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David Warner hit a fifty but other than that, his batsmen offered very little, even in Sharjah

Alagappan Muthu04-Oct-20202:15

Moody: Can’t win by scoring just 19 boundaries in Sharjah

There is life in the graveyard. Mumbai Indians conquered Sharjah and Sunrisers Hyderabad with a typically freakish bowling performance.Trent Boult’s quality with the new ball continues to translate into early wickets – and this time he was good in the death too. James Pattinson is more than making up for the loss of Lasith Malinga. And Krunal Pandya – having thumped 20 runs off the final four balls of the innings to get the total up to 208 – afforded only 35 in return, even on such a tiny ground, to keep the pressure on the opposition.Mumbai gave away no easy runs. They were ruthless about letting a partnership develop. They were worthy winners.The match-upUsually, when Sunrisers need early wickets, they just toss the ball to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But with him injured, they had to find another way to contain a very strong Mumbai line-up.So in came Sandeep Sharma, a man with the skill to move the ball, which has perhaps contributed to his excellent head-to-head against Rohit Sharma. Before today, it read 29 runs in 33 balls and two dismissals. Now it’s 35 runs, 38 balls and three dismissals, as Rohit went chasing after a wide ball and nicked off. That wicket went a long way to keeping Mumbai to 48 for 2, the lowest Powerplay score this IPL in Sharjah.The QdKOThere were signs that the pitch, unbelievably, offered the bowlers some grip. Not good news for batsmen who love hitting through the line. And for a while, Quinton de Kock tried to find creative solutions to this problem, attempting scoops and reverse sweeps and, well, failing to find runs. He was 25 off 20 in the eighth over. And then, like light at the end of the tunnel, came a half-volley and he launched it down the ground for six. This is where de Kock lives. A place where he can muscle cricket balls all day long. Once he got back in touch with his power game, making his 11th IPL fifty was just a matter of time.Trent Boult celebrates after dismissing Jonny Bairstow•BCCIA mouth-watering finishSunrisers tried to save Rashid Khan’s overs against Mumbai’s biggest hitters because they haven’t been able to hit him. Kieron Pollard’s IPL strike-rate against the ace legspiner is 76 and Hardik Pandya’s is only 57. But they realised the more immediate threat was de Kock and so Rashid was brought back in the 14th over and one of his googlies did the trick. Mumbai were 134 for 3. Rashid’s final over went for only two runs as Pollard and Pandya both chose to play him out. Then it happened.Pandya began hitting short balls for sixes with a vertical bat. Pollard cleared the long-off boundary with a chip. Manish Pandey took a diving catch that will adorn IPL highlight reels for a long time. T Natarajan bowled like a dream in the most trying conditions, his yorkers negating Mumbai’s two biggest hitters. It was bare-knuckle cricket, neither team willing to give any quarter. But then came the final over – Siddharth Kaul hit the blockhole and made a mess of Hardik’s stumps, so in walked his brother Krunal and promptly dispatched the bowler for 6, 4, 4, 6.The superstarIt’s no exaggeration to say Sunrisers’ batting relies mainly on one man. A huge part of that is because of how naturally he is able to adapt to that pressure. David Warner is not in prime form. A consequence of lockdown, perhaps. But he still runs like a demon between the wickets. He still doesn’t throw his wicket away. He still wants to fight. And that was on display here as he fought his way to a half-century. At the start, when he wasn’t in nick, he did his best not to eat up deliveries. Later, as he became more like his usual self, he was able to do amazing things, like cut Jasprit Bumrah’s first two balls to the point boundary. He got to 50 off 34 balls but the other end couldn’t be as careful as him, as determined as him and so the Sunrisers chase faltered.Quality countsJonny Bairstow loves pace on the ball, so Boult took it off, watched him lose his shape and then his wicket. Williamson is the same way. Cue another Boult slower ball and bragging rights for life. Pandey was caught in the deep going for a six against the newly-brought back Pattinson when it was very clear Mumbai were looking for a wicket. Krunal was so ferociously switched on that after nailing a wide yorker against Warner and keeping it to just a dot, he punched the air as if that itself was victory. Boult, again, though he has a reputation of leaking runs in the death, was so precise with his yorkers that he gave away only four runs in the 18th over. Two balls later, there was a wicket. There was always a wicket.

Captain leads way in chase after allrounder Green claims maiden T20 haul

ECB Reporters Network01-Sep-2020Ben Green announced himself as a T20 player for Somerset with 4 for 26 in an eight-wicket Vitality Blast Central Group win over Glamorgan under the floodlights at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The 22-year-old Devonian seamer, making only his third appearance in the competition, numbered Glamorgan’s top-scorer Chris Cooke among his victims as the visitors were restricted to a modest 133 for 8 after losing the toss. Josh Davey claimed 2 for 17 in an impressive Somerset bowling performance.The hosts then made short work of their target, racing to 134 for 2 from just 16.1 overs, skipper Tom Abell leading way with 74 not out and James Hildreth contributing an unbeaten 34. Their unbroken stand of 110 assured Somerset of their a win in the group, while it was a second defeat for a Glamorgan side comprehensively outplayed.The Welsh county’s tepid batting effort began with Dan Douthwaite falling for a first-ball duck to Max Waller’s second delivery of the match, a flighted googly that pinned the batsman lbw.By the end of the six-over power play, the visitors were 39 for 3, Andy Balbirnie having miscued a pull to be caught at midwicket off Ollie Sale and Billy Root carving a catch to Green at cover off Josh Davey.Cooke, on whom his side rely heavily, did his best to raise the tempo with sixes over deep square off Sale and Green, but there was little support at the other end. Kiran Carlson fell for 5, caught at deep mid-wicket to become Green’s first victim and at the halfway point of their innings Glamorgan had posted 62 for 4.Cooke and Callum Taylor then added 26, with 11 of the runs coming off the 12th over, bowled by Waller. But the next one saw Taylor mistime a ramp shot to be caught off Green for 12.Ben Green claimed a four-wicket haul•Getty ImagesAny hope Glamorgan had of reaching a respectable total disappeared when Cooke, who had eased his way to 42 off 34 balls, drove a catch to extra cover off Green in the 15th over. Andrew Salter was caught at long-off for the second first ball duck of the innings and Green, who had been the sixth Somerset bowler used, could reflect on a good night’s work from the River End.Marchant de Lange produced some belligerent blows, including a six over long-on off Waller, but it was too little too late to give Glamorgan a competitive total.Somerset immediately had more momentum to their batting, despite losing George Bartlett and Steve Davies in the opening six overs to Salter and Timm van der Gugten respectively. By the end of the Powerplay their score was 47 for 2, with the experienced Hildreth and captain Abell running well between the wickets and content to wait for a loose ball.At the end of ten overs, Somerset were coasting on 81 for 2, needing only 5.3 runs an over for victory. Having played largely textbook shots, Abell moved to a fluent half-century from 30 balls, with a classic back-foot forcing shot off Salter through extra cover for four.Hildreth was content to play a supporting role, one superbly timed reverse sweep for four standing out in his 36-ball knock.Abell brought up the century stand by hitting Salter over long-off for six and soon his side were celebrating victory with 23 balls to spare. The skipper had faced 45 balls, hitting nine fours and a six, while Hildreth’s innings occupied 36 deliveries. The partnership was an object lesson in scoring quickly without resorting to unorthodox shots.

Leeds United are currently fighting to secure a place as the third team to be promoted back to the Premier League from the Championship this season.

Leicester City and Ipswich Town have already made their way up to the top-flight, as they finished in the automatic promotion places, whilst the Whites will have to go through the play-offs to join them.

Daniel Farke's side come up against his former club Norwich City in the semi-finals of the play-offs, and the first leg is at Carrow Road in Norfolk on Sunday.

Leeds will be hoping to come out on top over two legs before going on to win at Wembley to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The attention will then turn to how they can use the upcoming summer transfer window to make signings to help them avoid the drop, which they failed to do in their last season in the top-flight.

They will need to show that they have learned from previous recruitment mistakes, which date back to the club's errors in the 1990s and early 2000s before their long spell away from the Premier League.

One player Leeds had a howler with was winger Darren Huckerby as they were rinsed by the signing of the forward, who was brought in for big money and offered little on the pitch before being sold for a loss.

How much Leeds paid to sign Darren Huckerby

The BBC reported that the Yorkshire-based outfit splashed out a fee of £5.5m in the summer of 1999 to sign the speedster from Coventry City.

He came up through the youth ranks at Newcastle United but failed to establish himself as a regular, with just two first-team appearances, before his move to the Sky Blues in 1996.

Huckerby scored five goals and assisted one in 25 Premier League matches in his first season with his new club, which was also his first year of regular senior football.

The young wizard then played week-in-week-out in the top-flight over the next two years with Coventry and showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Appearances

34

34

Minutes played

2,783

2,736

Goals

14

9

Assists

2

1

Yellow cards

2

9

As you can see in the table above, Huckerby scored 23 goals and provided three assists in the two seasons combined, to go along with his five goals and one assist in his first year at that level.

This meant that Leeds were signing a talented young forward who had already proven that he had what it took to score goals on a semi-regular basis in the Premier League.

Darren Huckerby's Leeds struggles

Unfortunately, the English magician failed to carry his goalscoring form from his days with Coventry over to his team with the Whites after the £5.5m move.

Despite it being officially reported at £5.5m, Totally Money have the fee down as being £6.8m and, per their index, that would be worth a staggering £23.5m in today's (2024) money, based on the inflation of football transfer fees over the subsequent years since that deal.

This illustrates just how expensive the deal was to Leeds, relative to the time, as they splashed a significant amount of money on the exciting forward, who had already proven himself in the Premier League.

Instead of hitting the ground running and showing the best of his abilities in a Leeds shirt, the attacker struggled in his first season with the club.

Huckerby, who was competing for a place in the starting XI with the likes of Mark Viduka and Alan Smith, only played 1,230 minutes across 33 Premier League matches during the 1999/00 season – an average of 37 minutes per appearance.

His lack of minutes on the pitch clearly impacted his contributions in attack as the whiz, who could play out wide or through the middle as a centre-forward, ended the campaign with two goals and three assists to his name.

The English flop then played just seven Premier League games, racking up 247 minutes of action, and failed to register a single goal or assist during the first half of the 2000/01 season.

How much Leeds sold Darren Huckerby for

In January 2001, after 18 months at Leeds, Huckerby completed a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City for a fee of £2.5m – £3m less than the fee the Whites paid to sign him from Coventry.

This meant that the club lost more than 50% of the initial fee they spent on the forward, who cost them £2.75m per league goal during his time at the club – with two after a £5.5m move from the Sky Blues.

Huckerby, who was relegated with the Cityzens in 2001, scored 20 goals in 40 Second Division matches the following season before a return of just one goal in 16 top-flight matches in the 2002/03 campaign.

After a short spell on loan with Norwich City, the exciting ace joined the Canaries on a permanent deal from Manchester City for a fee of just £750k in December 2003.

This suggests that Leeds were right to cash in on him when they did, even if they still made a big loss, as the winger struggled in the top-flight again with City and his value dropped even further, down to just £750k.

The move to the Canaries turned out to be a successful one for the player, though, as he went on to rack up 48 goals and 26 assists in 203 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Huckerby, who was once hailed as a "real threat" by Sunderland boss Mick McCarthy, played one season in the Premier League with the Yellows and chipped in with six goals and three assists in 37 games.

Leeds messed up by signing flop who cost more than Rutter in 2024 money

The Whites then sold him for just £250k after an underwhelming time in Yorkshire.

ByDan Emery May 8, 2024

He scored four more top-flight goals that term for Norwich than in 18 months of action with Leeds after his big-money move from Coventry in 1999.

Overall, the Whites were rinsed by the forward as they splashed out a big fee to sign him from the Sky Blues and were not rewarded with consistent quality on the pitch, before they sold him for a significant loss after he flopped at Elland Road.

علق ديوريه سيرجي المدرب العام لفريق استاد أبيدجان الإيفواري، على خسارة فريقه أمام الأهلي خلال مباراة اليوم التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وحقق الأهلي فوزًا كبيرًا على استاد أبيدجان بنتيجة 4-2 بالمواجهة التي أقيمت على استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى من عمر مباريات دور المجموعات من البطولة القارية.

وقال ديوريه سيرجي في تصريحات خلال المؤتمر الصحفي: “المباراة كانت بمستوى عال كما توقعت أمس وصرحت بذلك، وسجلنا هدفين اليوم وهذا دليل على وجود تنافسية خلال اللقاء”.

وتابع: “سنتعلم من مباراة اليوم للاستفادة منها خلال المواجهات المقبلة، تحدثنا مع اللاعبين عقب نهاية اللقاء أن نتيجة 4-2 كبيرة بالفعل وتقول إنهم يستطيعوا عمل نتيجة أفضل على أرضهم خلال المباريات المقبلة”.

واستطرد: “دعنا نقول إن هذه حرب خسرناها لكن الصراع لم ينته، نحن حاولنا أن نُقلل من الأضرار ولكن أعتقد أن الأهم هو أن الفريق الذي كان أكثر فاعلية فاز في المباراة واستغل الفرصة وكان واقعيًا أمام المرمى”.

وزاد: “الأهلي استغل الفرص كما ينبغي وهذا ما كان ينقصنا نحن في هذه المباراة، كانت هناك العديد من الفرص لم نستغلها، لكن سوف ندرس ما حدث في هذه المباراة ونعود بقوة”.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد الفوز على استاد أبيدجان

وبسؤاله كيف ترى حظوظ استاد أبيدجان؟، أجاب: “أظن أن هناك حظوظ لنا في تلك المجموعة، لأنه نظرًا لمستوانا أمام الأهلي كما قلنا إنه فريق كبير وكبير جدًا في المستوى الإفريقي هم الأفضل والمسيطرين منذ سنوات”.

وأشار: “ونظرًا لما قدمناه أمام هذا الخصم سوف نتحسن وهذا أعطانا شجاعة كبيرة وتصحيح الأخطاء السابقة حتى لا نغيب عن الدور القادم”.

واختتم: “الأخطاء الدفاعية كلفتنا الكثير بينما خبرات الأهلي صنعت الفارق لكننا لن نغير من أسلوبنا لأن الأخطاء كانت فردية من بعض اللاعبين”.

Despite Newcastle United's injury crisis this campaign, it has come with a positive as it's allowed boss Eddie Howe to give valuable first-team minutes to multiple youngsters within the club.

Lewis Miley has been the main beneficiary for the Magpies, with the 17-year-old making 17 Premier League appearances during his breakthrough campaign at St James' Park.

Miley has settled straight into the Magpies' first team despite his tender age, becoming a real mainstay in the Newcastle side, after the injuries and suspension to Joelinton and Sandro Tonali, respectively.

He managed to score his first top-flight goal in the 3-0 victory against Fulham at St James' Park back in December, further adding to his excellent start to life under Howe.

The club have enjoyed success with youngsters this season, with the club also having a talented teenager currently thriving away from St James' Park.

Yankuba Minteh's stats at Newcastle United

Forward Yankuba Minteh joined the club on 1 July 2023 from Danish side Odense BK, before immediately joining Feyenoord on loan for the rest of the 2023/24 campaign.

Minteh, who is "frightening for defenders" – according to journalist Antonio Mango – has a big future ahead of him after impressing in Denmark, before his move to Tyneside earlier this year.

The 19-year-old Gambian has scored nine times and produced four assists in his 24 appearances in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain experience ahead of a potential first-team spot for Newcastle next season.

Successful take-ons

3.9

Progressive carries

7.9

Shots

3.4

Touches in penalty area

9.7

Aerials won

1.2

As demonstrated by his stats in the Netherlands this season, he clearly has a lot of talent despite his tender age, with Minteh having the potential to save the Magpies a lot of money in the long run.

However, according to The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, the club could make a quick profit on the forward in the summer to try and combat their FFP and PSR situation – with Newcastle currently having losses of over £70m for the previous financial year.

Yankuba Minteh's market value in 2024

After arriving at the club for just £5.8m last summer, the Gambian winger has seen his market value skyrocket as a result of his good form in the Eredivisie.

The "exceptional" Minteh, as dubbed by Feyenoord teammate Igor Paixao, now boasts a value of £15m, as per Football Transfers – a jump of 158% in the space of nine months despite not featuring once for the Magpies.

Despite potential rumours linking the youngster with a move away from St James' Park, they must keep hold of the attacker, with Minteh having the potential to be a first-team regular for many years to come.

Fellow wingers Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon have both been a hit with the fanbase since their respective transfers to the club, but Miguel Almiron – who has netted just three league goals this season – has struggled in recent months, with the Paraguayan linked with a move away from the club.

Whilst the Gambian would allow for an easy sale to help their FFP situation, he could prove to develop further on Tyneside and save the club from having to fork out a hefty fee on an attacker to complete the forward line.

Newcastle eyeing "prolific" £17m striker who's outscored Isak this season

This could be a welcome boost for Howe…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 17, 2024

To succeed at the height that an ambitious manager such as Ange Postecoglou strives for, a football club needs to ensure every department is improving and united in a single goal.

Take Tottenham Hotspur's fiery London rivals: Arsenal. Mikel Arteta joined back in December 2019 and took an outfit that was lacking purpose, presence and identity, instilling his tactical vision over a number of years, ensuring recruitment was sharpened and streamlined, freeing the Emirates of the flotsam and jetsam that had marooned the club on the fringes of success.

Arsenal had, candidly, become something of a laughing stock after interminably struggling to enter the ascendency post-Arsene Wenger, but now thrive as one of the Premier League's title contenders, with a framework that seems purposed to last.

But the real locus of a top-flight club's prosperity lies in the robustness of the youth academy. Manchester City are the cream of the crop in this regard, while Chelsea's Cobham academy notoriously churns out a remarkable line of teenage talents.

Tottenham, now under Postecoglou's guidance, are starting to reap the rewards of bringing the younger generation to the fore; Harry Kane is one of the finest footballers to emerge from an English club in several generations but he is something of a rarity in the Lilywhites' case.

But his career showcases the riches that can be plundered by entrusting the younger with a platform to prove their worth.

Harry Kane's career so far

Kane posted 280 goals and 64 assists over 435 fixtures for Tottenham and left last summer as the club's record scorer. Moreover, he is England men's top scorer with 62 strikes from 89 caps.

He was widely accepted as a "world-class" striker – as has been said by the likes of Antonio Conte, and is one of the most complete attacking players currently competing.

He joined Bayern in an initial £82m deal in August 2023 after scoring 30 Premier League goals in a frankly awful Spurs side last season, deciding to depart after slumping to an eighth-placed finish. He'd given his all.

But while Kane never got his hands on silverware with Tottenham, he unquestionably established himself as a true English great, with his remarkable rate of scoring in the Premier League and leadership at the front of the Spurs team leaving all onlookers in awe – Pep Guardiola, for example, has remarked that Kane remains "one of the best strikers" he has ever seen.

Premier League All-time Top Scorers

#

Player

Apps

Goals

Strike rate

1.

Alan Shearer

441

260

0.59

2.

Harry Kane

320

213

0.67

3.

Wayne Rooney

491

208

0.42

4.

Andy Cole

414

187

0.45

5.

Sergio Aguero

275

184

0.67

Source: Premier League

Since moving to Bayern, Kane instantly hit the rich vein of form that many expected, scoring 40 goals and adding 13 assists from 41 matches in all competitions.

As per FBref, Kane ranks among the top 2% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 12% for assists and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90, highlighting his elite quality in the final third and his ball-playing mastery.

Kane's incredible ability to drop deeper and influence plays speaks of elite-level skills that few of his position could emulate, if any to the same degree.

His start to life in Germany has been described as "astonishing" by his manager Thomas Tuchel, and while Die Roten have been subpar this season, the forward is serving as the offensive fulcrum that could yet see the struggling German giants secure the shiniest of silverware this season.

Tottenham supporters might watch on wistfully but the Spurs legend devoted many years of service to the north London side, and while his exit is still keenly felt, a new star in the form of Mikey Moore might just prove to be the latest prodigy emerging from N17.

Why Spurs must unleash Mikey Moore

Moore is only 16 years old but he possesses that natural style and confidence that suggests he is suited for a career right at the very top.

The Evening Standard recently put together a list of London's most exciting prospects and described Moore as the pick of the bunch: 'Widely considered one of the best young talents in the capital. A strong, skilful player with a powerful build who has caught the eye with his dribbling and finishing.'

The road from Wonderkid to world-class phenom is long and freight with peril, but it is doable and if Moore's development is managed right, if he is nurtured and plies his trade diligently, then there is every chance that he can carry the quality that has earned high praise at this early stage.

Postecoglou certainly seems to think so, having allowed Moore to train with the first-team after an incredible campaign, having scored 16 goals and supplied nine assists from just 14 fixtures for the U18s this season.

This return, not including a run of six goals and four assists from five matches with England U17s and U16s, has even led transfer guru Fabrizio Romano to herald the versatile teenager as a budding "superstar."

And why not? Aged just 16, Moore has completed a week's worth of training sessions with the Spurs senior squad and is creeping toward a debut.

A series of injuries this season have hindered the teenager – he was expected to cement a place in Wayne Burnett's U21 squad, top of the Premier League 2, but for a fractured leg suffered while on international duty. Still, he's overcome adversity and his prolific record bespeaks his immense powers of recovery.

There's every chance that Moore will find a place in Tottenham's pre-season plans, and should he make a good impression, a senior debut might even be less than one year away.

“If I have to bowl a lot of overs, I’ll do whatever it takes for the team”

Andrew McGlashan in Perth16-Dec-2019

Nathan Lyon goes up in appeal•Getty Images

Mitchell Starc is in career-best Test form and Pat Cummins is the No. 1 bowler in the world, and their efforts as part of effectively a three-man attack was outstanding in Perth. But Australia’s victory was another triumph for Nathan Lyon.Claiming the final wicket, when Tim Southee edged to slip, gave him six in the match, took his tally at Perth Stadium to 14 wickets in two outings, and followed the 5 for 69 in the second innings against Pakistan in Adelaide. It was in harsh contrast to the returns of New Zealand’s main spinner, Mitchell Santner, who had match figures of 0 for 146 from 41 overs.Lyon hopes for ‘great wicket’ at MCG

Former groundsman Lyon has confidence that the MCG pitch will be up to standard despite the problems in the recent Sheffield Shield match. The surface for the Victoria-Western Australia match was left too damp in an attempt to bring more life, which resulted in divots creating dangerously uneven bounce which led to the match being called off inside 40 overs.
“I’m always going to be on the curators’ side,” he said. “I’m confident there’s going to be a good wicket there. Confident that there will be a contest between bat and ball. No doubt he’s probably had a few sleepless nights from the last week, but he’s well prepared for a great wicket there hopefully.”
Gary Stead, the New Zealand coach, said, “I know what happened a week or so ago, but I’m sure Cricket Australia are doing everything they can to rectify that so no concerns from us.”

Lyon was always likely to play a key role on a surface that offered him turn, and – crucially – bounce, but he became a lifeline for Australia’s depleted bowling unit as they hunted the 19 further wickets they needed after Josh Hazlewood’s injury. “Gaz, you lock in from one end and we’ll rotate from the other end,” Lyon said of the fairly simple chat the bowlers had.In the end, Australia only needed 121 overs to dismantle New Zealand twice, but Lyon’s effectiveness meant Tim Paine knew he could trust him with one end to ensure he could get the best out of Starc and Cummins.Lyon removed three of New Zealand’s batting pillars: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham. All were outstanding pieces of offspin bowling. The contest with Taylor, which began on the second evening, was absorbing, with Lyon eventually teasing an outside edge. Williamson gloved to short leg when Lyon’s first ball of the second innings reared off a length, and Latham was trapped lbw by one that slid on from around the wicket.”Ross has been a world-class player from a long period of time now. He wanted to take me on to probably reduce how many balls he had to defend off me with the variable bounce and the amount of bounce I was able to get out there. It was a great battle,” Lyon said. “I love being able to have those little battles when one of the best batters in the world wants to take you down and hit you out of the attack, it can be challenging, but I’m never going to shy away from one, so it’s pretty special.”I’m very happy with the way the ball is coming out of my hand at the moment, very confident with my stock ball and the more stock balls I’m able to put in that good area and challenge the defence, I’m going to be pretty happy with that. My best ball will hopefully challenge a lot of guys around the world.”Lyon is two bowlers in one for Australia and that’s vital at a time when the debate around allrounders has started again, as it often does at this time of the year when Test series move to the traditionally flatter surfaces of Melbourne and Sydney. When Hazlewood went down, Paine said he did look around the field wishing for an allrounder, but knew in Lyon he still had a trump card.Various combinations for the final two Tests of the series have already mooted – Justin Langer has hinted at the possibility of a five-man attack with four quicks for Melbourne – and Hazlewood’s replacement will be confirmed on Tuesday.Potential allrounder candidates Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green are not available, although Marcus Stoinis could be an outside chance and Paine also name-checked Moises Henriques, who has had a terrific season with the bat for New South Wales but doesn’t bowl as much as he used to. With no obvious candidate available, Australia have to “find other ways to win”, as Langer termed it. What Lyon gives them is therefore key, providing both an attacking and defensive role as part of a four-man attack.”The workload doesn’t worry me at all,” Lyon said. “I love bowling and want the ball in my hand every opportunity I get. I’m just lucky I’m part of the best bowling squad in the world. It’s pretty special. If I have to bowl a lot of overs, I’ll do whatever it takes for the team.”In terms of adding balance to the side, the role of Marnus Labuschagne’s legspin is becoming increasingly important. He spun a sharp legbreak through Santner in the first innings in Perth, and he and Lyon are starting to work as a pair.”I’ve played enough cricket now to hopefully pass on a bit of advice here and there but I think Marnus’ whole game has come a long way,” Lyon said. “I can talk to Marnus as a second spinner but there’s great cricket conversations where I’m learning off him, he’s talking to me about the batters’ mindset and I’m talking about it more like a bowlers’ mindset.”

Alisha Lehmann appears to be missing her pet dogs more than partner Douglas Luiz, with the Swiss currently by herself after moving to Juventus.

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Switzerland international left Aston VillaEmbracing new adventure in ItalyWaiting to be reunited with boyfriend & petsWHAT HAPPENED?

The 25-year-old forward has completed a switch from WSL side Aston Villa to the Italian heavyweights. Brazilian boyfriend Luiz has made the same move, as he bids farewell to the Premier League and embraces a new challenge in Serie A.

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Lehmann is already in pre-season training with Juve, but Luiz has been enjoying an extended summer break on the back of Copa America duty with his country. Lehmann followed him on that journey, with her tour of the United States taking in visits to Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco.

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Lehmann is now in Turin, waiting for Luiz to join her, and has sent an emotional message to her canine companions as she prepares to be reunited with them. Her pet pooches are currently being pampered in England – with Bradock and Rio enjoying their own form of doggy spa day.

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WHAT NEXT?

Luiz and Lehmann enjoy casual strolls with their pet dogs, with walking duties allowing them to relax away from their respective day jobs. They will soon begin the process of setting up a new home as an Italian adventure is taken on.

A club are expecting their star striker to leave this summer, coming after a claim that Tottenham could look to sign him for Ange Postecoglou this summer.

Spurs set sights on Harry Kane replacement

While Spurs want to add a new winger to their ranks in the next transfer window, according to reliable media sources like Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick, the north Londoners are also said to be contemplating an out-and-out replacement for club-record goalscorer Harry Kane.

Related BBC pundit says "astonishing" forward may decide to join Tottenham

He’s been on fire for his club this season.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 5, 2024

Postecoglou's side have coped very well in their first full season without Kane, who completed a blockbuster move to Bayern Munich last summer, but it is believed they could look to bring in a natural number nine despite Richarlison's exceptional form recently.

Following a difficult first 16 months in north London, the Brazilian has come into his own, but that hasn't stopped Spurs from being linked with Brentford striker Ivan Toney among other centre-forward options.

Tottenham's next league fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (away)

March 10th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

Luton Town (home)

March 30th

West Ham (away)

April 2nd

As well as Toney, the likes of Feyenoord forward Santiago Gimenez and Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy have been mentioned as potential summer targets in recent months.

In terms of the latter, he's a very interesting option, as his contract is widely rumoured to contain a very affordable and tantalising £15 million release clause.

The Guinea international, as a result, could emerge as one of Europe's most sought-after strikers later in the year. Tottenham could well be in the mix for Guirassy among a host of other clubs, with journalist Dean Jones telling GiveMeSport that technical director Johan Lange might try to steal him away from Stuttgart.

Guirassy has bagged 20 league goals so far this season, a stat made all the more impressive by the fact he was injured for a period and also jetted off to AFCON.

Stuttgart anticipating Guirassy exit this summer

As per Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, taking to X, Stuttgart are anticipating Guirassy's departure with a decision expected in the next couple of months.

The 27-year-old is a real one to watch it would seem, with Plettenberg also shedding light on his dressing-room personality which could be appealing to Postecoglou at Tottenham.

"He is very strong physically," said Plettenberg to Sky Germany.

"He knows how to score and he is known as a leading figure in the dressing room."

If Spurs do end up making a move for the player, Guirassy's leadership qualities could be a real plus point alongside his obvious goal threat, making this one to watch.

Jadon Sancho's path to a permanent Manchester United exit could hinge on whether or not a Borussia Dortmund attacker is sold this summer.

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• Sancho loaned out to Dortmund
• Unlikely to have Man Utd future
• Exit could hinge on attacker's sale

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After being frozen out at United following a falling out with manager Erik ten Hag, the England international joined former side Dortmund on loan in the second half of the season. The Red Devils want to sell the 24-year-old, with reports suggesting they want £50 million ($64m). Now, Gazzetta dello Sport claims if Juventus sign Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi for around £25m ($32m), that could pave the way for the German team to sign Sancho.

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  Sancho joined United from Dortmund in 2021 but the move did not go as planned. He scored just 12 goals and registered a paltry six assists in 82 appearances and his feud with Ten Hag hammered home just how disappointing his time at the Red Devils has been. It is not yet known if Sancho will leave for the Bundesliga outfit and what fee United will be willing to accept for him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The former Manchester City academy product's form at United was in stark contrast to his time with Dortmund. In the 2019-20 season, for instance, Sancho scored 17 goals and bagged 17 assists in 32 Bundesliga games.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United's players are set to report back for pre-season duty at Carrington. It remains to be seen if Sancho will join the Red Devils squad on that date or if he can be sold before then.