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The Melbourne Renegades kept their chances alive in the BBL with a six-run win that knocked the Adelaide Strikers out

The Report by Geoff Lemon16-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMarcus Harris reached his fifty off 29 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesStrikers struck off, Renegades surviveThe Melbourne Renegades stayed alive in the sixth edition of the Big Bash League, finally closing out a contest after a couple of thrilling losses, and knocking out the struggling Adelaide Strikers with a six-run win.Asked to bat at the Adelaide Oval, the Renegades set a decent total of 171 for the loss of nine wickets, built around Marcus Harris’ dominant innings of 85. No other batsman really got going, Callum Ferguson the next best with 26, though all of the top five got starts.Ben Laughlin bowled an exceptional spell of 2 for 15 from his four overs, while Michael Neser returned 2 for 14 from three, but the Renegades made up for it by punishing Kieron Pollard, Liam O’Connor, Ish Sodhi and Wes Agar.The final result looked closer on paper than it was in the flesh, the chase effectively extinguished when captain Brad Hodge was out 37 runs short of victory with 20 balls to spare, after little substantial support from the top order. Jono Dean clubbed the Strikers to within some hope of a comeback win, but Thisara Perera finished off with the ball after so famously failing to do so in last week’s record chase against the Hobart Hurricanes.We’ll always have HarrisThe Renegades opener was the difference, and proved his value as a recruit from Western Australia, belting his 85 from 53 deliveries. Six of his shots went to the fence and four cleared it, his moderate start dropping into gear with three consecutive fours off Agar in the third over.He flew past a half-century thanks to a couple of sixes off Pollard in the eighth. Cameron White and Tom Cooper fell around him, but Harris pushed on to within reach of a maiden T20 century in his 20th game.When he fell with the score on 149 and four overs to go, a possible Renegades score of over 200 went begging, as the last six batsmen kept to single figures. In the end, though, Harris alone had been enough.Strikers waste another good chancePeter Nevill is accompanied off the field after being struck in the face by Brad Hodge’s bat•Getty ImagesTim Ludeman and Ben Dunk got the start that should have enabled the Strikers to chase comfortably, with 53 runs from the first six overs. But not for the first time this season, the rest of the innings lost its way. Ludeman holed out, Dunk missed a straight ball from part-time offspinner and part-time Dutchman Cooper, and the slide began.”I’ll just look to be super positive against Perera. Pollard is great against spin, so hopefully that takes some pressure off him.” That was Hodge’s offering to the commentary team during the chase. “We know Perera will be bowling a lot of slower balls, so hopefully we get onto a few.”It was Pollard rather than Hodge who got onto one, a ball that dropped short and sat up. Pollard hammered it out to deep square leg, flying for a flat six. Or that’s what everyone thought had happened, except that a screamer from Callum Ferguson at the boundary intercepted it.Once again it was poor Hodge trying to herd a bunch of kittens across the finish line. That paved the way, though, for a fluke accident that took the shine off the win for the Renegades. As Hodge looked to lift the rate, his bat flew out of his hands after a particularly violent slog sweep, and flew behind the pitch where Peter Nevill stood a few paces back.With the wicketkeeper’s eye on the ball at deep backward square, he didn’t see the bat that then hit him in the side of his face, forcing him to come off with a massive swelling on the right side of his jaw. Perera knocked over Hodge later the same over, while opposing captain Aaron Finch deputised with the gloves.Be the crowd favouriteThe competition for bringing the crowd into the game was split between Harris and Neser. Aside from Neser’s bowling providing a couple of deep catches, he put on a show himself by the fence.First he hung on to one at deep midwicket to dismiss White. Then he dropped Ferguson at long-on, held Perera at long-off, and snared James Pattinson at deep midwicket towards the end of the innings.Harris brought onlookers into the game literally via the last of his sixes from a gorgeous straight hit off New Zealand legspinner Sodhi. A security guard on a camp chair at the boundary wasn’t watching play, and only just responded to the crowd’s calls to yank his head out of the way. Harris tried to send him the next ball as well, but the pull shot hung just inside the rope for Dean to claim.The late season wash-upVery simple. This was a knockout match, even as the second-last of the season for both teams. The Strikers and Renegades went into the game at the bottom of the ladder on four points each, needing to win their last two to match the eight points of the teams currently occupying the finals positions.The Renegades had certainly had the better season on the field, losing twice from the last ball of matches, while the Strikers had struggled. In the end, things went to form, and Red Melbourne stayed in contention.

Leeds United are set to interview Daniel Farke for their managerial vacancy this week, according to reports.

What's the latest Leeds manager news?

Following Sam Allardyce’s sacking at the start of June after failing to keep his side in the Premier League, 49ers Enterprises have now embarked on a mission to find a suitable long-term appointment to try and get them back up to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

West Bromwich Albion’s Carlos Corberan is clearly one who has been admired by Elland Road chiefs for a long time having previously shown an interest in him after the departure of Jesse Marsch, but it’s believed that a move for him at this stage is ruled out as a result of the hierarchy wanting a candidate that has experience at the highest level.

Farke was most recently in charge of Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach but was relieved of his duties earlier this month, so he is now a free agent on the market and is looking for his next role in the dugout, and it appears that he’s attracted attention from Elland Road.

Are Leeds appointing Farke?

According to Sky Sports, Leeds are “set to meet” Farke for an interview this week to assess whether he’s the right man to take to the helm. Crystal Palace’s former coach Patrick Vieira is another name that is “under consideration”, whilst Corberan is confirmed to have received “no approach” at this stage.

Leeds will most likely be looking to appoint someone with plenty of experience in the Championship to try and help get them out of there, and with Farke having that and so much more on his CV, including three trophies, he could be just the person that the board need to bring to Yorkshire.

The German coach has an excellent track record in the second-tier, winning 71 and drawing 38 out of 138 games, with this form having twice seen him achieve promotion during his time at Norwich City, so he’ll know exactly what it takes to compete and be successful at this level.

The 46-year-old, who was once hailed “fantastic” by journalist Josh Bunting, also has a history in LS11 having won twice at Elland Road when visiting with his team, so if he can secure victories as an opponent, think about the magic he could work if he was in charge of the home side.

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Manchester United are still uncertain about David de Gea's future at the club, with Erik ten Hag not willing to "pin everything" on the goalkeeper's form next season.

Is De Gea leaving Manchester United?

With his contract expiring in a matter of hours, De Gea looks set to leave as a free agent.

The Spaniard has even been willing to take a signifcant pay cut to stay at the club, but Ten Hag's scepticism about De Gea's ability to implement his passing philosophy is edging the goalkeeper towards the exit door.

The fact that Andre Onana is currently in talks with the Red Devils about a move from Inter suggests that De Gea's time is running out, with a 12-year-old Trafford career potentially coming to an abrupt end.

Despite winning the Premier League Golden Glove last campaign, serious question marks have been raised over the Spaniard's inability to play out from the back, as well as some of the high-profile mistakes he made last season.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones suggests that there is still great uncertainty over De Gea's future, stressing the difficulty of this period for the 32-year-old.

Jones said: "Yeah, there has clearly been a briefing of some sorts over De Gea. And it's a tough moment for him, you know, and nobody ever wants to hear that they are not seen through the same eyes as they once were, and that's clearly the case with David de Gea right now.

De Gea has made 545 appearances since joining United in 2011 and will likely go down as one of the club's greatest goalkeepers, winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award at Old Trafford four times, including three seasons in a row between 2013 and 2016.

Onana appears the most likely candidate to succeed De Gea, with the Cameroon international having helped Inter all the way to the Champions League final last term.

Who else is potentially leaving Manchester United?

The Red Devils are expecting a fair few defensive departures this summer, with Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe leaving the club when their contracts expire.

It is also expected that Alex Telles and Eric Bailly will follow suit, having both spent last season on loan at Sevilla and Marseille respectively.

Harry Maguire has also been touted with a move away from Old Trafford, with midfield duo Fred and Scott McTominay (via the Metro) potentially departing the club as well.

Grant Elliott channeled his 2015 World Cup semi-final heroics for Lahore Qalanders, hitting a six in the final over off Mohammad Sami to seal a one-wicket win over Islamabad United at Sharjah

The Report by Danyal Rasool20-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellMohammad Sami found out today exactly how Dale Steyn felt after that 2015 World Cup semi-final at Eden Park as Grant Elliott smashed Sami into the stands over long-on to seal a sensational one-wicket win for Lahore Qalandars over Islamabad United.In a game during which Brendon McCullum’s side looked beaten for much of the chase, Elliott hung around, much like he had that fateful Auckland night, nearly running out of partners. Off the second ball of the last over, with his side nine wickets down, the 37-year old grabbed his chance as Sami missed his length on an attempted yorker and Elliott seized on a full length ball in response to give Lahore two points they desperately needed.Lahore would have been expected to chase down the target of 146 much more comfortably, but they ran into trouble early on. With McCullum still struggling badly and the rest of the batting lineup faring no better, Islamabad looked like they would scrap out an unlikely win. Umar Akmal stood between them and victory, showcasing the form that made him the leading run scorer of the PSL last year with 66 off 42 balls to take Lahore within touching distance. A Sunil Narine cameo – he hit two sixes in his five-ball innings – and steely nerves from Elliott took them over the finish line.In truth, Islamabad didn’t have enough runs to defend, as no batsman in the top six crossed 20. Poor umpiring decisions didn’t help, with Dwayne Smith and Misbah given out incorrectly, and at 83 for 6 in the 14th over they were in danger of being bowled out. But emerging players Shadab Khan and Amad Butt forged a plucky 53-run partnership for the seventh wicket, taking Islamabad to a total they so nearly defended.Where the match was wonThat Umar has a lot of talent must be the most oft-repeated claim in Pakistan cricket over the last decade, and the fact he fails to justify it so often has led to a lot of cynicism around the assertion. But anyone watching this match would have seen the truth behind the cliché.In an innings where his teammates couldn’t find the middle of their bats if someone handed them a flashlight, Umar went about the chase by combining grit with awesome power-hitting. He came to the crease with his side at 29 for 2, and was dismissed lbw with the score at 110. To get a sense of how his innings single-handedly kept Lahore in the chase, consider this: of the 81 runs Lahore scored while Umar was at the crease, he made 66. Elliott’s last-ball six only happened because he was standing on the shoulders of Umar.The men that won itAamer Yamin, playing his first game this season, was outstanding in the Powerplay: skidding off the surface and tailing into the right-handers to cramp them for room. It particularly flustered Rafatullah Mohmand, who played a strange innings in any case, being dropped twice before he was caught on the third offering during his 13-ball 16.Brad Haddin too fell victim to a Yamin inswinger, failing to adjust his feet as he inside edged a swipe that knocked over his leg stump. Even though Yamin was lucky to dismiss Misbah – replays showed he had missed a ball the umpire believed he had edged – there was nothing fortunate about his performance, which figures of 4-0-17-3 illustrated effectively.The moment of the matchThe Lahore innings began with an absorbing mini-narrative as McCullum searched for his lost form, trapped between his instinct to hit every ball out of the stadium and his desire not to be dismissed cheaply again. It included a riveting cat-and-mouse affair between the former New Zealand captain and the in-form Sami, who understood exactly what the batsman wanted to do, following him down the leg side whenever he tried to free his arms.Normally such a sweet timer of the ball, McCullum seemed to flail at a number of deliveries he was nowhere near to. It was one of the odder innings of his career – he made 11 at a strike rate of 61.11 – and even his most devoted fans might have been slightly relieved when it came to an end, as he drilled a slower ball straight into mid-off’s lap.Where they standLahore surge to second in the table after this last-wicket win, bumping Islamabad United down to third. Both sides have six points, but McCullum’s men boast a slightly superior net run rate.

The Islamabad United captain expressed his disappointment after two of his players were provisionally suspended for alleged breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code

Umar Farooq in Sharjah18-Feb-2017Misbah-ul-Haq, who did so much to steer Pakistan away from the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, has spoken of his disappointment at having to face up to another case of corruption in Pakistan cricket. Six years ago, Misbah took over a Test side gutted by the sudden loss of its captain and opener, Salman Butt, as well as its new-ball pair of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. This time, he was already captain of the Islamabad United side from which Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were chargedfor alleged breaches of the PCB’s anti-corruption code.”Nobody wants Pakistan and Pakistani players to be associated with fixing again,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “After six years of hard work such things happening again is a matter of great concern and disappointment. I am really disappointed. But, I think whenever such things happen, you have got to be very strong to face them. Forget about the individuals who are responsible and try to make sure that things are not happening again; move forward, try to perform better, try to be disciplined and improve the reputation around the world.”This latest case, during the ongoing Pakistan Super League, has come as the Lord’s trio stands all but reintegrated into the Pakistan system. Misbah has captained Amir at the international level through the course of 2016, while Butt and Asif are back playing domestic cricket. ESPNcricinfo understands Butt is also in contention to make the national squad for the tour of the West Indies in March. But given what has happened in the PSL, the PCB could be forced to rethink that situation.Frustratingly for the Pakistan board, the latest incident has come after six years of concerted effort to tighten its anti-corruption code and practices. Men’s and women’s teams, at all levels, are given lectures before any tour or series, emphasising the dangers of corruption, as well as the ways in which approaches might occur. Players are given literature in Urdu as well. At the domestic level, apart from the regular programme, Amir, Asif and Butt gave anti-corruption lectures in which they spoke about their experiences.The alleged incidents of corruption in the PSL have come as big blow for the PCB, which had taken great steps to stamp it out of Pakistan cricket•PCBBoth Sharjeel and Latif are Pakistan internationals. Sharjeel, especially, was on the verge of becoming a vital cog in the national side. He has played 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is since his debut in December 2013, and over the last year or so, blossomed into the kind of opener Pakistan needed, especially in limited-overs cricket. He was one of the few bright spots in Pakistan’s chastening tour of Australia recently, from the time he made his Test debut in Sydney to his three fifties in the ODI series. Potentially, under the PCB’s anti-corruption code, he could be facing a life ban.Losing Sharjeel and Latif, along with Andre Russell before the season began for an anti-doping code violation, has hit Islamabad hard as they try to defend their title. At the halfway stage of the PSL, they have two wins and two losses.”It obviously affects you when your match-winners and best players go down, but then, there are other boys on the bench raring to go in, and they are equally good,” Misbah said. “There are tough situations, but it’s about the environment and the winning habit so that it doesn’t matter who comes and goes. The boys take inspiration from every win. They are building up, they are getting the confidence, and with couple of victories, we have a way forward in this PSL. They know their roles, they are always ready to chip in and win us games. Our squad is capable enough to retain the title this year.”Islamabad retained their 17 players this season. The core of their side, however, is an aging one, with several of them over 35 years old. But for Misbah, that is an asset.”Philosophy is just to have players who have better understanding about the game,” he said. “Players who are fit for the game, know their roles, handle pressure very well, and if there are younger players around, then they have good chance in making in our squad as well. It’s not deliberate, but this is actually helping us because we have players from around the world who are mature and experienced in this format. This is actually an advantage for us in many ways as we have players who are mentally strong.”

Sunderland have thrown their hat into the ring in the race to sign Sonny Perkins on loan this summer, according to a report from TeamTalk.

Who is Sonny Perkins?

The 19-year-old currently plays for Leeds United, having been poached from West Ham at the beginning of the campaign. Whilst he hasn't been a first-team regular for the Whites, he has already been handed his first-team debut for the squad and even has a goal to his name in his three appearances for them.

Before leaving, he was also given the same amount of action by the Hammers.

Whilst he is clearly highly regarded to have been thrown into the first-team squad at his age, he has had to make do with reserve team football for the most part. However, the player has thrived in those outings and has become even more impressive since his move to Leeds.

Having produced twelve goals in 23 games for West Ham's Under-21 team, he has now managed a further 13 efforts in 23 games for the Whites' Under-21 side. It's led to him being called up for England's Under-19 team, where he has continued to shine with five goals in just three games for them. In addition, he's featured for his country's Under-18, Under-16 and Under-15 outfits previously.

Are Sunderland signing Sonny Perkins?

Now, this form has caught the eye of several Championship sides who are prepared to give him that regular first-team action. According to a report from TeamTalk, Sunderland are one of the second tier sides who are keen to try and bring Perkins in on a short-term basis for next season.

It's a surprise that Leeds are prepared to let the 19-year-old leave on loan, considering that they too are back in the Championship, but it appears that the club are willing to allow Perkins to go and find more playing time and the Black Cats have "registered their interest".

He certainly looks like he could have the potential to be a real asset for Sunderland. Back when he joined up with Leeds, he was labelled as a "very interesting signing" and "on fire" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example, who highlighted how impressive he had been for both his country's youth team and West Ham United's.

If he can get regular football with the Black Cats, it could bring the same kind of form out of the player next season.

Celtic have endured a difficult summer so far as they have had to deal with plenty of change, both in the dugout and throughout the playing squad.

Australian manager Ange Postecoglou left last month after two years at the helm and has been replaced by Brendan Rodgers, who is now in his second stint in Glasgow.

They have also been rocked by the retirement of midfielder Aaron Mooy and, most recently, the departure of Portuguese star Jota to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad.

The winger spent two seasons with the Hoops, one of which was on loan from Benfica, and has now moved on to join the likes of Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante in the Middle East.

Who could replace Jota at Celtic?

Rodgers will need to replace the 24-year-old magician ahead of the 2023/24 campaign and could already have the dream heir to his position in the squad in Israel international Liel Abada.

Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the Hoops are expecting the young forward to depart for £10m amid interest from the Premier League, as he has rejected the offer of a new contract in Glasgow.

However, Jota's departure could provide the exciting ace with the opportunity to become a regular starter for Celtic next season, something that could well tempt him into sticking around.

The ex-Benfica star was Postecoglou's outstanding wide option as he racked up 11 goals and 11 assists in 26 Scottish Premiership starts. Only Kyogo Furuhashi's goals (27) and Matt O'Riley's tally of 12 assists stopped the terrific dynamo from leading the charts for the club in both statistics, which highlights the immense influence he had in the team.

Abada, meanwhile, contributed with ten goals and five assists in 13 league starts for Celtic, whilst he also created ten 'big chances' for his teammates. This means that the 21-year-old was directly involved in a goal every 0.87 starts on average for the Glasgow giants.

Whereas, Jota averaged one every 1.18 starts in the division on average with this suggesting that the potential is there for the £10m-rated talent to be the dream replacement for the Al-Ittihad winger.

Former Scotland full-back Alan Hutton previously described the "revelation" as being "under the radar" because of Jota, something that is evidently backed up by the aforementioned statistics.

The £15k-per-week maestro has been incredibly productive in spite of being in the shadow of the Portuguese ace, so imagine what he could do as a regular starter for the Hoops next season under the Northern Irishman.

Rodgers must place his faith in Abada by making him the replacement for Jota instead of splashing out on a new player to take his place. A fresh addition in that area could also provide strong competition for places to spur the Israel international on to up his own game.

The £14.5m-rated speedster has the quality to score and assist goals week-in-week-out in the Scottish top flight, which is why he deserves an opportunity to stake a claim for a starring role next term.

Half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis took South Africa’s total to 314 – from 5 for 2 and 190 for 6

The Report by Alagappan Muthu26-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:41

De Kock stalls New Zealand despite finger trouble

Injured tendon? The liability New Zealand hoped to exploit became a blaring irritant to their hopes of levelling the series as Quinton de Kock – with a strapped finger on a splint – produced 90 runs of the highest quality. That he has turned 12 of his 29 innings into scores of 50 or more is testament to why South Africa wanted him in their XI for this Test, no matter what.NZ’s rare opening stand

3 Fifty-plus opening stands by New Zealand in 38 Test innings against South Africa since 2000. Before this, they had averaged 17.43 in the last 37 innings.

36.50 Average runs per wicket added by South Africa’s last four wickets this series. Their first six wickets have averaged only 32.69. South Africa added 124 runs after the fall of their sixth wicket in Hamilton, and 265 runs for their last four wickets in the first innings in Wellington.

29.22 Average of South Africa’s batsmen at No. 8 or lower in this series, as opposed to New Zealand’s average of 14.60. South Africa’s tail has had a significant bearing on this series given that the two teams’ top-orders have similar averages.

76.27 Quinton de Kock’s strike rate in his 118-ball 90; the other South African batsmen scored at 52.63. De Kock had rescued South Africa with quick runs in Wellington too – a 118-ball 91 after coming in to bat at 94 for 6.

4-93 Matt Henry’s best figures in Tests, on debut at Lord’s in 2015. His figures in South Africa’s first innings equalled that effort.

On a pitch supporting seam movement and under clouds promising swing, South Africa’s 314 was a better-than-par total. To Tom Latham, it might have looked like a monstrous one. He had not passed 10 in the series, and suddenly had 28 overs to survive against Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada. By stumps, however, he had put on the highest opening partnership of the series with Jeet Raval. The determination both men showed, making 67 runs in the process, was necessary, considering they had let South Africa off the hook. A team that had been 190 for 6 should not have made it to 314.Apart from undermining themselves, New Zealand were also fighting their weather. Forty nine overs were lost on the first day and a few more went down the drain at Seddon Park on the second. Both delays were caused by showers that did not last that long.Perhaps the only reason Kane Williamson thought better of leaving the field to investigate who was sabotaging his team with repetitive rain dances was the wickets his bowlers were able to give him. Matt Henry, on comeback, was responsible for four of them. His strength is bowling a full length and controlling his line well enough to test batsmen outside off stump. So much that in 75 deliveries to right-handers, barely any slipped down the leg side.De Kock, being left-handed, coped far better as he made 26 runs off 28 deliveries from New Zealand’s stand-in spearhead. And if Henry couldn’t make him budge, what chance did the rest have? De Kock launched Jeetan Patel’s offspin for a six over midwicket. He carved cuts behind point when there was little room, and his pull shots were outstanding. He finished with 90 off 118 balls – an innings in defiance of a pitch that wasn’t all that great for strokeplay.It was slow as Temba Bavuma found out, toe-ending a pull to first slip. The humidity and cloud cover ensured there was consistent swing too. Knowing that – and perhaps the fact that a draw was enough to win another trophy – Faf du Plessis reached into his closet and put on his Adelaide gear: do as you please but you won’t get past me. It wasn’t that he was particularly troubled by the bowling. At a drinks break, when a chair was run out for him, the only way du Plessis could have looked more at home was if his dog Giorgio had been by his side and there a braai in the background. So calm was du Plessis, just sipping on his water and chatting with his partner.New Zealand needed something magical to remove the South African captain, and they got it soon after he got to his 12th Test fifty. Latham, at short leg, saw du Plessis premeditating a lap sweep and began moving quickly to his right. He had already covered a yard or so when the ball came within his reach, and then, it was a matter of letting his reflexes take over and hoping they were good enough. Latham stuck out his right hand and secured a catch to give Mitchell Santner a wicket. The left-arm spinner had to wait 61 overs to get into the mix.Williamson was far more partial to his quicks, and Henry would feel unlucky that he still does not have a five-for in Tests. He nabbed Philander, who became the sixth South African to the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets, with a teaser outside off stump. Latham did his bit again to enable the wicket with a fine catch, low to his right at second slip.Henry found the edge again the very next ball, but it fell short of the cordon and Keshav Maharaj survived. Later, an inswinging yorker only just missed making a mess of Morkel’s leg stump. Neil Wagner knocked over Rabada in the next over to finish the innings and deny his team-mate his fifth.

Wayne Parnell has been included in Kent’s squad for Friday’s Royal London match against Sussex despite a health scare earlier this week

George Dobell04-May-2017Wayne Parnell has been included in Kent’s squad for Friday’s Royal London match against Sussex despite a health scare earlier this week.Parnell, the South African seamer who is with the club on a short-term stint as an overseas player, left the pitch feeling unwell after bowling four overs during Tuesday’s match against Somerset. He reported an elevated heart rate and feeling light-headed.While he was keen to return to the action after a few minutes, the club’s medical team insisted he sit out the remainder of the game as a precaution. Parnell was hospitalised in 2013 after complaining of similar symptoms while playing for South Africa A against India A. Subsequent tests revealed no long-term problem, with the issue instead put down to a virus.He did not go to hospital on Tuesday and instead travelled back to Kent on the team bus at the end of the game.He saw a doctor on Wednesday and underwent a series of basic tests. The club insist that some reports of his condition have been “greatly exaggerated” and suggested that they would not have named him in the squad for Friday’s game if there was any risk to his welfare.Cricket South Africa have been kept fully informed of Parnell’s condition and condoned his return to action.It is not certain he will play on Friday, though. He will undergo a fitness test ahead of the game before any final decision is made.

Tottenham Hotspur are a "sleeping giant" if a multi-billionaire ownership group stepped up to buy the club according to Mark Goldbridge.

Are Tottenham Hotspur a "sleeping giant"?

It's no secret now that Spurs are regularly the butt of rival fan's jokes about their lack of success and silverware, with it now being 15 years since the club last won a trophy; the Carling Cup back in 2008 courtesy of a 2-1 victory against rivals Chelsea.

Since then, it's been a story of nearly and almost from the north London side, with some fantastic sides under managers like Harry Redknapp and Mauricio Pochettino falling short in the big moments. Moments such as "St Totteringhams Day" in 2016 as well as Moussa Sissoko's handball in the first minute of the club's only-ever Champions League final often leading to the side being branded as bottlers. However, this hasn't always been the case with Spurs.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Tottenham were a powerful force in the English game. The side was one of the country's trailblazers in Europe, being the first English side to win any European trophy in 1963 with the Cup Winners Cup, as well as being the first English side to win the UEFA Cup in 1972. Spurs ultimately finished their strongest era in the club's history by adding two league cups, three FA Cups and the last first-division title the club won in the 1960/61 campaign.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Goldbridge revealed that he believes should someone like Elon Musk or Qatar purchase Spurs, they could break out from their "sleeping giant" state. The presenter also stated that if he was a multi-billionaire owner looking to buy a football club, Tottenham would be his choice.

"If you look at Spurs, and you look at the stadium and you look at the fact they are a London club, he's right, they are a sleeping giant if someone like Abu Dhabi or Elon Musk or Qatar or someone like that. But they are the next club that if I was a multi-billionaire and I was looking at what Newcastle and Man City have done, Spurs would be it.

"They've already got the stadium, they've already got the infrastructure, they've got the fans, they are based in London. You buy the club and all you need to do is spend money on transfers."

Could Tottenham Hotspur be the next Manchester City?

Should a rich ownership group take over the reins at Spurs, the club have all the potential to get back to the heights of the 60s and 70s.

As Goldbridge alluded to, the infrastructure at the club is already complete to almost the highest level in Europe. The Tottenham Hotspur stadium which was opened in 2019 is spoken about as one of the best and most innovative stadiums in the world, whilst the club's Hotspur Way training ground has been lauded for its environmental protection and sustainability qualities. The fanbase that the club has would also only grow in size as well, whilst being situated in north London could give many prospective buyers a simple goal to aim for: usurp Arsenal and become the best team in North London.

Due to the quality of the infrastructure at the club, the main focus from new owners initially would be investing in the playing squad. According to Goldbridge, Spurs have a lot of room within Financial Fair Play to work with due to the club not spending as much as other sides in recent years. All these factors together make Spurs a potentially terrifying prospect for the rest of the league should a takeover happen.

Earlier this year, rumours circulated about both a potential bid to buy the entirety of the club as well as a potential minority investment however neither of those rumours have come to fruition. Yet, as tensions continue to grow between the fanbase and the current ownership group ENIC, a takeover that could wake up the sleeping giant could be on the cards sooner rather than later