قضى فريق الكرة الأول بنادي بيراميدز على آمال الزمالك في المشاركة بمنافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا الموسم المقبل 2024-2025 حال الاحتكام لنتائج الدور الأول.
وجاء ذلك بعد تحقيق فريق نادي بيراميدز الفوز على نظيره سموحة، بثلاثية دون رد في خضم مؤجلات الجولة الحادية عشر من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”.
ويتربع نادي بيراميدز على عرش صدارة ترتيب بطولة الدوري برصيد 56 نقطة حصدها من 17 انتصارًا.
الزمالك يعلن غياب 12 لاعبا في مباراة سيراميكا كليوباترا بـ الدوري المصري
وكان الاتحاد الافريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” قد حدد موعد إرسال أسماء الأندية المشاركة في البطولات القارية قبل نهاية موسم الدوري.
وفي ظل سعي مسؤولي رابطة الأندية للحصول على استثناء بإرسال أسماء الأندية، إلا أنه قد جرت العادة في المواسم السابقة من الدوري المصري، أن يتم إرسال الأندية وفق نتائج الدور الأول من الموسم.
ويتأهل لبطولتي دوري أبطال إفريقيا والكونفدرالية، أربعة فرق من الدوري المصري، بواقع ناديين بكل منافسة.
ووفق ترتيب الأندية لجدول الدور الأول فقد حسم فريق بيراميدز أحد مركزي المقدمة المشاركان في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، إذا بات يملك 35 نقطة من 16 مباراة فيما يتبقى له مواجهة مؤجلة أمام الأهلي.
أما الزمالك فيملك 21 نقطة من 13 مباراة ويتبقى له 4 مؤجلات أمام ضد سيراميكا وفاركو وبلدية المحلة وطلائع الجيش.
بذلك يحجز فريق بيراميدز مقعدًا في دوري أبطال إفريقيا حال الاعتماد على نتائج نقاط الدور الأول من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
الجدير بالذكر، أن الزمالك قد نجح في الفوز ببطولة الكونفدرالية موسم 2023-2024 على حساب نهضة بركان المغربي.
South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock has been ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series, and the T20s against India after suffering a left wrist injury during the second ODI in Centurion. De Kock will require two to four weeks to recover, which could put his participation in the Test series against Australia, which begins on March 1, in doubt.Heinrich Klaasen, the only other specialist wicketkeeper in the squad, is almost certain to make his ODI debut in Cape Town. AB de Villiers is also injured but is expected to return for the fourth ODI at the Wanderers on Saturday, though it is not yet known whether he will take the gloves. The selectors have not named a replacement in the squad.BCCI
“Quinton suffered an extreme blow to the left wrist while batting in the second ODI on Sunday and felt severe pain and discomfort,” team manager Mohammed Moosajee said. “Further investigation revealed severe bony bruising to the area, with associated swelling around the tendon in the wrist. This type of injury will require between 2-4 weeks to heal. The Cricket South Africa medical team will aim to have him ready for the Test series against Australia starting next month.”De Kock’s injury leaves South Africa without an opening batsman and their first-choice keeper, but he has endured a torrid time during the India tour. He has not crossed fifty once in eight innings across all formats.De Kock is the third South African player to suffer an injury in the last 10 days, after de Villiers and Faf du Plessis, who are currently recovering from finger injuries. Dale Steyn, who was not named in the ODI squad, is still recovering from a heel concern.India lead the six-match series 2-0 after routing South Africa by nine wickets in the second ODI at SuperSport Park.
Two months after the announcement of a five-year plan that involved West Indies touring Pakistan every year until 2022, PCB chairman Najam Sethi has walked back on that claim, saying it was a cost-ineffective option. In November last year, Sethi had stated that the PCB and Cricket West Indies (CWI) agreed to play a series of Twenty20 matches annually over the next five years that involved matches in Pakistan as well as the USA.
Sethi cites fatigue, injuries as factors in NZ whitewash
Commenting on Pakistan’s recent struggles in New Zealand, where the side was whitewashed 5-0 in the ODI series, Najam Sethi cited fatigue as a possible explanation. He also said several frontline bowlers were injured, which hampered Pakistan during the series. Pakistan had Mohammad Amir, the leader of the pace attack, and No. 1 ranked ODI bowler Hasan Ali available to them, as well as Rumman Raees, though Usman Khan and Junaid Khan were injured. “Part of it is down to fatigue,” Sethi said. “Some of our fast bowlers are playing county cricket, others are playing various leagues. I am going to meet with Inzamam-ul-Haq and Haroon Rasheed to develop a formal policy concerning the number of T20 leagues any individual player is allowed to participate in. I’ve asked Mickey Arthur to prepare a management plan for each individual player, so we can analyse their fitness and performance, and take decisions on which leagues they can play and when.” Sethi’s concern over the number of leagues players participate in is at odds with his position in the past. Last month, he approved permission for Pakistan players to participate in a T10 League in the UAE, despite strong opposition from several parties, most of all owners of at least four PSL franchises. Sethi, however, had the authority to take the final decision as PCB chairman, and allowed players to take part.
Sethi insisted that West Indies’ upcoming tour to Pakistan in March was “on so far”. That three-match T20I series is scheduled to be played in the last week of March. The games were originally meant to be played in November last year, but logistical challenges, as well as heavy smog that swept across large parts of the country in the first half of November, forced the tour’s postponement. Both CWI and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) had given their approval for the tour providing the security situation in Pakistan remained satisfactory. Pakistan hosted a World XI side for a three-match T20I series last September, followed by the third match of a T20I series against Sri Lanka in October.”It’s on so far, and by that, I mean even the dates are final,” Sethi said, while providing details on West Indies’ tour to Pakistan. “Earlier, we had a plan that West Indies would come here every single year and we would go to America to play a triangular series. But when we did our calculations, we found out that matches here are loss-making and they (West Indies) thought it would be a profit-making. The reason is the high production cost and player cost.”A full series would probably make a difference, but with three games, we do not get enough sponsors. So then the West Indies said if we don’t get anything from this tour, then let’s just go with a one-off series and play a triangular series in Florida which is profitable for all. So, a new MoU is being prepared that will not affect the series in March, and the arrangements for that are going well.”Since hosting the World XI and Sri Lanka T20Is in Lahore, the PCB has heavily courted West Indies as the next possible team to visit Pakistan for a series. Before they could finalise the schedule, both CWI and WIPA had sought a security and risk assessment from Eastern Star International (ESI), an independent security firm owned by security expert Reg Dickason. After prolonged deliberations, WIPA was assured that the threat levels had not “materially changed” since the World XI games. The PCB saw that report as an endorsement of the way they had handled security concerns for the World XI and Sri Lanka visits. The PCB and the Punjab government had assured CWI that the level of security offered to West Indies would be on par with the arrangements in place for the World XI and Sri Lanka.
Burnley could be on the prowl for another striker this summer, with reports linking the club to another talent in what has been a busy transfer window for Vincent Kompany.
The Clarets couldn’t have started their return to the Premier League in tougher fashion, as treble winners Manchester City graced the field of Turf Moor, where Kompany suffered opening day defeat at the hands of his former club.
While their movement in the transfer window has been busy, their start to life in the top-flight has been the opposite, with Burnley missing out on game week two due to Luton Town’s inability to host their fixture due to ongoing improvements to Kenilworth Road.
With 13 new arrivals already through the door at Turf Moor, recent reports have pointed to another potential signing that the Clarets are targeting.
Who could Burnley sign this summer?
Earlier this week, journalist Dominik Schneider revealed Burnley’s interest in Portuguese midfielder Renato Veiga, with an offer of £5.5m put on the table for Sporting Lisbon to consider.
In other reports, Football Insider has named the Clarets as one of the clubs in the race to sign Hertha Berlin starlet Derry Scherhant, with Championship trio Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End also eyeing a loan move for the German.
Football Insider stated that Burnley have already enquired over the 20-year-old’s availability earlier in the summer, with the player said to be valued at around £1.5m.
Who is Derry Scherhant?
Deployed as a left-winger with the ability to be positioned as a number nine, Hertha’s starlet is certainly a player to watch the movements of.
The 20-year-old is currently playing for the side’s ‘B’ team, featuring in the Regionalliga Northeast league in which he has made a flying start by scoring three goals and registering one assist over the opening two fixtures, via Transfermarkt.
Derry Scherhant in action for Hertha Berlin.
Playing in the league since the 2021/22 campaign with Hertha BSC II, the German has contributed to 38 goals in 48 appearances, scoring 27 and assisting 11 to showcase just how dazzling his talents are in the final third.
While the Premier League is far from the fourth tier of German football, the 20-year-old’s talents have been repaid, with him earning 10 Bundesliga appearances last campaign in which he scored his first goal in the top-flight.
Described by journalist Leon Potuzhek as being “too good” for the league he is most regularly playing in, the dynamic youngster could be the perfect addition to one day flourish in Kompany’s side.
It wouldn't be the first time that Turf Moor had seen a winger making an impact on the left flank, with former star Dwight McNeil once bringing excitement for the Clarets before he joined Everton.
The Englishman netted seven goals in the Premier League during his time at Burnley, where he was praised as “fantastic” as a 19-year-old playing under Sean Dyche.
The youthful spark and electrifying cameos that the Everton ace once brought to Turf Moor could be encapsulated through a signing as promising as Scherhant, who has a similarly direct nature of play to the former winger.
With interest coming from a host of levels in England, Kompany should act fast if he is to capture the rising talent, in what could be a huge move for both player and club.
The Australia fast bowler laughed off a comparison to the WWE wrestler, and was in great spirits after picking up his first international wickets
Arun Venugopal in Guwahati11-Oct-20171:27
Dad was ‘speechless,’ says Jason Behrendorff
By the time Jason Behrendorff had finished shredding India’s top order, the internet was going mental over his supposed likeness to WWE wrestler John Cena. And after Australia strolled to an eight-wicket win in the second T20I, Behrendorff was told of the comparison.He’s “a fair bit bigger than I am,” Behrendorff said as he burst out laughing, the mood set by his four-wicket haul that led to an Australian win in only his second international appearance.”It’s an unbelievable feeling to be honest,” he said, having dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Shikhar Dhawan as his first four international wickets. “… to bowl four overs tonight and take four wickets, but mainly to get a win. To get the boys back up and about after a pretty tough time in the the one-dayers, it’s very, very special.”Just like he had in his only over in the first T20I in Ranchi, Behrendorff began his spell in Guwahati by conceding a boundary. But while he was wicketless on Saturday, he snared two in his first over on Tuesday.Behrendorff had Rohit lbw by bowling the quick inswinger, a method used by other left-arm quicks like Mohammad Amir against the batsman. The delivery also got Kohli two balls later, and Behrendorff said the plan was indeed to nip the ball into India’s right-handers.”I was really happy with that,” he said of his comeback, after being hit for two fours by Rohit in the first over. “Few ones that I got hit to the boundary probably weren’t where I needed to be bowling. But then to get the ball up there, swinging the ball, hit guys on the pads and nick blokes off: those are the things we talk about in our meetings. To get the balls in those areas especially up front.”1:40
Agarkar: Starc-Behrendorff combination would be great for Australia
While Australia’s spearhead Mitchell Starc has been injured and out of international action since the Champions Trophy, Behrendorff looked forward to talking shop with his fellow left-arm quick. “I know Mitch reasonably well. I’ve spent a bit of time playing with him occasionally but mainly against him,” he said. “He’s someone that I feel I can talk to and get some advice off as well. He’s a very, very good guy to have around.”A look at Behrendorff’s Linkedin profile indicates that he is a man of varied interests. He has a degree in exercise and sports science from the Edith Cowan University, and has interned with the strength and conditioning coach of the Australia men’s hockey team. He also wants to improve his “presentation and interviewing skills” in the the media. Early evidence is that he’s on track.”It’s nice to have a bit of knowledge of what’s going on,” Behrendorff said of how his background in sports science helped him handle his injury-prone body. “I can talk to physios and doctors and understand exactly what’s going on and what I need to do. To be honest, the main thing is doing the rehab and getting back on the park and now enjoying playing international cricket for the first time. It’s something I’ve worked so hard for and I’m loving every minute of it.”Behrendorff has a reputation of being a nice guy. The likeness apart, there’s no – “You want some, come get some” – Cena trash talk.”You don’t have to be mean and nasty all the time,” Behrendorff said. “Generally I’d try and let my skills and the ball do the work and let that do the talking for me instead of getting into a verbal battle or anything like that. Some guys enjoy that and that’s what fires them up and gets them going. But that’s not really my style.”
تغلب بايرن ميونخ على آينتراخت فرانكفورت بنتيجة 2/1، مساء السبت، في منافسات الدوري الألماني “البوندزليجا” لموسم 2023-2024.
وحل فرانكفورت ضيفًا على بايرن ميونخ بملعب “أليانز أرينا”، في الجولة الـ31 من الدوري الألماني.
اقرأ ايضاً.. مدافع ليفربول السابق عن مشاجرة محمد صلاح وكلوب: “صراع الغرور”
وشارك المهاجم المصري عمر مرموش أساسيًا مع فريقه فرانكفورت أمام بايرن ميونخ، طوال المباراة.
في الشوط الأول وبحلول الدقيقة 9، أحرز هاري كين الهدف الأول لصالح بايرن ميونخ، بعد تلقيه تمريرة حاسمة من كونراد لايمر.
وتمكن هيوجو إكيتيكي من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح فرانكفورت، من صناعة باتشو تينوريو عند الدقيقة 23.
وغادر كونراد لايمر المباراة عند الدقيقة 28 وحل بدلاً منه أليكسندر بافلوفيتش.
في الشوط الثاني وبحلول الدقيقة 60، تحصل بايرن ميونخ على ركلة جزاء، نجح في ترجمتها هداف الفريق البافاري هاري كين، معلنًا تقدم أصحاب الأرض في النتيجة.
وبهذا الفوز، ارتقى رصيد بايرن ميونخ إلى النقطة 69 في المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الألماني، فيما تجمد رصيد فرانكفورت عند النقطة 45 في المركز السادس. اهداف مباراة بايرن ميونخ وفرانكفورت (2-1) الدوري الالماني
Everton have entered the race to sign former Manchester United captain Harry Maguire this summer, with Sean Dyche viewing the England international as the perfect option to complete the Goodison Park defence.
How much would Harry Maguire cost?
According to TEAMtalk, the Toffees are planning to join the line of suitors for Maguire with Manchester United seeking to recuperate funds following the summer's expenditure.
The 30-year-old has plummeted down the pecking order at Old Trafford but despite this wishes to remain at the club and fight for his place, with West Ham United already seeing a £20m offer rejected.
The aforementioned report claims that Dyche is ready to offload some players himself – namely defensive duo Mason Holgate and Michael Keane – to free up room and money to bolster the ranks, and if the club is successful in this regard, discussions for Maguire could enter the next stage.
How good is Harry Maguire?
It's fair to say that Maguire has not enjoyed the most fruitful of times over the past several years; despite lifting the Carabao Cup last season and ending Manchester United's five-year wait for silverware, he has regularly been skewered for his performances and has even been branded a "walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst.
Despite joining the Theatre of Dreams fold for an exorbitant £80m from Leicester City in 2019, Maguire was restricted to just eight starts in the Premier League and is seemingly not currently boasting a starting berth in Erik ten Hag's team.
However, the one-time Hull City star remains an imposing and physical defender and could use a move away as a breath of fresh life onto his career, with Everton's backline pretty admirable last term despite the club's woes.
Harry Maguire has lost the armband.
James Tarkowski and Conor Coady formed the nucleus of the side's defence for much of the 2022/23 campaign and were hailed for their "hugely important" partnership by former boss Frank Lampard, though the latter has now concluded his loan spell and signed for Leicester.
Tarkowski, in particular, was imperious throughout the term, described as "outstanding" by Dyche and finishing the campaign with an average Sofascore rating of 7.20, having started all 38 fixtures, in which he kept nine clean sheets, and averaged a whopping 5.2 clearances per game. He also won 65% of his duels.
The former Burnley titan ranks among the top 1% of centre-halves across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks, the top 6% for clearances and the top 8% for aerials won per 90, as per FBref, which underscores his robustness.
Would Maguire gel well with his £100k-per-week compatriot though? That will be the question on Dyche and co's lips.
Well, given his physicality and strength, partnered with his own prowess in the air, he might just; Maguire ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for blocks, the top 12% for aerials won and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90, which would leave the Toffees backline well protected from both ground attacks and aerial balls.
The £190k-per-week titan has previously been labelled as a "world-class centre-back" by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and while he has fallen by the wayside of late, a move to Goodison Park could allow him to become the centrepiece of a side targetting a renaissance, one that could coincide with his own resurgence as he looks to impress before the European Championship next summer.
Unlike the team’s 2013 and 2015 IPL title runs, in 2017 Mumbai did not rely on individual brilliance to carry them to the championship, a point of pride for Rohit Sharma
Arun Venugopal in Hyderabad21-May-2017Mumbai Indians’ third IPL title was a product of a united group combining teamwork with intelligence, their captain Rohit Sharma believes, and this was best exemplified by their plucky one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant in the 2017 final on Sunday night. While Mumbai’s earlier title wins in 2013 and 2015 were driven by strong individual performances, Rohit took pride in how the latest conquest was achieved by a collective assault.”I personally feel it is how you prepare at the start of the tournament – getting your combinations right and going on to the field is the most critical part of winning the tournament,” Rohit said. “Individual brilliance can win you a few games, but what is required to win this championship is team unity, team work and intelligence.”We spoke about it at the start of the tournament. If you look at the first two titles we won, we probably had one batsman in the top five [leading run-getters]. We didn’t have [even] one batsman in the top-five this time which is a little bit sad, but that goes to show that different individuals have come up at different times and taken up responsibility. That is the hallmark of this team, especially this year.”We’ve never relied on one individual to win us the game. Today was the perfect example. The bowling unit came in together. Again, we have got a few youngsters, a few inexperienced players and a few legends in our bowling unit. It was a combination of both, and we gelled quite nicely. We mixed it up nicely.”In their previous two finals, Mumbai set a target and let the bowlers do their thing. So when Rohit elected to bat on Sunday night, they were merely sticking to a tried and tested template.”In a big game, it’s good to put runs on the board,” he said. “The history at this place is such that there have been 200 runs scored in an innings and also just 140. So if you don’t bat well, you won’t make a big target.” There was acknowledgement in the team talk at the halfway mark that, with 130, they had given themselves only a below-par total to defend. But, that wouldn’t deflate their morale.”I don’t think we applied ourselves too well. Our target was between 140 and 160. If we had tried to overreach to 180, then you could’ve been bowled out for 120,” Rohit said. “So our talk was that we try and make 140 so we may even get to 160. One-hundred and sixty on this wicket would’ve been a match-winning score, as you saw.”When you are playing on a slow pitch, it’s important to believe you can defend any target when you are fielding. So that was the talk when we came into the change room after our poor batting display. We spoke about how we played our last game against one of the better batting units in the tournament – KKR – and bowled them out for 105 [107]. Why can’t we do it here? The guys knew the challenge but they rose to the occasion”.Mumbai’s defence began in nervy fashion with a few fielding lapses. The most glaring mistake was made by Krunal Pandya, who fluffed a simple chance offered by Ajinkya Rahane, who was then on 14, at short extra-cover in the fourth over. Rahane went on to make 44. Rohit said the team had to regroup at the first strategic time-out and address the anxiety. The message was simple: don’t overreach, just force the batsmen to make mistakes.”When you are defending such a low target, it’s so important for the fielders to try and create some magic – taking a brilliant catch or stopping those crucial runs,” Rohit said. “We spoke about it in the change room that we wanted to add 20 runs extra with our fielding. But yeah, the first ten overs we were a little sloppy in the field.”These things can happen, sometimes you are so nervous you try and overdo it. [During] the break we had after six overs, we just got together and asked everyone to be calm. You can’t come and play your shots; it’s such a slow wicket. We always had that belief that things can change anytime.”We had to stay in the game for 20 overs. [It] didn’t matter if they create a partnership for 10 overs or whatever, we wanted to stay in the game. One wicket here and there and things can change. And that’s exactly what happened. We squeezed in and spinners came in and bowled those dot balls, created pressure, which made them play big shots. That’s where they made mistakes.”Rohit Sharma: ‘We always knew we had a great backup in Johnson’•BCCI
One of the key architects of Mumbai’s successful night with the ball was Mitchell Johnson. Entrusted with defending 10 runs off the last over, Johnson conceded four runs off the first ball but hit back with the wickets of Manoj Tiwary and Pune captain Steven Smith off successive deliveries. With four required to win off the last ball, Johnson held his nerve.”Mitchell McClenaghan, who was playing well for us, was injured and unfortunately he couldn’t find a place in the finals, but we always knew we had a great backup in Johnson, who is again a proven customer,” Rohit said. “He has done it for Australia and Mumbai as well. He has been in this atmosphere as well. I could happily rely on him when I needed him the most. The last over was very crucial. Steven Smith was set, batting really well. So is Dan Christian, he has played against him on many occasions.Rohit also lauded the Pandya brothers – Krunal and Hardik – for contributing in every facet of the game. While Hardik has played the finisher’s role and scored 250 runs at a strike rate of 156.25, Krunal has clicked with both bat and ball in the tournament. He made 243 runs from 11 innings with the bat and picked up 10 wickets while being the team’s second most economical bowler behind Harbhajan Singh. In the final, it was his 38-ball 47 that nudged Mumbai towards a decent total following which he bowled a typically tight spell of left-arm spin.”I think both Pandya brothers have something special in them,” Rohit said. “When you see them on the field, they are so excited to play the game. They want to contribute in some or the other way. It’s just not about bowling or batting; they contribute in fielding as well which is such a critical part in this format.”Krunal has become mature now. Last year he was nervous to start with. Now he knows he is a core member of the squad. He just goes out and plays freely. He has got no pressure. Of course, if you drop the catch, there is a chance of coming back and bowling a good over. That’s exactly what he did.”
ScorecardIn days of yore, the sight of two spinners bowling in tandem, scuttling through their overs like squirrels scurrying up a tree, was commonplace on the county circuit. No longer. As surfaces offering prodigious turn have become rarer and ever-more matches shunted to the margins of the season, most counties have come to regard one specialist spinner as ample, and often got by without even that.But on a chilly April afternoon at The Oval, Stephen Parry and Simon Kerrigan provided a throwback to this bygone age. In an age of indolent over rates, bustling though overs can flummox batsmen, as Somerset found out in their title push last summer. Parry and Kerrigan, Lancashire’s two left-arm spinners, combined with a wall of close-in fielders to render Surrey’s batsmen comatose and confused; they conceded just four runs in 14 overs after lunch while two wickets fell.There was no prodigious turn, but the pair bowled an unrelenting line, varied their pace and bounce subtly and obtained just enough spin to provide a persistent menace. It made for beguiling cricket, and the six wickets shared by Parry and Kerrigan in the day put Lancashire in a position from which they could secure an unlikely victory.This was just Parry’s 12th first-class game since making his debut a full decade ago. He has won acclaim for his left-arm darts in limited-overs cricket, which have earned seven England caps and a Big Bash stint, yet has steadfastly rejected the temptation to specialise in T20 cricket.At the start of the summer it had been almost three years since Parry’s last first-class match. Selected ahead of Kerrigan as Lancashire’s frontline spinner at Chelmsford last week, he vindicated the decision by taking 5 for 80 from 48.2 overs in the match, even if he could not quite bowl Lancashire to victory on the final day.No one who saw Parry here, his precision rewarded by Kumar Sangakkara flicking nonchalantly to mid-on, Gareth Batty lofting the ball to mid-off in pursuit of the two Surrey needed to save the follow on, and then Mark Footitt trapped on the crease next delivery, would have marked him out as a white-ball specialist.Kerrigan will not have fond memories of The Oval: it was here, four years ago, that he was eviscerated by Australia, in what remains his only eight overs in Test cricket.Yet he gave a hint of what had led England to select him. Kerrigan would have particularly cherished the wicket of Zafar Ansari. He twice cut Ansari open, the ball spinning through a gap between bat and pad and agonisingly over the unprotected stumps. Soon, these pyrrhic victories translated into something altogether more tangible: Ansari’s leg stump demolished by a ball that turned deliciously between his groping bat and pad while he appeared confused over whether to play forward or back.Kerrigan sunk to his knees in joy: seldom does a left-arm spinner enjoy a moment of such perfection. Earlier, Ben Foakes had been yorked by a quicker delivery.And, just before the close, Kerrigan produced another fine delivery, turning just enough to invite Rory Burns’ edge. It left Lancashire to revel in how they had turned a position of 122 for 6 on the first afternoon into one from which they had enforced the follow on and could yet press for victory on the final day. The pitch is far from malign, but there are small pockets of footmarks against Surrey’s left-handers and two spinners with the confidence to exploit them.Parry and Kerrigan emphatically outbowled Surrey’s own spin twins, both of whom played Test cricket last winter. The wicket of Dominic Sibley, run-out after a funereal 86-ball 10, spoke of how such unrelenting spin bowler can frazzle batsmen’s minds.There had been no hint of what was to come as Burns and Sangakkara marked a bright morning with some sumptuous shot-making. Burns, as is his wont, favoured three shots – the drive, often square of the wicket; the cut; and the leg-side flick – while some of Sangakkara’s extra cover driving was so sweet it deserved to be wrapped inside an Easter egg.All was serene, as the two added 99 at almost four runs an over, until, incongruously, Burns nibbled at a delivery from Kyle Jarvis. His slow trudge off, first looking to the skies and then solemnly at his feet as he climbed the stairs to return to the dressing room, spoke of his huge frustration: Burns had played terrifically for 91, yet his work was unfinished.It was in keeping with an infuriating trend. Burns is respected throughout the circuit, as a first-class average in excess of 40 demands, but if he is to win the international acclaim that Surrey believe he is deserving of, he must dispel his propensity not to convert half-centuries. Since the start of 2016, Burns has passed 50 11 times in Division One Championship cricket but only made two centuries; an outstanding return for most, but not quite persuasive enough for the England selectors. That might change soon, just not tomorrow.
An update has emerged on Manchester United and their chances of adding a new goalkeeper to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest on Diogo Costa to Manchester United?
According to 90min, the Red Devils have now been offered the chance to sign Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa as the Primeira Liga outfit are in need of funds to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
The report also claims that fellow Premier League side Chelsea have also been given the opportunity to snap the Portugal shot-stopper up this summer, as both English teams had already placed him on their shortlist of targets.
It states that the 23-year-old international has a release clause in his contract that would allow him to move on for a fee in the region of £65m, although it remains to be seen whether or not Porto would be willing to accept a lower figure due to their financial concerns.
Would Diogo Costa be a good signing for Manchester United?
Erik ten Hag could secure something of a transfer masterclass by taking advantage of this situation to secure a deal for the shot-stopping colossus in the coming weeks.
David de Gea is reportedly likely to move on at the end of his contract this summer, after the club attempted to go back on their initial contract offer to the Spaniard with a proposal that would have seen him earning even less, which would leave the number one shirt at Old Trafford vacant.
Bringing Costa in would be a terrific piece of business by the Red Devils boss as the Swiss-born titan has the potential to be a big upgrade on the soon-to-be free agent.
Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
De Gea made three woeful errors directly leading to goals for the opposition across the Premier League and Europa League in 2022/23. In contrast, the Porto gem did not make a single mistake directly leading to the ball flying into his net throughout the Primeira Liga or Champions League campaign last term.
As a shot-stopper, Costa saved his team a whopping 6.1 league goals based on the post-shot expected goals (xG) of the shots against him last season, which essentially means that he prevented six goals that the average player in his position would have been expected to concede.
Meanwhile, United's number one conceded 0.7 more goals than the post-shot xG suggested the average goalkeeper would allow past them.
This would indicate that the experienced Spaniard underperformed between the sticks and does not offer as much quality, in terms of keeping the ball out of the net, as the £65m-rated tank.
Costa has also stopped a higher percentage (7.5%) of crosses into his box than de Gea (3.1%) over the last year, and this implies that United would have a greater presence at the back to alleviate pressure from the defence when dealing with an aerial bombardment.
Therefore, ten Hag would be sealing a masterclass by replacing his current no.1 with a summer swoop for the Porto star, who was once hailed as a "Superman" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, as the aforementioned statistics indicate that he would be a big and long-term upgrade on the struggling 32-year-old dud.