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Sussex’s promotion ambitions were dented by a three-wicket burst by Graham Wagg and a subsequent collapse which limited their first-innings lead in Cardiff

ECB Reporters Network24-Aug-2016
ScorecardGraham Wagg has kept Glamorgan very much in the game•Getty ImagesGraham Wagg’s burst of three wickets in four balls completely changed the course of Sussex’s innings and also the game as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for only 51 runs in 25 overs. The Glamorgan seamer thrived in the cloudy conditions, and during his spell also claimed his 200th first class wicket for Glamorgan.Sussex were indebted to Chris Nash, who struck the 22nd century of his career, before Glamorgan reached 50 for 1 in their second innings, a lead of 19.Sussex had resumed on 111 for 1 with night watchman Danny Briggs giving Nash useful support, and the second wicket pair had added 69 before Nash called his partner for a risky single in the last over before lunch with Briggs comfortably run out for 36.Briggs had been fortunate to survive an excellent opening spell against Timm Van Der Gugten who regularly passed the outside edge, but Briggs’ determination carried him through until his dismissal.Nash, meanwhile played watchfully, sharing a partnership of 52 with Luke Wells before Wells was bowled by Craig Meschede, and at 232 for 3, Sussex were in sight of a substantial first innings lead before Wagg’s dramatic over and the subsequent collapse.Nash had completed his third championship century of the season from 284 balls with eighteen fours, when Wagg began his eighteenth over; with his second ball Christian Davies edged to the wicketkeeper, his fourth dismissed Luke Wright who wafted outside the off stump, then the next delivery bowled David Wiese.An early tea was then taken because of bad light, which might have made the three batsmen dismissed by Wagg wonder why the decision had not been taken before the over had started.After the break, Nash’s six and half hour vigil ended when he was bowled by Van Der Gugten for 132, and the tail quickly followed with Glamorgan’s seamers rewarded for their accuracy throughout the innings. Apart from David Lloyd, who only bowled one over, Van der Gugten, Meschede and Wagg’s economy rate was under three runs an over with Hogan’s under two.When Glamorgan started their second innings, 31 runs adrift, Selman did manage to get off the mark after four successive ducks, but did not last long before he was leg before in Steve Magoffin’s second over.

Newcastle United have had a season that will have exceeded even their wildest expectations, with Eddie Howe's men confirming a slot in the Champions League last year following a 0-0 draw against Leicester City on Monday night.

The Magpies have earned their good fortune this campaign and have recruited in excellent fashion along the way, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak and Sven Botman, who have gone on to make a major impact at St James' Park.

Coming into the summer, finding the balance between adding quality and quantity to the squad will be another big challenge for boss Howe, who has been linked with moves for several high-profile players amid their return to Europe's elite competition for the first time in 20 years.

As per Sky Germany via Sport Witness, RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is a target for the Toon this summer and they have recently scouted him several times.

What's the latest news involving Dominik Szoboszlai?

The report claims that Szoboszlai, alongside his teammate Amadou Haidara have been watched by Newcastle United several times, with the former said to have an exit clause of around €70 million (£60.6 million) inserted into his current €80,769 (£69,931) terms at the Red Bull Arena.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has indicated that Szoboszlai is a well-suited player in terms of his standing and would be a great signing if they could entice him to the North East this summer.

Jones told FFC: "I think Szoboszlai has got an unbelievable mindset as well as a brilliant skill set that he could bring to Newcastle. He's kind of the perfect level that Newcastle should be aspiring to as they look to take the next steps of their build. I mean, you can talk about what it would be like to bring in a Neymar or any player on that level. But there's also something to be said about not moving too quickly and that's one thing that Newcastle have done brilliantly."

Capable of operating on either flank or in attacking midfield, Szoboszlai had made 44 appearances in all competitions for RB Leipzig this term, notching nine goals and 13 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old is also takes the responsibility of being a leader on the pitch in the mould of Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes and is captain of the Hungary national side despite his young age.

His Hungary coach Marco Rossi praised his qualities back in 2020 during an interview, stating: “Szoboszlai is a midfielder who makes assists and scores goals. He can play centre midfielder or behind the main striker. At Juventus, he would be ideal as a back-up to Aaron Ramsey. We are talking about one of the top ten talents in Europe.”

Much like Fernandes at Manchester United, Szoboszlai excels in his capacity as a chance provider, as per FBRef, and has managed to rack up 173 successfully carried out shot-creating actions in 2022/23.

WhoScored also notes that the Hungarian talent has outperformed the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Dani Olmo this season and has been RB Leipzig's most consistent performer overall, managing to obtain an average match rating of 7.34/10.

As cited by The Analyst, his former manager Jesse Marsch spoke about his unique skill set back in 2021, stating: “I’ve developed a very good relationship with a lot of highly talented youngsters, but I feel I had the strongest bond with Dominik. We’ve talked a lot, watched videos together, and discussed in private what the next step could be to improve. As talent goes, there aren’t many better players that can play his position – some are strong, some are technical, some are good tactically, and some can defend well or run a lot. However, Dominik is special because he has all of these skills combined.”

His career is only getting started and it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be an inevitability at some point and Newcastle United could land their own Fernandes-architype signing in the form of Szoboszlai if they can get a deal over the line.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be among the clubs who are showing an interest in Santos sensation, Marcos Leonardo, with the promising striker making waves in his native Brazil.

What's the latest on Marcos Leonardo to Tottenham?

According to 90min, the Lilywhites – as well as the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – are said to be 'known admirers' of the exciting 20-year-old, joining a growing list of European clubs who are also taking a keen interest in the forward's progress.

As per the report, 5 foot 9 starlet – who is currently under contract until December 2026 – has also caught the eye of Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma, with that historic trio said to be among those who are scouting the youngster at the ongoing, U20 World Cup.

If Spurs are to win the race for Leonardo's signature ahead of that raft of suitors, chairman Daniel Levy may well have to splash the cash, with previous reports suggesting that the much-coveted talent has a release clause in the region of £51m.

Who is Marcos Leonardo?

The Brazil U20 international is a potential star of the future who is currently shining for Santos, having already racked up 141 appearances for the club despite his relative youth, scoring 42 goals and providing 10 assists in that time.

That respectable tally includes a haul of eight goals and three assists in just 21 games in the current campaign, having proven himself as a player who is simply "born to score", according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Also lauded by Kulig as a player who has "all the tools to become an absolute killer in the penalty area", Leonardo could well represent a dream heir to Tottenham's current leading man, Harry Kane, with the 29-year-old having been linked with an exit in recent times amid his expiring contract.

Even if the ruthless Englishman – who ended the 2022/23 campaign with a stellar haul of 30 top-flight goals – is to stay put at N17 beyond the summer, it would still be wise to acquire an able deputy such as the dynamic Brazilian, with Leonardo able to be a dream successor to Kane in the future.

The wonderkid's credentials are also bolstered by the comparisons that have been made between himself and former Premier League goalscoring machine, Sergio Aguero, with South American football expert Tim Vickery having previously stated:

"There is a kind of Aguero-type striker there, he is not particularly tall but comes alive in the penalty box and I think there is talent there as well."

That comparison bodes well for the impact that Leonardo could make in north London, with Aguero having previously been a truly clinical presence during his time at Manchester City, with the now-retired ace scoring 260 goals in 390 games for the Etihad outfit.

If the Santos gem can get even close to emulating such heroics, then Spurs supporters could well be in for a treat should Levy and co manage to get a deal over the line.

Only 33 overs were possible on the fourth day of the Duleep Trophy final in Greater Noida where India Blue ended the day in a commanding position

The Report by Sirish Raghavan13-Sep-2016Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Mayank Agarwal recorded his fourth half-century score in five innings•PTI If things had been pretty gloomy for India Red for much of the first three days of the Duleep Trophy final, the weather began to mirror their fortunes on the fourth afternoon. Early morning rain had left wet patches on the outfield, resulting in first half of the day featuring Super Soppers rather than cricketers. When the players did ultimately come out, they managed just 26 balls of play before problems with the run-up area forced them off again. After another lengthy delay, the players returned to play a further 28.4 overs.In that time, it was India Red left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav who emerged with an enhanced reputation. Bowling with far greater control than during India Blue’s marathon first innings, Kuldeep flighted the ball and even got it to dip and drift, not to mention sharp turn from a good length. He was rewarded for his control with the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Mayank Agarwal, while legspinner Amit Mishra beat a charging Dinesh Karthik to leave India Blue three down by stumps. But with a lead that had ballooned to 476, that was not nearly enough to change the course of a match which has all but been decided going into the final day.Gambhir and Agarwal hit a flurry of boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan and Nathu Singh when the day’s play finally commenced at 6.30pm. Sangwan and Nathu were inconsistent in their line and length, and when Sangwan drew attention to an uneven stretch in the run-up area, play was suspended once again to conclude a session that had featured 32 runs in 26 balls.The resumption, after over an hour, brought with it a return to a more sedate rate of scoring, largely thanks to the control and discipline with which Kuldeep bowled. Kuldeep beat Gambhir’s edge on several occasions and even induced an edge that didn’t carry to slip. Having earned those moral victories, he duly won the battle when he got one to drift into middle stump and straighten to trap Gambhir plumb in front of middle.That brought Rohit Sharma, who came in ahead of first-innings double centurion Cheteshwar Pujara, but it was Agarwal who made most of the running. His knock of 52 featured six fours, not all of which were convincing, and there was a sense of restlessness in his strokeplay. He ultimately fell to Kuldeep, attempting a slog sweep without reaching the pitch of the ball; Nathu at deep midwicket gratefully accepted the offering. Kuldeep had his second wicket and had won the crowd over, with chants of “Kuldeep, Kuldeep” greeting him when he returned to his fielding position at the boundary.Though Mishra did not bowl with Kuldeep’s control and continued to struggle for rhythm, he was gifted a wicket when Karthik came charging down to him and got nowhere near the pitch of the ball, leaving Ankush Bains with an easy stumping. Both spinners seemed to struggle with dew towards the end of play.Meanwhile, Rohit signed off with a lofted six down the ground off Kuldeep that drew big cheers from the crowd. He will resume on day five with Ravindra Jadeja for company. It remains to be seen whether the two India players push for quick runs and a declaration or seek match practice ahead of the upcoming series against New Zealand.

In the wake of Australia’s defeat to South Africa at the WACA, Steven Smith focused on the side’s need to build bigger first-innings totals

Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith has refused to blame an unusual schedule for his side’s poor display in the first Test of the summer, a defeat that made it four in a row and the first opening loss of a home season for 28 years.In order to cater for a second day-night fixture in the summer in Brisbane, the traditional Gabba opening was swapped for a first Test in Perth, where South Africa have never lost a Test match.Additionally, the early November start meant that Australia’s players had only one Sheffield Shield match, with a pink ball, to prepare for the WACA ground. By contrast, South Africa’s squad had two warm-up matches before the first Test and will have another under lights before the third Test is played under flood lights in Adelaide.”Look I can’t comment on scheduling that is put in place pretty early,” Smith said. “So for me it’s about making sure that the guys prepare as well as they can and I think we all had a Shield game, all the batters who played, most of the batters scored runs in that Shield game and had some valuable time in the middle.”We were in a position to be able to drive the game having bowled South Africa out for 240 and then getting to 0 for 150. We had another big collapse of nine for 100, and we weren’t able to capitalise on what the openers did to put us in a great position.”Smith focused on the way Australia’s first innings unravelled virtually from the moment Dale Steyn was injured, meaning the hosts were unable to place any pressure on the South Africa’s bowling attack, led superbly by the man of the match, Kagiso Rabada. Such collapses have become troublingly commonplace for the Australians.”It has happened a little bit of late, which is disappointing and the batters really have to continue to work hard to try and rectify what they are doing out in the middle there,” Smith said. “We have to form some more partnerships and get big first-innings totals. And if I think if we were able to build quite a big lead on that wicket, it would have been a different story.”I guess for us it was just about trying to spend time out in the middle and I guess grind them down. When you have two fast bowlers, I guess the way they used them and the way we thought they’d use them, to use the quicks from one end and some spin at the other end. So, if you keep them out there for long periods of time they can’t continue to do that for a long period of time.”But we weren’t able to capitalise after Dale went down and we let them get back into the game and run away with it. So, credit to the way South Africa played, I think in their second innings the partnership between Duminy and Elgar really took the game away from us and we ween’t able to come back from there.”Looking ahead to Hobart, Smith said the team needed to find a lot of improvement in a short space of time. “When we get out in the middle we have to do things better. We haven’t been able to do that for a while and if we want to stay in this series we have to turn it around quickly in Hobart.””When you are playing international cricket you are always under some sort of pressure, the guys have prepared well, they were excited for this series, we know South Africa are formidable opponents and they outplayed us in this Test match. We are going to have to play a hell of a lot better if we want to compete with them in the next game.”

Manchester United are reportedly interested in strengthening their options at right-back this summer, with Erik ten Hag said to be showing an interest in Inter Milan star, Denzel Dumfries.

What's the latest on Dumfries to Man United?

According to journalist Laurie Whitwell – writing for The Athletic – the Red Devils seemingly feel that they are in need of an 'upgrade' on Aaron Wan-Bissaka if they are to truly challenge for major honours moving forward, having only recently handed a new five-year deal to teammate, Diogo Dalot.

With that in mind, the report adds that among those who are being considered by United is the aforementioned Dumfries, with the club's scouting reports said to 'rate his intelligence and athleticism highly'.

The respected insider goes on to add that with the Netherlands international having just two years left to run on his existing deal at San Siro, the 27-year-old could command a fee of around £35m.

Should Man United sign Dumfries?

If it is an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka that United are looking for, then Dumfries could prove to be the perfect solution, with the "breathless" talent – as lauded by pundit Micah Richards at last year's World Cup – having dazzled for club and country of late.

The former PSV Eindhoven machine notably racked up one goal and two assists in just five outings for Oranje in Qatar, taking his total tally to six goals and 11 assists in 43 senior games at international level.

On the domestic front, the Rotterdam native has also impressed after bagging one goal and seven assists in 34 Serie A games this season, having also played his part in Inter's surge to the Champions League final, after featuring in 11 of his side's 12 games in the competition so far.

That ability to provide an attacking threat from his right-sided berth is in stark contrast to that of Wan-Bissaka, with the Englishman – who is yet to feature for his country – having contributed just one assist and no goals in all competitions in 2022/23.

Equally, while the latter man created just one big chance in the Premier League this season, Dumfries was able to offer a far greater creative outlet in Serie A, after registering 11 big chances in total.

That is not to suggest that the 6 foot 2 machine neglects his defensive duties as he notably ranks in the top 7% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won, while the current United man ranks in just the bottom 40% in that regard.

Although Wan-Bissaka 'enjoyed a resurgent second half to the campaign' – according to Whitwell – and started in the weekend's FA Cup final showdown with Manchester City, the former Crystal Palace man has regularly come under fire for his woes in possession, having been branded "useless" on the ball by club legend, Paul Scholes.

With Dumfries evidently far more comfortable at making an impact in the final third, it is easy to see why the one-time Heerenveen man would be an upgrade for Ten Hag next season.

Chelsea appear to have won the race for Manuel Ugarte's signature, with the deal for the Sporting CP midfielder now "closed", according to recent reports from Portugal.

Who will Manuel Ugarte sign for?

There have been a number of Premier League clubs linked with a move for Ugarte, including Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, however, it has been reported the French side believe they are behind Chelsea in the race, and they have now started to look at other targets.

Tottenham Hotspur are also potential suitors for the Sporting CP star, as reported by journalist Rudy Galetti, while Liverpool were at one stage ready to pay his €60m (£52m) release clause, although all the signs now indicate Chelsea are now leading the race.

The Blues are said to have already agreed personal terms with the 22-year-old, with journalist Rob Pratley detailing that the last remaining obstacle is the structure of the transfer fee, with Todd Boehly being in favour of staggered payments.

According to a report from Record (via Sport Witness), the player himself has now chosen to move to Stamford Bridge, as he prefers a move to the Premier League, which has proven to be a major stumbling block for PSG.

The report states that the "deal is closed", meaning an announcement is presumably on the way, with Chelsea beating PSG and multiple Premier League sides to the Uruguayan's signature.

Will Ugarte be a good signing for Chelsea?

A deal for the central midfielder is seemingly very close, and it could be an excellent piece of business from the Blues, given that he was one of Sporting's best performers in the Liga Portugal last season, as per WhoScored.

The Uruguay international is particularly impressive defensively, registering an average of 3.9 tackles per game, by far and away the most of any player in the squad, while he also averaged the highest number of interceptions.

Hailed as "immense" by members of the media, the maestro is also fantastic at distributing the ball, ranking in the 99th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Chelsea appear to have lost out in the race for Declan Rice, due to the lack of Champions League football on offer at Stamford Bridge, but Ugarte could be the next best thing, given his strong defensive attributes and his impressive ability in possession of the ball.

Shahadat Hossain and his wife were exonerated from the alleged torturing of their domestic help after the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against them

Mohammad Isam06-Nov-2016Bangladesh cricketer Shahadat Hossain and his wife were exonerated on Sunday in the case filed over the alleged torturing of their housemaid. Judge Tanjina Ismail of the chief tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression of Dhaka acquitted the couple as the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against them.On October 27, Shahadat and his wife pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after the court read out the charges to them. The victim had brought allegations against the couple on September 6 last year, and a case was later filed against them at the Mirpur Police Station. Police pressed charges against the couple on December 27, 2015.Seven prosecution witnesses, including the complainant and the victim of the case, gave their statements before the court. Of them, the victim, in her August 25 statement, said Shahadat and his wife Nrittya did not torture her.The BCB’s disciplinary committee had lifted a temporary ban on Shahadat in May on “humanitarian grounds”.Shahadat had been suspended in September 2015 after a case was registered against him and his wife under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. They were arrested on October 5 and were granted bail in December last year.

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement on personal terms with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, according to reports.

What’s the latest Spurs transfer news involving Raya?

Spurs appear to be making a real start on their summer transfer business after finalising the appointment of new manager Ange Postecoglou last week.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to north London this year is Raya. The Spaniard’s contract is set to expire next year, and it appears as if Tottenham would be interested in bringing him in to replace Hugo Lloris, for the right price.

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Sunday that Spurs were on the verge of reaching an agreement with Raya on personal terms. The club were set to offer a long-term contract after positive talks, and there has now been a further update.

According to The Times, Spurs have now agreed personal terms with Raya, with the report stating that rivals Arsenal actually wanted to sign the player before bringing in Aaron Ramsdale.

Who is David Raya?

Raya, now 27 years of age, appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation, and could be a shrewd signing for Spurs.

The Brentford star, described as “next-level” with the ball at his feet in the media and Jurgen Klopp even saying he should “have a No 10 on his back, with the balls he played”, has made a total of 161 appearances for his current club – 61 of which have come in the Premier League. Prior to that, Raya spent his career at Blackburn Rovers, so now has plenty of experience and knowledge of the English game.

During the 2022/23 season, Raya comfortably outperformed both Lloris and Fraser Forster when it came to average match rating, as per WhoScored.

Regarding shot-stopping, Raya also has a good record, ranking in the 92nd percentile for save percentage, as per FBref. Other areas he excels in are crosses stopped, ranking in the 93rd percentile and touches per 90, ranking 94th percentile.

If Postecoglou wants to bring in someone like Raya, though, Spurs look like they will need to pay a relatively high fee for someone who has 12 months remaining on his contract. Romano has stated a £40m figure, something which Spurs feel is too high, but it is good to see that personal terms have been agreed between those in north London and the player himself, making this a transfer to watch closely.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s four-for and Veda Krishnamurthy’s half-century sealed a 3-0 series win for India against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Veda Krishnamurthy struck her second fifty in the three-match series•IDI/Getty ImagesLeft-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad’s 4 for 34 helped India women defend 199, after Veda Krishnamurthy’s 71 had helped set it up, as West Indies women were whitewashed 3-0 in the ODI series. The duo had led India to win in a similar pattern in the first ODI as well – Gayakwad had taken a four-for and Krishnamurthy had scored a fifty.This was both teams’ final ICC Women’s Championship game. West Indies, who needed just one win at the start of the series to seal automatic qualification to the World Cup next year, remain in fourth place with 22 points. They now have an outside chance of missing out on automatic qualification, should South Africa whitewash Australia in the three-match series beginning from November 18. India finished the campaign with 19 points, and will have to earn their qualification to the World Cup.Put in to bat, India suffered a top-order wobble as no batsman from the top four went past 25. India were crawling at 52 for 3 in the 21st over before Krishnamurthy salvaged the innings. She first took the score past 100 along with Harmanpreet Kaur in a stand of 51 for the fourth wicket, and then past 150 in the company of debutant Devika Vaidya with whom she put on 57 for the sixth wicket.India managed 39 runs in the last 31 balls, after Krishnamurthy fell for 71 (79b, 10×4) in the 45th over. Vaidya finished unbeaten on 32 off 45, and Jhulan Goswami scored a useful 18 off 16. Chedean Nation, returning to international cricket after seven years, took 2 for 21 from her seven overs.West Indies’ top order gave them a steady start in their chase. Hayley Matthews (44) put on 49 for the opening stand with Shaquana Quintyne (18) and 20 for the second with Kycia Knight (55), before Gayakwad trapped her in front. West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor and experienced batsman Deandra Dottin scored 14 each, but there were no significant partnerships till Merissa Aguilleira (22) put on 46 with Knight for the sixth wicket.They kept the chase alive, before Aguilleira was run out with West Indies still needing 34 off 32. Gayakwad then removed Knight, followed by Britney Cooper, in the 47th over. She also removed Anisa Mohammed in the 49th in between two run-outs, that saw West Indies lose their last five wickets for just 18 runs.