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After signing their sixth arrival of the summer in Anton Stach, Leeds United have now reportedly initiated contact to sign another midfield star ahead of their Premier League return.

Stach "excited" to get going at Leeds

As the new campaign closes in, Sunderland and Leeds have continued to make plenty of transfer statements. Both sides, alongside Burnley, will be desperate to end the trend of promoted teams heading straight back down to the Championship, which all the last six have done. And splashing the cash represents a good start towards doing exactly that.

So far, those at Elland Road have welcomed six new signings, with the most recent being Stach from Hoffenheim. The midfielder joins Jaka Bijol, Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmunssson, Sebastiaan Bornauw and Lukas Nmcecha on Leeds’ list of incomings.

Leeds aren’t done there, either. The Whites have already set their sights on Igor Paixao and have now reportedly made their first move towards signing a midfield star.

Leeds hold talks with Gustavo Hamer

As Graeme Bailey told Leeds United News, Leeds have now opened talks to sign Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United this summer.

The midfielder reportedly wants to leave the Blades following last season’s promotion failure and a race between the Whites and Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven is now forming.

Bailey told Leeds United News: “Hamer is assessing his options, he has had talks with Leeds and PSV Eindhoven – but I am told nothing is imminent, but it is clear he wants to leave Sheffield United this summer and will.”

Hamer, perhaps more than any other member of Sheffield United’s squad, is Premier League ready and missing out on promotion was always likely to initiate his desire to leave the club.

After scoring 10 goals and creating another eight in all competitions last season, former manager Chris Wilder often had nothing but positives to say about Hamer.

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2

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jul 26, 2025

He described his midfield star as “outstanding” after he won Sheffield United’s Player of the Season last time out, before they ultimately fell short in the play-offs.

Ronald Koeman was far from satisfied with his Netherlands team after they avoided an embarrassing slip-up against Lithuania in World Cup qualifying.

Netherlands escaped after losing two-goal leadKoeman left 'a bit angry' with his team’s lack of urgencyDepay scored twice to secure vital three pointsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Netherlands secured a narrow 3-2 victory away to Lithuania in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday but were pushed all the way after squandering a two-goal lead. Goals from Memphis Depay, now the national team's all-time top scorer, and Quinten Timber gave the Dutch a comfortable 2-0 lead after 33 minutes, but Lithuania stunned the visitors by scoring twice before half-time. Depay scored the winner in the 63rd minute to spare his team's blushes.

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The victory keeps Netherlands top of their World Cup qualifying group, level on points with Poland but with a game in hand. However, the performance against a side ranked 143rd in the world was far from convincing. After a strong start, the Dutch became complacent and were defensively frail, forcing Koeman to make a late defensive substitution, bringing on Matthijs de Ligt for attacker Donyell Malen to protect the lead. While the three points are crucial, the nature of the win raises questions about the team's ability to control games they are expected to dominate.

WHAT RONALD KOEMAN SAID

Despite the victory, Koeman was upset by his team's struggles, telling : "I'm a little angry. We played with fire today. Fortunately, it didn't cost us any points today, but it could have been disastrous. The urgency diminished. Players started doing things ten to 15 percent less. We shouldn't be getting into so much trouble here, even at the end of the game. Then I have to add a fifth defender for extra height and power. That's not what you want to do, but I do want to win." 

On Depay's match-winner, he added: "We can be happy he was there. He scored two very good goals. The first and last, too. He can be proud of that.

"We also have a history. I supported him in a period when others might not have done so, but he proves beyond doubt that he is still the best striker."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR NETHERLANDS?

Despite the poor performance, Netherlands are now a step closer to securing qualification for the World Cup. They remain in control of Group G but will need a much-improved display in their next set of qualifiers to solidify their top spot. Koeman will demand a response from his players during the next international break.

Scotland vs South Africa

Dubai, 2pm local time

Scotland squad: Kathryn Bryce (capt), Chloe Abel, Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Olivia Bell, Sarah Bryce (wk), Darcey Carter, Priyanaz Chatterji, Katherine Fraser, Saskia Horley, Lorna Jack, Ailsa Lister, Abtaha Maqsood, Megan McColl, Hannah Rainey, Rachel SlaterSouth Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonTournament form guide: Scotland’s maiden T20 World Cup appearance hasn’t gone to plan so far with two back-to-back losses. They started their tournament with a 16-run defeat against Bangladesh, before going down heavily to West Indies by six wickets and 50 balls to spare. South Africa are also coming into this game on the back of a seven-wicket loss against England which saw them slip to third on the points table. Their ten-wicket win against West Indies, though, has kept their net run rate (NRR) relatively healthy.Related

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News brief: There are no major injury concerns in either camp, though it remains to be seen how South Africa manage the players’ workload considering a less-than-48 hours turnaround time after their game against England was a day-night affair in Sharjah on Monday. Scotland are bottom placed on the group B points table, and with an NRR of -1.897, a loss against South Africa will most certainly end their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals. South Africa, on the other hand, can leapfrog England and secure top spot with a big win in Dubai. This is the first time South Africa and Scotland will face-off in any format in women’s cricket. Heat is once again going to be a factor in the day game in Dubai, with temperatures likely to touch 38 degrees Celsius.Player to watch: Nonkululeko Mlaba is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with five wickets and could once again be South Africa’s trump card, especially in the day game where the ball is expected to turn more. Mlaba picked a four-wicket haul the last time she played in Dubai – against West Indies, earlier in this World Cup – and will want a repeat of that performance.Harmanpreet Kaur, who sprained her neck against Pakistan, is expected to play against Sri Lanka•ICC/Getty Images

India vs Sri Lanka

Dubai, 6pm local time

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Shafali Verma, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, D Hemalatha, Asha Sobhana, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, S SajanaSri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika KumariTournament form guide: India suffered a big 58-run loss against New Zealand in their opening game, but managed to get past Pakistan in Dubai by six wickets on Sunday. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are currently bottom of the group A points table, and are yet to win a game. They lost their opening match against lower-ranked Pakistan by 31 runs, and then went down to Australia by six wickets on Saturday.News brief: India received good news on the fitness of captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who is available to play Wednesday’s game after spraining her neck and retiring hurt in the last over of India’s chase against Pakistan. Pooja Vastrakar, though, is unlikely to take part having missed Sunday’s match due to a niggle, with S Sajana replacing her.India hold the advantage by a 19-5 margin in T20Is against Sri Lanka. But one of those five defeats was as recent as this July at the Asia Cup final. India will be keen on exacting revenge. They need a big win to bolster their NRR, something that they did not manage in their victory against Pakistan despite restricting them to 105. A defeat for Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will make their chances of moving to the next round almost nil. Dew has not had much of an effect in the games in Dubai so far, with the sticky nature of the surface and long boundaries also not making run-scoring easy.Player to watch: Smriti Mandhana does not have the greatest of records in T20Is against Sri Lanka: 379 runs in 19 innings at 22.29 with two fifties. But in a crunch game, India will bank on their experienced batter to give them a grand start, something that has not happened so far in the tournament.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta’s most imperative task of the summer window is finally ending the club’s long wait for a prolific natural striker, and it’s been widely reported that two names are at the top of his shortlist.

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The men in question, of course, are Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Over the last few weeks, many reliable media sources have shared that Berta is simultaneously working on deals for both Sesko and Gyokeres – before deciding which move would be best suited to Arsenal’s needs.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)	Money on new signings
19/20 – winter	£0
20/21 – summer	£81.5m
20/21 – winter	£900k
21/22 – summer	£156.8m
21/22 – winter	£1.8m
22/23 – summer	£121.5m
22/23 – winter	£59m
23/24 – summer	£208m
23/24 – winter	£0
24/25 – summer	£101.5m
24/25 – winter	£0

However, given the sheer size of these transfers, talks are proving complex and don’t appear likely to be done any time soon.

Gyokeres is very keen on joining Arsenal and prioritising a move to the Emirates, according to Fabrizio Romano, but his situation at Sporting has grown toxic recently amid a public fallout with their club president, Frederico Varandas.

Sesko, meanwhile, is also eager to link-up with Mikel Arteta, as per recent reports, but there are discrepancies surrounding the cost of a potential deal – with Sky Germany even reporting he could be priced up to £85 million despite the presence of a release clause.

Given the deals for Sesko and Gyokeres are miles from straightforward, it is wise for Berta to have alternatives, with journalist Duncan Castles sharing a left-field striker who’s also on Arsenal’s radar.

Arsenal eyeing "surprise" Nicolas Jackson move

Speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Castles reports that the man is Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegal international enjoyed an excellent start to 2024/2025, scoring nine goals in his first 15 Premier League games, but has tailed off since the turn of the year, partly due to injury.

Jackson was also sent off in Chelsea’s 3-1 Club World Cup defeat to Flamengo recently, just minutes after replacing Liam Delap, and the consensus is that he could be sold this summer.

Chelsea will demand up to £51 million to sell him (Fabrizio Romano), though, so he won’t be a cheap option.

In any case, Arsenal have identified Jackson as a “surprise” striker target, with Castles explaining exactly why.

“There’s one more name that I’ve become aware of this week, which may come as a surprise, which is Nicolas Jackson, the striker who’s had an interesting time in his two years at Chelsea,” Castles revealed, when discussing Arsenal’s striker plans.

“Chelsea have always been looking for either adding someone else in that position or replacing him totally. Chelsea say they’re not actively looking to sell Jackson in this window, but he’s not one of the untouchable figures within their squad.

“The guidance I have on where Arsenal are on this is that this broad range of options is deliberate. They want to ensure that they get a centre-forward for Arteta in this window and don’t feel like they did last summer.

“They will do one of these deals. They’re telling the representatives of the players involved that what it will come down to is the deal that they believe makes the best sense to the club.”

Rangers are set to be very busy in the transfer market in the next few weeks.

Ever since Russell Martin was unveiled as the new manager last week, the Ibrox side have been linked with umpteen new signings and rightly so, considering their squad requires a major overhaul this summer.

So, could the Gers’ land an attacker labelled “unplayable” in a move reminiscent of a recent fans’ favourite?

Rangers' interest in a new midfielder

According to a report by Joshua Barrie of the Rangers review, Rangers are ‘interested’ in signing Kwame Poku this summer.

The 23-year-old is a free agent having left Peterborough United, with there unsurprisingly plenty of competition for his signature, including from newly-promoted Championship side, Birmingham City.

Poku began his senior career in non-league, representing Cray Wanderers and Worthing, earning a move to Colchester before joining Peterborough in 2021, making 147 appearances for Posh, most notably winning back-to-back EFL Trophies at Wembley.

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Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony believes he will “be a Premier League star in the future”, estimating that he’ll one day “cost £30 million”, so could Rangers tempt him north of Hadrian’s Wall on a Bosman?

Joe Aribo's Rangers career

Six years ago, in an eerily similar deal, Joe Aribo arrived at Rangers as a free agent, a reported £300,000 in compensation was paid, from Charlton Athletic, who were also in EFL League One at the time.

Aribo would go on to make 149 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 26 goals and registering 25 assists, most famously breaking the deadlock in the Europa League Final against Eintracht Frankfurt at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

A few days later, the Nigerian international helped Rangers win the Scottish Cup at Hampden, but this would prove to be his last outing in a blue jersey, sold to Southampton for £6m in the summer of 2022.

So, could Poku have a similar impact to that of Aribo? Let’s compare the duo to find out.

Appearances

31

39

Minutes

2,364

3,413

Goals

12

10

Assists

11

5

As the table outlines, Poku’s statistics this season were actually more impressive than those of Aribo from his final season at Charlton, despite the fact the former sat out three months of the campaign following hamstring surgery in December.

Writer Kai Watson labels the Ghanian international a “strong ball carrier” who is excellent at “cutting in on his left and getting a shot away”, concluding that he would be a “bargain” on a free transfer. Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson, meanwhile, asserts that he can be “unplayable” at times.

Meanwhile, Oliver Walton of Football League World described him as ‘one of the most in-form players in English football’ earlier this season, while Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis outlines how he boasts the best ‘attacking numbers’ across the entirety of the EFL, praising his ‘excellent finishing’.

So, let’s assess that assertion.

Minutes

2,058

223rd

Goals

12

11th

Goals per 90

0.52

7th

Assists

8

5th

Assists per 90

0.35

1st

Shots per 90

2.71

12th

Goals per shot

0.19

18th

Big chances created

9

28th

Successful dribbles per 90

1.9

2nd

As the table highlights, Poku had an exceptional season at Peterborough, ranked first for assists per 90 and second for successful dribbles per 90 as well, on top of his generally impressive attacking statistics across the board.

Venkatanarayanan of Total Football Analysis also believes his best position is as an attacking midfielder, albeit he can be deployed out-wide, noting that his ‘biggest strength’ is his ability to progress the ball through midfield.

Meanwhile, Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘thrilling playmaker’ who is ‘great in tight spaces’ and a ‘very intelligent passer’, destined to go to the very top, so Rangers should do everything in their power to make this deal come to fruition.

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ByHenry Jackson Jun 10, 2025

This summer is huge for Leeds United in their attempts to recruit well and bridge the gap that has been created between the Championship and the Premier League.

No promoted team in each of the last two seasons has managed to survive the drop, with Daniel Farke’s side the latest to try their luck in England’s top-flight.

The Whites have previously demonstrated that it is possible, finishing ninth under Marcelo Bielsa during their previous effort after securing promotion ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

However, the gap has arguably been widened, making such a task for Farke even harder in 2025/26, with his future already coming into question in recent weeks.

If he is to keep the side in the top-flight, he will need backing from the hierarchy, with numerous key additions needed in various areas of the pitch at Elland Road.

The latest Leeds’ pursuit of new additions this summer

Over recent weeks, Leeds have been in the market for a new talisman, even making contact with Newcastle United over a potential deal for striker Callum Wilson.

The 33-year-old’s deal is set to expire at St James’ Park this summer, with the Whites looking to take advantage and land the star, who’s registered 49 goals in 130 appearances for the Magpies.

However, he’s not the only attacker on their list during the current transfer window, with Hamburg star Davie Selke already on their list, according to ExpressSport.

The report claims that Farke’s side have already been in direct contact with the 30-year-old’s representatives after he netted 22 goals in 31 Bundesliga 2 outings this season.

It also states that his deal expires on the 30th of June, with no new contract on the horizon, leading to a battle between the Whites, RB Leipzig and West Ham United this summer.

Why Leeds’ latest target could be the next Tanaka

Midfielder Ao Tanaka has starred beyond all imagination at Leeds over the last 12 months, cementing his place within the heart of the side after his switch from Fortuna Düsseldorf.

The 26-year-old featured in 43 outings during the title-winning campaign, scoring five times and registering two assists – a superb return for a central midfielder.

The Japanese international will likely be a key member of the squad in the Premier League, looking to build on the success endured during his debut year in Yorkshire.

He was named in the EFL’s Team of the Season as a result, highlighting the excellent business conducted by the hierarchy – something which needs to be replicated this summer.

Selke could follow in his footsteps by joining Farke’s side from a German club, before making himself a key member of the squad and contributing to their success.

The striker’s stats from the 2024/25 campaign are nothing short of remarkable, certainly adding a new dimension to the club’s attack with his impressive skillset.

The Hamburg talisman, who’s been labelled a “monster” by Sky Germany’s Phillipp Hinze, finished as the top scorer in the German second tier, registering two shots on target per 90 – showcasing his threat in attacking areas.

Davie Selke’s stats for Hamburg in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

31

Goals & assists

22

Shots on target per 90

2

Touches in opposition box

6.2

Aerials won

4.8

Aerial success rate

65%

Dribble success

47%

Stats via FotMob

He’s also registered 6.2 touches per 90 in the opposition’s penalty area this season, offering Farke a fox-in-the-box type forward that he’s missed since taking the reins.

Selke has been a huge threat in the air this season, winning a staggering 4.8 aerials per 90, offering the side a needed focal point to play off, and handing other talents around him the opportunity to improve their own tallies.

Given the interest in his signature this summer, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to avoid missing out on the German’s signature, with his ability certainly offering Farke a different option in front of goal.

Should he complete the move, if he gets anywhere close to the levels produced by Tanaka, it would be a superb piece of business, especially considering he could be available on a free transfer.

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Chelsea chiefs hold a private belief that one “sensational” player will make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer, following the club’s decision to offer him a tempting contract.

Chelsea suffer damaging 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United

The race for Champions League qualification is the tightest and most enthralling we’ve seen in years, with six teams involved in a narrow top-five battle which could see any one of them drop out in the final two Premier League games of the season.

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ByEmilio Galantini May 11, 2025

Chelsea acquired some breathing room between themselves and sixth place after their excellent win over champions Liverpool, but immediately followed up that result with a damaging 2-0 loss to Newcastle at St. James’ Park over the weekend.

Sandro Tonali opened the scoring inside two minutes, kickstarting the uphill contest awaiting Enzo Maresca’s men, with striker Nicolas Jackson then compounding Chelsea’s misery by receiving a red card on 36 minutes.

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

They remained in the game until the dying seconds, with midfielder Bruno Guimaraes sealing a precious three points for Newcastle. Chelsea remain in the top five on goal difference alone, making their final matches against Man United and Nottingham Forest absolute must-wins.

The race for Europe is absolutely vital in more ways than one, with their success set to have an influence over their transfer plans for the summer as well.

Beyond this season, Chelsea are competing in the Club World Cup and reportedly want to bolster their squad before the tournament kicks off.

According to widespread reports from reliable media sources, Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen is a very serious target for Maresca’s side as they seek to reinforce their central defensive options.

Chelsea have already held talks with Huijsen’s representatives, and some reports claim they’re moving in with an attractive proposal for the 20-year-old, one which he personally likes (Simon Phillips).

Huijsen’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from a host of English rivals and beyond, but it appears BlueCo are making real moves for the ex-Serie A defender, and want a deal done “by the end of May” (Fabrizio Romano).

Chelsea convinced Huijsen will join with "lucrative" contract offer

Now, TEAMtalk have backed up previous reports that Chelsea are ready to tempt Huijsen with an offer, providing further background on this evolving story.

The outlet reports that Chelsea’s offer to Huijsen will be a “lucrative” seven-year contract, and he’s responding “positively” to their eagerness. Those within Stamford Bridge are also convinced that he’ll choose to join them over rival clubs.

While they haven’t won the race for his signature just yet, with Real Madrid described as a threat in particular, Chelsea view themselves as serious frontrunners to sign the Bournemouth sensation after his impressive debut campaign in England.

Dubbed a “sensational” centre-back prospect by members of the media (Ben Mattinson), the intense race for his services is a clear indicator that elite club insiders see Huijsen as a potentially world-class addition, both for now and the long-term.

Aston Villa moved up to seventh in the Premier League table by beating the team that were ahead of them – Brighton & Hove Albion – 3-0 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Villans, in a match that lasted over 100 minutes, secured all three points in emphatic fashion, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Donyel Malen, who all joined the claret and blue army in the January transfer window.

There were many impressive performers for Unai Emery’s side throughout the match at the AMEX, including the player who scored the opening goal on the night – Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford's performance was vital for Aston Villa

The England international, who is on loan from Macnhester United until the end of the season, was the player to make it 1-0 for Villa with his terrific run in behind the Brighton defence.

He made a great movement off the shoulder of the last defender to race clear through on goal and the finish matched the run as the speedster brilliantly lifted the ball into the back of the net to give Villa the lead.

The 27-year-old attacker’s goal broke the deadlock and allowed the away side to play with more freedom, having taken the lead, which teed up the rest of the performance for Villa to go on and win with ease, which is why his display and goal were so vital for Emery’s team.

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There was a Villans star, however, who was even more important to the result, as Morgan Rogers proved that he is the main man for Villa with another sublime showing.

Why Morgan Rogers is the main man for Aston Villa

Emery has a host of brilliant attacking talents at his disposal, including the likes of Rashford, Asensio, and Ollie Watkins, but it is the former Manchester City man who runs the team with his performances.

As the attacking midfielder tasked with carrying the ball through the thirds, Rogers is crucial to everything that Villa do in possession and is now closing in on 20 goal contributions for the season, with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by BirminghamLive, added another two assists to his tally in the win over Brighton, playing a phenomenal long-range ball to Rashford for the opener, and racing down the flank to provide a perfect cut-back for Asensio to make it 2-0.

Minutes

88

65

Goals

0

1

Big chances created

2

0

Assists

2

0

Duels won

6/12

0/2

Tackles + interceptions

7

1

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz outperformed Rashford with his contributions to the side in and out of possession throughout the game, which shows that he offered more to the team overall.

Rogers, who was compared to Jude Bellingham on Sky Sports earlier this season, has proven himself to the main man time and time again for the Villans, as he has started all 29 of his appearances in the Premier League, whilst Watkins has been a substitute on five occasions.

Illustrating his all-round quality, Rogers is the only player in the squad who ranks within the top five for shots, dribbles, key passes, and fouls won per game, which speaks to how much of an influence he has on matches on the ball.

The Villa star can impact games with his energy out of possession, by winning tackles and duels, whilst also providing a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, which makes him the full package for Emery and the manager’s main man on the pitch in the top-flight.

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How both teams deal with the conditions on Monday will be pivotal in a game that could be key to deciding how Group B finishes

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2024Lack of pace is expected to be the biggest challenge facing both England and South Africa in their key Group B clash in Sharjah on Monday. Both teams are one from one so far and the game could be key to deciding how the pool finishes but, on the evidence of the opening week in Sharjah, it could be heavy going.In four matches played at the venue, no team has crossed 120 and the average first innings score is 111.50. Run-scoring has been made particularly difficult by the slowness of the surface and the size of the outfield. With square boundaries of 63 and 57 metres on Saturday (which will vary slightly on Monday, depending on which pitch is being played on), finding the boundary has proven tough too and the numbers prove it. So far, in four matches, there have been 56 fours and five sixes hit in Sharjah across four matches, compared to 79 in Dubai so far.Sri Lanka have played both their matches in Sharjah, failed to cross 100 on both occasions and without being overly critical of the surface their captain Chamari Athapaththu explained her concerns. “I feel our batters need some good pace and bounce. Then, they perform really well. Because they don’t have big muscle power, they time the ball and in these conditions, it’s a bit hard to do that,” Athapaththu said after Sri Lanka’s second loss on Saturday. “The outfield is too slow and this is a big ground, so too hard to score sixes and boundaries.”Related

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• Australia and England start with wins but both have work to do

Athapaththu pointed out that it wasn’t plain-sailing for their opposition either, especially Australia, who hit 10 fours in their chase of 94 but no sixes. “Even Australia, I saw them struggle. They have good power-hitters, but even they struggled because of the bounce,” Athapaththu said. “It’s a low-bounce track, so it’s hard to clear the rope. We have to rotate the strike, that is the most important thing. [About] 120-130 is a good score on these tracks.”But running between the wickets has also been difficult, with the heat making it difficult for players to keep their intensity up, but they’ve tried. Sharjah has seen 87 twos, in contrast to Dubai’s 69, and that comes with some risk. There have been four run-outs in Sharjah and two in Dubai. England already know run-scoring is going to be a slog.The other thing both England and South Africa will want to think about is how many seamers to include in their XI. England have already shown their hand by playing all four frontline spinners in the squad in their opener against Bangladesh and using them to their full capacity. They each bowled their full quota of four overs and that meant they only had one seamer in operation in Nat Sciver-Brunt.South Africa could learn from that, especially as they already have two seam-bowling allrounders who could be picked as batters. Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk bat at No. 3 and 6 or 7 respectively and will provide the pace options so they may consider sacrificing the accuracy of Ayabonga Khaka for an extra spin in legspinner Seshnie Naidu.Or maybe not, if they listen to Australia’s Megan Schutt, whose haul of 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka was the most economical among seam bowlers at the venue so far. “There was actually a little bit more bounce and carry in my first over than what I thought there was going to be, so that was a nice surprise to have a slip in there early. But taking the pace off, I think we always knew it was going to be effective over here. And as the game progressed, it did get lower and slower,” Schutt said. “It’ll be really interesting to see the spinners take hold a little bit more, but I think pace still has a big important role to play, and being able to move the ball early is still what I’m going to try and do, and it’s just about adapting to conditions if that doesn’t happen.”

” We don’t want to leave it for the last game. We want to make sure we win all our games and guarantee that spot in the semi-final.”South Africa’s Tazmin Brits

Either way, as Heather Knight said in the post-match presentations, after England’s victory over Bangladesh, play as a whole may be a bit of a slog. “It is not going to be beautiful or sexy in these conditions,” as Knight put it.South Africa may argue that a lot of their cricket in the lead-up to this tournament has not been sexy. After reaching last year’s final, they only won one out of seven series in the lead-up to this World Cup and that one was on a last-minute trip to Pakistan before this tournament. Contrastingly, England have been all about attractive cricket, with victories in five of their seven series between the end of the last World Cup and the start of this one. But as South Africa scarred them at Newlands last February, they know they have to be wary – especially after the way South Africa opened this tournament with a ten-wicket win over West Indies. “South Africa had a convincing game. They are competitive and bring fire and passion,” Knight said.Being a team that comes from the country often called the best never to have won a World Cup, South Africa, for their part, just want to keep being convincing. “We’ve got a big game against England and as everyone knows, that’s always a tough one,” Tazmin Brits said. “But we don’t want to leave it for the last game. We want to make sure we win all our games and guarantee that spot in the semi-final.”

The pair added 104 off just 10.2 overs to blindside Australia in the series decider

Shashank Kishore26-Sep-20221:54

Hodge: ‘It looks like Kohli has his mojo back’

Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. One a decade-old veteran continuing to push boundaries, both physically and skill-wise, in trying to rediscover himself. The other, a late bloomer at 31, and in the absolute peak of his prowess, with magical wrists and instincts that give him a split-second more than others to hit balls to corners of the ground as he pleases.On Sunday in Hyderabad, it was this combination that put Australia under the mat, before Hardik Pandya sealed India’s series win from being 1-0 down just four days ago. Kohli and Suryakumar added 104 off just 10.2 overs in a fine display of power, skill, wristwork, fitness and the inventive to raze down India’s 187-run target.Related

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This partnership was a tad different, though.Teams tend to bring spin on to Kohli early in his innings. In all T20 cricket since 2021, Kohli strikes at just 108.85 in 40 innings against spin. In comparison, he goes at 137.81 against pace. So, when Aaron Finch brought Adam Zampa on within two balls of his arrival to the crease, it seemed a perfectly legitimate move. Zampa also had the wood over Kohli, having dismissed him eight times, the most he’s been out to a single bowler in white-ball cricket.Three nights ago, Kohli was out giving the charge to Zampa as he played all around a slider that snuck through bat and pad to crash into the stumps. Sunday was going to add another chapter to this match-up, and Kohli wasn’t in the mood to allow Zampa to dictate terms. His first delivery, Kohli’s third of the innings, was a perfectly tossed up delivery on off-stump. Kohli was forward and right to the pitch in a jiffy as he drilled the ball through extra cover to begin with a boundary. It set Kohli up for the rest of his innings.”When Surya started hitting it like that, I kind of looked at the dug-out as well,” Kohli said after the match to Star Sports. “Rohit and Rahul both told me, ‘you can just keep batting on’ because Surya was striking it that well. It was just about building a partnership, so I used my experience a little bit, stayed back.”Australia, though, didn’t just have to be mindful of Kohli. At the other end, Suryakumar was plotting carnage in his own style. One second, he was stepping out to leg, giving the impression he’d be going inside out, only to whip deliveries to bisect deep midwicket and long-on. The next, he was going deep into the crease, so deep you feared for his back leg nudging the stumps, to manufacture length to play his back-cut behind point. These two shots, in essence, are a peek into Suryakumar’s approach – no leeway, no luxuries to settle into a length.”It’s absolute clarity in what he wants to do,” Kohli said of Suryakumar’s brilliance. “Obviously he has the game to bat under any sort of situation, in any condition and he’s shown that already. He got a hundred in England; he batted beautifully in the Asia Cup as well. Here he’s striking the ball as well as I’ve seen him strike. I mean, for the last six months he’s been outstanding so it’s just the array of shots, and to play those shots at the right time is such tremendous for a guy who knows his game inside out and has no fear in executing those shots.”Kohli came out all guns blazing against spin, eventually hitting a match-winning fifty•BCCIAt the end of seven overs, Kohli had raced to 25, with Suryakumar on 6. Within four overs, Suryakumar had comfortably overtaken Kohli. Soon enough, he brought up his half-century with back-to-back sixes off Zampa in the 13th, with Kohli having slowed down to watch the show from the best seat in the house. This wasn’t to say Kohli went completely defensive. He took Zampa on from the get-go, walloping a massive six down the ground. More than the six, his manner of unsettling the bowler told you of how he’d meticulously planned to counter him.”I kind of made up my mind to go after him today,” Kohli said. “He’s a quality bowler. He kind of tries to control my scoring rate whenever we play, and I knew he is going to attack the stumps, so I was outside leg stump already. In the last game, I was kind of disappointed that after hitting a four, I went for a double rather than hitting him for a six, so I’m making a conscious effort to strike big in the middle overs, so that it can help the team’s situation.”Since he has returned from the break at the Asia Cup last month, Kohli has been visibly aggressive against spin. Shades of this dominance were visible in his takedown of Rashid Khan when he broke his century-drought earlier this month in Dubai. Such clarity can often be down to one’s confidence levels. On Sunday, Kohli arrived at the ground an hour and a half prior to the rest of the team and had a 30-minute net. This was a reinvigorated Kohli working his way back up to top form and wanting to cash in on good form that seemed to have deserted him for a while.”I’ve enjoyed my batting ever since I came back during the Asia Cup,” Kohli said. “I’m really enjoying my process, really working hard on my fitness all over again. I’m excited to go to the gym, excited go to practice and just contribute to the team’s cause. I know the last game wasn’t a big score, but I felt like I hit two impact boundaries, so am happy with my contributions. And am not putting myself down if I’m not getting big runs every time for the team. I’m just trying to stay in this space.”