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Barbados thumped Leeward Islands by 110 runs to enter their second successive final of the WICB Regional Super50 competition

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2017
ScorecardShai Hope’s second List A century set the tone for Barbados’ 110-run win over Leeward Islands in the second semi-final of the 2016-17 WICB Regional Super50 tournament in Antigua. Barbados will now play Jamaica in the decider on February 18, their second successive appearance in the final of the tournament.With Barbados having opted to bat first, Hope came to the crease in the 10th over with the score on 42 and anchored the side until the 46th over, taking them past 270. Along the way, he shared in half-century stands with Kraigg Brathwaite (77 for the second wicket), Roston Chase (83 for the fourth) and Jason Holder (68 for the sixth). His 125 came off 108 balls and included eight fours and five sixes. Hope’s partnership with Holder came off only 32 deliveries, and Carlos Brathwaite utilised that momentum in an 11-ball 27 that lifted the score past 300. Holder contributed an unbeaten 42 off 26 balls with two fours and three sixes, while Kraigg Brathwaite struck 54 off 84 balls.Hope’s good form on the field extended to his keeping, too, as he effected seven dismissals behind the stumps in Leeward’s chase. Leeward fell away rapidly, stumbling to 43 for 4 by the 15th over and, at one stage, their innings looked in danger of folding for less than 200. Opener Montcin Hodge batted until the 39th over, scoring 63 in the process, but had little support from the rest of the line-up. Seamer Jeremiah Louis struck an unbeaten 32-ball 41 before Leeward’s innings folded for 204 in the 48th over.Offspinner Ashley Nurse and Carlos Brathwaite took three wickets each, with Nurse conceding only 37 runs in his 10 overs.

Newcastle United are interested in completing a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha this summer after qualifying for next year's Champions League, according to reports…

What's the latest on Raphinha to Newcastle?

According to Spanish outlet Sport – via TEAMtalk – the 'first approach' has been made by Magpies technical director Dan Ashworth to sign the 26-year-old, who joined La Blaugrana from Leeds United for £55m last season.

The Brazilian is said to be reluctant to leave Catalonia but Newcastle are undeterred and hoping to enter formal negotiations over the coming weeks as manager Eddie Howe looks to bolster the ranks ahead of next term.

Xavi's LaLiga champions have made it clear, however, that they will only agree to a deal if their €80m (£69m) valuation is met, meaning Newcastle would have to break their transfer record to seal a deal.

Should Newcastle sign Raphinha?

Despite exceeding expectations and securing a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League this season, Howe is hardly going to rest on his laurels and will look to make waves in the transfer market this summer to consolidate their newfound stature.

While the Toon concluded the 22/23 league season with the joint-best defence, they finished sixth in the goal-scoring charts and signing someone like Raphinha could be the optimum way to increase the flow.

The Brazilian registered 22 direct contributions from 50 outings in Spain this term as his prestigious side secured the league title and would undoubtedly bring the side of prolific dynamism Howe craves to bridge the gap on the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal, who waged a spectacular title fight this year.

As per FBref, the 16-cap star ranks among the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 22% for progressive carries and the top 3% for progressive passes received per 90, drawing parallels between his game and Arsenal prodigy Bukayo Saka's.

The 21-year-old England international, who like Raphinha loves to cut inside from the right channel onto his left, was arguably the offensive centrepiece of the Gunners' title-chasing campaign, scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists in the Premier League and ranking himself among the top 10% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 2% for progressive passes received.

Hailed as a "superstar" by Charles Nicholas, Saka finds success driving up the field and wreaking havoc in and around the opposing area, something Raphinha could emulate on Tyneside given his similar skill set.

A "magician" with the ball at his feet – as former teammate Dan James once stated – Raphinha boasts all the attributes, and acumen to flourish under Howe's wing and with that in mind, he must be signed.

Leeds United are unlikely to bring in either Brendan Rodgers or Graham Potter as their new manager this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Who has been linked with Leeds job?

The Whites ended up getting through three managers during the 2022/23 season, with Jesse Marsch eventually replaced by Javi Gracia, as his reign got progressively worse.

The Spaniard fared no better, however, and with Leeds spinning towards the Championship under him, Sam Allardyce was brought in to mastermind a recovery act. He didn't have long enough to make his presence felt, however, and he left the club last week after the Whites were relegated from the Premier League.

Those high up at Elland Road are now looking to nail the next managerial appointment this summer, with a number of individuals already linked with the vacant job.

Two of those are Rodgers and Potter, both of whom were sacked by Leicester City and Chelsea respectively earlier in the campaign, but are still considered good British coaches.

Are Rodgers and Potter unlikely to join?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs admitted that Rodgers and Potter are unlikely to want to head into the Championship, given their current respective statuses in the game:

"We're going to see other candidates linked, like Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers, but I sense these are names that were being discussed when Leeds were still in the Premier League with a chance of safety.

"I think the likes of Rodgers and Potter can get quite big Premier League jobs still. Leeds are a big club, so if they were in the Premier League, maybe in the off-season and with new owners that would have been of appeal. But I would be surprised if Potter or Rodgers personally considered dropping down into the Championship."

In truth, this was always going to be a potential issue for Leeds when it came to finding a top-class new manager, with the Premier League seen as the holy grail, and dropping down to the second tier an understandable backward step in their career.

For that reason, both Rodgers and Potter have always felt a little pie in the sky, and it could be that someone like Steven Gerrard is the best option, with the Liverpool legend having something to prove after an underwhelming spell at Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, former Leeds Under-21s boss Carlos Corberan could also be a strong choice, with the 40-year-old already thriving in the Championship with West Brom, and possibly seeing a return to Elland Road as an exciting avenue to go down.

The surface did not deteriorate much, contrary to its roughed-up appearance, but it was still a tough one, according to R Ashwin and Tom Latham

Sidharth Monga in Indore10-Oct-20162:32

‘In rhythm, I can beat any batsman in the world’ – Ashwin

Even if you don’t go looking for it, you get comments on pitches in India. Before this Test began, in response to a photo of the pitch tweeted by the BCCI, Harbhajan Singh, India’s most successful offspinner, tweeted it looked like a two-day-old pitch already, and predicted a finish in three-and-a-half days. With India batting for almost two days, people on Twitter began to ridicule Harbhajan. His response was to wait and watch for the turn, and that he got such turners only twice – Kanpur 2008 and Mumbai 2004 – in his whole career in India. He reckoned his and Anil Kumble’s wicket tally would have been “something else” if they got the pitches India have been playing on in the last “four” years.If this was unsolicited, R Ashwin’s first answer at a press conference after completing his 20th five-wicket haul, which bowled New Zealand out for 299, was to mention how difficult a pitch it was. He was asked how important the other bowlers were – Ashwin got six, he ran two batsmen out, and Ravindra Jadeja got two wickets – and he looked bemused. He seemed to stop himself from answering sarcastically lest it be misconstrued, and said, “It was very important. It was a very, very difficult wicket to bowl on. The way Shami and Umesh bowled in the morning, they never let go of the steam. Especially Umesh bowled very quick through the day. Hopefully they can get some good returns in the second innings.”Tom Latham, the only man besides Rohit Sharma to have scored a half-century in each of the Tests, was presented a similar sentiment by a journalist. He was asked if he agreed the pitch didn’t offer much turn or didn’t crack up. Latham’s response was sharp too. “Not sure what game you’re watching,” Latham retorted. “Certainly starting to turn. Lot of footmarks there. Might not be cracking up so much but there are dust and a lot of footmarks for bowlers to work with. They’ll be targeting those in the second innings so got to find a way of rectifying that.”The truth about the pitch might be somewhere in between. It is not the classic Indian pitches that Harbhajan bowled a lot on during his day, but it hasn’t turned out to be like Nagpur last year or even Kanpur this year. At the outset this looked a lot like the Kanpur pitch with a lot of cracks and expected to turn sharply from day two. It certainly hasn’t because India have now been officially warned for two players – not in the act of bowling – running on the danger zone despite cautionary warnings from the umpires. Latham said it was not something they could worry.”Out of our hands as players,” Latham said. “We’ve got nothing to do with it, it’s up to the umpires. They make the call.”1:15

‘A very hard wicket to start on’ – Latham

However, it was wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who alerted the umpires just before M Vijay was officially warned for running on the danger area when batting on the third evening. On the second evening, Jadeja’s transgression after three warnings – two informal and one official – had resulted in a five-run penalty for India and three demerit points for Jadeja. India didn’t contest the charge, and Jadeja stands one demerit point short of being suspended for a Test or two limited-overs internationals.Latham chose to not get involved when asked if he felt it was deliberate. “It’s cricket,” he said. “Guys are going to walk on the wicket. We’ve got a big job to do in the second innings. Going to focus on that.”India clearly feel the pitch needs to deteriorate more, which is one of the reasons why they didn’t enforce the follow-on. Let there be more overs on it, let it bake more in the sun, and then give New Zealand somewhere around five sessions to bat to save this Test. Ashwin said they were going to take a call on when to make the declaration in the middle session on day four. He felt the pitch could do with some more wear and tear.”We’re just giving it every chance to wear over the time that we bat on over the next session or two,” Ashwin said. “And see how it turns out. But from one side, from the Pavilion End, there is a lot of rough. From the other end it’s not spinning a lot. Hopefully it will deteriorate.”

Celtic have 'no interest' in letting manager Ange Postecoglou depart the club despite interest from south of the border due to his impressive work in Scotland, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Ange Postecoglou?

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano recently confirmed that Postecoglou was on a four-man shortlist to replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur, stating on Twitter: "Negotiations between Nagelsmann and Tottenham have not resumed, at this stage. No changes: he'd only consider the job with supportive sporting director. Arne Slot, concrete option discussed internally; while Luis Enrique, Amorim and Postecoglou remain on Levy list."

Football Insider have also claimed that Postecoglou is 'wanted' by Spurs and Leeds United and that Celtic 'fear' that the 57-year-old may join an 'elite' Premier League club this summer.

He is on a 12-month rolling contract at Parkhead, meaning every day his deal stands at having a year to run, a model that Celtic have operated with over the years with numerous different bosses.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou did make some telling comments on his future earlier this year, as per The Sun, following his side's 2-1 victory over Rangers to secure the Viaplay Cup trophy, stating: “When people say, ‘He’s going to go down the road or somewhere else with the first offer he gets’, it’s not how I’m wired, it’s not how I think. For me, what it’s about is just trying to leave a mark wherever I am. I have done that with every football club I have been at. I want to do that at this club too and that is all that consumes me. I don’t think about the next step or I need to go somewhere else, or I need to do this or I need to consider other things."

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that it is inevitable that Postecoglou will attract Premier League interest due to the job he has done at Celtic.

Jones told FFC: "Obviously, Celtic have got no interest in hearing about any of these rumours. They love what he's been able to build, It'd be a massive loss and they don't want to entertain any of this and rightly so. They're in a good moment, but it's inevitable that any manager that does well at Celtic or Rangers starts to get linked to jobs in the Premier League and there is genuine interest along the way, so it's part and parcel of the football food chain, unfortunately."

What has Ange Postecoglou achieved at Celtic?

Postecoglou has won four trophies from a possible five at Celtic, including back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles and is one game away from making it five from six at the Scottish giants if his side can defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup final in early June, which would also net the Hoops a record-breaking eighth domestic treble in their history.

Inheriting a side that finished 25 points behind Rangers in 2020/21, the former Australia national team coach has managed to enact a rapid-fire turnaround at Parkhead.

Recruitment has been a real area of strength for Postecoglou, having brought in players such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota under his guise, who have all gone on to be major players in his reign in the east end of Glasgow.

As per Marca via The Daily Mail, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti praised Postecoglou for the way he has structured his side tactically ahead of the Spanish giants' bout against Celtic in the Champions League last year, saying: "They play very intense. They have had a great start to the season; there will be a great atmosphere in their stadium. We've got the most difficult game of this first half of the season. We're going to be up against a team playing great football and we have to be ready."

Receiving adulation from one of the great managers in football like Ancelotti shows the mark of the man Postecoglou is, though it is also an indication of the way his reputation is heralded beyond the Scottish football landscape.

Surrey kept their hopes of reaching the last eight of the NatWest T20 Blast alive with a comfortable six-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in front of a 22,601 crowd at The Kia Oval

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2016
ScorecardJason Roy gave Surrey a flying start with 36 from 25 balls•Getty ImagesSurrey kept their hopes of reaching the last eight of the NatWest T20 Blast alive with a comfortable six-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in front of a 22,601 crowd at The Kia Oval.Having restricted Sussex to 153 for 6 on a slow pitch, Surrey paced their response perfectly and won the game with ten balls to spare when Chris Morris swung Mustafizur Rahman over midwicket for six.It was Surrey’s sixth win in the ultra-competitive South Group and they join Sussex on 12 points, but the Sharks only have one game left – at home to second-placed Glamorgan next Wednesday – and their chances of making the quarter-finals appear remote.Surrey had been given a strong start by England opener Jason Roy, who made 36 off 25 balls, hitting six fours and a six.Roy looked in the mood but was becalmed by slow left-armer Danny Briggs who came on in the powerplay and bowled Roy in his second over as the batsman slogged across the line. A clearly frustrated Roy angrily swished his bat at the stumps as he departed, an act which may earn him a rebuke from umpires David Millns and Alex Wharf.Roy’s opening partner Aaron Finch had gone in the third over, caught at backward point off a huge top-edge to give Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born fast bowler playing only his third game in the competition, the first of two wickets.But Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns were determined not to squander Surrey’s good start. The third-wicket pair added 42 in 27 balls and although Burns (13) was superbly caught at long leg by the diving Rahman, Sibley made a composed 40 off 31 deliveries with three sixes and a four to put his side in control.He was athletically caught by Sussex captain Luke Wright at extra cover in the 15th over, but Surrey required just 38 runs at that stage and Morris (20) and Ben Foakes (22) eased them to their sixth win of the group stage.Sussex, who had been put in, were 15-20 runs short in the end. With four overs to go they were 135 for 3 but Jade Dernbach and Tom Curran bowled superbly at the death, taking three wickets as Sussex cobbled together just 18 more runs.Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan had put on 51 in 31 balls for the fourth wicket but they fell off successive Dernbach deliveries in the 19th over. Machan (18) top-edged a pull and Cachopa was held at long on for 45 (34 balls, 7 fours) while Chris Jordan gave Curran a deserved wicket when he holed out to deep mid-wicket in the final over.Sussex were without fast bowler Tymal Mills because of ankle trouble and their leading scorer in this season’s Blast Ross Taylor, who has joined up with New Zealand for their tour of South Africa.In Taylor’s absence they needed experienced openers Chris Nash and Wright to perform and although Nash played well for his 39 from 34 balls, Sussex captain Wright was out for just 7.Surrey’s seamers showed good control with Dernbach taking 2 for 25, Morris 2 for 21 and Tom Curran 1 for 20.

India coach Anil Kumble has said he is looking to cultivate a “feeling of Indianness” in the team

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2016India coach Anil Kumble has said he is looking to cultivate a “feeling of Indianness” in the team. That, he said, would involve incorporating the “best practices” in Indian culture into the way the players play and interact with each other.”It is important we create an Indian way,” Kumble told . “I don’t mean to say sledging is not Indian culture or is somebody else’s culture. What I meant is, you would want to bring a feeling of Indianness – that is, extended family, respect for one another.”Take all the best practices in Indian culture, mesh them in a way that all of us own what we want to be seen as, known as, how do we want to play the game, how do we want to practice, how do we want to be seen as an Indian team.”The best practices in the Indian family would be, generally, follow whatever elders say, but here we want to be a bit more open and express our views even if they differ from that of the seniors. Here it is having family values and say, if a senior has taken a decision, I will follow it. However, you should also have the freedom to disagree but in a more civilised way, where everyone has the opportunity to express himself.”India left for the tour of the West Indies earlier this week, following a five-day training camp in Bangalore. Kumble said he was pleasantly surprised by the players’ receptiveness to new ideas during that camp.”This group is very open to ideas and, I must confess, given the current generation and the way they are perceived, I thought getting them into a room for an hour or so and seriously discussing certain issues would not be easy and after ten minutes or so, they won’t be listening or responding. But I was surprised to see that not only were they very receptive and embraced new ideas, but we spent more time than what was stipulated.”

The current front-runner to be the next Leeds United boss, Sam Allardyce, has already stated on his No Tippy Tappy Football podcast (via Leeds Live) that Wilfried Gnonto should be playing more at Elland Road.

What's the latest Leeds United News?

The Italian winger has struggled for gametime this season, managing just 13 starts in the Premier League despite a return of two goals and four assists.

The 19-year-old has managed even less minutes under Javi Gracia. Since the appointment of the boss in February, Gnonto has managed only nine games and his output has nosedived. He's produced three assists but has failed to hit the back of the net, as Leeds' fortunes have also continued to falter.

The Whites are currently on the edge of the relegation places in the top flight, with the side sat in 17th. They remain only out of the bottom three on goal difference, meaning that the prospect of a drop in league to the Championship is very much real.

With the Leeds fans and board growing weary of Javi Gracia's inability to generate positive results – he's won only three of his 12 games at the helm – it seems he will ultimately be given the boot and the torch will seemingly be passed on to Sam Allardyce. The former Baggies boss will now be tasked with steering the club in the right direction.

A positive for Whites fans though is that their potential new boss could give Gnonto the playing time he – and the supporters – crave. One of the biggest downsides of Gracia's time at the helm has been the lack of action for the Italian but it appears Allardyce could be prepared to give him more, as he called the player "fantastic".

He stated on his podcast last week, via Leeds Live: "There are a couple of players who in my opinion should be playing. Wilfried Gnonto, the young Italian kid. Fantastic.

"He's so positive, so driven, so direct with the ball, he gets the play up the field and he doesn't mind defending as well."

Should Gnonto get more playing time?

Gnonto has certainly proven that he has the talent to be a key player under new boss Allardyce. It was his 12 goals and ten assists for FC Zurich that prompted the Premier League side to snap him up in the first place and he's already on track to beat those tallies in less games with the Whites. The 19-year-old already has four goals and four assists in 24 games so far, so is thriving despite his age (via Transfermarkt).

He can produce the goods for his team and has done so when called upon up to this point. His absence from the side and the way he was deployed under Gracia has meant that creative spark in the Leeds team has been absent – and his ability to drive the team forward has been missed. Throwing him back into the mix now could be just what the side need to avoid the drop to the Championship if Allardyce does play Gnonto.

Todd Boehly is casting his net far and wide in order to find his next permanent Chelsea manager and Vincent Kompany is one recent name to be linked with a move.

What’s the latest on Vincent Kompany to Chelsea?

According to The Times, Boehly has ‘held talks’ with former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann in person for the first time, however, Kompany and current Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira have also been added to the shortlist of candidates who could take over at Chelsea.

Frank Lampard is only in charge on an interim basis and with his poor record so far, losing his first three matches, it is highly unlikely he will be given the post full-time.

Kompany has a contract at Burnley until 2025 and if the Blues are keen on luring him away from the club, they will surely be required to pay a substantial compensation fee.

Could Kompany be the next permanent Chelsea manager?

His success this season in the Championship, where he has led Burnley back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, has naturally made clubs sit up and take notice. Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest and now with the Blues adding him to a shortlist, he is in high demand.

The 37-year-old has learnt under one of the finest managers in the modern game, Pep Guardiola, and with that in mind, he could turn out to be Boehly’s own version of Mikel Arteta.

The Spaniard was also a student under his compatriot, although in an official coaching capacity at Manchester City unlike Kompany, who was merely a player. Since then he has led Arsenal to the top of the league table this term, engineering a complete revolution at the club in such a short space of time.

Indeed, has given the Gunners a unique identity and one that could steer them towards glory over the next few years.

During Kompany's maiden campaign in charge of Burnley, he has also overseen a change of approached. They have scored 89 goals across all competitions, having scored three or more in 16 of his 49 games, suggesting he enjoys his teams to play attacking football, something that was certainly not the case under his predecessor, Sean Dyche.

Winning is the only thing that matters to the Belgian, losing just twice in the Championship across 41 matches, and he will be in the top flight next season with Burnley regardless of whether Chelsea or Spurs come calling, proving that he has transferred all his know-how from his playing days into a successful managerial career.

Burnley’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis has enjoyed working under Kompany this season, lauding the former Anderlecht coach: "He knows what he's talking about. He knows football inside out, and he knows exactly how he wants to play.”

It may well be a risk appointing him, yet Arsenal took a risk appointing Arteta, and they are currently on course to claim a first league crown in 19 years.

Over to you, Boehly.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will likely have been keeping a close eye on the performances of his players while on international duty during the last week or so, with a handful of first-team stars having particularly impressed in recent days.

While such displays on the international scene may not have too great a bearing on team selection when club action resumes this weekend, one man who will be hoping to have staked a claim for a more prominent role at Old Trafford is midfield machine, Scott McTominay, following the 26-year-old's standout showings for Scotland.

The United academy graduate has endured a frustrating time under Ten Hag of late having started just seven Premier League games so far this term, with the signing of influential Brazilian, Casemiro, having shunted the Lancaster-born brute down the pecking order.

With the former Real Madrid ace currently ruled out through suspension, however, McTominay may be hoping he has done enough to cement his place as the man to fill the void of his experienced teammate, albeit while also potentially showcasing his credentials to take on a more advanced role in Ten Hag's side.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse first helped Steve Clarke's men power to a 3-0 win over Cyprus after netting twice off the bench on Saturday afternoon, before bagging himself yet another brace just days later in the shock, 2-0 victory over Spain.

That glut of goals has helped his nation get off to a perfect start in their quest to secure qualification for Euro 2024, with the towering asset likely hoping he can replicate that golden touch in the coming games for the Red Devils.

McTominay was not alone in having impressed on the international front, however, with fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes having also been "on fire" for Portugal over the past week, as per journalist Thomas Alencar.

How did Fernandes perform for Portugal?

Although the playmaking maestro was not able to get on the scoresheet like his club colleague, the 28-year-old was hugely influential in getting new boss Roberto Martinez off to a winning start in the dugout, having produced standout showings against both Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.

Against the former, the £240k-per-week gem showcased the full array of his creative quality as he laid on a staggering haul of eight key passes, having arguably been his side's 'liveliest option' in the first half, in particular, according to GOAL's Thomas Hindle.

While that outing did see the former Sporting CP ace lose possession on 22 occasions, that was merely a marker of his typical desire to make things happen in the centre of the park, having also attempted nine crosses and completed five of his six long balls.

That magnificent performance – which earned Fernandes an 8.1 match rating, as per Sofascore – was followed by yet another classy display in Portugal's second fixture on Sunday evening, having again pulled the strings in his playmaking berth.

The one-time Udinese ace was only able to provide three key passes this time around, although did manage to get a deserved goal involvement after registering an assist for former United man, Cristiano Ronaldo, teeing up the prolific marksman with a neat, threaded pass in behind.

That 75-minute outing also saw the relentless ace win three of his five ground duels as a marker of his impressive work ethic, with that all-action performance earning the 5 foot 10 sensation an impressive 8.0 match rating, as per Sofascore.

While there may be concern for Ten Hag at seeing Fernandes feature heavily for his country following a hectic fixture schedule – having already made 44 appearances this season at club level – the former Ajax boss will be delighted that his stand-in skipper yet again showed his undoubted class.