Captain missed third match after experiencing pain during England’s warm-up
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2022
Eoin Morgan in action during the first T20I in Barbados•Getty Images
Eoin Morgan, England’s white-ball captain, has been ruled out of the remaining two matches of England’s T20I series against West Indies in Barbados, after sustaining a low-grade quadriceps injury.Morgan sat out England’s 20-run defeat in Wednesday’s third match, with Moeen Ali stepping in as his deputy, after feeling pain in his right quad during the pre-match warm-up.An ECB statement added: “Follow-up testing revealed he sustained a right thigh-muscle injury which, whilst relatively minor, will prevent him from playing further games during the current tour.”Morgan, 35, made scores of 17 from 29 balls and 13 from 12 in England’s first two fixtures – the former innings coming in the midst of a top-order collapse that included the loss of three wickets in the first two overs, and an eventual total of 103 all out.England bounced back to win the second match, although West Indies’ lower-order battled back from the brink to reduce the margin to a solitary run.Although England are currently ranked as the No. 1 T20I team in the world, Morgan had identified this campaign as an opportunity to expand their options ahead of the next T20 World Cup in Australia in November.”The whole tour is one where the development of our game is more important than a series win,” Morgan said ahead of the first T20I. “We’ve gone through this process before, and identifying the level of intensity, and our performance is far more important than the result.”The squad in the Caribbean had already been missing a core of proven performers, with Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood among those rested following their involvement in the Ashes, while Jofra Archer has been absent following his recent elbow operation – although he has been back training with his team-mates on this trip.In Morgan’s absence on Wednesday, England gave a debut to Harry Brook, with Phil Salt and George Garton also making their maiden T20I appearances in place of Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood, who was hit for 28 runs in his final over of the second match.”A lot of talented guys will get opportunities throughout this series which is very exciting, not only for the team, but for them as well,” Morgan added. “They don’t get a lot of opportunity to go through a process like this so, for our long-term planning, as we strive to have deeper, stronger squads, it’s very important. The group that we would normally take to a World Cup has been together for quite some time, so the planning behind that is important to us.”Moeen will continue to lead the team in Morgan’s absence for the final two back-to-back fixtures on Saturday and Sunday. England, currently 2-1 down, must win both to claim the series.
Matthew Hayden, the Pakistan batting coach, has singled out the late Dean Jones for special praise, on the eve of the second semi-final between Australia and Pakistan in the T20 World Cup in Dubai. Jones, the hero of Australia’s tied Test against India in Chennai, arguably made a bigger impact on one-day cricket, with his lively batting helping Australia to their first World Cup victory in 1987.After ending his playing career, Jones went onto become a commentator and coach. He was a particularly prominent figure in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he would often be spotted writing notes in his famous red book.Related
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Jones was in charge of Islamabad United when they secured the PSL titles in 2016 and 2018. He then took over as Karachi Kings’ head coach for the fifth season of the tournament that was halted before the playoffs due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Jones, however, died suddenly after a heart attack in September 2020, when he was a commentator in India for the IPL.”I want to make a special mention of my former team-mate and colleague and that is Dean Jones,” Hayden said during a virtual media interaction. “He gave a lot of himself to Cricket Australia but also a lot of himself to Pakistan cricket. His closing words to me I can hear in my ears: ‘These are my boys and this is something I’m so passionate about’.”He was just beautifully connected to Pakistan cricket and may he rest in peace now, knowing the fact that he’s left a legacy within this team which will last not only this generation but generations to come. If I can add value to those closing comments from Deano, that will be my greatest honour.”Although Hayden was only roped in for this T20 World Cup in the UAE, he has seen enough promise in the main team – and the reserves – that will serve Pakistan cricket well in the future.”It is obvious that I’ve been with the team [for] a very short time, which has meant it has been really important to have a heart connect with the players, the administrators and also the management team,” Hayden said. “I felt that has been achieved and I felt in many ways that was my individual and personal aim throughout throughout this tournament to get a sense of the commitment of all the layers within the game and Pakistan in Pakistan. And understand one of the most beautiful things and that is that raw talent and talent is there in abundance for Pakistan cricket. And [with] right leadership and mentoring and guide, this side has got possibilities, as it has shown in five matches so far, to take on anyone.”Hayden also likened the immense pressure surrounding the India-Pakistan clash to the Ashes and credited the Pakistan side for pulling off a tone-setting victory against India in their tournament opener.”The highlight and the obvious eye will go to the first game that we played here in Dubai, where we are playing tomorrow night,” he said. “Just how under immense pressure…pressure that I’ve never understood till I was inside the dressing room and only comparable of course to England-Australia Ashes series. Just how these boys wonderfully handled [the situation] every calmly and confidently – their approach to playing such a huge match.”I think that game really set us up for what has been a really lovely four weeks of solid work, great commitment to training and great purpose in general and a wonderful heart connect to Islam and how spirituality has played its role within the Pakistan team as a great guide and tool for everyone to come together. Very optimistic [of Pakistan’s future] and I see wonderful potential.”
Stephen Carr has explained why Birmingham don’t have a Wrexham-style documentary, while talking up the transfer benefits of having Tom Brady on board.
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NFL legend one of the investors at St Andrew'sHelping to raise Blues' profile in the United StatesYet to follow the lead of Hollywood stars in WalesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues are among the English Football League outfits to have welcomed investment from North America, with NFL legend Brady sitting on their board alongside Tom Wagner and the Knighthead ownership group. Their presence at St Andrew’s has helped to raise the club’s profile in the United States.
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League One rivals Wrexham have enjoyed a similar boost to their mass appeal, courtesy of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with the Red Dragons using a fly-on-the-wall series to open up a window to the world – with many other clubs and prominent figures in football deciding to follow that lead.
Getty/GOALWHAT STEPHEN CARR SAID
Birmingham have resisted any urge to copy said trend, with former Blues captain Carr – speaking in association with – telling GOAL when asked if they have missed a trick: “Maybe if it wasn’t in League One, no disrespect to the division. I think all of that comes with being successful on the pitch and bringing it in at the right level. The documentaries bring a lot of exposure to clubs and puts them out there on the map. But the most important thing is that you win games and go up.”
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Carr added on the rivalry that has been struck up with Wrexham, as they battle to clamber up into the Championship, and why the subplot of famous faces off the pitch is beneficial to all concerned: “It’s good for the Football League. It brings bigger gates. Birmingham, the crowds they are getting in League One, there are teams in the Premier League that can’t match it. It’s not just the big games, they are getting the same crowds that we got in the Premier League against the lesser teams at that level, so it’s had a positive effect. With that you get bigger sponsors, you have more power, you are well respected and have big connections. It’s brilliant. It’s put Wrexham up there as well – Ryan Reynolds and all. It’s great for League One, brings a lot of spotlight that it wouldn’t have had before, so it’s great for all the teams.”
Bangladesh’s batting coach Ashwell Prince found the batters to be “too aggressive” when chasing New Zealand’s 129 target in the third T20I in Dhaka. He said that they could have chased down the total had they been a bit more circumspect, rather than going all guns blazing to get bowled out for 76 in 19.4 overs.”I think we could have been a little bit more composed in our run-chase,” Prince said. “We had a beautiful start. The openers [Mohammad] Naim and Liton [Das] hit about five boundaries, getting us to 20-odd in two overs. We were ahead of the run rate at that stage. But we lost too many wickets too quickly in the next three-four overs.”Possibly we were being too aggressive early on. I don’t think the pitch changed much. I think 129 was a competitive target, which we would have reached if we were a little bit calmer in the run-chase.”Related
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Batting in focus as Bangladesh eye another T20I series victory
Prince said that rotating the strike could have got them to a stronger position in the game. Bangladesh struck five fours by 2.3 overs, but then hit just one more four in the rest of the match. Their attempted aggressive shots got them either bowled or ended up in the hands of the New Zealand fielders.”Obviously it is not a fast-scoring pitch,” Prince said. “There won’t be a lot of boundaries. I think when you are chasing 130-140, [you need to] rotate the strike, get a single, get off strike, get a rhythm in the batting line-up [and] getting the team’s run rate up to six an over. It would have made sure the asking run rate didn’t get too far.”Opener Liton also admitted on Monday that he should have played more carefully. He struck three fours quickly, but then got out trying to hit another one off offspinner Cole McConchie in the third over.”Batting has been challenging in these conditions,” Liton said. “The last three matches have been low scoring. Both sets of batters are suffering. The general mindset in T20s is to make big scores, maintain a strike rate.”Since these are not happening, we are having to change our game accordingly. It is tough to make the change, to manage yourself in T20s in these type of wickets. Batsmen are usually in aggressive mode.”Prince said that Bangladesh have all that’s needed in a batting line-up, but they need to assess the conditions properly “There were good run-chases against Zimbabwe and Australia. Particularly, Afif [Hossain] and Sohan against Australia. You need to have a combination of batsmen in the team.”You have guys who can rotate the strike, can hit boundaries, and then you have a group of guys at the end of the innings, who can chase nine-ten runs an over when necessary and pitches are conducive. I think we have a good combination, but it is important to read the pitches on the day, and adapting your game according to the surface.”
It was deja vu on day one in Colombo as Mahela Jayawardene again played an innings to confirm his status as among the best of a generation
Andrew McGlashan in Colombo03-Apr-2012This Test series has moved to Colombo, the captains have tossed up again and a new match has started. That may all sound blindingly obvious but for long periods of the opening day at the P Sara Oval it was as though the action was still down the coast in Galle.James Anderson was outstanding with the new ball, as he is on virtually every occasion these days, and England stuck to their task after Andrew Strauss lost another important toss. But most significantly, there was the man standing between the visitors and, in all likelihood, taking control of this Test as Mahela Jayawardene followed his 180 from last week with a sublime 105.It was an almost faultless display. He did not offer a full-blooded chance until being trapped lbw by Graeme Swann. In Galle he was given three clear-cut lives. The closest he came on this occasion was a fine edge to first slip off Anderson on 79. By the time he had reached 20 it felt almost inevitable that he would play a leading role. And all this after starting his innings facing a hat-trick ball for second consecutive Test. Jayawardene is not the type to fret but he certainly has not had long to ponder what batting might be like before getting his chance.Last week he defended the hat-trick ball to mid-off, this time he clipped it off his pads to fine leg. During the innings he added another 10 boundaries and a six mostly with that same deftness of touch. Few other batsmen have caused England such trouble in recent times; Mike Hussey was prolific for the first three Ashes Tests in 2010-11 and Rahul Dravid took huge efforts to dismiss during the series last year. That is both immense credit to the England bowlers and also adds to the brilliance of Jayawardene.The crucial stand, which zapped England’s early momentum, came with Thilan Samaraweera as the pair added 124. Samaraweera could not survive until tea and, perhaps crucially, Jayawardene fell 45 minutes before the close but he had kept his team in the match.He has a simple philosophy of play late, play straight and at the moment is more than a few notches above anything else in the Sri Lanka team with the possible exception of Angelo Mathews who played excellently to see out the day. Tillakaratne Dilshan is playing in one-day mode – and even then some of shots would be classed as reckless – Lahiru Thirimanne looks out of his depth and Kumar Sangakkara is out of form. No wonder Jayawardene is in early these days.”We have trouble at the top of the order,” Samaraweera said. “Thirimanne is young and needs to have a chance and I think Dilshan will come good in the second innings. But Mahela is in tremendous form. He gave me plenty of advice in the middle.”Jayawardene can comfortably sit among the finest batsmen of his generation yet, you sense, has never quite got the acclaim of some of his contemporaries. He is one of nine batsman with over 10,000 Test runs, a milestone he achieved during the series in South Africa in December and January. Yet that great moment, when it arrived, came with far less fanfare than it had for a Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting or Jacques Kallis.Being away from home will have played a part in that and it will not have helped that he was run out at Centurion going for the 10,000th run before crossing the line in Durban a few days later. Yet it sums up how Jayawardene can slip under the radar despite a Test average over 50 and a career-best of 374. Twenty-two centuries on home soil put him level with Kallis and Tendulkar leaving only Ponting (23 hundreds) ahead. Even with the fact that many of his runs have come in batting-friendly subcontinent conditions it remains a phenomenal record.He had also entered this series without a Test fifty in 12 innings but the odds were always in favour of him making amends against England, a team he has rarely failed to prosper against. This is the second time he has made hundreds in consecutive Tests against them, following his 195 and 213 during the previous series in 2007.He was clearly unhappy when given out lbw, even though the DRS fully supported Asad Rauf, but he will have sensed his departure had given England an opening he had fought so hard to keep shut. This pitch will not get any better for batting so if Sri Lanka can push their way over 300, as they did in Galle, they will be well placed. After all the effort he has put in, anything less than a series victory would not be just reward for Jayawardene.
The summer transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Newcastle United have completed two incoming signings already.
Lewis Hall has joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea after his initial loan spell and Lloyd Kelly has agreed to join on a free transfer from Bournemouth, once his contract with the Cherries expires at the end of this month.
Eddie Howe and his team now have around two months left to complete any more business that they would like to do to bolster the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Newcastle will not be competing in any European competitions next season and, as a result, may want to carry a smaller squad to concentrate on the Premier League.
Despite that, the Magpies must opt to replace centre-forward Callum Wilson if they decide to cash in on him before the end of the summer transfer window.
Callum Wilson.
The club have already been linked with moves for Serhou Guirassy and Dominic Calvert-Lewin this month but they are now reportedly eyeing one of the stars of the 2024 Euros.
Newcastle eyeing up Euros sensation
According to Football Insider, the Magpies are considering a swoop to sign FC Metz centre-forward Georges Mikautadze to bolster their frontline.
The report claims that Newcastle, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille, Napoli, Lyon, and Monaco are among a clutch of clubs interested in snapping up the Georgia international this summer.
Metz only just signed the striker on a permanent deal after he had spent the second half of last term on loan from Dutch giants Ajax, but they are prepared to instantly cash in on him.
Georgian international Georges Mikautadze.
Football Insider reveals that the Ligue 2 outfit are willing to sell the impressive marksman for a fee of around £21m, after they were relegated from Ligue 1 at the end of last season.
Newcastle may need to move quickly to beat off competition from other teams, though, as Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Monaco's pursuit of the forward.
The Italian journalist claims that the Ligue 1 side have agreed personal terms with the young star and have sent an offer in with the hope of agreeing a deal with his club, as they would like to wrap up a move before the end of the Euros this summer.
Howe and his staff must now swoop in to get a deal over the line before Monaco can sign him as he could come in as an upgrade on Wilson for the Magpies ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Callum Wilson's uncertain future at Newcastle
TEAMtalk recently reported that the club are 'keen' to sell Wilson as they are 'under pressure' to generate funds this summer for financial reasons.
The outlet claimed that teams from England, Germany, and Saudi Arabia are all interested in a possible deal to sign the England international.
It stated that they hope to rake in a 'decent' fee for his services, although it remains to be seen exactly what that means, and that Howe is prepared to allow him to leave.
TEAMtalk added that the Magpies have already had preliminary discussions with teams, including some from the Saudi Pro League, but nothing has been agreed as of yet.
Moving him on this summer could be a shrewd decision due to his contract situation and his unreliable fitness record during his time at St. James' Park.
He only has one year left to run on his current deal on Tyneside and this window could be their last chance to recoup some money for him, rather than allowing the striker to leave for nothing next year.
2020/21
4
18
2021/22
2
30
2022/23
2
9
2023/24
5
28
As you can see in the table above, Wilson has also missed 18 or more matches in all competitions in three of his four seasons at Newcastle since his move from Bournemouth in 2020.
The 32-year-old striker was absent with hamstring, calf, and chest injuries during the 2023/24 campaign, which caused him to miss 28 games, which limited the impact he could have on the pitch for Howe.
Given his age, consistent injury issues, and contract situation, this appears to be the perfect time for Newcastle to sell Wilson, and Mikautadze could come in as an upgrade on the former Cherries star next season.
Why Newcastle should sign Georges Mikautadze
Firstly, the 23-year-old marksman is currently flying at the European Championship in Germany with Georgia, which means that he would arrive at St. James' Park on a high.
The Euros sensation has scored three goals from 2.26 xG and created two 'big chances' for his teammates, to go along with 1.7 key passes per game, in just three appearances in the tournament so far.
His impressive start to the competition is not a flash in the pan for the Georgian ace, however, as he was also on fire in Ligue 1 for Metz this year, after the Magpies target had only played six Eredivisie games for Ajax during the first half of the campaign.
Appearances
20
20
xG
9.54
8.87
Goals
13
9
xG differential
+4.46
+0.13
Assists
4
1
Key passes per game
1.1
0.4
As you can see in the table above, Mikautadze outperformed Wilson in the final third with significantly better finishing and far more creativity for his teammates, as he scored over four more than expected based on xG.
The £21m-rated star also completed 2.1 dribbles per game in Ligue 1, compared to the Englishman's 0.7 in the Premier League, and this suggests that his ability to beat defenders in transition or to open up space in a low block could be very useful to Newcastle.
Mikautadze, who was once dubbed "deadly" by manager Laszlo Bolini, also fired in a staggering 23 goals in 35 starts in Ligue 2 during the 2022/23 campaign, which shows that the forward has consistently scored goals at an impressive rate over a significant period of time.
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He used to play in the Premier League
ByJoe Nuttall Jun 28, 2024
The Georgia international appears to have the quality, as a finisher, creator, and dribbler, to be an upgrade on Wilson for Newcastle, whilst also having the potential to develop further at the age of 23, and that is why Howe must swoop to sign him this summer.
Real Madrid have been knocked back in their pursuit of William Saliba with Arsenal and the defender unwilling to part ways.
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Arsenal turn away Madrid's approaches
Saliba also wishes to stay at Arsenal
Arsenal to take on Bournemouth
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Real Madrid have reportedly made the French defender their key priority to strengthen their defence next summer but may come away empty handed. Arsenal have no intention of allowing the 23-year-old to leave according to and there is no expectation that Saliba wants to leave north London any time soon. The defender signed a new deal at the club last year and has become one of the world's best defenders at the Gunners.
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Saliba has formed a dominant centre-half pairing with Gabriel at the heart of the Arsenal defence and his performances have naturally attracted interest. Madrid are looking to strengthen their options at the back with Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba struggling with injury problems in recent seasons. If Madrid cannot sign Saliba, they may turn their attentions to Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Romero.
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Saliba went on three loan spells before he made his full competitive debut for Arsenal against Crystal Palace in 2022. He returned to Saint-Etienne after joining the Gunners before loans at OGC Nice and Marseille before making his Premier League debut.
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WHAT NEXT FOR SALIBA?
Saliba and France will take on Belgium on Monday in the Nations League before the defender returns to north London. The Gunners take on Bournemouth next Saturday aiming to keep the pressure on Manchester City and Liverpool.
Trent Rockets complete straightforward win with unbeaten fifties from Malan and D’Arcy Short
George Dobell24-Jul-2021
Marchant de Lange ripped through Southern Brave•Getty Images
A brutal spell of fast bowling from Marchant de Lange set Trent Rockets on the path to an overwhelming victory over Southern Brave at Trent Bridge.de Lange, a late replacement as overseas player in the Rockets squad, claimed the tournament’s first five-for as reward for a spell of sustained and smart pace bowling to help the Rockets complete a nine-wicket victory with 18-balls to spare.Provided excellent support from his side’s spin bowlers – not least Joe Root and Samit Patel, who both conceded less than a run-a-ball – de Lange’s burst kept Brave to the lowest total so far recorded in the competition on an excellent pitch offering surprising pace and bounce. Indeed, de Lange, who had never played a competitive game at the ground, said he had been warned the surface would be a bit sluggish.There were a couple of uncomfortable moments early in the Rockets reply. Alex Hales was bowled by the first ball he faced, a lovely inswinging yorker from George Garton, and Dawid Malan sustained a sharp blow on the glove from a lifting ball from the distinctly slippery Tymal Mills.But with little pressure from the run-rate, Malan was able to take a measured approach to his innings. And in partnership with D’Arcy Short he added an unbroken 124 from 82 balls to take Rockets to victory over one of the pre-tournament favourites for the title.”De Lange is quite an aggressive bowler and he hit the deck pretty hard and used his yorker well towards the end,” Ross Whiteley, who top-scored for his side with 39, said. “He is a class act.”Losing a couple of wickets in the Powerplay is always tough. We tried to rebuild through the middle but kept losing wickets at crucial times and were probably 25 or 30 short.”Marchant of menace If you don’t know what de Lange looks like, imagine a bear in man fancy dress. Maybe the teeth are a little less sharp; maybe the back a little less hairy. But he is, basically, an enormous, beast of a man who looks as if he could snap tree trunks, hurl boulders and scare the villagers into chasing him with pitchforks. Really, he could make Arnold Schwarzenegger look like a vole, want to wear long sleeves and commit to going to the gym far more often.Anyway, until a couple of weeks ago, de Lange was looking at spending this portion of the season playing for Somerset in the Royal London One-Day Cup. But with Wahab Riaz struggling to gain a visa, de Lange won a late call-up and has now made history – of sorts – by becoming the first person to take a five-for in the Hundred.And quite an impression he made, too. Complementing his sharp pace – he reached 94mph/151kph at one stage – with good control and an ability to implement the plans set ahead of the game, he claimed three important wickets in his first 10 balls to ensure the Brave innings could never really gain any momentum.After striking with his first ball – Delray Rawlins carving to cover – he went round the wicket to Colin de Grandhomme and, after a couple of short balls, bowled him round his legs with a full one as he moved across his stumps and looked to flick behind square. Devon Conway was then caught behind as he fished at one angled across him delivered with a cross-seam.Generally, even the quickest bowlers need variations in limited-overs cricket. But the pace of the deliveries which took those wickets – 92.4mph, 92mph and 93mph respectively – tells a pretty accurate story of his spell: it was brutally, relentlessly, wonderfully fast. Those 10 balls cost just eight runs.”The top wicket takers in the short formats are normally spinners and slower bowlers,” he said. “But I feel like there is a time and a place for express pace. I tried to keep it simple and just do the basics well and it was a pitch that helped me today.”I didn’t expect to be involved in the competition until a couple of weeks ago but I just try to take opportunities whenever they come along.”He came back later for more. After having Chris Jordan, who has sometimes struggled against the short ball, taken on the deep backward square fence with a well-directed 89mph bouncer, he then completed the format’s first five-for with a full, straight and fast one (91 mph) which bowled Garton. There was perhaps one slower ball in the entire 20.The left Root Is Joe Root an allrounder these days? Probably. He opened the bowling in the last World T20 final, after all, and claimed two wickets, including that of Chris Gayle, in his first over. He’s recently taken a Test five-for (for just eight runs), too, and operated as England’s lone spinner in their most recent Tests.Certainly he made a valuable contribution to Trent Rockets’ victory with his bowling here. Darting the ball in at a sharp pace – around 58mph at times – he sometimes cramped the batters for room and sometimes asked them to stretch for the ball. What he didn’t allow was skipping down the pitch and hitting over long-off. Eighteen of his 20 deliveries were at Brave’s plethora of top-order left-handers, and in all he conceded just 17 runs with nine dot-balls. Three of those runs were from wides and the only boundary came from a misfield.Proving that he wasn’t reliant upon left-handers, though, Root claimed a wicket with 50% of the deliveries he bowled at right-handers. Sure, that was only two balls. But in bowling Liam Dawson with his final ball, Root completed an excellent contribution.Dawid Malan guided the chase•Getty Images
Love it when a Malan comes together However well Malan does – and as the world’s top-rated T20 batter, he really has done very well – you feel he’s only one poor innings from the questions about his place in the England team resurfacing. He sometimes takes a little while to get going, you see. And in the fast-paced world of T20 – or 100-ball – cricket, there isn’t much time to smell the roses.His critics will, therefore, suggest this innings taught us little. They will point out that the run rate was relatively undemanding and he had the time to play himself in as is his preferred method. And it’s true, Rockets will rarely be required to score so few on so good a surface.But in marshalling this chase with calm precision, Malan showed one of his many skills. It’s not just that he has a good range of strokes; it’s that he has the temperament which seems to adapt to the demands of the occasion. And his desire to take responsibility for scoring the winning runs really isn’t such a bad quality for a batter.Here, at least, he played a calm and expert hand. Despite taking a painful blow to the hand from Mills – which we may yet hear more about in the coming days, as it looked worryingly painful – he was quick to come forward to anything over-pitched and drove quite beautifully. And when Garton and Chris Jordan dropped short, they were pulled imperiously or uppercut respectively for sixes. With him at the crease, there was never much doubt about this result.Crowd noise You’re never more than about an hour from the latest missive – be it from the ECB or the broadcasters – informing you of record viewing figures at these games. Sometimes those figures are genuinely impressive; sometimes they are somewhat puzzling. The claim that Friday’s match at Edgbaston set a record for the highest attendance for a women’s domestic match outside London turned out to be inaccurate. It might, to be fair, have been the highest attendance at a professional women’s match outside London.But the attendance at the men’s matches has been less impressive. The Kia Oval was not full on Thursday, for example. And it very often is for T20 games. And while Edgbaston’s numbers on Friday were decent – at 12,137 they were below what they might be for a local derby but above what they might be for most other domestic games – the figure for this game of 12,783 was again only respectable. This is a ground on which T20 has tended to sell well for several years.Is that good enough? Maybe. But, judging by the chants and songs – at one stage, the crowd attempted to get their own “Sweet Caroline” going – the much fabled new audience isn’t quite as prevalent as you might have been told. And, contrary to what you might hear elsewhere, some kids have been seen previously at T20 Blast matches.These games are attracting at least respectable attendances. And they’re entertaining encounters. But they’re not quite the miracle cure some would have you believe.
Leeds United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch a standout European winger, who’s also attracted the interest of Manchester United.
Farke prepared for "top class" Liverpool
When the fixtures were released, this would been a week that many Leeds fans dreaded. By the end of this weekend, the Whites will have faced Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in consecutive games in the most difficult run of games they’ve had so far this season. But what began as a nightmare may yet leave Leeds in dreamland.
Daniel Farke’s side were minutes away from securing a point from behind at the Etihad against Man City and then eased past Chelsea in shocking fashion on Wednesday. Now, they have the chance to compile the misery on a frail Liverpool side at Elland Road – making it six points from a possible nine.
It’s the greatest opportunity that Leeds will get to beat the Premier League champions, but Farke was quick to point out that Liverpool are still a “top class” side in his pre-match press conference.
Those in Yorkshire may have to get used to competing against the top six on and off the pitch, having also reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester United target Nilson Angulo.
Leeds join race to sign Nilson Angulo
According to TeamTalk, Leeds have now joined the race to sign Angulo after their scouts were spotted watching the Anderlecht winger in action. The Whites are joined by United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in what is set to be a frantic Premier League battle.
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Joe Nuttall
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Dubbed one of Europe’s standout wingers by TeamTalk, the interest in Angulo should come as no surprise. The 22-year-old has taken his game to new levels in Belgium this season and looks destined for English football.
As scout Jacek Kulig pointed out, it was a “fantastic” start from Angulo this season and a start which has since seen him take his total to four goals and eight assists in all competitions.
It would be a major coup if Leeds managed to fend off competition from their rivals and sign the talented winger.
Leeds now prioritising £35m move to sign South American defender ahead of Juventus
Since the start of the Premier League over 30 years ago, there’s not been many better talents than Chelsea’s former star Eden Hazard.
The Belgian magician is truly a legend of the Blues, an absolute icon who brought so much joy, success, and entertainment.
Hazard played 352 matches for Chelsea, scoring 110 goals and providing 85 assists, which is simply an outstanding record for a winger.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Chelsea transfer target who could just very well become the club’s best winger since the number ten.
Chelsea’s search for their next Hazard
As per a report from Fabrizio Romano last weekend, Chelsea are “keeping a close eye” on Crysencio Summerville.
The Blues and Liverpool have been monitoring his performances throughout the previous campaign, and talks are expected to begin in the near future.
There’s no debate that the winger has been Leeds United’s most instrumental player this season, and because of that, he’ll be playing in the Premier League again next season.
Previous reports have suggested it may take a fee of £30m to acquire the attacker this summer.
Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville
The Dutchman made 43 appearances in the Championship last season, where he proved that he has the potential to compete against the elite, with his stats truly speaking for themselves.
How Summerville compares to Eden Hazard
It’s fair to say that absolutely everything went through Summerville last season at Leeds, as he served as a continuous threat.
In the Championship, the number ten scored an incredible 19 goals while also providing nine assists, which highlights just how dangerous he is.
These statistics are even more impressive considering he’s a left-winger who’s known for his incredible speed and trickery rather than his goals.
However, Summerville has certainly shown that he could be Chelsea’s best winger since Hazard, with the duo possessing a similar fleet-footed and exciting style of play from the flanks.
Goals
19
16
Assists
9
15
Big chances created
17
18
Shots (per game)
3
2.5
Key passes (per game)
2.6
2.6
Touches (per game)
57.5
72.4
Successful dribbles (per game)
2.3
3.7
Just like Hazard, Summerville has the ability to completely change a game on his own due to his unpredictable style.
Of course, the clear similarity is that both wide men can score goals and create for those around them, which is why Summerville in particular has been dubbed “world-class” by journalist Jake Winderman despite his position in the second tier of English football.
Both players possess brilliant close control, which enables them to weave through players with ease, and at times, they’re genuinely unstoppable.
On top of that, their creativity isn’t capped at just their dribbling, as they can also cause chaos via their excellent vision and ability to create combinations in and around the box in tight spaces.
The fact that Summerville boasted similar stats to a prime Hazard shows just how insanely talented he is, and it gives an indication of how he’d influence the Blues.
Furthermore, the Leeds ace would be perfect for Enzo Maresca’s 4-3-3 setup, with the left-winger spot playing a huge role in the Italian's approach, as shown by Leicester City’s Stephy Mavididi picking up 18 goal contributions last season.
Overall, it’s quite clear that signing a player as talented as Summerville has to be made a priority this summer, and if he can continue to perform like he did last season, Chelsea may have their next Hazard.
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