Category Uncategorized

Worcestershire all-rounder Tom Taylor produced a deadly spell with the ball on his way to career-best figures as Warwickshire were forced to follow on in the Vitality County Championship derby at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Taylor picked up five wickets in six overs this morning as Warwickshire were bowled out for 128 in 42.2 overs in their first innings. The 29-year-old finished with 6 for 28 as he surpassed his best figures of 6 for 47 for Leicestershire against Sussex at Hove in April 2019. His morning analysis was 5 for 6 from five overs and Warwickshire lost six wickets for 16 in 9.2 overs after resuming on 112 for 4.Taylor added one more in Warwickshire’s second innings when they followed on 179 runs in arrears to take his tally to 23 wickets in five Championship games for Worcestershire.The visitors provided sterner opposition the second time around, with captain Alex Davies and Will Rhodes both hitting half-centuries. But Matthew Waite, Ethan Brookes and that man Taylor picked up a wicket apiece to leave Warwickshire still eight runs in arrears.Warwickshire resumed 195 in arrears but were quickly plunged into trouble by Taylor’s dynamic wickets burst. The pace bowler had deserved a greater reward than one wicket for his efforts on the second day but quickly made an impact on the third morning.His second delivery accounted for Hamza Shaikh who pushed forward and was taken by keeper Gareth Roderick away to his right. Michael Burgess fenced at a Taylor delivery and Brookes held onto the chance at second slip.Taylor then struck with the first two deliveries of his third over of the morning to complete his five-for. Danny Briggs was LBW after attempting to work to leg and then Michael Rae was beaten all ends up and bowled. Taylor then had figures for 5 for 27 and had taken four wickets in the space of 13 balls.Oliver Hannon-Dalby was yorked by Taylor to complete his career-best performance, and then Logan van Beek wrapped up the innings as Ed Barnard holed out to club captain Brett D’Oliveira at deep midwicket.D’Oliveira enforced the follow on with van Beek and Matthew Waite sharing the new ball. Waite picked up the wicket in his first over of Rob Yates who was beaten by an in-swinging delivery and plumb LBW.There was still enough in the pitch to encourage the seam bowlers but Alex Davies, who yesterday became the first player to score 1,000 Division One runs this summer, and Will Rhodes provided determined resistance.Young pace bowler Jack Home was on the receiving end of some fine stroke-play from Davies, conceding three successive fours to the Warwickshire captain during a spell costing 41 runs. Davies completed a 73-ball half century with nine fours and a six and also brought up the 100 in the 27th over.The century partnership spanned 162 deliveries and was worth 115 in total when Ethan Brookes accounted for Davies in similar fashion to the first innings. Davies tried to steer the ball square on the offside but it nipped back sharply and he only succeeded in playing onto his stumps for the second time in the gameBrookes delivered an excellent post-lunch spell of 1 for 5 from seven overs, including four maidens, before Rhodes brought up his half-century from 117 balls with seven boundaries.But Taylor came back into the attack after tea and his fourth delivery accounted for Sam Hain, who aimed a blow to the on side and was leg before to a full length ball shortly before the heavens opened.

Manchester United hit their lowest ebb last season, but Ruben Amorim has a vision and is convinced that the only way from here is up.

Amorim clearly wants to restructure his frontline, so as to turn a corner. Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha has already completed a £62.5m move to the Theatre of Dreams, and right-sided forward Bryan Mbeumo is in talks to follow.

However, replacing the much-maligned Rasmus Hojlund could be the crowning moment of United’s transfer window, with a new number nine desperately needed to front the team.

Hojlund has been hung up to dry somewhat, only scoring four goals across 32 Premier League matches in 2024/25, but then also missing just six big chances, as per Sofascore, so his problems lie in finding opportunities, rather than letting them go begging.

The 22-year-old Dane has been touted for a return to Italy this summer, two years on from his £72m move from Atalanta to Manchester. United, then, would need to find a replacement.

Man United open talks for new striker

As per a Spanish report, Manchester United have made their first move in an effort to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike this summer, having established contacts with the Bundesliga outfit. Liverpool and Chelsea are already thick in the race.

Ekitike, 22, is one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe right now, and with United’s move for Viktor Gyokeres having hit a roadblock, this may be a stunning acquisition for the Premier League giants.

The sticking point? Die Roten would quite like to bank €100m (£84m) for the sale of their star striker, so the Red Devils will need to weigh up how to make this work.

Why Man United should sign Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike might be young, but he’s demonstrated over the past year an aptitude that places him right alongside the best forwards in Europe. Indeed, analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed him as “one of the best strikers out there” while he’s also been described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey.

Across all competitions in 2024/25, the Frenchman scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists for his teammates, proving himself not only to be a first-class shooter but also a dynamic forward capable of linking play together.

With Amorim’s attacking system likely to see Cunha and potentially Mbeumo flank him, this could be the perfect way to add colour to the team, certainly providing an upgrade on Hojlund.

Goals

0.30

0.51

Assists

0.06

0.29

Shots taken

1.65

3.74

Shot-creating actions

2.07

3.50

Touches (att pen)

3.78

6.73

Pass completion

76.9%

75.3%

Progressive passes

0.96

1.95

Progressive carries

1.20

3.04

Successful take-ons

0.33

1.90

Ball recoveries

1.71

2.75

As you can see, Ekitike is simply far superior to the Red Devils’ focal frontman, dwarfing him in regard to creative underlying numbers.

Moreover, Ekitike has actually demonstrated an even more clinical conversion rate than his beleaguered positional peer, scoring 16 goals in the Bundesliga last term and only missing 15 big chances, as per Sofascore.

His movements and intelligence denote his suitability as the frontman at a prestigious club like Man United, who will rise again after such struggles in recent years.

Flanked by Cunha and Mbeumo, Amorim would have created a robust and balanced front three by placing Ekitike at the front and centre.

Unfortunately for Hojlund, there may be no route back after his struggles, and change, for sure, will be a good thing heading into the new campaign.

Ekitike upgrade: Wilcox in constant contact to bring "monster" to Man Utd

Manchester United appear to be making positive moves over a deal to land a new striker for Ruben Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 14, 2025

Sometimes in football, things are just meant to be. Despite not picking up a single victory in their last six standard Championship games, Sunderland rallied and came up through the play-offs in dramatic circumstances.

As they weaved their way through the most lottery system in world football, they must have thought the gods were with them when Dan Ballard powered home an injury-time goal in the semi-finals against Coventry.

The gods were shining down on them again last weekend when Tom Watson, soon to be of Brighton, slid the ball home in the dying embers to send the Black Cats up.

Sunderland have been through hell and back since their exit from the top-flight several years ago, so you can’t say they don’t deserve to be back.

But, what lies in store now? Well, a move for Jordan Henderson could be on the cards.

The latest on Jordan Henderson's future

A Premier League and Champions League winner, Henderson left Liverpool behind in search of luxurious riches in Saudi Arabia.

However, his move to the Pro League wasn’t exactly filled with success. He left after a matter of months, heading to Ajax.

A European titan, his spell in the Netherlands hasn’t been too pleasing either. He’s been attacked by reporters for showing an alleged disrespect to the club amid talk he could leave, while the Amsterdam club lost the Eredivisie title on the season’s final day to PSV.

Still, there has been some solace for Henderson who, after Thomas Tuchel was appointed England manager, is now back in the Three Lions setup.

To top things off, he could also return to his boyhood club. That’s according to talkSPORT, who revealed earlier this week that the Mackems are ‘contemplating’ a move to bring the midfielder back to the Stadium of Light.

Henderson first left Sunderland behind back in 2011, having played 79 times for the club.

Would he be a good signing? Well, speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of BetVictor Casino, former Black Cats defender Wes Brown seemed to think so.

“Jordan Henderson going back to Sunderland would make sense. He’d understand that he might not play every week, but when needed, definitely show the heart,” Brown began.

Sunderland’s squad boasts some fabulous young players from Jobe Bellingham to Chris Rigg, but Brown thinks adding some experience to the squad now they’ve been promoted would be a fine idea.

The former Manchester United star said: “You do need a few experienced players in the squad, to settle the ship. We all know it’s not going to be perfect next year and there are going to be games where it’s not a good day. There has to be people in the squad to pick the other players back up. You see it year after year, how teams that come up, they can’t quite get back up from a defeat and their heads go down, everyone’s nervous.”

Jordan Henderson’s Sunderland career
Season	Games	Goals	Assists
2008/09	15	1	2
2009/10	38	2	6
2010/11	39	3	4
Stats via Transfermarkt.

Concluding why the 34-year-old should head back to the northeast, Brown commented: “You need players to bring the life back into the team and Jordan would definitely be a player that would easily help do that. It’s his boyhood club as well. He would try everything to help the team.”

While Henderson’s arrival would be noteworthy, so would a potential exit for Bellingham.

Brown provides verdict on Jobe Bellingham's future

With a name like Bellingham, you’re always going to attract the attention of elsewhere and it looks like the younger brother of Jude could follow in his footsteps this summer by heading to Germany.

Sky Sports Germany reported this week that the attacking midfielder has been in talks over a move to sign for Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

What does Brown make of the young Sunderland star?

He told FFC: “I like Jobe Bellingham, he’s not his brother but he’s a solid player, still young. I can tell you, I played in the Championship, it’s a tough league to get out of, it’s horrible. You could be sitting pretty one minute, you lose two games on the bounce and you’re back in tenth, and you don’t know what’s going on. He’s got a great mindset, determination and they seem like a great bunch of lads.”

Brown concluded: “He’s fitted into that team fantastically and there’s a lot of people who will be looking forward to seeing what Jobe can do in the Premier League.”

While the 19-year-old’s numbers were not jaw-dropping this season, scoring four and assisting three, it’s clear he’s got immense potential and losing him just as they earn promotion would undoubtedly be a big blow.

Big O'Nien upgrade: Sunderland targeting move for "freak" £20m "monster"

Sunderland might look to upgrade on Luke O’Nien when venturing up to the Premier League.

By
Kelan Sarson

May 30, 2025

Crystal Palace have now joined the hotly-contested race to sign a “brilliant” new striker on a free transfer this summer, according to a recent report.

Nketiah reaches 50 goals in Crystal Palace win over Wolves

The Eagles followed up their amazing 1-0 triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday with an impressive 4-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their final home game of the season, reaching a club record 52 Premier League points.

Related Crystal Palace now plotting quick deal to sign "aggressive" £20m midfielder

The Eagles are now eyeing a move for an attacking midfielder.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 20, 2025

Oliver Glasner decided to hand striker Eddie Nketiah a rare start, and it was a move that paid off as he netted twice in a five-minute window to help the South Londoners on their way to victory. It meant Tuesday night’s game was a special landmark for the 25-year-old, as he netted his 50th career goal. After the game, Nketiah revealed he wants to contribute more next season.

“It is nice to reach that landmark. I know I can do much better and help the team. It’s a nice way to end the last home game, and I want to contribute more next season.”

Nketiah joined the Eagles last summer having decided to leave Arsenal in search of regular football. His move to Selhurst Park probably hasn’t quite gone the way he expected, as he’s made just nine starts in the Premier League, scoring only three goals, perhaps understandably struggling to get ahead of Jean-Philippe Mateta in the pecking order.

Crystal Palace join Leeds in race to sign £140k-p/w star on free transfer

Nketiah will hope next season he can contribute more, but his chances of doing so could be dealt a further blow, as according to Football Insider, Crystal Palace have made contact with Jamie Vardy over a move to Selhurst Park.

Football Insider reports that contact has been made between the South Londoners and Vardy’s camp, as they try to get an understanding of whether he would want to move to Selhurst Park. The 38-year-old, who scored in his final game at the King Power Stadium as a Leicester City player on Sunday, is planning to continue playing at the highest level.

Palace don’t have a clear run at signing the Englishman, as it’s already been reported that Wolves are already plotting a move to sign the striker, while Leeds are also advancing on a deal, and Everton are said to be leading the race to sign Vardy.

Jamie Vardy’s Premier League record

Apps

342

Goals

145

Assists

50

The 38-year-old, who has been hailed as “brilliant” by Gary Lineker, has scored nine goals in 35 Premier League games this season, taking his total top flight tally to 145, a number any striker would kill to achieve in one of the top leagues in Europe.

It isn’t clear if Vardy would be interested in a move to Palace, but if the Eagles have any chance of signing the striker, they are going to have to pay around the £140,000 mark for wages, as that is what Vardy currently earns at Leicester.

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, so the champagne remained corked in Liverpool’s internal quarters, with the Reds squad convened to celebrate if their closest rivals tripped up.

But they didn’t, and now Anfield has the chance to erupt into a frenzy when Liverpool host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, with three points enough to seal Arne Slot the Premier League title in his first season at the helm.

Having only swallowed two defeats in the top flight this season, Liverpool will be deserving, dominant winners. Much has been made of the purportedly low quality pervading across the division this year, but this is nonsense, with the Reds in need of 11 points from 15 remaining to cross the 90-point threshold.

Liverpool have been great, but now they must begin preparations for the 2025/26 campaign, defending their expected title while challenging across tournamental fronts too.

With Darwin Nunez set to leave, a centre-forward will be needed. However, Liverpool also need defenders, with Dean Huijsen identified as the perfect player to reinforce a title-bound rearguard.

Liverpool's interest in Dean Huijsen

Huijsen joined Bournemouth last summer in a deal which could reach £15m, leaving Juventus after graduating from the Serie A giants’ academy.

The centre-half has been immense, one of the standout players in Andoni Iraola’s high-flying team, sitting eighth in the Premier League, which will secure a European spot next year if Crystal Palace fail to win the FA Cup.

With a £50m release clause, the 20-year-old Huijsen is “the most in-demand centre-back in the world” right now, according to analyst Ben Mattinson.

Liverpool are very much in the mix for the defender, as per Fabrizio Romano, with sporting director Richard Hughes looking to secure his signature and add to Slot’s rich backline.

However, it does seem that Chelsea lead the race at this current stage.

If Stamford Bridge adds the Spain international to their mix, Liverpool will endure, turn their attention to another central defender.

Huijsen, indeed, isn’t the only defender from the Vitality on FSG’s mind.

Liverpool leading race for PL sensation

As per GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool do have the lead in the race for another Bournemouth talent, with FSG preparing to intensify efforts to sign left-back Milos Kerkez.

In with a shout for a place in the Premier League Team of the Season after a stellar year, Kerkez, 21, would be available for around £40m this summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City all interested too.

However, Liverpool’s groundwork and the Hungarian’s friendship with Dominik Szoboszlai could hold sway in negotiations.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Liverpool would love both Cherries defenders, but getting the Kerkez deal over the line will prove the more important piece to shift toward Merseyside.

Why Liverpool should prioritise Kerkez

Kerkez has started every Premier League fixture for Bournemouth this season, with performances leading talent scout Antonio Mango to describe him as “one of the best young full-backs in football.”

Born in Serbia, Kerkez brings a fascinating blend of athleticism and power, capable of driving upfield and making things happen in the final third while adding security and width to the backline during defensive phases, with his ball-playing ability also allowing his side to calmly play their way out of danger.

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has even hailed him as a “revelation for Bournemouth,” so important for one of the division’s most exciting, attack-tailored outfits.

It’s clear that he’s got what it takes to star for Liverpool, potentially even swiping Andy Robertson’s usual place in Slot’s starting line-up from the get-go.

Matches (starts)

33 (33)

30 (26)

Goals

2

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

59.1

63.9

Pass completion

80%

89%

Big chances created

6

6

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Succ. dribbles

0.6 (56%)

0.2 (41%)

Ball recoveries*

4.5

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

2.7

2.0

Clearances*

2.8

1.3

Ground duels (won)*

3.4 (60%

1.7 (53%)

Liverpool may covet Huijsen, but Robertson’s declining output and solidity in defence suggest that Kerkez would be the more vital piece to add to the machine. The Bournemouth man is more active, mobile and confident in the duel, albeit not so crisp in possession, though this is in large part down to the players’ respective assigned roles.

Not only this, but Kerkez also ranks among the top 18% of full-backs in the Premier League this season, as per FBref, for assists, the top 11% for successful crosses and the top 13% for both progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

He’s got a natural potency, one which has deserted Robertson after so many years of service on Merseyside. This new spark of creativity could prove to be so important for a Liverpool side braced for the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold at the end of his contract, with Real Madrid confident they will secure his signature.

No doubt, FSG would love to sign both Kerkez and Huijsen this summer, but Kerkez’s signature carries with it the more pressing urgency for those of a Liverpool persuasion.

If Liverpool have the means, which in this case some might consider a synonymical word for ‘ambition’, then they will move to sign both of Bournemouth’s left-sided defenders this summer.

It would be a statement of intent, all right, and one which might leave a lasting imprint on Slot’s legacy at Anfield. However, given the need for balance and impetus down the left flank, Kerkez should be the priority.

He's more creative than Trent: Liverpool make £87m "superstar" a top target

Arne Slot could reshape Liverpool’s creative structure by completing this statement signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 23, 2025

DC needed Rahul to anchor their innings and take apart CSK’s best bowler, and he did both with aplomb

Deivarayan Muthu05-Apr-20252:08

Jaffer: Rahul’s takedown of Noor was the key for DC

At 11am on Saturday, four-and-a-half hours before of the start of Delhi Capitals’ (DC) game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk, the team management learned that Faf du Plessis might not be fit to take the field. DC coach Hemang Badani then asked KL Rahul, who had batted at No. 4 on his franchise debut last Friday, if he could slide up the order and take up du Plessis’ spot.”Happy, coach. I’m happy to go up the order,” was Rahul’s immediate response, according to Badani.Rahul is used to moving up and down the order across formats. He’s a shape-shifting object that is capable of turning himself into whatever the team needs. On a tricky, red-soil surface in Chennai, they needed Rahul to first anchor the innings and then dismantle the opposition’s best bowler. Rahul aced both roles during his 77 off 51 balls – and then even kept wicket in Chennai’s inhospitable heat – to carry DC to their third successive win.Related

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• Rahul 77 leads Delhi Capitals to 183 against CSK

• Stats – CSK go six years without chasing a 180-plus target

He had started slowly. He was on 29 off 23 balls at the halfway mark of DC’s innings. But he had sussed out the conditions intelligently and understood that the pitch was offering extra bounce, of the tennis-ball variety. So, he refrained from hitting over the top. He also needed some time to ease himself in.”Yeah, it’s more the mental [adjustment] and just the process of just getting in and just getting used to walking at a particular stage,” Rahul said after the match. “There are a few routines that I do, and I’d like to get used to doing the same thing and then your body gets used to doing that.”But since I’ve been going up and down the order, I just feel like a little unsettled when I walk in and the first few balls it takes me a few minutes to just get used to it. That’s been the most challenging part for me. Once I get through those initial nerves, and just getting used to being in the middle – or whatever is my routines if I can get settled with that – then it’s just bat and ball again.”Against Noor Ahmad, the left-arm wristspinner who is the highest wicket-taker this season so far, Rahul had a plan, and he committed to it. It’s hard to pick which way a left-arm wristspinner is turning the ball, especially at the high speeds Noor bowls at, but Rahul was ready to pounce on any error in length. When Noor pushed one full enough for the sweep, Rahul slog-swept him away over midwicket for six.KL Rahul slog sweeps Noor Ahmad for a six•BCCILeaving the crease against Noor is fraught with immense risk, so Rahul took the less risky option of sweeping the wristspinner because whichever way the ball turns, the arc of the bat covers for it as long as you pick the length.Expecting Rahul to sweep him once again, Noor then hid a wrong’un away from Rahul’s reach in his third over. Rahul, who had originally shaped for the sweep, picked the length, which wasn’t full enough for the shot, and ended up flat-batting it on one knee over Noor’s head. It forced Noor to change his length again, and Rahul nailed the sweep again. His plan to take Noor down was a sweeping success: 20 off nine balls at a strike rate of 222.22. Noor had looked unstoppable until Saturday, when Rahul stopped him from bowling his full quota of overs.”I think what we have spoken as a side is not to settle or not to let any bowler settle,” Badani said at his post-match press conference. “Now, a certain batter will have their own game plan. And as you mentioned, Rahul was clear enough that he was not going to let Noor settle down. Because he felt that Noor was a crucial bowler for CSK. And he wanted to make sure that once you put the opposition’s best bowler down, it becomes difficult for the opposition to keep coming back after that and I thought he did that well.”Rahul then went about lining up the weakest link in CSK’s attack on the day, reverse-scooping left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary for four between the keeper and short third. Even before the ball had passed Khaleel Ahmed at short third, the bowler had his hands on his head. Rahul ran out of gas in the end overs – he managed just nine off his last ten balls – but he had already done enough to push DC to an above-par total.1:36

Jaffer: ‘Things are falling in place for Delhi Capitals’

In the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Rahul was unable to make a decision under pressure. He wasn’t sure if he should attack Mitchell Starc when he came back for the death, or if he could play him out and find runs elsewhere. Rahul took no half-measures against Noor, though, on Saturday. He took no half-measures against Mitchell Santner either in the Champions Trophy final last month.DC were initially looking to have Rahul open the batting for them but after Harry Brook pulled out of the tournament, they decided to slot him in at No. 4. In his first game for DC at that position, he hit Mohammed Shami, no less, for two fours and a six off his first three (legal) balls in a cameo. In his next match against CSK, he seamlessly moved up to the top and played a starring role for them on a challenging Chepauk track.”He is somebody who has been around long enough to understand the need of the hour,” Badani said of Rahul. “He has opened for India. He has opened in Test cricket recently for India. He has batted at No. 4 or 5 in the Champions Trophy, and he is somebody who can play spin well, who can play pace well.”Wake up in the morning, become a shape-shifting object, and win the Player-of-the-Match award in the evening. It’s just another day in the life of KL Rahul.

Allrounder completes set of international caps with first List A appearance in four years

Matt Roller02-Mar-2023Twenty-six hours and fifty-two minutes. That is the length of time between Jimmy Anderson strangling Neil Wagner down the leg side to give New Zealand a one-run win in the second Test at the Basin Reserve, and Chris Woakes beating Tamim Iqbal on the outside edge some 7000 miles away in the first ODI at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Dhaka.International teams playing on consecutive days has become all too common in the post-Covid era: last year, I was among the handful of people present as England won their third ODI against the Netherlands in Amstelveen on the evening of June 22, and then again for the first day of their Headingley Test against New Zealand on the morning of June 23. This time, it was physically impossible to be at both the denouement of the Wellington Test and the start of the Mirpur ODI – at least, while using commercial airlines.History will show that one player managed the improbable feat of being in England’s squads for both games. Will Jacks made the journey to Bangladesh on Saturday after he was left out of England’s team for the second Test; he was officially added as cover for the injured Tom Abell, but the ECB had discussed the possibility of him joining the ODI squad even before Abell strained his side in Sri Lanka.Related

Malan special guides England home in tense chase

Malan shows how to play the perfect Mirpur innings

On Wednesday, Jacks was presented with his ODI cap by his Surrey team-mate Jason Roy, completing his full set five-and-a-half months – but only four games – after making his England debut in a T20I in Karachi. In that time, Jacks has started to resemble the personification of English cricket’s scheduling crisis.In September, he played two T20Is in Pakistan while Liam Livingstone was injured and Ben Stokes was being rested, on a tour which represented preparation for a T20 World Cup he would play no part in. In December, he played two Tests in Pakistan, in part because Moeen Ali had retired from the format due to England’s schedule.A month later, he thrived at the SA20 – then missed the final stages in order to travel to New Zealand with England’s Test squad. Now, he is in Bangladesh, again in part due to Livingstone’s injury-enforced absence – and pulled out of a planned three-match stint in the PSL to make himself available. “I’ve had six days at home since the start of November,” he told reporters in Bangladesh, also revealing that his luggage had arrived 48 hours after him.It is a bizarre itinerary, but hardly an unusual one among England’s players. More than 60 have been involved in overseas short-form leagues over the winter, and keeping track of England’s squads now requires close attention: they have played six matches across formats in 2023, and used 26 different players.Jacks made a solid impression on ODI debut. He bowled some hard-spun offbreaks in his role as England’s third spinner, conceding a solitary boundary and picking up a fortuitous wicket: Afif Hossain miscued him to mid-on while hacking across the line. Figures of 1 for 18 in five overs made him England’s most economical bowler.Jacks received his England ODI cap before play in Mirpur•Getty ImagesBatting at No. 6 in the chase, he was frenetic early in his innings: he managed 10 off his first 23 balls, including an edged four, a caught-and-bowled chance off Mustafizur Rahman, and a couple of ugly swipes as he struggled to find his rhythm. He picked up three boundaries in his next five balls, including a lofted six over cover, then picked out deep midwicket off Mehidy Hasan to fall for 26 off 31.The tempo of 50-over batting did not come naturally for him – and why should it have? This was Jacks’ first List A game in four years, a scenario that would have seemed unthinkable for an England ODI debutant in any previous era yet has now become a fact of life, such are the idiosyncrasies of the schedule.Ever since England’s World Cup win in 2019, their domestic 50-over competition has clashed with the Hundred. As a result, a generation of talented young white-ball players have had almost no exposure to one-day cricket since Under-19 level: in Sri Lanka last month, Tom Hartley (10 first-class appearances, 59 T20s) and Tom Lammonby (33 first-class appearances, 62 T20s) both made their List A debuts while playing for England Lions.Players like Jacks have been caught in the crosshairs: after this tour to Bangladesh, he will try to push his case for World Cup selection during two months with Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL, then with Surrey and Oval Invincibles during the English summer. Like most of his team-mates, he will not play a 50-over game between the third ODI and England’s selection meeting for the main event.Clearly, the situation is far from ideal. England would not, ideally, be giving Jacks his debut seven months out from their title defence, even if his most likely role in their squad would be as a multi-talented back-up player who could be used as an opener or in the middle order.Ideally, he would be playing more 50-over cricket, too. Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review last year proposed moving the One-Day Cup from August to April. “For England to be winning 50-over World Cups, it needs to provide its highest-potential players opportunities to play the format. This is not possible in today’s schedule,” the review said. But the proposals were rejected by the counties, and the status quo will prevail.And yet, Jacks’ cameo represented a valuable contribution to a scrappy England win, giving them two opportunities to inflict Bangladesh’s first home ODI series defeat since England’s most recent tour in 2016. England’s ODI results have been poor in the last 12 months, but as Moeen Ali said before this series: “We have lost 8 in the last 10 – but we are also the champions of the world.”Even while fielding a half-strength team for most of this cycle, England are second in the ICC’s Super League and are second-favourites for the World Cup behind the hosts, India. It would be a major surprise if they failed to reach the semi-finals.Jacks’ ODI debut is emblematic of the format’s diminished status within English cricket since that day at Lord’s four years ago. Yet he possesses the qualities – adaptability, versatility and, above all talent – which underpin England’s confidence that, come October, everything will fall into place once again.

This is far from a golden era of slip catching, but there are still some players who make a habit of taking stunners in the cordon

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2021Steven Smith

There are few better sights in cricket than a packed slip cordon – well, maybe it’s just me. But does this feel like a golden era of slip catching? I’m not going to delve into the percentage of dropped catches right here, but the gut feeling is no. A recent social media poll by our digital gurus posed the question of the dream cordon: Darren Gough’s was Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Andrew Flintoff. It’s an all-timer, for sure.The best of the current players? I’ve gone for Smith, who snaffles them pretty safely, and sometimes spectacularly, either against the quicks or the spinners (when he isn’t standing too deep and getting Shane Warne riled up). One of the more recent ones to stick in the memory is a full-stretch dive to remove Kane Williamson – should there be extra marks for the quality of the batter? – in Perth two seasons ago. Williamson edged Mitchell Starc in a day-night Test with the lights taking hold, and Smith was horizontal at second slip when he took it almost behind him. Would he make an all-time cordon? I might check the replies to that social post.#OhmyBroad: Ben Stokes’ grab at Trent Bridge in 2015, is an unforgettable Ashes moment•Getty ImagesBen Stokes

There’s probably a distinction to be made between great slip catchers and takers of great slip catches. Some of those vying for the all-time cordon pouched almost everything that came their way with soft-handed surety, but may have been less likely to fling themselves bodily for the one-percenters. And if there are fewer in the never-drop-a-chance category these days, perhaps it’s because the modern cricketer is more likely to get close to ones that would have zipped straight through in the past.Related

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Anyway, while Stokes does put down more than the odd one, there’s no doubting his ability to pluck ’em from thin air – and it’s spectacular snags that do it for me. Exhibit A is, of course, the Aussie-scuppering, #OhMyBroad-inspiring, claw-assisted snatch of Adam Voges’ outside edge from fifth slip at Trent Bridge in 2015 – aerial, horizontal, behind him. But we’ve subsequently discovered this is just what Stokes does. See four grabs in a day in Cape Town (three of them full length, one an absolute screamer), or a regulation flying one-hander to dismiss Jasprit Bumrah in Chennai that he barely celebrates.My other candidate was Faf du Plessis, who might edge Stokes on reliability and could also pull off a worldie but was deemed ineligible having retired from Tests.Big ticket: Rakheem Cornwall can make the long journey down to take some outstanding low catches•AFP/Getty ImagesRahkeem Cornwall

It’s obviously no hindrance to be a natural athlete, but you don’t have to be one to be a good slip fielder. Think Mark Taylor.Several large men have fielded there – Warwick Armstrong and Inzamam-ul-Haq, to name two – so it’s perfectly natural for Rahkeem Cornwall to do so, blessed as he is with bucket hands and the meditative temperament of one who will always let the ball come to him rather than go snatching at it. It’s no surprise when he pulls off nonchalant catches like this one, when Rory Burns top-edged a full-blooded square cut his way at Old Trafford, but his unlikely party trick is the low catch, by his bootlaces – surely the most difficult feat for a man of his size to pull off. Have a look at this effort to send back Rashid Khan in Lucknow (at the 17-second mark here), or the famous low tumble to his right to end Mehidy Hasan’s resistance and complete West Indies’ 2-0 Test series triumph in Bangladesh. Is Cornwall the best slip catcher in world cricket? Who knows? Is he the most fun to watch? Most definitely.Ajinkya Rahane makes the tough catches look simple because of his soft hands•AFPAjinkya Rahane

I wonder if there’s a happy coincidence between being a good slip fielder and wearing either a cool floppy hat or a worn-out cap that has absorbed buckets of sweat over the years. Mark Taylor and Mark Waugh come to mind in the 1990s. In the 2000s, it’s hard to look beyond Mahela Jayawardene and Rahul Dravid.My pick from the current era is Ajinkya Rahane. Hat aside, I’ve picked Rahane because when he stands at slip to the spinner, he makes difficult catches look easy. Look at the ones he took to dismiss Steven Smith in the 2017 Dharamsala Test or Adelaide 2020. Whether Rahane is dealing with the turn of the subcontinent that needs him to stay low or the bounce of Australia and England, which calls for positioning further back, his anticipation, the ability to stay light on his feet to allow him to move either way, and his sound judgment of where he should stand means he takes most chances.

علق محسن صالح، عضو اللجنة الفنية في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، على توديع منتخب مصر بطولة كأس العرب من دور المجموعات، بعد احتلال المركز الثالث في ترتيب مجموعته.

وخسر منتخب مصر أمام الأردن، بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، في مباراة الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة التي أقيمت مساء الثلاثاء، ليودع بطولة كأس العرب، بهزيمة وتعادلين.

وقال صالح خلال تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر” لبرنامج “اللعيب”: “سأتحدث كرياضي مصري وكمشجع مصري، خسارتنا اليوم مؤلمة وتمس المشاعر وتاريخ كرة القدم المصرية، بغض النظر أن هذا المنتخب الأول أم الثاني”.

وأضاف: “في هذا المعترك لا يصح أن نخسر، ممكن نخسر كرة ولكن خسرنا كرة ونتيجة، لم نقدم العرض المنتظر، أعتذر بصفتي رياضي مصري ومدرب مصري وبصفتي عضو في اللجنة الفنية باتحاد الكرة”.

طالع | محمد بركات بعد خروج منتخب مصر من كأس العرب: لدينا مشكلة كبيرة.. والجمهور على آخره

وأكمل: “أحب أن أوضح قبل أي أن يشمل الاتهام للجميع، اللجنة الفنية في اتحاد الكرة ليس من مهامها التدخل في المنتخبات الصف الأول أو التعامل مع المنتخب الأول وليس من مهامها الإشراف على المنتخب الثاني لحلمي طولان، لأن اللجنة تكونت وتوجد أجهزة فنية متواجدة”.

وواصل: “لم نقم بتغيير أي من الأجهزة، بسبب أن المنتخبات كلها مقبلة على أدوار نهائية ولديها أجهزة فنية تعمل معها وكان من الصعب إجراء تغيير، ورأينا أن نؤجل المعايير لتطبيقها في وقت لاحق”.

واستمر: “إذا كانت استقالتي أو اللجنة تريح بعض الناس فنحن مستعدين، اللجنة غير مسؤولة عن المنتخب الأول والثاني، مسؤوليتها عن قطاعات الناشيئن والأكاديميات والكرة النسائية والشاطئية”.

واستطرد: “لم نختار أسامة نبيه كمدير فني أو حلمي طولان، اللجنة الفنية متواجدة للتخطيط للمستقبل، وبالفعل وضعنا خططًا مستقبلية ومنتظرين أن نبحث في الاختيارات”.

واستكمل: “اللجنة الفنية عندما تولت المسؤولية وجدت أن هناك خلاف شديد جدًا قائم بين حسام حسن وحلمي طولان، عملية اختيار الأخير تمت لأسباب معينة، المفروض من سيشارك في كأس العرب المنتخب الأول وهذا الرأي السليم”.

وتابع: “حسام حسن رأى أن مشاركة الفريق الأول واستمراره في كأس العرب ممكن يصل للنهائيات، وبالتالي يدخل على كأس أمم إفريقيا وتكون الأيام قليلة للإعداد للبطولة، فاعتذر عن المشاركة”.

وأردف: “تم اتخاذ قرار بتشكيل منتخب ثاني ومشاركته في كأس العرب، وجدنا صعوبة في التعاقد مع مدير فني يأتي لمدة 3 أشهر لو كنت فعلنا ذلك، الإعلام كان “هيدبحك”، ويقول إهمال للمال العام”.

واختتم: “خروج منتخب مصر بهذا الشكل من كأس العرب، يتحمل مسؤوليته، حلمي طولان وحسام حسن من الدرجة الأولى، لأن لا بد أن يُنظر للمصلحة العامة ولم يكن هناك تنسيق، رابطة الأندية ومجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة أيضًا يتحملون المسؤولية”.

اتخذ نادي برشلونة الإسباني لكرة القدم قرارًا صادمًا يتعلق بنجم فريق أتلتيكو مدريد، جوليان ألفاريز، بعدما تواجد على رادار الفريق الكتالوني في الفترة الأخيرة من أجل تعزيز صفوف الفريق.

وارتبط جوليان ألفاريز بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف أتلتيكو مدريد والانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة العام المقبل، في ظل اهتمام بطل الدوري الإسباني بضمه، رغم الصعوبة المالية المتعلقة بتلك الصفقة.

ولكن صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية ذكرت أن إدارة برشلونة قررت صرف النظر عن صفقة جوليان ألفاريز، حيث تراجع النادي عن قرار اهتمامه بضم الأرجنتيني في الساعات الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: مباراة أتلتيكو أعادتني للموسم الماضي.. ولاعب برشلونة يستحق تجديد عقده

وأوضحت أن السبب وراء ذلك يعود إلى كون أداء ألفاريز يوم الثلاثاء الماضي، في مباراة برشلونة وأتلتيكو مدريد، لم يُقنع إدارة البارسا، حيث وصل إلى اللقاء باعتباره صفقة أحلام الرئيس خوان لابورتا، ولكن أدائه لم يكن على مستوى التوقعات.

وأفادت أنه حتى اليوم لا يُعد جوليان ألفاريز الهدف الرئيسي لـ برشلونة، إذ يعتبره النادي باهظًا، حيث يمتلك شرطًا جزائيًا بقيمة 500 مليون يورو، ويرتبط بعقد مع أتلتيكو مدريد حتى عام 2030، لذلك، لم يعد اسمه يُذكر في مكاتب النادي.

وأشارت إلى إنه بخلاف ذلك، يبحث النادي عن لاعبين يُظهرون رغبتهم في اللعب بقميص برشلونة إلى جانب لاعبين كبار مثل بيدري ولامين يامال.

وشددت من جديد على توقف قصة جوليان ألفاريز مع برشلونة، بشكل مؤقت على الأقل، حيث لم يعد من أولويات النادي في الوقت الحالي، ولن تُقدم الإدارة على أي خطوة للتعاقد معه حاليًا.