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An unbeaten 157 from opener Luis Reece – and an opening stand of 219 – was part of another dominant day against Middlesex

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2018
ScorecardDerbyshire are poised to end their long wait for a home Championship victory after they outplayed Middlesex for the third day running in the Division Two match at Derby.Luis Reece scored an unbeaten 157 and Ben Slater fell one short of a century before Derbyshire declared on 333 for 3, setting Middlesex a highly improbable target of 442 in a minimum of 129 overs.Their chances were even slimmer after Sam Robson, Rob White and Hilton Cartwright were dismissed leaving Middlesex on 86 for 3 at the close and Derbyshire scenting a first home win since they beat Leicestershire at Derby in September 2014.Derbyshire started the day in a strong position with a lead of 226 and they increased that by 53 in 17 overs before rain resulted in an early lunch.Middlesex were without injured pace bowlers Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris and although they did well to restrict Derbyshire’s run rate, it was always a question of when the home side pulled out.Reece and Slater passed Derbyshire’s previous highest opening stand against Middlesex of 181 and then eclipsed the best ever partnership against the county of 209 set in 1932.Both looked certain to reach three figures but after Reece completed his third Championship hundred for Derbyshire from 268 balls, Slater became becalmed on 99 and cut a long hop from Ollie Rayner to cover.Reece drove Rayner for six as he and Wayne Madsen added 101 before Paul Stirling had Madsen caught at short fine leg and Alex Hughes stumped before the declaration came leaving Middlesex to equal the highest winning fourth innings total against Derbyshire.But their first target was to get through 29 overs against an attack that bowled them out for 157 in the first innings and although conditions were good for batting, Middlesex’s chances suffered a big setback when Hardus Viljoen removed Robson.The Middlesex captain played across a full length ball and was lbw for 5 and there was another breakthrough when Duanne Olivier replaced Viljoen at the City End. White shuffled across and was only half forward when he was struck in front and Olivier was celebrating again when he switched ends.Hilton Cartwright pulled a short ball to the midwicket boundary but the next left him and took the outside edge to take Derbyshire a step closer to that elusive victory.

Tottenham Hotspur remain firmly in the mix at the top of the table following a remarkable start to life under new boss Ange Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie still yet to taste defeat in his opening six Premier League games in charge.

The former Celtic coach notably oversaw a positive 2-2 draw away to bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with a typically clinical brace from long-serving legend, Heung-min Son, having secured a deserved point for the visitors at the Emirates.

No longer aided by his former partner-in-crime, Harry Kane, Son showed he has the ability and the quality to be Spurs' new talisman moving forward, having taken his tally to five league goals for the season already – half of what he achieved in the whole of last season.

That's not to suggest that the north Londoners are simply a one-man show, however, with summer signing James Maddison also helping to shoulder the attacking burden in the absence of Kane, the former Leicester City man laying on both assists for the South Korean sensation at the weekend.

The division's Player of the Month for August has made a stunning start to life at N17 and has arguably been the "signing of the summer" – according to TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole – with two goals and four assists to his name already this season.

78 minutes played

43 touches

Two assists

Three key passes

7/12 ground duels won

Three fouls won

86% pass accuracy rate

7.7 match rating

Stats via Sofascore

Such an instrumental performance from the 26-year-old was somewhat tainted as he was forced off with injury late on, with both Postecoglou and supporters facing a nervous wait to see if the playmaker will be fit to feature at home to Liverpool this weekend.

What is the latest on Maddison's injury?

The England international was withdrawn in the closing stages – alongside Son – against Mikel Arteta's men, with reports suggesting that he is set to undergo scans to ascertain the extent of the damage, after jarring his knee in the second half on Sunday.

Although the Coventry-born maestro was able to play on following that nasty-looking incident after receiving treatment, it remains to be seen if it is merely a minor issue, or something that could rule him out for an extended period.

According to football.london, the player himself is said to have been feeling 'positive' regarding his knee after the game and was seen moving normally following his post-match media duties, thus raising hopes that he will not be enduring a spell on the treatment table.

Even so, that momentary concern over Maddison exposed a major 'short-term issue' for Postecoglou – as per the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick – with regard to the lack of 'squad depth', with there seemingly a dearth of options to replace the former Norwich City man if he is to be sidelined, be it now or at another occasion.

Who could replace James Maddison at Tottenham?

With the likes of Yves Bissouma, Pape Matar Sarr, Oliver Skipp and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg all more likely to operate in a deep-lying berth, the only obvious candidate to step into Maddison's shoes is Giovani Lo Celso, albeit with the Argentine having endured his own injury woes of late.

Even if the Argentine was available for selection there are likely to be doubts over whether he can perform on a consistent basis in the Premier League, having spent the last 18 months out on loan at La Liga side, Villarreal.

The 27-year-old – who signed for Spurs back in 2019 following prior stints at Real Betis and Paris Saint-Germain – has hardly set the world alight when he has been seen in Lilywhite in recent times, scoring just eight goals and contributing only six assists in 86 games in all competitions to date.

With Maddison already almost eclipsing that tally of assists from just seven appearances, Lo Celso doesn't appear to be the man who can provide quality service to the likes of Son and Dejan Kulusevski, hence the need to potentially look elsewhere to find a solution.

A possible dream, "creative force" – as hailed by journalist Alasdair Gold – could have presented itself in the form of teen superstar, Jamie Donley, with the 18-year-old currently shining in the academy ranks.

How good is Jamie Donley?

The Northern Ireland-born, England youth international had previously been touted as the 'new Harry Kane' after rising up through the age groups at Hotspur Way, proving himself to be "a natural finisher", according to journalist Josh Bunting.

Despite potentially having the goalscoring credentials to succeed the 30-year-old in the first-team ranks – having previously netted 26 goals in just 40 games at U18 level – the youngster has thrived in a number ten berth of late, ensuring he could be the perfect understudy to Maddison when required.

Lauded as a "fantastic young talent" who is "comfortable driving with the ball", in the words of Bunting, the Antrim native is a real master at providing that creative link between midfield and attack, showcased by the delightful assist that he provided for Alfie Devine against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Youth League last term.

As for the current campaign, the exciting diamond – who has 17 goals and assists to his name in just 31 games for the U21s – has already contributed seven assists in just six games so far this term.

That includes a record of six assists in just five Premier League 2 appearances, while Donley also starred in the recent EFL Trophy triumph over Colchester United, scoring twice and contributing one assist in that 5-0 thrashing.

Such an "outstanding" showing – as hailed by youth coach Wayne Burnett – has indicated that the elegant left-footer can thrive against senior opposition, having also put himself about defensively after winning 11 ground duels, including making seven tackles.

Evidently something of an all-rounder, it would be no surprise if young Donley is handed his first-team bow before too long, having been described by podcaster Chris Miller as the "closest thing to Maddison" in the Spurs ranks at present.

With Postecoglou already putting his faith in the youthful pairing of Destiny Udogie and Sarr this season, the next step is to promote one of the club's emerging academy talents as the campaign progresses.

Bowlers dominated on a grim day at Lord’s but Middlesex’s Stevie Eskinazi managed to provide a bright interlude

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2018
ScorecardMiddlesex’s Stevie Eskinazi stood tall on a day of otherwise clattering wickets in the Specsavers County Championship match against Glamorgan at Lord’s.While all others, with the possible exception of John Simpson, struggled to put bat to ball, the South African-born right-hander plundered 16 boundaries in scoring 94 at more than a run a ball.The fact his efforts were not enough to raise a batting point for the hosts was largely down to a five wicket-haul for Glamorgan skipper Michael Hogan, ably supported by Tim Van Der Gugten who after having Eskinazi caught behind, ran through the Middlesex tail.Tim Murtagh conjured up a trademark spell of 4 for 12 from the Nursery End to leave Glamorgan floundering at 38 for 4 in reply before the bad light and then rain which has dogged the fixture from day one returned to drive the players off at 3.30pm.After the washout on day two, play began promptly and Hogan was soon among the wickets, removing Hilton Cartwright’s off-bail with a delivery to which the Australian international offered no shot. He would strike again four overs later when Paul Stirling nicked a good ball to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.Eskinazi, who’d struck five boundaries on the first day, continued untroubled, his eighth four taking him to 50 from 58 balls. Just back from missing two games through illness he became the first member of Middlesex’s top six to reach a half century in the Championship this season.As if in celebration, he then hit Lukas Carey for three fours in the following over. Wicketkeeper Simpson caught the mood, playing some similarly aggressive shots and the hosts had real momentum when bad light intervened with the score on 152 for 5.The 25-minute delay worked in Glamorgan’s favour when shortly after the restart Eskinazi chased a wide one from Van der Gugten to depart six short of what would have been a wonderful hundred. Nevertheless, in these conditions his was an outstanding effort.Shorn of their mainstay Middlesex subsided quickly either side of lunch, especially after Simson edged Van der Gugten to Nick Selman in the slips.Fittingly Hogan, Glamorgan’s standout bowler, grabbed the final wicket, getting Murtagh for a duck as Middlesex fell six short of a precious batting point.Murtagh though soon took centre-stage with the ball, conjuring just sufficient seam and swing to leave Glamorgan’s batsmen in a lather.Jack Murphy and Shaun Marsh were both trapped lbw before Selman, earlier struck on the head by a bouncer from debutant Tom Barber, was bowled by one which went between bat and pad.The very next ball, an outswinger, found the edge of Aneurin Donald’s bat and was pouched by Simpson leaving Murtagh on a hat-trick which Cooke negotiated before the weather closed in.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a blistering start to life under Ange Postecoglou, who managed to mastermind yet another emphatic result over the weekend with a late win against Sheffield United.

Despite it being a clash they were largely expected to dominate, the Lilywhites seemed to fall into old habits as the visitors led against the odds.

It seemed set for a classic home loss for the north London outfit who boast an unfortunate history of faltering in key moments, but their newfound energy, attitude and quality under the Australian tactician helped them turn the game on its head.

Richarlison, who had been the subject of huge media interest in the week for outlining his struggles, came from the bench to equalise and then set up the eventual winner. Dejan Kulusevski was the man to score it, sending the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into raptures.

The Swede would even rush to laud his manager, despite being hailed as the match-winner.

However, it has not been completely perfect for Postecoglou, who did suffer one or two blunders in a summer full of successes.

Who left Spurs this summer?

Although incomings were obviously of huge importance to Spurs last window, there were a number of players who were widely recognised as dead wood, having disappointed through numerous regimes now.

The injection of freshness and excitement that the new leadership has promised was evident through the acquisitions of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven among others, but whilst the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hung around, it felt like a dark cloud remained.

This duo were understood to have little future in north London, with the latter the most surprising addition to the unwanted group given how important the 28-year-old had been since joining in 2020.

Jose Mourinho was keen to make the Denmark international one of his key additions during his first summer in charge, adding the combative midfielder to a squad lacking a strong spine.

Immediately he shone, and although the legendary Portuguese manager would eventually be dismissed, Hojbjerg remained a mainstay under Antonio Conte too.

How good has Hojbjerg been at Spurs?

The peak of the general’s powers arguably came during the 2021/22 term, with his 7.19 average rating boosted by a 90% pass accuracy and four goal contributions alongside 1.3 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 1.4 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Such form was bound to draw praise, with pundit Paul Robinson noting: “He is playing to a level that we have never seen before. He is playing his best football in a Spurs shirt. He is having an amazing season.

“He brings so much offensively and defensively. [Rodrigo] Bentancur is giving him a bit more freedom. I was at the Frankfurt game and he left the pitch to a standing ovation.”

Despite that, the interest that Manchester United held in him during the summer clearly tempted Postecoglou, who was reportedly open to the midfielder’s exit. Despite talks of a £35m move to the English giants, it never materialised, marking a failed opportunity to recoup a sizable fee for a player hugely out of favour and ill-fitting for the new philosophy.

After all, it is not like the former Bayern Munich ace has been completely free of criticism during his tenure, with 90mins Jude Summerfield lamenting one particularly "awful" performance in 2022.

How much did Tottenham pay for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

As Mourinho sought to build upon a solid first six months in north London, he was unsurprisingly keen to use his transfer war chest smartly whilst entering the unprecedented season during the pandemic.

Hojbjerg was one acquisition set to underpin their new-look midfield, as the steely metronome to dictate play, retain possession and thwart opposition attacks.

There were few better options on the market to fulfil all three of these attributes, so for just £15m, the 6 foot 2 enforcer marked a major coup.

How much was Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worth at Southampton?

What makes this deal a particularly shrewd one is just how meteoric the midfielder’s rise has been, from Brondby IF to Bayern Munich, before shining on the south coast and earning a move to the apex of the top flight.

When he was first welcomed into English football, his value sat at just €15m (£12.9m) as per Football Transfers. This would take a small dip, but as performances increased and interest grew, so too would his value.

Four successful years with the Saints even saw him named captain for a period too, as if to emphasise both his leadership as well as his technical superiority.

What is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s market value now?

However, that aforementioned figure is one that has been truly blown out of the water now, which admittedly should come as no surprise.

After all, Hojbjerg has now made 150 appearances for the Lilywhites, actually accumulating 222 in the Premier League and now ten in the Champions League.

2023

€49.1m (£42.3m)

21% decrease

2022

€62.8m (£54.1m)

10% increase

2021

€56.9m (£49m)

298% increase

2020

€14.3m (£12.3m)

24% increase

2019

€11.6m (£9.9m)

N/A

As such, the €49.1m (£42.3m) value that is currently attached to his name is one merited. At his peak though, it did reach an astronomical €63.5m (£54.7m) in early 2023. The former figure marks a 182% increase on the initial transfer fee paid to secure his services three years ago now.

Why is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg worth that much?

All of the aforementioned praise serves to explain why Hojbjerg has amassed such a huge valuation, with his work on the international stage also meriting praise.

After all, the experienced veteran has not only shone within the English top flight, having mustered an impressive 69 caps with Denmark. His former manager at that level, Age Hareide, has been effusive in his praise for the combative star in the past.

The 69-year-old claimed: “Pierre plays with a big heart and immense passion.

“I think he has also developed his personality very significantly. I am particularly pleased to see how much Pierre is concerned that we must constantly improve in all possible areas.”

With glowing recommendations wherever Hojbjerg has gone, despite his dwindling influence at Tottenham, his contribution throughout the three years spent in north London cannot be faulted. However, that does not mean that Postecoglou did not make a huge error by not pushing harder to see his sale confirmed.

In another instance of his unusually hands-on involvement with team matters, Nazmul Hassan has questioned the interim coach’s ability to handle the batting side of the Bangladesh job

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2018BCB president Nazmul Hassan has credited his advice to the players for turning Bangladesh’s form around in the Nidahas Trophy. He has also said interim coach Courtney Walsh cannot be relied upon to come up with batting plans for the team, and that the senior players would have to do this themselves.Unusually for a board president, Hassan has frequently involved himself in day-to-day matters of the team since 2015. His meetings with players have become commonplace, as have his interactions with the media to inform them about these meetings.After a heavy defeat to India in their opening match, Bangladesh chased down 215 to beat Sri Lanka on Saturday.”I sat with Mushfiqur [Rahim], Tamim [Iqbal] and [Mahmudullah] Riyad after the India game,” Hassan said. “There was a lot of emotion in the meeting. Our batting against India was unacceptable. I told them that you didn’t play cricketing shots; you only tried to swing at deliveries outside off-stump. The new boys may have done it but not Tamim, Mushfiq and Riyad. They gave away 57 (68) dot balls.”Who will bring them out of this? I am a non-technical person. They have to do this job. They have Walsh who is the interim coach but we can’t expect batting plans from him. We spoke a lot about this; there were a lot of emotions. I said there’s no point being emotional. Let’s stick to the basics. What happened to our body language? Winning and losing isn’t a big deal but we have to show that we want to win in every delivery.”Walsh, who became Bangladesh’s bowling coach in September 2016, recently took over as the team’s interim coach. Bangladesh are yet to fill the head coach’s role on a full-time basis following the exit of Chandika Hathurusingha in November 2017. Walsh played 132 Tests for West Indies, finishing as their leading wicket-taker with 519 scalps, but also earning a reputation for being one of cricket’s most hapless No. 11s.Hassan went as far as saying that he has told the senior players to threaten young players like Mehidy Hasan Miraz with the axe if he attempts to play out of character.”After Friday’s meeting, they understood what they have to do,” Hassan said. “There are small issues like Miraz trying to hit a six against India. How can he hit a six in such a big ground? Did anyone scold him for it? Someone has to tell him that if he is playing this way, he will be dropped. A young player will become nervous if I try to tell him. So it is the senior players who have to tell them.”

Southampton head into the international break on a sour note having been on the end of a 5-0 thrashing against Sunderland and as a result, saw their unbeaten Championship record come to an end.

The Saints were outclassed in every department as the Black Cats landed ten shots on target, created six big chances and recorded an xG of 1.94, condemning the visitors to a miserable afternoon and one they'll need to recover from after the internationals.

Since his arrival at the club, Russell Martin has engraved his possession-heavy style of football at St Mary's but despite dominating the majority of games, have struggled to kill off their opposition, winning by a solitary goal in victories over Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Queens Park Rangers.

Falling short in front of goal so far, Southampton sought to improve their fortunes with the deadline day capture of Ross Stewart for a reported £8m from Sunderland.

What are Ross Stewart's strengths?

Throughout his two-and-a-half-year stay at the Stadium of Light, Stewart was referred to as the "Loch Ness Drogba", a nickname coined by supporters for his predatory instincts in front of goal and his ability to turn up in the big games.

There were many of those during Sunderland's 21/22 campaign in League One as they battled tooth and nail to get out of the division at the fourth attempt, doing so through the play-offs with Stewart firing 24 goals in 46 appearances.

Following promotion, the 27-year-old picked up where he left off by scoring ten in his first 13 Championship games and although his season was curtailed due to injury, his time in the North East was hugely successful.

While a fully fit Stewart is capable of firing the Saints to promotion, he wasn't the only striker linked to the club this summer, as Martin reportedly sought to sign Joel Piroe from Swansea City in an attempt to rekindle his love affair with the Dutchman.

Piroe, who scored 19 Championship goals last season, would have been a more prolific forward signing than the Scotsman.

How good is Joel Piroe?

Having chalked up an impressive 41 goals in 88 Championship appearances, Piroe was expected to be plying his trade in the Premier League this season, but it was Leeds United who won the race for his signature in a reported £10.5m deal.

Despite his predatory instincts seeing him deliver superb returns in front of goal, it's his interplay that makes him more than a penalty box striker or a poacher. The 24-year-old is capable of operating in a deeper role in-behind with Daniel Farke using him as a number 10 against Ipswich.

Piroe demonstrates his play-making ability through an array of his passing stats, eclipsing Stewart in most metrics and displaying his ability to link play better than the Southampton man. That, combined with his deadly nature in front of goal makes him a truly dangerous proposition.

Across the 22/23 Championship season, Piroe bettered Stewart for pass completion (81.5%/68%), passes into the penalty area (0.85/0.26), progressive passes (2.40/1.99) and expected assists (0.10/0.03), as per FBref.

While the "clinical" and "dangerous" finisher, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, surpasses Stewart for his efficiency in possession, their shooting and finishing stats align closely together, suggesting that Piroe wouldn't be much of an upgrade in that department, although the sample size is larger for the Dutchman.

Stewart exceeds Piroe for shots on target (1.47/1.38), shots (3.71/3.32) and non-penalty xG (0.62/0.38) but these are fine margins when it comes to shooting as Piroe's exploits at Championship point towards a player who is consistently lethal in front of goal.

With almost one goal every two games, signing the now Leeds star would have guaranteed consistent returns, whereas the recent part of Stewart's career has been blighted by injury troubles so it could take him a while to get up to speed.

When the season is concluded in May, it's highly likely that these two won't be far behind the summit of the Championship scoring charts but given what Piroe could have brought to Martin's possession-based system, perhaps he's the one that got away this summer.

England surged to a seven-wicket victory with 17.2 overs to spare to secure their sixth one-day series win a row

The Report by Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch09-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfter the drama in Dunedin this was a canter in Christchurch. England surged to a seven-wicket victory with 17.2 overs to spare to secure their sixth one-day series win a row. Jonny Bairstow made mincemeat of the chase with a 58-ball century, England’s third-fastest and his second in consecutive innings, adding 155 in 20.2 overs for the first wicket alongside the recalled Alex Hales.The absence of Ross Taylor, who was ruled out on the morning of the game with the quad injury he sustained during his unbeaten 181, was too much for New Zealand to compensate for, especially with their captain Kane Williamson failing.England’s new ball pair, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood, set a superb tone and it was backed up by the spin duo of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. At 93 for 6 it looked as though New Zealand could fold completely, but Mitchell Santner’s outstanding series with the bat continued and a stand of 84 with Henry Nicholls at least took them over 200. Although the mood England’s top-order are in, 400 may not have been enough.There was barely an alarm for England as they knocked off the runs in the sunshine. They have been tested more in this series than many of late, and have slipped occasionally, but such a comprehensive win in a decider is a feather in their cap.Bairstow and Hales, who was handed a late opportunity in the series when Jason Roy went down with a back spasm, were level-pegging for the first eight overs of the chase, then Bairstow pulled away at top speed. He took 16 off Colin de Grandhomme’s third over, went to fifty from 38 balls and then really cut loose. He hammered five sixes in eight balls against Ish Sodhi with crisp, clean striking – although none of them were taken in the crowd to win a fan 50,000 dollars.Bairstow moved to 99 with a pull behind square then dabbed a single to third man to sit behind Jos Buttler (46 balls) and Moeen Ali (53 balls) in England’s quickest centuries before smashing his own stumps trying to manufacture some width against Trent Boult. He has now made four in 16 innings as an opener and has the spot nailed down, although who his long-term partner will be is perhaps more of a debate.Roy’s injury gave Hales his first outing since announcing he would become a white-ball specialist. Although the pressure was never on in the chase, it was a good effort to play so confidently having not batted for three weeks. He went to his fifty from 67 balls but was then cut off by a fine catch from Williamson at midwicket. By then, however, the result was a formality. There was just time for Ben Stokes to finish the chase in style in the city of his birth.It is the third time in a year that New Zealand have lost a deciding ODI following reversals against South Africa at home and India away. As against South Africa at Eden Park a year ago, this was a very poor performance with everything to play for.England were able to take their preferred route when Eoin Morgan won the toss. There was a little early movement and his decision was backed up by fine opening spells from Woakes and Wood.Colin Munro had announced in the build-up that he would no longer play first-class cricket and his first day as an official white-ball specialist did not start well when he got a big a top edge against Woakes while trying to work into the leg side. Other than his 49 in Wellington, it has been a single-digit series for Munro with scores of 6, 1, 0 and 0.Mitchell Santner steps out to hit down the ground•Getty ImagesWoakes has produced outstanding first spells throughout: 5-0-14-2, 5-1-18-2, 5-1-13-1, 5-2-14-1 and 6-1-13-1, Morgan giving him the extra over here after Williamson departed in the 10th. It was a smart piece of bowling from Wood to dismiss the New Zealand captain, delivered from wider on the crease and cramping him for room, taking a bottom edge into leg stump.Then, not for the first time, New Zealand stumbled against England’s spinners. Tom Latham, promoted to No. 4 ahead of Taylor’s replacement, Mark Chapman, fell to a soft shot, chipping Rashid to midwicket although it was a nicely flighted delivery which brought the error. Chapman’s stay was very brief. He played back to a delivery from Moeen Ali which straightened a touch but Chapman missed it by an alarming amount to be bowled.When Stokes held a stinging, low catch at cover to remove Martin Guptill and de Grandhomme wastefully lofted to long-on, New Zealand were in a hole. Morgan’s tactics were interesting. Having bowled both Rashid and Moeen straight through their 10 overs, the innings was deep with very little of the fifth bowler used. Joe Root was then introduced for two overs and Tom Curran did not get his first bowl until the 40th over and was used for six consecutive overs at the death.Nicholls’ fifty came from 73 balls before he skied a Curran slower ball into the off side. Santner was by far the more fluent, bringing up a 60-ball half-century and setting a new career-best for the second time in four matches before Woakes became the first England bowler to dismiss him in the series when Hales made excellent ground at deep midwicket. But if that was good, Bairstow’s grab, running around the leg-side boundary two balls later, taking it one-handed moving at full pace to remove Tim Southee, was something special. Bairstow, though, wasn’t finished there.

Seamer Akash Parkar’s triple strike set up Mumbai’s seven-wicket win over Maharashtra in Rajkot

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2018Dinesh Karthik struck his third successive half-century as Tamil Nadu brushed aside Goa by 25 runs in Vishakapatnam. Karthik followed up his 57 and 71 against Andhra and Kerala respectively with a 43-ball 56 to hoist Tamil Nadu’s total to 155 for 5. The spinners then took over as offspinner Washington Sundar (2 for 20) and legspinner M Ashwin (2 for 22) put the skids on Goa’s chase. Only captain Sagun Kamat made a substantial contribution with 41 off 42 balls as Goa managed only 130 for 7. With three wins from three games, Tamil Nadu are now on top of the South Zone standings with 12 points.Seamer Akash Parkar’s triple strike set up Mumbai’s seven-wicket win over Maharashtra in Rajkot. Parkar’s 3 for 22 in four overs helped his side skittle Maharashtra for 89 in 15 overs. He was supported by legspinner Parikshit Valsangkar (2 for 22) and seamer Shivam Dubey (2 for 7). Captain Aditya Tare then struck an unbeaten 26-ball 42, ensuring Mumbai chased down the target with more than 10 overs to spare. This was Mumbai’s second win in four matches.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a profitable Deadline Day already even if they fail to bring in anyone else, but reports continue to suggest that they still might…

Who else could Tottenham Hotspur sign on Deadline Day?

With Brennan Johnson the outstanding piece of business for this hectic day, as Ange Postecoglou finally got his key man, the Lilywhites have seemingly not allowed that to slow down their pursuit of bolstering other areas of the field.

After all, they even saw a bid for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher knocked back earlier in the day, with it being suggested that they could well return again before the window concludes.

However, it is instead another West London star that could be set to make that move, with journalist Fabrizio Romano offering the following update on social media:

"EXCL: Tottenham approach Chelsea to ask for Trevoh Chalobah on loan deal, no green light from Chelsea, difficult due to rival + formula of deal. Complicated deal while Forest still trying to make permanent deal happen for Chalobah but no green light player side."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The collapse of his move to Bayern Munich has emphasised this possibility, as the German transfer window slammed shut without the Englishman having finalised terms. It could now be the north London outfit who profit, should they see fit to unload the proposed £50m price tag for a possible permanent deal.

How good is Trevoh Chalobah?

Although the 24-year-old has fallen down the pecking order significantly at Stamford Bridge, he still remains an outstanding ball-playing centre-back who would more than align with the style Postecoglou is seeking to usher in.

Having broken into the first team in 2021, he has remained a solid and elegant figure at the back whenever called upon, with the pinnacle of his short career thus far arguably coming during that 2021/22 season.

Maintaining an admirable 7.23 average rating across 20 Premier League appearances, he scored three times and recorded a 91% pass accuracy, alongside two tackles and 2.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

An English defensive legend in Rio Ferdinand sought to praise him, noting over two years ago: "I watched him in the Super Cup game the other day with BT in Belfast. Massively impressed with him, the way he defended. He had three or four big moments defensively where he pulled the hat out of the bag, it was unbelievable."

It is his proficiency in possession that has truly caught the eye though, as the quintessential modern-day defender who remains supremely comfortable on the ball. When compared to other centre-backs across Europe, the Cobham graduate even ranks in the top 17% for progressive carries per 90, and the top 18% for passes attempted, via FBref.

This outlet seeks to draw comparisons between Chalobah and Manchester City defender Ruben Dias by including the 26-year-old on his 'similar players' list, likely due to their shared solidity and ability in possession.

The Portugal international has been an instant hit since moving to the Etihad in 2020, winning the Premier League Player of the Year award after his first campaign as they won the league title. There, his average rating of 7.11 from that season was bolstered by figures similar to the Chelsea man, with a 93% pass accuracy, 1.1 interceptions and 2.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

It is no surprise to see Pep Guardiola laud his influence, claiming: "Ruben is not playing just his game. He is playing the game for everyone. He has the ability to see and solve the problems for many things. His character is so important. His leadership is huge especially even when he didn’t play."

Should Postecoglou manage to add Chalobah to his side late on in the window, relying on him to be that Dias-esque figure to uphold his new regime, it could actually prove to be their biggest coup of the entire summer.

Manchester United are reportedly still looking to make signings in two key positions in the summer transfer window, but it depends on one important thing.

Will Man United make more signings?

The Red Devils have had an up-and-down summer to date, bringing in new signings but arguably not doing enough business up until this point. Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund have all come in as players who should strength the starting lineup, instantly strengthening the squad depth at Erik ten Hag's disposal.

United do still look a little short of genuine top quality throughout the team, however, as last Monday's disappointing performance at home to Wolves showed, even though they ended up winning 1-0. The likes of Raphael Varane, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are now all in their 30s, while younger players such as Antony and Alejandro Garnacho are still learning their trade.

The hope was that Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay would complete moves to West Ham, generating transfer funds and freeing up space in the squad to improve it, but as of now, the pair remain at Old Trafford.

There is now less than two weeks of the transfer window remaining, highlighting the need for United to act quickly, and a key update has emerged regarding their potential upcoming business.

Who do Man United want to sign?

According to Football Insider, United are still intending to sign a new defender and midfielder this summer, but only if players like the aforementioned duo head out of the Old Trafford exit door:

"Man United are still keen to sign a defender and midfielder but cannot strengthen until they sell players, sources have told Football Insider. The Old Trafford club had hoped West Ham’s moves for Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay would provide them with the requisite funds to complete their summer business.

"But those moves have recently broken down, leaving Erik ten Hag unable to add to his squad just days out from the 1 September deadline."

This is an encouraging update and one that suggests that Ten Hag remains hellbent on making further reinforcements before deadline day arrives. As mentioned, the display against Wolves left a lot to be desired, and while it is admittedly only one game, the team did look disjointed and lacking composure on the ball.

If United could sell Maguire and bring in a superior replacement, that would be an ideal start – someone who can really push Varane and Lisandro Martinez for minutes – while a creative midfielder who sits deep is also required, in order to ease Casemiro's workload as age slowly begins to catch up with him.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

Failure to address both positions could ultimately prove to be fatal this season, in terms of United's top-four hopes, with Liverpool, Chelsea and even Tottenham potentially being much-improved in 2023/24, following hugely below-par campaigns last time around.

The money should be there for the Red Devils to spend, given what they generate as a club, so it is unacceptable if the Glazers don't back Ten Hag and ensure that another couple of signings come in before the end of the month.