lot of dealing with Shukri, but obviously over the years you always see each other and we get on really well,” Miller said. “He’s done superbly well, so it’s good to be on the train.”Along the way, Miller will also begin to have discussions with Conrad about his ODI role, as South Africa build to the home World Cup in 2027. “I haven’t had good chats yet with Shukri but now that I am back in the mix, we’ll be opening up those conversations and seeing where we’re at,” Miller said. “The ODI World Cup is just under two years away, there’s a lot of new players that have come through and a big pool of players now that are doing really well. I feel like I can add something with my experience. In terms of selection, you’re never guaranteed with certain things in life so it’s a conversation that will unfold as the months go on and see where we’re at.”Given the choice, Miller would opt in as South Africa’s stocks seem to keep rising and the fun, just beginning. “Obviously, I would love to play a part for South Africa as long as I can, but it’s just being real with certain conversations and time,” he said. “I’m 36 now and I’m feeling that I do have to step up off the field. I’m being a lot more diligent and a lot more consistent in training and being as fit as I can is something that I’m going to focus on a lot. I’m also a lot more in control with my emotions and pressure. I’m a lot clearer in my thinking, making better decisions under pressure and understanding the match situation.”

The Rawalpindi pitch may not be as extreme as the one in Lahore but spinners will remain the main threat

Danyal Rasool19-Oct-2025Big pictureIs the toss still the key to winning a Test match in Pakistan? Pakistan did win the toss in Lahore and used it to establish a position of advantage that South Africa never seriously looked like reining in. But there was enough to suggest it might not have the decisive hold on a game as it did at times during Pakistan’s last home season, with South Africa digging in for long periods with the bat against Pakistan’s spinners, and outscoring Pakistan’s third innings in their final reply.For Pakistan, the win promises to set up a better World Test Championship cycle than the last one, and a win in the second Test in Rawalpindi would get one of their tougher series out of the way and give them a platform to push for a top-two spot in what is a favourable two-year draw.Unusually for them, there has been stability and quiet around the composition of the side. Notably, the only point of selectorial discussion that emerged concerned the captaincy of the ODI team, all but ending Mohammad Rizwan’s brief stint. But in terms of personnel, strategy or game plan, continuity appears to be the keyword as far as this series goes.South Africa’s stand-in captain Aiden Markram refused to put his side’s loss in the first Test down to the toss, choosing instead to focus on controllables. They, in fact, looked solid in adverse circumstances, despite losing the toss and conceding a substantial first-innings lead. England crumbled in similar circumstances last year, but South Africa matched Pakistan toe-to-toe for the second half of the Test.Related

Plot intact, result missing: South Africa's Test revival still a work in progress

Toss, turn, triumph: Pakistan's home formula pays off for now

A similar effort in Rawalpindi could see them pose even sterner questions of Pakistan, especially if they get the opportunity to bat first. Keshav Maharaj’s return changes the equation, too, with the visitors having their most crucial bowler in these conditions available. It potentially allows South Africa to sneak in another quick bowler, with Marco Jansen the likeliest option with his ability to extract bounce and add batting heft to the lower order.South Africa knew what to expect coming into the series, and after the first Test, they will be much better equipped to deal with it. For Pakistan, Lahore was yet more vindication of their turn to these slower tracks; all they are looking for is more of the same.Form guidePakistan WLWLL (last five Tests, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWWIn the spotlightPakistan won’t win the toss every game, and Shan Masood has spoken of finding different ways of winning at home. Shaheen Shah Afridi offered a glimpse of how they might go about that, using his ability to reverse swing the ageing ball on a wearing surface. With Hasan Ali not quite up to speed yet, that responsibility is set to fall on Afridi once more. While success for Noman Ali and Sajid Khan is expected, whether Afridi’s electric burst to seal the win in Lahore is repeatable will reveal if there are more dimensions to Pakistan’s Test side than a crackling dusty surface.Keshav Maharaj is back for South Africa•Associated PressThe limelight will fall invariably on Keshav Maharaj, a step up from the spin options South Africa had at their disposal in Lahore. Maharaj was made for this sort of wicket with his ability to use drift as well as the arm ball, and take wickets both with the ones that turn and those that go straight. Combine his skills with the surface he has to work with, and South Africa may find themselves using the spinner on autopilot from one end.Team newsMasood hinted strongly at satisfaction with the combination Pakistan went with in Lahore. While there is some pressure on Abdullah Shafique, an unchanged unit is the likeliest.Pakistan (probable): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Shan Masood (capt), 4 Babar Azam, 5 Saud Shakeel, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Salman Agha, 8 Noman Ali, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Sajid KhanSouth Africa have questions about both personnel and combination. They went with three specialist spinners while opting for Wiaan Mulder as the second seamer, but he ended up bowling just two overs all match. Maharaj will come in for sure, and Jansen could be an option on a Rawalpindi surface that has historically offered some bounce.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Dewald Brevis, 4 Tony de Zorzi, 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Senuran Muthusamy, 10 Simon Harmer, 11 Kagiso RabadaPitch and conditionsRawalpindi is slightly cooler than Lahore, but Pakistan will attempt to prepare the same spin-friendly strip. There haven’t been any of the extreme measures – the fans or wedding-style heaters and tents – that characterised the build-up to the deciding Test against England. It may end up a slightly more balanced strip, though the slower bowlers will remain the primary sources of wickets across the game.Stats and trivia Simon Harmer is eight wickets away from completing 1000 career first-class wickets. This is set to be Masood’s 14th Test match as Pakistan’s captain, taking him past Sarfaraz Ahmed and Moin Khan, and tying him with Zaheer Abbas.

Exciting finish with Lancashire could be in prospect after rain wipes out much of day three

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Sep-2025An exciting finish could be in prospect on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship between Kent and Lancashire at Canterbury, after the hosts reached 206 for 5 at stumps, a lead of 215.Although rain wiped out much of day three, with only 38.3 overs bowled, Jaydn Denly hit 74 as Kent built their lead, before Mitch Stanley helped rein them in with 2 for 56.With Ben Compton not expected to bat Kent are effectively six down and the game looks fascinatingly poised going into day four.Kent resumed with a lead of 105, on 96 for 0, with Denly on 55 and Ben Dawkins on 35.Dawkins had added just a single when he edged Will Williams to Keaton Jennings at first slip, but the players went off for rain at 10.56 am and six overs were lost.When play resumed Tom Bailey sent Denly’s off stump flying, but a further downpour resulted in an early lunch, with the score 131 for 2.After a two-and-a-half-hour delay, play resumed and George Balderson, switching to the Pavilion End, had Joey Evison caught behind for 26.Joe Denly, in as a concussion sub for Tawanda Muyeye, cracked Stanley for six over midwicket to take Kent to 170 for 3 at tea, but he rarely looked comfortable and was caught behind for 19 after flashing at the same bowler.Stanley then had Harry Finch lbw for 4 before the rain returned at 5.12 pm. With no prospect of a resumption, play was abandoned for the day, with Ekansh Singh unbeaten on 30 and Mo Rizvi, who’s on a pair, on nought not out.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco recebe o Volta Redonda neste sábado (24), pela décima rodada do Campeonato Carioca. A bola rola a partir das 17h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Kleber José, em Cariacica (ES), com transmissão do SporTV, Premiere e CazéTV.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

✅FICHA TÉCNICA
Vasco x Volta Redonda
10ª rodada do Campeonato Carioca

Data e horário: sábado, 24 de fevereiro de 2024, às 17h30 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Kleber José, em Cariacica (ES)
Onde assistir: SporTV, Premiere e CazéTV

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

VASCO
Léo Jardim; João Victor, Medel e Léo; Puma Rodríguez (Rojas), Zé Gabriel, Galdames, Payet e Lucas Piton; David e Vegetti. Técnico: Ramón Díaz

continua após a publicidade

VOLTA REDONDA
Paulo Henrique; Wellington Silva, Augusto, Bruno Barra e Sanchez; Léo Silva, Danrley e Robinho; Vinícius Moura, Ítalo e MV. Técnico: Felipe Maestro.

Tudo sobre

Campeonato CariocaOnde assistirVasco

Ryan Mason has had plenty of time now to chew over West Bromwich Albion’s disastrous 3-0 defeat away at Millwall last time out in the unforgiving Championship.

It will be intriguing, therefore, with the international break giving him that adequate time to assess what went wrong, what Baggies team he selects for West Brom’s return to league action versus Preston North End on Saturday.

The rookie boss will just hope his team doesn’t collapse under the weight of being early promotion candidates, with three defeats in the league to date, only leaving them five points shy of Frank Lampard’s free-flowing Coventry City at the very top of the division.

Worryingly, though, West Brom only have nine goals next to their name when weighed up alongside the Sky Blues’ absurd 27 efforts, with Mason crying out for a Matheus Pereira-type presence in the here and now to take his pedestrian side up a notch.

Pereira's promotion-winning magic

West Brom very much hit instant gold when securing the services of Brazilian star Matheus Pereira in 2019.

Signing initially on loan, with a view to making his switch permanent, Pereira would go on to be a talismanic figure for Slaven Bilic’s promotion-chasers at the time, with ex-Baggies legend Jonathan Greening even stating – during that promotion push – that the spellbinding number 12 can do a “little bit of everything.”

Games played

77

Goals scored

20

Assists

26

Promotions

1x

Judging from his ridiculous numbers above, it’s clear that West Brom had pulled off a mighty coup, tempting Pereira to the Hawthorns when they did, with his blistering 20 goals and 26 assists from 77 outings pushing the West Midlands outfit up to the Premier League, before relegation was unfortunately served up.

Clearly, after becoming West Brom’s top goalscorer in the daunting top-flight, Pereira was always going to be uneasy about being a big fish in a small pond in the EFL again, with a mega-money switch to Al-Hilal then bringing his whirlwind stay in England to a close.

To this day, however, Pereira is still heralded as one of the most entertaining attackers to have graced the Hawthorns, with the football served up by Mason and Co. so far this season failing to be as captivating to watch.

The 34-year-old does have Isaac Price at his disposal as one entertainer, but there is another member of his camp now who could go on to be a Pereira-style figure, having once lined up for Juventus in the Champions League, before relocating to the Baggies.

The West Brom "menace" who's the new Pereira

While Price does have three goals and one assist next to his name this season already, from just nine league appearances, he has looked poor in recent match-ups, notably away at the Den last match.

Indeed, the usually electric midfielder would manage just one drab effort on the Lions’ goal throughout, with possession also squandered a costly 14 times from his 40 touches of the ball.

Coincidentally, his replacement during the 3-0 defeat in Samuel Iling-Junior could actually be Mason’s own Pereira-type figure, operating as another dazzling left-footer either centrally or on the flanks.

Juventus U18s

58

14 + 15

Juventus

45

2 + 4

Middlesbrough

16

1 + 2

Bologna

16

2 + 0

Juventus Next Gen

13

5 + 2

Chelsea U18s

9

0 + 1

Juventus Youth League

8

1 + 2

West Brom

4

1 + 0

Chelsea Youth League

3

0

Aston Villa

0

0

Much like Pereira, who boasted Bundesliga side Nuremberg on his career CV before moving to the Baggies, Iling-Junior has a long list of esteemed clubs on his own unfurling resume, with a youth education that saw the 22-year-old line up for both Chelsea U18s and Juventus U18s.

His time with the Old Lady would even see him make 45 senior appearances – as he was also dubbed a “superb” talent by scout Jacek Kulig during one Champions League outing for the Italian titans – culminating in his parent employers, Aston Villa, splashing out a whopping £12m to win his services in 2024.

He is yet to make a senior appearance for Unai Emery’s men, but with near neighbours West Brom, he is already living up to the “menace” billing once handed to him by scout Antonio Mango, with this terrific solo goal at the end of September, his first ever strike in Baggies’ blue and white.

Mason will be praying that more goals such as this magic solo effort are put away shortly, with Iling-Junior perhaps the force that catapults West Brom into the promotion reckoning more convincingly.

After all, all those years back, Pereira was a similar bright spark capable of such fine individual moments as Premier League football was clinched.

Not just Wallace: West Brom "goalscorer" is on borrowed time under Mason

Despite once costing a considerable amount, this West Bromwich Albion star looks to now be on borrowed time under Ryan Mason.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 15, 2025

Fast bowler shows good rhythm in first red-ball match since 2021, as Ackermann leads Durham fight

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 23-Jun-2025

Jofra Archer picked up a wicket on his return to red-ball cricket after a 1,501-day hiatus, as a half-century from Colin Ackermann helped Durham fight back on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash with Sussex.James Coles picked up where he left off for Sussex in the morning and took his side to a competitive total of 361 all out, with him finishing unbeaten on 148.Durham’s response against a Sussex bowling attack which included Archer, got off to a good start, making it to lunch without loss, but they lost skipper Alex Lees just after the break.Archer, whose previous first-class match had come against Kent at Hove in May 2021, then came into the attack and struck during an exciting spell to leave Durham in a spot of bother in the afternoon.However, Durham bounced back in the evening through a partnership worth 76 between Ackermann and Graham Clark, but the loss of Ackermann with the last ball of the day gives Sussex the edge, with Durham on 249 for five and the deficit still 112.Resuming on 322 for nine, unbeaten centurion Coles and number 11 Gurinder Sandhu were at the crease for Sussex.Coles continued to play nicely as he produced a delightful shot down the ground off the bowling of Bas de Leede.Coles then used his feet to launch one down the ground from George Drissell, but the spinner wrapped up the innings just three balls later, bowling Sandhu for eight, leaving Coles unbeaten on 148.Alex Lees and Emilio Gay were tasked with kicking off Durham’s response and they started in a serene manner.Archer then came into the attack and nearly had Gay with his first ball, but Lees was finding things a bit easier as he played a nice on-drive off the bowling of Sandhu which went to the boundary.Gay, who initially found life tough against Archer, managed to break the shackles with two boundaries, one through point and the other off his legs. However, Sussex struck back after lunch as Lees went for 34 when he edged a delivery from Fynn Hudson-Prentice and John Simpson made no mistake behind the stumps.Hudson-Prentice continued to probe and offered few opportunities for run scoring as Will Rhodes and Gay consolidated after the wicket.Meanwhile, Archer gave Rhodes and Gay a working-over with some short stuff, but the Durham batters weren’t falling for the short ball ploy. The England man changed plans and got that vital wicket as he trapped Gay in front for 37, prompting a big celebration from the 30-year-old.Archer’s second spell of six overs went for just eight runs, so Durham decided to take the game to Carson as Rhodes and Ackermann picked up a couple of boundaries to relieve some pressure.Rhodes then played a glorious straight drive from a Robinson ball which went to the boundary, but he then chipped one straight to Daniel Hughes at cover for 24 to hand the economical Hudson-Prentice a second wicket of the day.That brought Durham’s OIlie Robinson to the crease before tea and he decided to take on Hudson-Prentice, picking up 11 runs from four balls, more than he’d gone for in his previous eight overs.Archer returned after tea, with Durham’s Robinson edging one which dropped just short of John Simpson, but he bounced back with two consecutive fours including a dab to third region.Ackermann then played a glorious cover drive off the bowling of Archer for four, but the fluent Robinson fell to Sandhu for 34 as he nicked one down the legside and Simpson produced an excellent diving catch to his left.Graham Clark came to the crease and absorbed a bit of pressure before he started to put his foot to the accelerator with back-to-back pull shots from Hudson-Prentice going to the boundary and he followed that up with a cut shot for four.Ackermann joined Clark in the hunt for boundaries when he swept a Coles delivery to the rope and the number four passed fifty for the fourth time this season from 115 balls.Ackermann, who looked good throughout the innings, was then bowled by Sandhu for 65 with the final ball of the day, which leaves Durham five-down while the deficit is still 112.

Leeds United will hope they can consolidate themselves as a Premier League club this season, with another promotion hunt on the cards to get up to the top-flight, not the most attractive proposition.

Instead, Daniel Farke’s Whites will pray they can comfortably stay up, despite all the weighty pressure against them, and become a top-flight regular again, much like their heyday in the 90s when Champions League football was even on the menu.

The German is working against his own label as an unproven manager at the very top, too, with a relegation blotting his otherwise sparkling CV in England when at the helm of Norwich City.

Still, the early signs suggest Leeds could be here to stay, with the Whites in a promising 11th spot at the time of writing, after a Sean Longstaff-led effort clinched a 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth last time out.

Longstaff's promising start at Leeds

Longstaff nearly held the individual honour of being Leeds’ match-winner against the Cherries, with his fierce effort that cannoned in off the post, gifting his new employers a slim 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, Bournemouth had other ideas late on when Eli Kroupi scored a last-gasp equaliser, but Andoni Iraola’s men snatching a share of the points shouldn’t detract too much from Longstaff’s sublime showings all season long.

Up against their South Coast visitors, the former Newcastle United man would amazingly notch up seven key passes.

One of those passes saw Joe Rodon head home from an inch-perfect corner kick delivery – while also showing off a fiery side to his game when winning a high ten duels to keep plugging away up against the likes of former Leeds man Tyler Adams, lining up for the away team.

It will just be up to the brand new Leeds number 8 to keep up this sterling, having often fallen victim to recurring injury issues at St James’ Park that saw him fade into the background under Eddie Howe.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

For just £12m, however, Leeds look to have struck gold on an instant bargain. Yet, it could be argued that the Whites gave up an even bigger talent than Longstaff last summer, when parting ways with a midfielder for a mere £3.7m.

Former Leeds star is now better than Longstaff

Leeds have fallen foul of many blunders in recent transfer windows, with their summer activity before their relegation out of the top-flight come the end of the 2022/23 season seeing them purchase many a half-hearted presence.

Faces such as Rasmus Kristensen, Luis Sinisterra, and the aforementioned Adams would all down their tools after their demise to the Championship was confirmed, with Marc Roca also falling into this bracket of failed signings who then shied away from the intense battles to follow in the EFL.

The seven-time Spain international would only go on to make 36 first-team appearances in West Yorkshire before then packing his bags to head to his native country initially on loan, after the Whites crashed out of the promised land.

He did show signs of his top-flight quality for Leeds, even if he did sour his relationship with the club when exiting at the first possible chance after relegation, with one goal and two assists being notched up by the 28-year-old in Premier League action sticking out, alongside winning a high 4.1 duels per game

Games played

26

14

Goals scored

2

2

Assists

2

2

Touches*

56.7

47.2

Accurate passes*

38.1 (85%)

32.9 (88%)

Ball recoveries*

5.7

3.6

Total duels won*

3.7

2.4

Former Leeds favourite Tony Dorigo would even hail Roca as a “wonderful” talent when displaying these bursts of quality, with the Real Betis number 21 further validating that his stint in England was an off-spell by starring in La Liga consistently.

Indeed, when looking at the table in greater detail, it’s clear that Roca is a similar level talent to Longstaff or even greater, with 5.7 ball recoveries on average sticking out during his debut season back on Spanish soil. Longstaff, despite his energetic Yorkshire beginnings, has only averaged 2.7 to date.

He even reminded English crowds of what he is capable of recently when assisting Antony’s leveller in the Europa League against Nottingham Forest.

With the Spaniard also capable of slotting in at left-back or as a centre-back if needed, it could well be now that Leeds look back on the sale of the “outstanding” – as he has been labelled by journalist Jose Rodriguez for his efforts in La Liga – Catalonian as one they regret, especially for such a low amount at £3.7m.

Still, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether Roca is a stronger talent than Longstaff or not come the end of the season, as the Newcastle-born number eight attempts to make his showing against Bournemouth a commonplace expectation.

Leeds have found their new Phillips in "unbelievable" star & it's not Stach

Leeds United may have found their new Kalvin Phillips and it is not Anton Stach.

ByDan Emery Sep 29, 2025

Wayne Rooney has bemoaned one “crazy” West Ham United “problem” and Graham Potter’s “lack of belief”, following the recent 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

West Ham suffer another setback against Crystal Palace

Potter appears to be on very thin ice after the 2-1 defeat at home against Crystal Palace last time out, with the West Ham hierarchy now running the rule over potential replacements.

Following the most recent loss, the Hammers are 19th in the Premier League table, having tasted defeat in four of their opening five games, with Gary O’Neil and Sean Dyche also entering the frame as potential Potter replacements.

In the wake of yet another loss, Rooney has bemoaned the Hammers’ inability to defend set-pieces, while also calling into question the atmosphere at the club.

West Ham now weigh up concrete approach to sign £17m England international

West Ham now weighing up concrete approach for £17m England international.

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 21, 2025

The former Manchester United man said: “I analysed the set-pieces yesterday, last night, on Match of the Day and it’s all second balls. Graham Potter came out and said they’ve been working on set plays, so as a coach there’s only so much you can do, but they’re not winning the first header and the problem is they’re not reacting quick enough, and then the second ball, they’re conceding goals.

“So, it’s crazy to concede seven from five, but when you have a lack of confidence and a lack of belief – I think that’s clear with the West Ham players and the fans as well I can imagine. There’s a lack of a belief in the team, and it looks like the owners and the manager.”

Potter must fix defensive issues to keep his job

Defending from set-pieces has undoubtedly been a major issue for the Irons, with Potter saying: “We’ve addressed [our weakness from dead-balls] and we’re working to improve it. We conceded too many, had to defend a lot. That is something we also have to look at. It’s just constant work on the training ground.”

However, having been in the dugout since January, the 50-year-old has had more than enough time to fix the glaring problems, and there have been very few promising signs, winning just six of the 25 games he has taken charge of.

The Hammers have also conceded 13 goals already this season, the highest number of any Premier League side, so it is clear their top-flight status could be in jeopardy if there is not either a radical improvement or a change in manager.

While he arguably wouldn’t be the flashiest of appointments, Dyche could be a solid option for West Ham, at least on a short-term basis, having led Everton to safety when the Toffees were in a similar position.