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ScorecardSamit Patel lifted Nottinghamshire to a score that proved defendable•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire overcame a stuttering display with the bat to put themselves on the brink of the NatWest T20 Blast quarter finals with a 31-run victory over Leicestershire at Trent Bridge.After posting only 121 for 9, after electing to bat first, the home side bounced back ruthlessly to bowl Leicestershire out for just 90 in 18.3 overs.The home side struggled to find any momentum in their innings and were indebted to Samit Patel’s 44 to set any sort of total but it proved to be more than competitive as the Leicestershire reply got off to a dreadful start.Requiring just over a run a ball, the visitors lost five wickets in the opening Powerplay before eventually succumbing for their lowest-ever total in the competition. The manner of the defeat was particularly hard on the Leicestershire attack, with both Josh Cobb and Atif Sheikh returning outstanding figures.Cobb, the Leicestershire skipper, finished with 3 for 18 after Sheikh had denied Nottinghamshire their usual fast start, bowling his four overs straight off, to claim 2 for 11.Sheikh, 23, born in Nottingham and a former player with the Trent Bridge junior sides, returned to the city to knock back the stumps of both Michael Lumb and Alex Hales with his brisk left-arm.Charlie Shreck, a seasoned veteran with even stronger Nottinghamshire connections, relished the opportunity of playing against one of his former sides and also picked up a wicket in the early stages, removing Riki Wessels leg before wicket.Notts lost wickets at regular intervals and also went 11 overs without finding the boundary ropes, a sequence eventually broken by Patel, who hoisted Jigar Naik straight down the ground for the only six of the innings.Patel was eventually run out in the mad scramble for late runs but the innings ended in a real whimper as Cobb accounted for both Ajmal Shahzad and Luke Fletcher with the final two deliveries.Nottinghamshire’s response was clinical. Fletcher bowled a double-wicket maiden, accounting for both Cobb and Greg Smith. The latter had scored a century when the sides met at Grace Road last month and his dismissal inspired the hosts.A stunning boundary catch by James Franklin, looking into the sun as he ran round and accounted for Niall O’Brien was followed up by more individual brilliance as Steven Mullaney ran out Ned Eckersley with a direct hit.When Shahzad removed the dangerous Scott Styris, the board read 24 for 5 and although Tom Wells and Matt Boyce added 21 together they fell, along with Naik, in a disastrous seven ball spell.Some late resistance saw Shreck swing Gurney over the deep mid-wicket fence and Sheikh demonstrated that he has something to offer with the bat as well, twice hitting Mullaney for six. Sheikh was last out, heaving across the line to Fletcher, who impressed with 3 for 11.”I’ll always back myself to bowl a Yorker and if I can put it up there then they shouldn’t be able to hit me away for runs,” Fletcher said. “In my first over I just tried to put it good areas and they both nicked off. Getting Smith early was so crucial.”It’s going for me at the moment and long may it continue. We’re just taking it game by game but we’re confident as a bowling unit that we’ll always get the job done.”The victory takes Notts back to second position in the North Group, needing just one more point from either of their two final games, away at Northamptonshire and Yorkshire, to guarantee a place in the knock-out stages.Leicestershire remain eighth, with only pride to play for as they travel to Edgbaston to face Warwickshire next Friday.

Conor McGilligan doesn’t believe Nuno Espirito Santo would be interested in staying with Leeds United in the Championship.

The Lowdown: Leeds remain managerless

Despite seeing clubs around them all change managers in the last few months, Leeds and Victor Orta have seen it fit to sack Jesse Marsch without having a ready-made replacement waiting to jump into the hot seat.

After failing to land either Arne Slot or Andoni Iraola, Orta decided to place his trust in Michael Skubala for the two biggest games of the clubs season in the form of Everton- which they lost – and seemingly he will be in the dugout next weekend against Southampton.

However, given the manner of defeat yesterday against Everton it should come as no surprise if Leeds decided to move for a linked manager with more experience in the form of former Wolves boss Espirito Santo.

The Latest: Nuno Espirito Santo being linked

McGilligan was asked on his YouTube channel if Nuno would look to stay around at Leeds if he was appointed but then failed to keep them in the top flight and he was far from convinced that would be the case.

He said: (32:15) “I don’t know Nuno as a person, I think his stock is a little bit too high to go back to the Championship. He was obviously trying to build his stock when he was at Wolves, then got into the Premier League and [achieved] two consecutive seventh-place finishes and left when they were 13th or 14th.

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“I think his stock is too high at the minute to go down, I know he’s been in Saudi Arabia but he could just get another gig like that again, get paid a ridiculous amount of money, and ride off into the sunset but I don’t know his character.”

The Verdict: Orta must make an appointment

It would be a slight risk from Leeds to appoint Espirito Santo given that he’s been managing out in Saudi Arabia since July 2022, so may take a while to get him back up to speed with the tactical demand of the Premier League.

Also, the fact that his last job in England was far from a success as he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after just 10 league games in charge but he does indeed have Premier League experience which will appeal to Leeds.

No matter what though, Victor Orta should be looking to appoint someone very quickly with Premier League experience and perhaps even Championship experience so they have a contingency plan if the worst does indeed happen.

Leeds United seemed to have the majority of their transfer business tied up by the time deadline day rolled around, but that did not stop the rumour mill from kicking into full gear.

Having secured deals for Max Wober and Georginio Rutter, they were decisive and speedy in their completion of the additional acquisitions of Weston McKennie and Diogo Monteiro.

Despite this, and the recent knowledge which has suggested Jack Harrison had all but completed his move to Leicester City, it seemed like Victor Orta remained somewhat keen on adding another attacker to bolster the forward line.

One name which continued to be linked with a move in the other way to Harrison was Ayoze Perez, who seemed destined to exit the King Power Stadium.

It was journalist Ben Jacobs who coined the rumours, as he reported late into the night before deadline day that the Whites had “made an enquiry” regarding the Spaniard.

Despite this, the 29-year-old ultimately joined Real Betis on loan until the end of the season, quashing the links with Leeds late in the day.

Had the Whites secured this deal, it would likely have backfired considering just how unimpressive Perez has been since his £30m move from Newcastle United in 2019.

The £45k-per-week dynamo did enjoy a fine first season at Leicester, but in the subsequent two-and-a-half campaigns he has not managed to surpass the two-goal mark in the league. He was holding on to his eight goals and four assists notched in that debut campaign in the Midlands, but with that now being nearly three years ago, it is somewhat obsolete.

Even before he made that aforementioned move, he had not impressed Danny Mills, who admitted that he would have been “stunned” had Tottenham Hotspur signed him.

The former England full-back continued: “He has been at Newcastle for five years and had half a good season. He has hardly ripped up any trees.”

Since that transfer, the pundit has since been proven right once again.

Leeds completed a clinical January transfer window in which they achieved their business with minimal fuss. Signing Perez could have undone all that hard work by giving into the excitement of deadline day and adding a panic addition to their already bolstered squad.

It very much seems that Orta and co avoided a potential disaster with this failed deal.

Chelsea are not in advanced talks to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, although there is still some interest in a deal, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What’s the word?

The Argentina midfielder, who played a starring role at the World Cup, looked set for a move to Stamford Bridge at the start of the window, but Chelsea could not agree a fee and the deal collapsed.

However, talks continued during the window, but the most recent discussions took place almost two weeks ago according to Romano, and Benfica are adamant that they will only sell the player if his €120m (£105m) release clause is met.

Speaking on Tuesday’s Here We Go Podcast, Romano claimed that despite fresh rumours of a deal, there are no advanced talks between the two clubs.

He said: “I’m told that there are no advanced talks now for Enzo again between Chelsea and Benfica. What happened is that one week ago, it was Monday last week, so almost 10 days ago, Chelsea had the conversation again with people close to the deal, asking for the possibility of trying again for Enzo Fernandez – the answer was from Benfica, very clear: Benfica president Rui Costa wants €120m or nothing.

“So Chelsea know that if they want to go for Enzo, they have to offer that money – not €85m [with] players included or these kinds of things.”

A midfielder would break the bank

Chelsea clearly have their sights set on a midfielder in this window, with Moises Caicedo also targeted, but with both players set to cost over £100m, it may be a step too far for Chelsea despite their heavy spending so far.

They may need a central midfielder in the long run amid the uncertain futures of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho, and it may be worth waiting until the summer for prices to come down for either of their current targets.

Given the unwillingness of Brighton and Benfica to sell crucial players during the season, if Chelsea are desperate for a midfielder now, they will need to pay over the odds.

The Star journalist Joe Crann has lauded Callum Paterson’s ‘superb’ performance in Sheffield Wednesday’s vital 1-0 win away to Wycombe Wanderers.

The Lowdown: Huge win for Wednesday

The Owls faced a tough trip to Adams Park on Saturday afternoon, knowing that fellow automatic promotion rivals Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle were facing each other.

While that pair drew 1-1 at Portman Road, Wednesday battled their way to a crucial 1-0 win, courtesy of a stunning first-half strike by Will Vaulks.

It means that Darren Moore’s side can go top of League One on goal difference if they win their game in hand, having not lost in the division since early October.

The Latest: Paterson’s performance praised

Taking to Twitter after the match, Crann paid special praise to Paterson, who performed doggedly in attack all afternoon.

The reporter gushed:

“If you can’t see what Callum Paterson brings to this #SWFC team after today then I’m afraid you never will. Superb, superb display up top. Top class from the Scot. Proper warrior.”

The Verdict: Selfless performance

Paterson might not be prolific as a striker, scoring just four times in 26 games this season, but he is always an effective team player, producing endless hard work and industry for the side.

On Saturday, the Scot was typically selfless in everything he did, winning seven out of eight ground duels and eight out of 12 aerial battles, highlighting his dominance as he came out on top in 15 duels altogether – almost twice as many as anyone else on the pitch yesterday (Sofascore).

Paterson won’t always be a fixture in Wednesday’s starting lineup, being selected just eight times in the league this term, but performances like this could be vital to their promotion charge between now and May, assuming he doesn’t leave Hillsborough in January amid links with Hearts.

Ligue 1 is tied up, with big-spending PSG the runaway winners, and here Goal selects the best 11 performers of an intriguing campaign

• Getty
  

  GK: Benjamin Lecomte

  Montpellier will finish the season with the second best defensive record behind Paris Saint-Germain, and goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte is a major reason for their solidarity at the back.

  He has played every minute of league football for his club and has saved 73% of the shots that have come his way – a vital contribution given that only two teams have scored fewer goals than the 34 that the European challengers have mustered this term. 

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• FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty
  

  RB: Dani Alves

  Signed from Juventus last summer to lend experience to PSG both on the field and off it, the 35-year-old Brazilian has perhaps not quite lived up to his billing, but he has still impressed at right-back.

  After a somewhat unconvincing start to the season, which saw Thomas Meunier challenge him for a starting berth, Alves has re-established himself as first pick, scoring once, setting up six and helping Unai Emery’s side to the best defensive record in the league.

• Getty Images
  

  CB: Marquinhos

  Marquinhos completed his graduation from promising centre-back to world-class performer this season, turning in countless displays of the highest level to potentially eclipse Thiago Silva in the heart of the PSG defence.

  The 23-year-old has all the attributes to become the finest in his position in the world and took another step towards that goal with a very consistent campaign. His partnership with fellow youngster Presnel Kimpembe holds great promise for the future.

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• Getty Images
  

  CB: Thiago Silva

  Thiago Silva has admitted that he will leave PSG when his contract is up in 2020, but the 33-year-old Brazil international defender remains a force to be reckoned with in Ligue 1.

  On the few occasions when PSG have been rocked this season, he has been the man to lead them out of trouble, notably turning in a superb display against Guingamp, when he held the rearguard together when it threatened to disintegrate around him.

  Perhaps past the very peak of his powers, but still a very fine defender indeed.

Imran Tahir has been fined 30% of his match fee and has been given two demerit points following a heated exchange with David Warner during the fifth ODI, the ICC said on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2016

South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir has been fined 30% of his match fee, apart from being given two demerit points, following a heated exchange with Australia batsman David Warner during the fifth ODI in Cape Town, the ICC said on Thursday. The hosts have also been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during the match.An ICC release said that Tahir had shown “a lack of respect” towards the on-field umpires by ignoring their requests to stop verbally engaging with Warner around the 38th over of Australia’s chase. Tahir was found to have violated Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which deals with behaviour that is “contrary to the spirit of the game”.Two demerit points were also added to Tahir’s record, in keeping with Article 7.3 of the revised Code. If Tahir gets four or more demerit points within a two-year period, these points could be converted into at least two suspension points, which could end up in a ban from one or two matches. According to the ICC’s rules, two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first.South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was docked 20% of his match fee, while the other players were fined 10%, after they fell one over short of their target once time allowances were taken into consideration.If South Africa commit another over-rate offence within the next 12 months, with du Plessis as captain, it will be deemed as his second offence and he will face a suspension.Both du Plessis and Tahir pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the sanctions imposed by match referee Chris Broad. The charges were laid by on-field umpires Shaun George and Joel Wilson, third umpire Nigel Llong and fourth official Adrian Holdstock.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt took until the final day of the final Test but Pakistan at last managed a reprise of England’s 2012 nightmare against spin. They needed less than half of the overs available to polish off victory in Sharjah, Yasir Shah taking the first and last wickets to fall as Pakistan skipped home by a 127-run margin for a 2-0 win that will lift them to No. 2 in the ICC Test rankings.Alastair Cook resisted almost until the end, ninth man out for 63, but his team had been cut adrift during a dizzying first hour when they lost 4 for 11 in five overs. England were competitive for all but two sessions in the series but on both occasions, here and in Dubai, Pakistan were ruthless enough to seize the prize.The conditions were perhaps not as treacherous as England’s batsmen made them look but Yasir and Zulfiqar Babar did not need encouragement to prey on the slightest hesitation or indecision. They collected six of the eight remaining wickets, evoking the damage inflicted by Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman last time around, not to mention their own exploits against Australia and New Zealand 12 months ago.With Shoaib Malik completing his final Test appearance by taking a seven-wicket haul, it meant Pakistan’s spinners had collected 9 for 101 in England’s second innings. That was nearly half as many wickets as England’s trio of Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel managed in the entire series. With 15 from just two Tests, Yasir reigned supreme.Defeat by a two-Test margin means England will slip to No. 6 in the rankings, another UAE comedown after the euphoria of Ashes victory during the summer, though they were handicapped in their efforts to level the series by the injury to Ben Stokes on the first day. He came out to bat at No. 10 in the second innings, despite the forlorn match situation and a strapped-up shoulder, before a leg-side stumping off Yasir ended England’s pain.Pakistan’s legspinner had trained with Shane Warne before the match and this was a final-day dismantling of which the Australian would have been proud. Joe Root, the No. 1-ranked batsman recently referred to by a team-mate as one of the best players of spin in the world, was lbw to Yasir’s fourth ball of the morning, back when he should have been forward, and it caused a detonation as brutally effective as pulling the pin from a grenade.Yasir Shah removed Joe Root in his first over and finished with 4 for 44•Getty Images

England have shown plenty of guts against Pakistan this time around but here they were swiftly disembowelled. A target of 284 was well beyond anything they had previously managed in Asia but their displays of resilience on tour had encouraged some to think they might get close.That hope disappeared quicker than a lizard darting under a rock. Root was pinned in front of leg stump by a delivery that kept low in the second over of the day, plumb enough not to bother with a review, and James Taylor only lasted long enough to bring up England’s 50 before he was drawn fatally forward by a flighted delivery from Babar that turned to kiss the edged of a slightly crooked bat and end up at slip.Pakistan had wasted their reviews on the previous day but they need not have worried. Before their final innings in Sharjah, England had been on the receiving end of just three lbw decisions, but the problem of playing the ball with their pads returned on the most exacting surface of the series and that total was more than doubled, starting with Moeen’s dismissal on the fourth evening.Jonny Bairstow and Patel fell in such fashion in successive overs, the latter for a golden duck, as England’s slide became terminal, losing 3 for 2 in 12 deliveries. Bairstow was hit on the thigh pad in front of middle stump trying to sweep his way out of trouble, England’s final review burned in the process, and Patel succumbed to the contagion by missing a straight one from Babar that would have clipped leg.From 59 for 6, and with visions of Abu Dhabi three years ago – when they imploded for 72 chasing 145 – swimming through addled English minds, Cook and Rashid did a respectable patch-up job, adding 49 for the seventh wicket and briefly bringing a sense of calm to proceedings. Rashid has demonstrated a propensity for fifth-day heroics but this was beyond even him and Rahat Ali brought the ball back to defeat a loose drive shortly before lunch.Cook alone weathered the desert storm, maintaining his focus even as the ball beat the bat or rapped the pads and Pakistani appeals tore the air. He narrowly avoided falling to Yasir’s leg trap again on 20 and a top-edged sweep off Malik landed a yard short of deep square leg having made 44. He remained defiant, gallumphing down the pitch to loft Babar for a one-bounce four over long-on and reverse-sweeping another boundary off Yasir.He was joined on the burning deck by Stokes, after Stuart Broad had miscued a sweep off Yasir to square leg. Stokes would never willingly shirk a battle and he looked to be moving a little more freely after his collar bone injury, taking on Wahab Riaz’s bouncers and betraying only a wince when sweeping Yasir powerfully for four.That was the most encouraging sight of the day, as far as England were concerned, and with the pips thoroughly squeaked Cook walked past a delivery from Malik to be stumped for only the third time in his Test career. Cook faced more than 900 balls in the series, another half-century taking him clear at the top of the run-scorers’ list. But such an outstanding individual contribution could not compete with Pakistan’s collective brilliance.

Legspinner Yasir Shah and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan have been recalled to Pakistan’s T20 squad for the forthcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2015

Legspinner Yasir Shah, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and pacer Sohail Tanvir have been recalled to Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka.Fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who had fractured his hand during the Tests against Sri Lanka last month, has also been named in the squad, but will be included only once he clears a fitness test. The PCB has drafted in uncapped left-arm fast bowler Zia-ul-Haq as a replacement if Wahab fails the test.Haroon Rashid, Pakistan’s chief selector, said that Wahab was expected to start bowling from July 24 and would have to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy coaches before he could join the squad.”Wahab Riaz is expected to start bowling from July 24, 2015 after recovering from hand injury sustained during the Test series against Sri Lanka, under the supervision of NCA coaches and would be included in the squad upon clearance that he is injury free and bowling to their satisfaction,” Rashid said. “Otherwise Zia-ul-Haq – a budding young fast bowler having toured recently with Pakistan A – would take his place in the team.”Zia was part of the Pakistan A squad that toured Sri Lanka in May this year. He took six wickets in three List A games on the tour, and three wickets in the three-match unofficial Test series.Irfan, who suffered a pelvic fracture during the World Cup, had already been picked for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He has bowled 27 overs and taken one wicket in the three completed matches of the series so far.Yasir, who last played a T20 international in September 2011, was included after consistent performances across Tests and ODIs on the tour. He was the highest wicket-taker in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with 24 wickets at an average of 19.33, and took a career-best 4 for 29 in the third ODI.Tanvir’s previous T20 international for Pakistan was against Bangladesh in April but since then, he has played in the Natwest t20 Blast and the Caribbean Premier League – for Somerset and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots respectively – apart from Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition. Rashid said the selectors had been monitoring Pakistan players in the UK and the CPL, and decided to pick Tanvir based on his performances in the leagues as well as his experience in the T20 format.Pakistan T20 squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Shahid Afridi (capt), Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz/Zia-ul-Haq

Kevin Pietersen ended his first Championship match for almost two years with an unbeaten half-century and in touching distance of a Surrey batting record

Press Association22-Apr-2015
ScorecardKevin Pietersen ended his first Championship match for almost two years with an unbeaten half-century and in touching distance of a Surrey batting record.Surrey’s Division Two clash against Glamorgan in Cardiff ended drawn on a low-key final day after the home side were set an improbable 352 to win off a minimum of 57 overs. They finished on 116 without loss.Pietersen, who is eager to revive his England career after making the last of 104 Test match appearances against Australia in January 2014, finished with 53 not out as Surrey declared their second innings on 207 for 4. His innings, a scratchy one at times with a sprinkling of mistimed shots, contained just four boundaries, yet he fell two runs short of becoming the fastest batsman to score 1000 runs in Surrey history.Mark Ramprakash and Zander de Bruyn both got there in 18 innings for the county. Pietersen should reach four figures when Surrey play their next Championship match against Essex, though, as he currently has 998 runs from 16 innings.Pietersen’s knock lasted 70 balls, and it followed the 170 he made against Oxford MCCU in The Parks earlier this month. But while there appears little to suggest that Pietersen is anywhere near featuring on England’s selection radar 77 days before the opening Ashes Test, back in Cardiff, his domestic season is at least up and running.A lone “boo” was heard among a sparse crowd in the sunshine when Pietersen strode out 37 minutes into the final morning to join Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakkara with the score on 41 for 2.Kevin Pietersen was not at his most fluent but he still recorded an unbeaten half-century•Getty Images

A gentle nudge into the on side got Pietersen off the mark from his first ball, but he was content to provide a support role initially as Sangakkara displayed his full range of attacking guile, including a straight six off Graham Wagg.The pair added 37 before Sangakkara was caught in the gully by Dean Cosker off third-day centurion Craig Meschede. Pietersen and Jason Roy then compiled 43 for the fourth wicket until Roy’s punchy knock of 29 was ended by a stunning Wagg catch at extra-cover, with Cosker the successful bowler.Pietersen continued to push on, although Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace did claim a stumping off Meschede when Pietersen left his crease, but the end of the over had already been called. He added 55 for the fifth wicket by lunch with Gary Wilson – Surrey led Glamorgan by 320 – but the visitors surprisingly chose to bat on after the interval, and they eventually set their opponents an unlikely victory target, with Pietersen and Wilson forging an unbroken partnership of 86.Surrey began the final day 144 runs ahead after Glamorgan successfully avoided the follow-on thanks to loan signing Meschede’s undefeated maiden first-class century.With time against them, the emphasis had to be on quick runs if Surrey were force to the issue, and Steven Davies – a first-innings double-centurion – moved up to open the batting alongside Rory Burns. But Glamorgan claimed a fifth-over breakthrough when Wagg lured Burns, who had made just 3, into a leading edge and he took the catch to leave Surrey on 16 for 1.Burns’ exit brought Sangakkara to the crease, and his high-class shot placement kept Surrey ticking along before Wagg struck again, this time sending Davies’ middle stump cartwheeling when he was on 21.After Surrey’s declaration, it was purely a case of batting practice for Glamorgan, with openers James Kettleborough and Jacques Rudolph crawling at barely two runs an over leading up to tea.They reached the interval on 57 for 0, with Rudolph undefeated on 30 and Kettleborough 18 not out, but the game had already reached stalemate and it was merely a case of how long play would continue after tea before both teams shook hands. That moment arrived at 5pm, with both batsmen posting unbeaten half-centuries.