Tournament favourites Afghanistan, Nepal and USA recorded comfortable victories on the opening day of the ICC World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey.Afghanistan survived a middle-order collapse to beat Japan by 93 runs, Nepal defeated Germany by seven wickets and USA beat Mozambique by nine wickets. Jersey also enjoyed success on a bright and sunny day when they beat Singapore by 93 runs while Norway beat Vanuatu by 183 runs and Botswana saw off the Bahamas by 70 runs.At the Victoria College, Afghanistan suffered a sensational middle-order collapse against Japan when they were bowled out for 179 in 35.4 overs after being 137 for 3. Takuro Hagihara was the pick of Japan bowlers with 5 for 25 while for Afghanistan opener Karim Khan Sedeq top scored with 47. In turn, Japan were bowled out for 80 in 40.2 overs with Hasti Gul Abed bagging 3 for 22.Taj Malik, Afghanistan’s coach, was pleased with his side’s performance and said he never thought his team was in trouble despite posting a small total. “We discussed with the players during the innings break that the pitch was assisting the fast bowlers and if Japan could get us for 180 runs then we should be able to bowl them out for less than 100 runs.”Nepal had few problems against Germany. Set a modest target of 70 runs at the Les Quennevais 1, Nepal raced to victory in 20.2 overs with opener Mahesh Chhetri stroking an unbeaten 23. Earlier, 25-year-old spinner Basant Regmi took 3 for 4 and Mahaboob Alam 3 for 24 as Germany were bowled out in 39.4 overs. “I am happy for my team because it was important for us to get a good start in this tournament which we did,” Binod Kumar Das, Nepal’s captain, said. “We did well with the ball initially and though I think we could have batted better, a win is a win and I am happy it came so comfortably.”At the Farmers Field, USA crushed Mozambique. The feature of the match was a superb knock of 70 not out by Sushil Nadkarni as USA passed the 149-run target in 21.4 overs. Steve Messiah, USA’s captain, was pleased with his team’s performance in their first match in almost two years. “It’s the start we were looking for. We have been out of international cricket for a couple of years and we are now looking forward to moving from strength to strength. Every game will be a big game for us if we are going to qualify for the World … and this is where it all begins for us.”Opener Jersey’s Peter Gough picked up the Man-of-the-Match award for his 69, which included seven boundaries, in his team’s win over Singapore.Norway captain Shahid Ahmed was the only centurion of the day with a brilliant 133 not out to guide his team to 360 for 3 in 50 overs against Vanuatu. Ahmed then completed a fine all-round performance when he claimed 3 for 11 as Vanuatu, who needs wins against two Associate members in Jersey if their application for Associate membership is to be successful, were dismissed for 177.
Samit Patel has won a surprise recall for England for the first time in nearly three years after Zafar Ansari was ruled unfit for the forthcoming series against Pakistan in the UAE because of a hand injury.Ansari’s selection for what would have been his England debut series was a clear indication that England were looking to the next generation, but Patel has always suggested he has never quite abandoned hope of an England recall and that faith has now been justified.Patel joins two other spin bowling allrounders in the tour party – Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid – and, as a batsman with the ability to bowl slow left-arm, he is a like-for-like replacement.For all Patel’s faith that he could force his way back into England reckoning, he has not had a good season. He has taken 25 Championship wickets at 32.40, but he has had an unproductive time with the bat, averaging only 24 in Nottinghamshire’s middle order. Nevertheless, he has shown in his time for England that he plays spin bowling as well as anybody. His director of cricket at Notts, Mick Newell, also insists his red-ball bowling has matured this season, despite an unhelpful summer for spinners.To a large extent, Patel’s recall encapsulates the dearth of spin bowling options in England, with Middlesex’s spin bowler, Ollie Rayner, arguing on ESPNcricinfo that conditions in England were hostile to the development of spin bowling.That Patel’s weight will again be a topic for discussion is inevitable, and he will just have to put up with it. It was held to be a reason why England looked elsewhere last season at a time when the pundit and former England coach, David Lloyd, termed him the form player in county cricket. He looks trim.But the old jokes are the good ones. As one cynic was quick to observe when his recall was announced: “Zafar Ansari got a first at Cambridge; Samit Patel had seconds at lunch.”Patel played five Tests in 2012, taking only four wickets at 62 runs apiece. His last Test was against India in Kolkata in December of that year, a match that England won by seven wickets en route to a remarkable 2-1 series victory.Upon signing a new three-year deal with Notts in March this year, he insisted: “I still harbour England ambitions and playing with Nottinghamshire will give me the best chance of doing that.”Ansari is distinctly unfortunate. It was on the day he was called up to his first England Test squad that he suffered an open dislocation of his left thumb against Lancashire at Old Trafford and was sent to hospital.Surrey confirmed the extent of Ansari’s injury in a tweet at 10pm on Tuesday, but the club had been fearing the worst from the outset. Fielding at cover point, Ansari dropped a very difficult catch off Lancashire’s Ashwell Prince and immediately gestured for assistance from the dressing room. He left the field holding a bandage to his left hand and soon went to hospital.His withdrawal from the tour was confirmed following an MRI scan during a visit to a hand specialist yesterday. He will now undergo further rehabilitation with his participation in the EPP and Lions tours of the UAE subject to a further assessment from the ECB and Surrey medical teams in approximately three weeks’ time.”The timing of this injury, on the day his selection was announced, was particularly cruel for Zafar and he is naturally extremely disappointed to have to pull out of the tour,” James Whitaker, the national selector. “As a left-arm spinner and a middle-order batsman, Samit is a similar type of player to Zafar and his previous international experience, and in particular, experience of performing for England in sub-continental conditions will be an extremely useful asset to the squad in the UAE.”Ansari was one of three players uncapped at Test level included in England’s 16-man squad for the three Test series against Pakistan which starts on October 13. Alex Hales, Patel’s Nottinghamshire team mate, and Rashid were also named.England Test squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Samit Patel, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood.One-Day International squad: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.T20 International squad: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Aston Villa’s draw at the weekend signaled the club’s worst start to a new league season since 1969, as yet again the individual errors continued to pile up, with Joe Bennett’s red card proving so costly this time around and with the club sitting just outside the relegation zone, are Paul Lambert’s immediate future and the club’s Premier League status in danger?
After taking just six points from their opening nine games, the current league table does not make for pretty reading for supporters and they sit in 17th place, just two points above struggling promoted outfits Reading and Southampton and an out-of-sorts QPR side.
The old adage is that the league usually sorts itself out after the first 10 games and that the cream will inevitably rise to the top, which looks about right at the moment with Chelsea and both Manchester clubs occupying the top three. Conversely, though, those teams set to struggle will sink to the bottom and unfortunately it looks already like the club are going to have a serious relegation battle on their hands this term.
Lambert has had a tricky start to the season in terms of league fixtures but he’s yet to play any of last season’s top four either home and away and the last two home games against Norwich and West Brom will go down as a missed opportunity that they drew both matches. While game away at Newcastle and Tottenham are more than difficult, they’ve been truly rotten on the road picking up just one point in five games so far and scoring just two goals.
The side have looked bereft of quality and most importantly creativity this campaign; we all knew that taking over from the ruinous reign of Alex McLeish was going to be a difficult job and a long-term one at that, but nobody banked on the club having quite the awful start that they’ve had. Charles N’Zogbia hasn’t been able to break into the side of late and Darren Bent continues to be bizarrely overlooked when they look short of goals in favour of the raw but profligate Christian Benteke.
A few more factoids for you – McLeish amassed 11 points from his first nine league games last season compared to Lambert’s six, Gabriel Agbonlahor was the only player to start against Norwich with more than 100 Premier League appearances under his belt and he hasn’t scored in his last 28 top flight games. They’ve kept just one clean sheet this season and they have won just one of their last 19 league games.
That last statistic will tell you that the problem is simply more to do with the manager, rather a systemic lack of confidence and crucially, lack of form and quality in key areas, so we cannot lay the blame entirely at Lambert’s door, nor should the club panic and seek to replace him.
However, you have to question the wisdom with bringing in a whole swathe of inexperienced lower league players in the way that Lambert has when the club are looking to establish themselves in mid-table. The likes of Bennett, Bowery and Lowton are unfamiliar with the demands of the top flight while El Ahmadi, Holman, Vlaar and Benteke all require a settling in period, even if the foreign recruits have all done reasonably well up until this point.
In that sense, it’s misplaced arrogance on Lambert’s part that he felt that by placing his faith in the club’s youth would be enough to see them through and he’s constructed one of the most vulnerable sides in the Premier League at present, all of his own making. Bolstered by how well his inexperienced Norwich side did last season, he’s attempted to replicate that young, hungry vigour at Aston Villa but it’s not worked yet and it ignores the fact that the Canaries had an extremely settled side after winning back-to-back promotions, while at Villa Park, the new players have been hamstrung by the doom and gloom around the place.
Of course, the obvious counter-argument to this is that Lambert has been urged from above to move on some of the club’s biggest earners and that this situation has been foisted upon him somewhat. Mark Hughes’ QPR side also serve to highlight that experience is not necessarily key to a team performing well given their terrible start to the new campaign, plus their 4-2 win away at Manchester City in the Capital One Cup hinted that there’s good side trying to break through, just that they lack consistency, which at least bodes well for the future.
This is Aston Villa’s worst league start in 43 years, even worse than the 1986-7 season when they were relegated from the top flight, so it shows you how serious their current situation is. While patience may be the watchword of Lambert’s regime at the moment, should they continue to struggle to pick up points on the road and at home, then owner Randy Lerner will be faced with a difficult decision. The 43-year-old boss has been saved by the poor form of others and comparisons to McLeish so far, but they cannot save him forever.
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Everton are set to have both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Demarai Gray available for their Premier League meeting with league leaders Manchester City at Goodison Park on Saturday evening.
What’s the latest?
According to Toffees boss Frank Lampard, the duo are back in training and are in contention. The 43-year-old said: “With Doucoure and Gray, they’re both training with us and in the squad. The issue for me is if they start. I’ll have to decide whether they’re ready to start. But it’s good to have them back”
Doucoure is yet to feature under Lampard with the Frenchman’s last appearance coming in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa whilst Gray missed the 3-0 win over Leeds United and the 2-0 defeat to Southampton last Saturday.
Fans will be ecstatic
With Everton still very much in a relegation battle, having as many key players available for the remainder of the campaign as possible will be crucial for their hopes of avoiding a first-ever Premier League relegation.
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Lampard’s side are currently 16th and two points clear of the drop zone. However, they do boast games in hand on numerous sides in and around the bottom six.
Although Saturday’s opponents will be the clear favourites, having both Doucoure and Gray available will be a major boost for the Toffees in the long term.
This season has been rather stop-start for Doucoure, with the 29-year-old making 16 league appearances having suffered two separate injury-related month-long absences this campaign.
However, the midfielder faces no guarantees of an instant return to the starting lineup as he now faces a squad congested with options in the middle of the park.
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Allan is available once again as well as both Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli arriving since the Frenchman was sidelined whilst Andre Gomes has also been in and out of the side of late.
As for Gray, the winger has certainly exceeded expectations since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. The 25-year-old has scored six goals and registered three assists in 24 appearances across all competitions, making the Englishman one of the Toffees’ most potent goal-threats.
This will be particularly key for Lampard as he looks to steady the ship on the blue side of Merseyside, with Everton keeping just one clean sheet in their last 14 games across all competitions and most likely in need of goal scorers to ensure victories.
In other news: Lampard axes 0-goal flop, “tireless” £48k-p/w ace starts: Predicted Everton XI vs Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly now eyeing up a bargain move to sign Sasa Kalajdzic this summer.
The Lowdown: Kane going?
It has been reported that the long-term future of Harry Kane at Spurs has been casted further into doubt by their 1-0 FA Cup exit away at Middlesbrough in midweek, and so the North London club may now already have to start looking for replacements for the England national team captain, or bring in significant reinforcements in order to try to persuade him to stay.
Kalajdzic is a fellow typical number nine, and while he has been history of being able to put the ball in the back of the net, and so it is no surprise to see Antonio Conte’s team linked with a move for him now.
The Latest: Tottenham lurking
As per Kicker, the Lilywhites are just one of a number of clubs eyeing a potential swoop for Kalajdzic in the summer, with West Ham United, AS Roma, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich also being named as possible destinations.
He is ‘likely’ to leave Stuttgart at the end of the season and his current price tag of €20m (£16.5m) is expected to drop by ‘a lot’, as he is out of contract in 2023.
The Verdict: Bargain
If THFC can land Kalajdzic for anything less than £16.5m, it would be an absolute bargain.
Currently rated at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, he is also a full Austria international, and at 24 years of age, his stock is only going to rise.
He is already drawing comparisons to world superstar Erling Haaland, and Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski even thinks that he would be an ‘ideal’ replacement for the Norway international at Dortmund.
Also described as an ‘Ibrahimovic-machine’ in likening to the legendary Swede, Kalajdzic is a mammoth six-foot-seven-inches tall, but possesses a lot of technical qualities as well for a big man, according to Bundesliga expert Daniel Pinder.
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Nonetheless, it is no surprise that Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo considers him ‘invaluable’, and he would certainly be worth every penny for Tottenham.
In other news, find out what big Spurs target update has now emerged here!
A title race is brewing phenomenally well in Scotland and after Rangers bounced back from their draw last weekend on Wednesday night, Gio van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox side are now breathing down the necks of their closest rivals.
Their 1-0 win over St Johnstone was far from a classic and indeed, it wasn’t a particularly vibrant performance from the Gers who were rather sluggish in midfield and offensive areas.
This is a team who have played a considerable amount of football of late, with plenty of midweek action both domestically and in Europe to savour.
While last week they were tormenting Borussia Dortmund and knocking out one of the most exciting sides on the continent, this week they were struggling and battling with themselves.
The performance of Scott Arfield typified that with the midfielder looking rather leggy when asked to play from the right-hand side. However, the man next to him in the no.10 role also looked severely off the pace; Joe Aribo.
The dynamic Nigerian has been brilliant in spells this term, registering 14 goal involvements for Rangers. Yet, in the last few weeks, his form has dwindled.
It’s not difficult to see what the issue might be either, as he has played a lot of football already in 2022, travelling to Africa and back for AFCON while now throwing himself into a Premiership title race.
There were a few bright moments from the former Charlton man on Wednesday but ultimately his numbers make for pretty grim reading.
During his time on the field, Aribo lost the ball on 23 occasions, meaning he ceded possession once every 3.4 touches.
Furthermore, he was a lightweight in defensive duels, winning just ten of the 23 he was involved in throughout the game.
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To make matters worse, he completed just 72% of his passes, failed to complete a single dribble and saw two shots sail off target.
As a result, it may well be time for van Bronckhorst to omit him from the squad. It’s clear that the attacking midfielder needs to freshen up and until he does so, his performances may only become more of a concern.
AND in other news, Forget Kamara: Rangers colossus who won 8 duels was GVB’s “superhuman” last night…
As per reports out of Spain, a West Ham United transfer update has come to light involving Valencia star Carlos Soler.
The Lowdown: Rice rumours prevalent…
Hammers superstar Declan Rice has been repeatedly linked with an east London exit recently with no sign of a new deal just yet despite West Ham’s rumoured intentions.
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The England international rejected two new contract offers last summer and Premier League rivals like Man City and Man United are allegedly prepared to test West Ham’s resolve in the summer (The Telegraph).
Irons players apparently fear Rice could be tempted by a move away in the summer and, as per a Spanish source, it appears the club and transfer chief Rob Newman are preparing themselves for that eventuality.
The Latest: West Ham could make ‘great proposal’ for Soler…
According to the claim out of Europe, West Ham ‘may lose’ their star midfielder with inquiries having already been made.
As a result, West Ham are ‘already preparing’ to find Rice’s replacement and could make a ‘great proposal’ to sign Valencia star Soler this summer.
The Spaniard is apparently very liked at Rush Green as David Moyes scours the market for possible Rice alternatives.
The Verdict: Right call?
Soler has been a revelation at the Mestalla Stadium this season, scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 21 La Liga appearances, coming as a bit of an all-rounder.
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The 25-year-old, still fairly young with a long shelf life, can play in a variety of midfield roles and his current deal expires in 2023 – putting West Ham in a potentially strong negotiating position to sign Soler for less than his £45 million market valuation (Transfermarkt).
If Rice were to leave, the Irons could certainly do a lot worse for a replacement.
In other news: West Ham join race for £30m ‘beast’ as Newman now eyes ‘exciting signing’ for Moyes! Find out more here.
Tottenham have once again been linked with a move for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.
The Lowdown: Summer links
Spurs were looking to bring the Argentina international to north London back in the summer, with Sky Sports suggesting the club were willing to fork out £60m for the striker.
As we know, a move failed to materialise and the 24-year-old has since penned a new deal with Inter until 2026.
However, Spurs are still thought to be showing an interest ahead of Antonio Conte’s first full season in charge, with reports last month claiming Fabio Paratici is ‘at work’ over a summer swoop.
Sports Witness relayed an update on Martinez from Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday.
They claimed it is ‘easy to imagine’ that top clubs, including Spurs, will go back in for the forward, suggesting a fee higher than €95m (£80m) may now be required.
The Verdict: Club-record deal?
Spurs will need to smash their transfer record to bring Martinez to London, however, it seems as if a move hasn’t been ruled out.
The striker, labelled as a ‘beast’ by Romelu Lukaku, is on £180,000-a-week, so Paratici would need to convince Daniel Levy and co that it would be worth splashing the cash on the South American, as Conte has already given his approval to a move.
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Central attacking options appear to be needed at the club over the summer to help Harry Kane though, and Martinez certainly ticks the box in terms of quality, already scoring 111 goals during his career for both club and country.
In other news: Alasdair Gold drops major ‘incoming’ news emerging from Spurs; may be announced before West Ham.
A big update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their interest in Dean Henderson…
What’s the talk?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the Magpies are eyeing up a summer swoop for the Red Devils shot-stopper.
They have been keen on signing him since the winter transfer window and Romano has stated that the 25-year-old’s current club are yet to decide what they are going to do with him heading into the 2022/23 campaign.
The journalist tweeted: “Newcastle are interested in Dean Henderson since last January, he’s always been one of three goalkeepers in the list for NUFC. #NUFC Man United will make a decision about Dean in the summer whether let him go on loan or not. He wants to play as starter next season.”
Buzzing
This update will surely leave Newcastle supporters buzzing, as Henderson would be an excellent addition to Eddie Howe’s squad this summer.
The England international is eight years younger than Martin Dubravka and can be the long-term successor to the Slovakian between the sticks at St James’ Park. Henderson has plenty of years left ahead of him at the age of 25 and can be Howe’s first-choice for the foreseeable future.
He is a modern goalkeeper who excels at coming out to sweep the ball away and commands his box from crosses. Over the last 365 days, he ranks in the 90th percentile (FBRef) in Europe’s top five leagues for crosses stopped, preventing 10.3% of them from getting past his gloves in the Premier League.
In terms of sweeping, he ranks in the 98th percentile (FBRef) for defensive actions outside of the penalty area with 1.55 per game. This suggests that he is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe when it comes to covering his defenders when balls are played past them on the ground or in the air.
Henderson also proved his quality over the course of a full Premier League season on loan at Sheffield United in 2019/20. He kept an impressive 13 clean sheets in 36 matches for the Blades in that campaign as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.00.
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Meanwhile, Dubravka has never averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.00 or higher across a top-flight season, while his best tally for clean sheets currently stands at 11. He also lacks well behind Henderson when it comes to claiming crosses and engaging in defensive actions outside of his box, ranking in the 72nd and ninth percentiles (FBRef) respectively over the last 365 days.
This suggests that Henderson would be an upgrade on the 33-year-old next season with his all-around skillset as a goalkeeper, and that is why Newcastle fans will surely be delighted by the club’s pursuit of his services heading into the summer transfer window.
AND in other news, Left for £0, now the next Sancho: NUFC will have nightmares over 18 y/o “huge talent”…
Tottenham correspondent Alasdair Gold has relayed some ‘good news’ for the club ahead of the game with Newcastle United this afternoon.
The Lowdown: Davies available
Ben Davies has been a regular under Antonio Conte since the Italian took over in north London, establishing himself as a key member of the back three.
The Welshman did suffer an injury scare during the international break, though, withdrawing from Rob Page’s squad with a tight thigh.
That appeared to put his availability against Eddie Howe’s side in doubt, however, Spurs confirmed that Davies is available for selection this afternoon, and there is even more positive news emerging from Hotspur Way.
The Latest: Skipp and Sessegnon updates
Gold relayed comments from Conte’s pre-match press conference on Twitter, with the Spurs boss addressing Oliver Skipp and Ryan Sessegnon’s absence.
Conte revealed that both are now ‘very close’ to making a return from injury, labelling it as ‘good news’ for the pair.
The Verdict: Positive
We are now entering the crunch stage of the campaign with no more international breaks between now and the end of the season.
Spurs are still in the hunt for a top-four finish, so having a fully fit squad is key in regards to the club’s hopes of finishing fourth.
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Skipp had been a regular prior to his injury and will give Conte a much-needed fourth option in midfield. Meanwhile, Sessegnon was slowly establishing himself on the left-hand side under Conte prior to his hamstring injury, so he’ll be looking to pick up from where he left off over the coming weeks.
In other news: Spurs source: Talks now held over early agreement for ‘excellent’ gem; same agent as Sessegnon.