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Arsenal are closing in on signing Brazilian playmaker Bitello, with reports claiming the Gunners have submitted an opening proposal for the 23-year-old.

Mikel Arteta has already added Kai Havertz and Declan Rice to his midfield this summer, however, the Spaniard isn’t expected to halt the activity just yet.

What’s the latest on Bitello to Arsenal?

As reported by journalist Rafael Pfeiffer, the north Londoners have made an opening offer to Gremio for Bitello.

The offer is reported to be in the region of €8m (£7m), a fee lower than the expected €10m (£8.6m) valuation by the Brazilian club, as told by Tuttomercatoweb.

Reports in Brazil (as relayed by Sport Witness), first linked the club and player earlier this month.

How good is Bitello?

Deployed primarily in central midfield, the creative-minded sensation has impressed in his home country since his graduation from Gremio’s academy.

In 14 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A, the 23-year-old scored three goals, maintaining an average match rating of 7.09, as per Sofascore.

Once hailed as “unique” by Talent ID expert Ben Mattinson, the midfielder is equally as combative as he is creative, as supported by his numbers.

The Arsenal target won an average of 6.9 total duels per game in the league, while recording an average of 1.9 key passes per game to showcase his ability to dominate the middle channel.

For the Gunners, the capture of Bitello could provide a positive addition to the depth in midfield, while providing a warning sign for those already at the Emirates to up their performance if game time isn’t already guaranteed.

One name that could be alarmed by the Brazilian’s arrival is Fabio Vieira, who has failed to impress since arriving in the capital last summer from Porto.

The fellow central midfielder arrived in north London with the status of a lethal asset in Portugal, registering six goals and 14 assists in his final season in Liga Portugal in just 27 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Whether it be a slow adaptation period or being a long way from home, the 23-year-old has failed to live up to expectation, being branded as “far too weak” by Sky Sports’ Connor Humm.

Across 22 Premier League appearances, the Portuguese talent scored on one occasion, earning just three starts during his debut campaign, via Sofascore.

The introduction of Bitello could threaten Vieira’s claim to rise up the pecking order, with the Gremio gem's numbers suggesting that he could be a more appropriate fit for the side than the Arsenal man.

While the role of a playmaker steers away from defensive duties, the former Porto whizz has been identified as a weak link in the middle of the park for his inability to protect possession.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old averaged just 0.3 tackles and won 0.9 total duels per game last term, highlighting his frailties in getting stuck into the opposition in a league that is identified for its physical demands.

In terms of creativity, the Santa Maria de Feira-born attacker fell short to the Gunners' target in addition to his lack of defensive competence, averaging 0.5 key passes per game in the Premier League.

The potential arrival of Bitello could prove to be negative reading for Vieira, who already has a battle on his hands to worm his way back among those in contention for game time next season.

Aston Villa are reportedly leading the race to sign Juventus forward Federico Chiesa, however the move could prove to be a repeat of the past for the Villans.

A report from Italian outlet Calciomercato earlier this week claimed that Villa have ‘led above all’ in the pursuit for the Italian winger, with the Turin giants reportedly keen to sell the 25-year-old this summer.

A separate report from the Daily Mail claimed that Juventus have ‘offered’ the former Fiorentina whiz to Premier League clubs, with Villa named as one of those interested.

Unai Emery is keen to equip his side with star quality this summer after securing European football next term, however not all stars are worth aiming for, as seen in the Midlands before.

Would Federico Chiesa be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Lauded as a “diamond” by scout Antonio Mango, Chiesa was once regarded as a shining light in Italy for his time at Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old was snatched up by Juventus back in 2020 on an initial two-year loan deal before making the move permanent last summer.

In his final full Serie A campaign with Fiorentina, the versatile attacker contributed to 19 goals in 34 appearances, scoring 10 and assisting nine in a dominant individual year to showcase his breakthrough as one of the continent's best.

The 2020/21 season marked his first in Turin, where he made 30 appearances and both scored and assisted eight goals in the process.

Since that campaign, the Italian has failed to hit over 30 appearances in a league term for Juve, in an unfortunate sequence of events that have seen him miss a host of game time due to injury.

An anterior cruciate ligament rupture in January 2022 saw the 25-year-old sidelined for 36 games, with his record not getting easier for the player, missing a total of an additional 55 days of action since his recovery.

Players that face individual battles with staying fit face cruel paths, whether that be struggling to rediscover form after time away from action, or returning to find their spot no longer vacant, with Chiesa discovering such hardships at Juventus.

Making just six starts in Serie A last season, the Genova-born gem has fallen down the pecking order in Massimiliano Allegri’s side, not helped by him scoring just four goals over the previous two league campaigns.

Villa could learn from past mistakes before opting to take the £51m plunge to sign Chiesa, who despite his fitness woes is a superb talent, but could present the Villans with more burdens than success.

Villa Park has seen such disappointment with Philippe Coutinho, who arrived in the Midlands in January 2022 with an extensive injury history and has struggled to perform since trading Catalonia for Birmingham permanently last summer.

In 2020, the Brazilian sustained a rupture to his knee, leaving him sidelined for a total of 220 days, which like Chiesa, didn’t mark the end of his injury woes, with the 31-year-old missing an additional 81 days on separate occasions after.

Since returning to England, the former Liverpool gem – who has been linked with a move away from the Midlands side this summer – has scored just six goals in 41 appearances in all competitions, while starting just seven league games for the Villans last campaign.

Spending on Chiesa could implement a repeat of the woes surrounding the fitness and lack of performance from Coutinho, using funds that could allow for a better-suited individual to grace Villa Park.

Crystal Palace’s pre-season needs to start taking shape. At the moment, the club finds itself in a slightly precarious position, particularly in attacking positions.

Wilfried Zaha looks increasingly likely to depart Selhurst Park this summer, while Michael Olise is facing up to three months out and is set to miss start the start of the season as he picked up a hamstring injury in the recent U21 UEFA European Championship.

If Eberechi Eze suffered a similar injury to Olise, then it would be the Eagles criminally lacking depth and quality in forward.

The underwhelming trio of Jordan Ayew, Odsonne Edouard, and Jean-Philippe Mateta only managed 11 Premier League goals between them, so Steve Parish will need to identify reinforcements to eradicate any chance of relegation.

In the past, the Eagles have been linked with Charles De Ketelaere, a player who was once again mooted with a switch to southeast London this month.

What’s the latest on Charles De Ketelaere to Crystal Palace?

According to Italian journalist Daniel Speranza, Palace, as well as West Ham and Everton are chasing the 22-year-old gem, who could cost around €30m (£26m).

"After West Ham and Crystal Palace, Everton have also conducted a poll for Charles De Ketelaere in the last few hours," he tweeted. "The #Milan is firm on its requests: about 30 million are needed. Reflections in progress by the English clubs."

Would Charles De Ketelaere be a good signing for Crystal Palace?

When De Ketelaere joined AC Milan in the summer of 2022, he looked on course to continue his wondrous, meteoric rise to international stardom.

The 6 foot 3 prodigy began his career in his homeland at Club Brugge in 2008, before making his senior debut for the squad in 2019.

In 90 appearances in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and Champions League play-offs, De Ketelaere recorded 33 goal contributions. As a result, he became the first player born this century to score at least 15 times and provide at least 15 assists in the division.

During this time he forged a formidable reputation for his positional versatility and his limitless potential, with Scouted Football summing up his style of play like this: “De Ketelaere's developed from a supporting wide attacker into a forward that strains defences from most angles and situations. He runs into depth, slips off blindsides, shoots off dribbles, gets onto crosses – flexible and effective. He's going to go a long way.”

However, his move to Italy has unravelled into disaster, making 40 appearances in all competitions and registering just one assist. It is a damning reflection upon a player unable to adapt to his new surroundings and may look for a different experience.

It would be harsh to discard his talent as he still remains in the infancy of his career, and if he can replicate the form he displayed at Belgium, he could provide the attacking impetus to possibly deputise for Zaha.

The Ivorian has been the heartbeat of Selhurst Park for many years, with 111 goal involvements in 305 top-flight outings.

As well as this frightening productivity, the Eagles winger ranks within the top 20% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for successful take-ons per 90.

Similarly to De Ketelaere, Zaha has been shuffled across the frontline, with both players demonstrating high-level competence and adaptability.

Palace has never been blessed with an especially deep squad so this trait to play in various positions is vital.

De Ketelaere, who has been described as “so, so promising” by scout Jacek Kulig, is in need of revival and he could be tempted by the prospect of becoming Palace’s new talisman.

Newcastle United massively overachieved this season. Despite their monstrous new investment under a different regime, the club is still miles ahead of its projected trajectory.

With this has come the dreamy, and previously unreachable Champions League qualification, which means that Eddie Howe must accelerate his attempts to add sufficient depth to his squad to make it capable of challenging on multiple fronts.

The Magpies have already kickstarted this process with the sensational signing of Sandro Tonali for a whopping £55m and due to their excessive budget they find themselves linked to a flurry of different players.

One of the most high-profile sees Harvey Barnes touted with a move to St James Park, but with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur also keenly tracking the Leicester City man, it could become a complicated deal.

Therefore, a cheaper and more attainable alternative is available in the form of Jesper Lindstrom.

What’s the latest on Jesper Lindstrom to Newcastle?

According to FootballTransfers, the 23-year-old is keen on a move to Newcastle.

Lindstrom is intent on playing Champions League football next season and is willing to push for a move out of Germany to achieve this, despite generally being happy at Eintracht Frankfurt.

This outlet believes this decision was accelerated by the 2022 Europa League winners' dismal end to the last campaign as they recorded just two wins from their final 13 Bundesliga games as Oliver Glasner was fired in May.

The Austrian was reportedly a mentor to Lindstrom and this has prompted the player to search for a new challenge at a higher level.

It was previously revealed that he could leave the club for around £26m.

Why do Newcastle want Jesper Lindstrom?

The attacking midfielder has been at Frankfurt since 2021 and has made 77 appearances in all competitions, recording 27 goal involvements. He was a pivotal figure in the club’s sensational run to Europa League, providing four assists and playing for 70 minutes in the final, as they secured a penalty shoot-out victory over Rangers.

Domestically, the ten-cap international has also shown himself to be a formidable asset as he was named the Bundesliga Rookie Award last year, as he registered ten goal contributions in the division.

The Dane carried this form into the last campaign, raising his goal and assist tally to 11. He is a player who is constantly improving, and his statistics are similar to that of Harvey Barnes, who will supposedly cost almost double his price at £50m.

Lindstrom is closely ranked to the Englishman in a number of metrics including: goals per shot (0.16 vs 0.13), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.94 vs 3.30), and % of shots on target (42.2 vs 43.4).

Furthermore, although Barnes is an impressive goalscorer, he still has much to improve on regarding build-up play, residing within the lowest 23% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for passes attempted per 90, pass completion, and progressive passes per 90.

Although a lesser-known name, Lindstrom is described as a “huge talent” and could emerge as an extremely smart acquisition if Howe opts for this route.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:15

‘Surprised by the Bengaluru pitch’

First there was control, then panic and eventually wickets. Most of them went to Nathan Lyon, whose 8 for 50 was the best ever haul by a visiting bowler in India. He personified Australia’s ability to adapt to unfavourable conditions – which included a lost toss – and by the end of the day they had ransacked 10 wickets for 189 runs, put up a score of 40 for 0 themselves and did their chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy no harm whatsoever.Most teams coming to the subcontinent will be aware they have to invest heavily in maintaining tight lines and lengths for pressure is as good as any help they might receive off the pitch to pick up wickets. The batsman starts to feel trapped, doubts begin to fester, he searches for release and…India know this template well. Yet they lost Cheteshwar Pujara on the stroke of lunch. Virat Kohli gave his wicket away – and then a review as well – by padding up to a straight ball. Were it not for KL Rahul’s 90 on his home ground in Bengaluru, they would have been in far worse shape. And that is saying something considering they were bundled out for under 200 for the third time in as many innings.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were in prime form with the new ball. Six of the first 12 overs on Saturday were maidens, the result of their getting just enough movement in the air and off the pitch. Lyon was precise with his line and smart with his length. He got the ball to turn and bounce sharply on some occasions and on others he made it drift and go straight on. His biggest strike, though, was simply down to a set up.Kohli was new to the crease and only a few seconds ago had a good length ball jumped past his inside edge and hit his thigh pad. Something told the Indian captain he could trust the bounce here, that if he was playing on the back foot, the ball was unlikely to threaten his stumps. That made picking length very, very important. Lyon flattened his trajectory, Kohli left the ball, suckered into believing it was short, it thudded into his pad in front of middle stump and umpire Nigel Llong put his finger up. While the error in judgment can be forgiven, the gamble with DRS was less so for it was driven not by logic but hope, and even a little bit of fear at losing the best batsman in the team giving Australia the kind of momentum they would love.Watching all this from the other end was Rahul. His innings spanned 205 balls – the next best was a mere 66 – was a battle all through. He was struck on the glove as Starc peppered him with bouncers. He was often unsure against Hazlewood’s two-way movement. He could have been caught on 30 but even Peter Handscomb, whose agility is already becoming legend, was unable to hold on to a rather difficult chance low to his left at silly mid-off.Nathan Lyon’s 8 for 50 was the best figures by a visiting bowler in India•Associated Press

Rahul had the mettle to work past his troubles, to not buckle to pressure and go looking for that boundary that makes him feel better for but an instant. He had had enough of that in Pune. Normally a free-flowing batsman – evidenced by his striking the first ball of the match to the point boundary – he understood the importance of a big score and buckled down to get it. With time at the crease, his defensive game grew tighter but most of all, he was able to absorb all the pressure Australia piled up on him.The same could not be said of his team-mates. Ajinkya Rahane hurtled down the pitch against Lyon only for the straighter ball to beat his outside edge. He was so far past the crease that Matthew Wade even had time to recover from a fumble and pull off the stumping. The 17 runs he made marked the ninth time out of 10 innings that he has fallen for a score under 30. Karun Nair, who was brought in to lengthen the batting line-up, playing for the first time since his 303 not out in December, committed the same mistake against O’Keefe and this time the ball turned sharply to leave him stumped too.Against the vagaries of the M Chinnaswamy strip – hosting a Test for the first time since large-scale renovations of the outfield – and the discipline of the Australian bowlers, it was difficult not to imagine India as those kids waiting for Mum and Dad to slack off so they can raid the sweets in the pantry. But by the end of the day, with no hope of their craving being satisfied, they could only fold their hands over their chest and go “this sucks”.By tea, Australia’s GOAT had gutted India’s middle order and sent back their big three. The first of his wickets was a major turning point. He had a set Pujara caught at short leg off what became the very last ball before lunch and a 61-run second wicket partnership was broken.Against a bowler in such rhythm, the lower order folded quickly. R Ashwin was undone by a spitting cobra. Wriddhiman Saha edged one that didn’t turn as much as he thought. Ravindra Jadeja inside edged a catch off the pad to slip – which was only confirmed when Smith made fine use of the review available to him. Even there, Australia were thumping India. And it all tied in to Lyon’s skill. A newfound skill.In the early part of his career, he couldn’t figure out how to bowl on turners. He would either be too slow and too full and get driven a lot, or too quick and too short leading to outcomes a lot worse. Here all of his wickets came off the 5 to 6m mark. For a batsman, that meant even if he came forward, he couldn’t reach the pitch of the ball. To then make connection, he has to push his hands out in front and that compromises his balance. Playing back is a risk too because Lyon’s overspin generates awkward bounce.Against that, the extra batsman was of little use. M Vijay, however, was not among of the XI having injured his left shoulder in the 333-run defeat in Pune and in his place came Tamil Nadu team-mate Abhinav Mukund. The 27-year old was representing India for the first time in over five years and his team was using their eighth opening pair in the last 12 months. He got an eight-ball duck, the partnership yielded only 11 runs, the position is clearly cursed, it time to call Scooby Doo yet?

West Bromwich Albion's preparations for the new season have been rocked by reports that key player Jayson Molumby could be on his way to Leeds United.

With strong suggestions that manager Carlos Corberan is also wanted by Leeds, the Baggies potentially face a double blow ahead of the Championship campaign getting underway.

What is the latest with West Brom's transfer business?

Speculation surrounding Corberan's future at The Hawthorns will not go away until Leeds name Sam Allardyce's successor, which could happen by the end of the week.

However, Albion may now have to brace themselves for a Leeds bid for Molumby, who played in 43 of their 46 league matches last season.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds are keen on the Republic of Ireland international and believe he is available at a good price.

Should Leeds step forward with a bid that matches Albion's valuation, the Baggies could bring in a ready-made replacement who may yet be an upgrade on Molumby.

Should West Brom sign Marvelous Nakamba?

Marvelous Nakamba played a starring role in Luton Town's promotion to the Premier League last season, with the Hatters barely conceding a goal from open play when the Zimbabwean was on the pitch.

The 29-year-old joined on loan from Aston Villa in January and made 20 appearances in total, but he is now back at his parent club and may again be loaned out to the second tier.

Sunday Mirror reporter Darren Witcoop suggests Albion are waiting to pounce for Nakamba should Luton not get to his signature first.

That would be a major coup for the Baggies on the basis of last season, with Nakamba ranking in the top 2% of his positional peers for tackles won (4.05) per 90 minutes over the past 12 months, as per FBref. To give that some perspective, Molumby has a figure of 1.83 tackles per 90 minutes.

While Molumby does have more of an attacking threat to his game, scoring four goals compared to zero for Nakamba, the latter – valued at £4m by Football Observatory – comes out on top for dribblers tackled (1.71 v 0.87), blocks (1.27 v 1.24) and interceptions (1.01 v 0.68).

When factoring in their all-round games, WhoScored gives Molumby a rating of 6.56 and Nakamba 6.93, with that based on their performances in the Championship alone.

As pointed out by football reporter Josh Bunting, "quality" Nakamba is a "tough tackler" who is "good at starting counter attacks", while also having the ability to carry the ball forward.

Should Corberan – or whoever else is in charge – get the opportunity to sign Nakamba on loan or otherwise, Molumby could be made to look a player of the past very soon indeed.

Aston Villa are still reflecting on a hugely impressive campaign in which Unai Emery guided them from the threat of relegation and into Europe in his first five months at the helm.

The Villans cannot afford to stand still as they embark on a season of Premier League and Europa Conference League football, though, with strength in depth key if they are to compete on multiple fronts.

One attainable target Villa have been linked with is Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams, with Football Insider reporting that Emery's side are in the mix to sign the American this summer, with a fee of around £35m having been mooted.

Leeds paid a reported £20m to land the United States midfielder from RB Leipzig last year, so a slightly higher offer from Villa – should it indeed arrive – may well be enough to prise him away from Elland Road on the back of the Whites' recent relegation to the Championship.

However, Villa are not alone in showing an interest in Adams after his impressive maiden campaign in English football, with Manchester United also said to retain an interest.

What can Tyler Adams provide Aston Villa?

Leeds may have suffered a disappointing campaign last time out, but Adams is one of those who came out of the season with some credit.

Adams was given a seasonal rating of 6.73 by WhoScored, which was the most of any Leeds player – Jack Harrison being the next highest with 6.72.

The 24-year-old also caught the eye at the World Cup midway through the season, earning praise from writer Wes Rucker for being a "machine" as the United States made it to the knockout rounds.

Indeed, Adams' numbers in the Premier League last season were similar to those of Declan Rice, who is wanted by a number of elite clubs this summer, Bayern Munich and Arsenal among them.

Adams completed 82.5 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, as per FBref, whereas Rice completed 86.5. Adams averaged 67.8 touches per 90 minutes, meanwhile – an almost identical figure to Rice with 68.

There was also very little between the pair in terms of aerial duels won (1.04 for Adams and 1.02 for Rice) and carries (34.1 compared to 39.9 respectively).

With Rice potentially attracting a fee in excess of £90m, Adams should be considered a steal at that aforementioned figure in the region of £35m – though that is not to say Leeds will not play hardball.

Emery will no doubt be excited by the prospect of having Adams in his engine room next season, which would only get even more out of other talented players in his squad, not least the more advanced Jacob Ramsey.

Academy product Ramsey scored six goals and assisted seven more in 35 Premier League appearances last season – figures that could grow even higher with Adams in the side to provide greater defensive cover.

In what is an exciting summer for Villa supporters, Adams may just be the marquee signing ahead of what may well be a season to remember.

Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie and Chris Tremain have been chosen for Australia’s limited-overs tour of South Africa after the selectors were compelled to dig deep into the nation’s pace reserves to cover for the resting Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood

Daniel Brettig05-Sep-2016

Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie and Chris Tremain have been chosen for Australia’s limited-overs tour of South Africa after the selectors were compelled to dig deep into the nation’s pace reserves to cover for the resting Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.For a series that will be played in conditions more suited to pacemen than the just completed bout with Sri Lanka, Worrall, Mennie and Tremain have been rewarded for breakout domestic seasons for South Australia and Victoria, the two sides that contested last season’s Sheffield Shield final.National selector Rod Marsh said the seam and swing bowling trio will be needed to support John Hastings and Scott Boland against South Africa and also the opening match against Ireland. Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Peter Siddle were among the bowlers not able to be considered due to injury. Usman Khawaja, who played two ODIs against Sri Lanka with scores of 6 and 0, was left out of the squad. Adam Zampa is the frontline spinner in the squad with Nathan Lyon also omitted.Ins and Outs

Ins: Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Daniel Worrall
Outs: Mitchell Starc, Usman Khawaja, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Nathan Lyon, Nathan Coulter-Nile

“Chris, Joe and Daniel all had terrific summers last year and have also impressed us during the recent Australia A series with consistent performances,” Marsh said. “They are young players with a bright future who thoroughly deserve their selection and we look forward to seeing them work with John Hastings and Scott Boland, who have both performed well for Australia since returning from injury.”Mennie and Worrall formed a potent seam and swing combination alongside Chadd Sayers for the Redbacks last season, while Tremain moved from New South Wales to Victoria and soon found himself spearheading the bowling attack for the team that eventually lifted the Shield.”I think consistently playing has been a big help,” Tremain said in Melbourne. “People keep saying I got starved for opportunity in NSW but I don’t think that was the case. It was a matter of not doing the right things at the right time to give yourself an opportunity to play there. Coming down to Victoria I got a few good opportunities early, did ok and rolled with the punches early.”Then, rather than worrying about whether I was going to play the next game I worried about the next ball or how I was going to stay in the moment rather than worry about what had gone or what was going to happen. If there was any big change in my game it would be more upstairs in my head than anything else. Playing consistently and not worrying too much about whether I was going to play the next game, was a big step.”Tremain’s first Australian tour will coincide with that of the new assistant coach David Saker, who took up the role as Darren Lehmann’s deputy after helping guide the Bushrangers to the Shield. A plain speaker, Saker has ensured Tremain stays level in mindset, neither seduced by success nor downtrodden by failure.”He just called and said what are the odds that my first tour is your first tour?” Tremain said. “He’s good and he’s no punches pulled, so I’m sure regardless or playing for the Renegades or Victoria or Australia coming up, if I’ve done something wrong you get scolded for it and rightly so.”If you do something right it’s not a big pump up, it’s a pat on the back and congratulations for doing your job. He’s really good at keeping people level, keeping people concentrated on what they need to do and not getting too far ahead or behind what they’re doing.”While South African pitches should provide more assistance than Sri Lanka, Tremain said that the high benchmark being set by the likes of Hastings gave him a level of consistency to aim for. “I’ve been watching the ODIs in Sri Lanka at the moment and they look like they’re very difficult to bowl on,” he said. “Watching John Hastings and Scotty Boland work over there, [James] Faulkner, the way they go about their business on flat wickets is a really good viewing point for wickets that might offer a little bit more.”Doing the hard work on these flat wickets just makes it that little bit easier on a wicket that might offer a bit more. Rather than looking at what we might get in South Africa I’ve been looking at what it’s like when it is really hard and flat and you can’t get the ball up around their ears or get it to swing. Viewing that sort of stuff has put me into a mainframe that things are going to be difficult, they might not be as difficult as Sri Lanka, but if I prepare for something really difficult and get a pleasant surprise, then grab it with both hands.”Travis Head retained his place in the ODI squad following a series of cameo performances in Sri Lanka, but there was no room for Glenn Maxwell. Mitchell Marsh returned to the squad after being rested from the Sri Lanka ODIs, while the captain Steven Smith also returned to the ranks.Australia will play Ireland in Benoni on September 27 followed by the five ODIs against South Africa starting September 30 in Centurion.ODI squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, George Bailey, Scott Boland, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joe Mennie, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade (wk), Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa.

Yorkshire’s allrounder David Willey will rejoin the England ODI squad later this week after an injury to his left hand was found to be less serious than first feared.Willey was struck on the hand in his follow through by a fierce drive from Durham’s Mark Stoneman while bowling in Yorkshire’s NatWest T20 Blast semi-final on Saturday. He continued to play a full part in the game, finishing his overs and opening the batting with his hand tightly strapped, but was initially ruled out of the one-day series against Pakistan after scans on Sunday.However, it has now been confirmed that Willey only suffered bruising, rather than any kind of break, and he will link up with the England squad after Wednesday’s first ODI at the Ageas Bowl.An England spokesman said: “On further review today, David Willey has been cleared of a fracture to his left hand and he will rejoin England’s ODI squad on Thursday. His progress will be monitored by the medical team during the series.”Willey had tweeted on Sunday evening that he still hoped to play a part in the series and he followed that up with a picture of the bruising on Monday, adding: “Good news! No serious damage so I’ll be back as soon as the swelling goes!”Willey’s commitment to the cause was not enough to get Yorkshire through to the NatWest Blast final but England will doubtless be happy to have him available, as well as relieved that his fighting spirit did not result in greater damage. Jake Ball, who was called up as cover, will remain with the squad.England also have a slight concern over the fitness of Stuart Broad, who also played on Finals Day but is not part of the limited-overs squads. Broad will undergo a scan on his left ankle on Tuesday and has been withdrawn from Nottinghamshire’s Championship squad for their match against Yorkshire at Scarborough.Alastair Cook, England’s Test captain, has meanwhile been made available to play in Essex’s next two Championship matches, against Leicestershire and Worcestershire.

Georgia Adams hit 41 as the Southern Vipers produced a flawless display with bat and ball to start their Kia Super League campaign with a six-wicket bonus point win over Surrey Stars

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2016
ScorecardNew Zealand’s Suzie Bates scored 25 and took 1 for 20 as Southern Vipers started with a win (file photo)•IDI/Getty ImagesGeorgia Adams hit 41 as the Southern Vipers produced a flawless display with bat and ball to start their Kia Super League campaign with a six-wicket bonus point win over Surrey Stars.Opening batsman Adams crunched her runs from 43 balls in a stylish knock, helping to put on a 66-run opening stand with New Zealand international Suzie Bates. Despite a mini-wobble with victory in their sights, the Vipers chased down their target with 28 balls to spare following a disciplined bowling performance in front of 2,250 at the Ageas Bowl.The only blemish for the home side came when captain Charlotte Edwards, who recently retired from England duty, suffered a sickening neck injury when she collided with Fi Morris attempting to catch Nat Sciver’s aerial strike, forcing her to sit out the rest of the match.Surrey had elected to bat first but opening bowlers Morna Nielson and Natasha Farrant piled on the pressure from the off, with batsmen Bryony Smith and Tammy Beaumont struggling to pierce the infield. The frustration was typified when England star Beaumont chipped Farrant straight to Edwards at mid-on from the 12th ball of the innings.The squeeze continued into left-armer Farrant’s second over when she had Cordelia Griffith leg before and Bates joined the fun by bowling a slogging Smith.The Stars were then left on 26 for 4 when a stunning catch from Edwards, again at mid-on, gave Nielsen her first wicket with the final ball of her spell – and top figures of 1 for 12 from four overs. It got even worse for the visitors when captain Nat Sciver sent back overseas player Marizanne Kapp, who was well short of making her ground.Naomi Dattani was lbw to Morris but Sciver and Rene Farrell milked as many runs as possible in an unbroken partnership of 37 to help the Stars reach 85 for 6 in their 20 overs.The Vipers boasted a glowing bowling card, with home-grown pacer Katie George a surprise standout, only going for 13 in her four overs, including 17 dot balls, and Farrant taking 2 for 17.In reply, Bates and Adams, promoted to the top of the order with Edwards sidelined although able to bat if required, looked more at ease at the crease than their Surrey counterparts. Adams stroked a glorious cover drive before Bates, the ICC’s No. 2-ranked T20 batsman, copied her at the other end as the pair went through the gears to reach 32 for 0 by the end of the Powerplay.Surrey’s day got worse when Kapp dropped a low chance off Adams, and the Sussex batsman made her pay with a beautiful lofted drive down the ground soon after. The fifty stand came up in 65 deliveries, but Adams drilled a caught and bowled at Alex Hartley to end the partnership.Sara McGlashan fell to Hartley’s next ball and Bates was castled by Lea Tahuhu as three wickets fell for two runs, before Alice Macleod was run out with three still required but the home side managed to ease home three balls later.