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Arsenal underlined their Premier League title credentials with a resounding and sure-footed victory against Aston Villa, snapping Unai Emery’s 11-match winning run in style.

Much was made of Villa’s creeping progress as outsiders in the title race, but the Gunners put them to the sword in what can only be described as a wide gulf of quality and confidence on the evening.

With Declan Rice sidelined before the game due to a slight knee injury, concerns were raised among the fanbase, but the players responded to their latest injury with one of their finest displays of the season.

How Arsenal beat Aston Villa

Mikel Arteta has created something special at the Emirates Stadium, shaping Arsenal into one of the globe’s most dangerous forces after Emery was sacked with the outfit in disrepair.

The win over Villa underscored this new, established reputation, with the skipper Martin Odegaard leading the charge. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, but the Norway international played a deft pass for Martin Zubimendi’s goal to make it 2-0.

Alongside the Spaniard, he “dominated that match”, according to journalist Sam Dean. The impressive displays of Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard helped too, with neither starting every week but demonstrating the kind of quality that makes a title-winning team.

Arsenal struggled throughout the first half, but they came alive after the break, more energy and intensity. Villa got swept away in a storm, with every Gunner playing his part.

However, it was one of the creme de la creme who shone brightest against an in-form Villa side, with this particular superstar laying down their claim to being the modern-day Patrick Vieira.

Arsenal's modern-day Patrick Vieira

The news of Rice’s pre-match injury sent tremors across north London. It was so important that Gabriel returned, and the Brazilian centre-back scored after nine matches out.

Three years in succession, Arsenal have finished as Premier League runners-up. But something feels different this year. This time, there is a maturity to match the inherent elite quality.

Gabriel embodies this, and it’s why he is on his way toward becoming the new Vieira, who was a ‘remarkable, one-of-a-kind’ talent, in the opinion of Arteta (and shared by all of an Arsenal persuasion).

Gabriel’s Performance vs Villa

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

77′

Touches

46

Goals

1

Shots (on target)

1 (1)

Accurate passes

30/37 (81%)

Chances created

0

Ball recoveries

2

Def. contributions

4

Tackles + interceptions

2

Clearances

3

Duels won

3/6

Data via Sofascore

The 28-year-old was described by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher after the win over Villa as being “the most influential player in the Premier League” in both boxes.

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He commands the respect and fear of his opponents while lifting his teammates’ spirits up and up some more, with football.london handing him a 9/10 match rating for such a talismanic performance.

Vieira-esque? He’s not a midfielder, but Gabriel carries the same swagger and skill, so important in driving play forward, ranking among the top 13% of defenders in the league this season for through balls and the top 15% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

His return comes at the perfect time, ensuring Arsenal get the win to end a thrilling 2025 and turn toward the new year with titles glinting in their eyes.

Arsenal have many superstars who will step up and produce the goods when other options have been exhausted. But Gabriel, Arteta’s own Vieira, may be the standout, and he is driving this brilliant side toward the title.

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Arsenal are ready to react to opportunities in the January transfer window.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair

Match facts

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Start time 16.00 (local), 10.30 (GMT)

	Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virender Sehwag will be in no mood to exchange pleasantries when they face-off for the second time in the tournament (file photo) © Getty Images

The Big Picture

The Chennai Super Kings, who blazed away in the early stages of the IPL, only to plunge into a batting crisis, will face a severe examination against the Delhi Daredevils in the first return match of the tournament. The loss of their Australian imports – Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey, continues to hurt, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s best knock has been 65 against the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Delhi will be the favourites after their nine-wicket mauling when they last met, and they will be eager to recover from the blip against the Mumbai Indians (the only occasion they were bowled out). They have the added incentive of taking second spot in the league tables if they win.Delhi have a well-stocked batting arsenal at their disposal. At least two of their top three batsman – Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and Shikhar Dhawan – have fired in their victories. In comparision, Chennai’s best three batsmen in terms of aggregate (with the exception of Hayden and Hussey) – Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Albie Morkel – haven’t had the same say in Chennai’s matches. Chennai have added concerns – Parthiv Patel has not made a significant knock in seven outings, while Stephen Fleming has proved to be an inadequate replacement for Hayden at the top. Raina has looked in superb touch but not capitalised on his starts. Another issue is that poor starts have led to their last two setbacks, as they failed to reach 50 or 100 at more than a run-a-ball.A look at the bowling also shows the wide gulf between the two sides. Glenn McGrath has formed a telling opening combine with Mohammad Asif, while Yo Mahesh and Rajat Bhatia have done a more than decent job following-up. Chennai have a major headache in Makhaya Ntini, who is yet to take a wicket. Muttiah Muralitharan has not been the sensation he normally is, while Joginder Sharma’s dibby-dobblers are now being found out by opposing batsmen. After taking just seven wickets in their last three games, Chennai’s bowlers will need to buck up.

Tournament position

Delhi P6/W4/L2/NRR +0.761
Chennai P7/W4/L3/NRR -0.005

IPL form (last five matches)

Delhi WLWWL
Chennai WWLLL

Watch out for …

Sehwag’s offside play against Chennai’s opening bowlers. Remember, he reached his fifty by the end of the seventh over in their previous game.

The battle between Muralitharan and Gambhir, one of the more accomplished players of spin.

Expect some early success from McGrath or Asif against Chennai’s openers.

Two young turks from South Africa facing-off. Albie Morkel, who is AB de Villiers’ team-mate at their domestic franchise, the Titans, may have the rare opportunity to bowl against him.

Dhoni playing an innings of substance to give a fillip to Chennai’s hopes.

Dinesh Karthik and Yo Mahesh, originally from Chennai, will be keen to get the better of their state-mates.

Team news

Chennai may need to re-work their starting line-up in view of their latest troubles. S Anirudha, who made just 1 on his IPL debut yesterday, may replace Parthiv at the top, with S Vidyut returning to No. 3. Morkel, after his unbeaten 29 off 19 which went in vain against the Deccan Chargers, may have done enough to earn a promotion. With Ntini not showing the bowling form expected of him, Chennai may consider the option of playing with only three foreign players and bring in P Amarnath.Chennai (probable) 1 Stephen Fleming, 2 S Anirudha/Parthiv Patel, 3 Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Albie Morkel, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 S Badrinath, 8 Joginder Sharma, 9 Manpreet Gony, 10 Makhaya Ntini/P Amarnath, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.Despite coming into the game on the back of the loss, Delhi are likely to retain the same XI. They would not want to tinker with their top-half, and it will be difficult for Farveez Maharoof to earn a place as the team seems to be settling into the strategy of picking two batsman and two bowlers from among their foreign options.Delhi (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag (capt), 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Manoj Tiwary, 8 Rajat Bhatia, 9 Yo Mahesh, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Glenn McGrath.

McGrath’s 4 for 29 against Bangalore are the second-best figures in the tournament.

Sehwag needs just 12 runs more to reclaim the Orange Cap, given to the highest-cumulative run-scorer, from Rohit Sharma. If he hits one more six, he will have 15 to his name, which will get him on par with Brendon McCullum and Adam Gilchrist.

Delhi feature in second and third spot for the highest partnerships in the tournament.

Quotes

“I am myself surprised as how good my body is feeling at the moment. It has been doing good so far, hope it remains the same in future.”
Glenn McGrath has some bad news for opposing batsman in the IPL”Of course, we missed Hayden and Hussey. They are world-class players. But nothing can be done, we have to look forward and win as many matches as possible. We hope the process starts from tomorrow itself.”
Kepler Wessels, Chennai’s coach, says the team should learn to live without their big-hitting Australian players

Perhaps the biggest conundrum for the committee is Virender Sehwag, whether to slot him as an opener or in the middle order © AFP

As the national selectors sit down to pick separate Indian squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, the task will be anything but easy, given the number of options available to them. It’s a familiar muddle, further complicated by last-minute injury worries over a few fast bowlers, which in turn raises questions about the fitness standards. While no player, with the exception of Manoj Tiwary, has definitely been ruled out of the tour, the challenge that awaits the selection committee is to pick two sets of 15 players.Of all the slots in the Test squad for England, perhaps only the wicketkeeper’s seems secure, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni the number one choice for both teams. Dinesh Karthik lends a great deal of flexibility in his dual role as reserve wicketkeeper and opening batsman. The gamble of sending Karthik in with Wasim Jaffer paid off at the fag end of the tour of South Africa and during the Test series in Bangladesh, relieving the team management of at least one major headache.Karthik’s presence leaves the committee needing to pick just one reserve opener. Gautam Gambhir, in and out of the squad, scored a century in the one-dayers against Bangladesh and should receive strong backing despite missing out on selection for the Tests against Bangladesh. However, doubts remain over the efficacy of his technique in seam-friendly conditions, and that could just leave the door ajar for Aakash Chopra, Gambhir’s fellow Delhi opener. Chopra was impressive on the tour of Australia in 2003-04, and his calming influence helped Virender Sehwag play his natural game. Chopra’s name did the rounds recently and his experience as a league cricketer in England could make his selection a credible one.Perhaps the biggest conundrum for the committee is Sehwag. He flattered to deceive in Bangladesh, and in the Afro Asia Cup, failed to convert good starts. Impressive in patches, he could be slotted into the middle order, though he will have to fight for a place with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. The man left on the outside to look in may be VVS Laxman, and it’s his misfortune that he has been tossed around, never sure of his place.It’s in the bowling department that the selectors have a plethora of options. Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel have been declared fit for selection, albeit at the last minute. Munaf still remains the most brittle of the lot, and if the committee opts for more backup, Ajit Agarkar could get a look in. Sreesanth, VRV Singh, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma are the other options, with Sreesanth having been the pick of India’s bowlers in South Africa.As has been the norm in recent times, the committee might stick to the policy of picking two specialist spinners, with Anil Kumble leading the pack. Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar will compete for the offspinner’s slot, and it will be interesting to see if Harbhajan eventually wins the confidence of the selectors. He was impressive in the final match of the Afro Asia Cup, taking 3 for 48 in a high scoring game in Chennai. Rajesh Pawar, the left-arm spinner, didn’t get a game in Bangladesh and if the selectors opt for a left-armer to partner Kumble, it could be a toss up between him and Murali Kartik, another player who has been in the wilderness for a couple of seasons.The Ireland one-dayers might just be about giving opportunities to fresher faces, but all thoughts will invariably be on the Test squad chosen for England. Australia were the last team to win a series there, all of six years ago, and there won’t be room for either sentiment or experimentation when it comes to writing down those 15 names.

The LA Open is celebrating several years of operation as the longest-running tournament of its kind in the USA. Following on the 2005-6 Interstate Tournament staged in Florida , the action now shifts to the West Coast. The LA Open is the second major tournament of the US cricket season to feature first-class cricketers as part of its format, and the tournament promises the usual excellent facilities and administration that has become a hallmark of Los Angeles cricket.Calling itself (not without some justification!) the “Premier Cricket Tournament in the United States,” the LA Open has announced its line-up of teams and players scheduled to compete from Saturday, July 1 through to Monday, July 3 for over $25,000 in prize money.The Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board is sending their current national team with players such as Ricardo Powell, Lendl Simmons and Dave Mohammed, along with several up-and-coming young stars. Also from Trinidad are the Division One league champions, Alescon Comets, with several cricketers from Trinidad, Guyana and other local regions.Air India, the top corporate cricket team in India, will have several players who have represented India in international matches, including Sameer Dighe, Pravin Amre, and Narendra Hirwani among others.From Southern California will be teams such as Punjab Blues, with several well-known cricketers such as Richie Richardson, Stuart Williams, Curtly Ambrose, and Adam Sanford, and Packers XI, with players such as Mohammed Azharuddin, Nikhil Chopra, Rohan Gavaskar, Arvind Shetty, Romesh Kaluwitharna and Kumara Dharmasena.There will also be a SCCA XI represented by local California cricketers. In addition, there will be teams arriving from New York, Florida, Chicago, Northern California and Washington DC.In past years, the LA Open has seen an average of almost 200 runs scored in each 20-over innings, creating much excitement and entertainment for spectators and attendees. “There is no other place in the US where you get to see so many good quality cricket players, assembled in one location, playing action packed cricket for three days,” says Kamal Doshi, one of the organizers.For those not familiar with cricket activities in United States, there are currently over 9,000 cricketers, some of whom have played international and first-class cricket for their home countries, now residing and playing in the US. Many of the US teams participating in the 2006 LA Open will showcase a collection of the best first-class players from their particular region.The event will be held at Woodley Park Cricket Fields in Van Nuys, California, a site that offers four international-class cricket fields in one centralized location. Hamilton Brewart Insurance Services is the tournament sponsor and will present the Hamilton Brewart Trophy to the winning team. In its brief three-year history, the LA Open has come to be known as one of the best showcases for cricket in the United States.

Henry Olonga during his black armband protest © Getty Images

Henry Olonga, the former Zimbawe fast bowler, has arrived in New Zealand to try and prevent their cricket team from touring his home country. Olonga left Zimbabwe in 2003 after wearing a black armband at the World Cup to mourn the “death of democracy” in the country.Olonga is in New Zealand at the behest of the Green Party, who are proposing legislation to prevent the cricket team from touring Zimbabwe. The New Zealand government has in recent times said that they will not prevent the team from going to Zimbabwe. The ICC rules state that New Zealand will be fined at least US$2million if the tour does not take place.Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Olonga said that the situation in his native country was no different that the apartheid regime in South Africa, and needed to be treated in a similar fashion. “This is a government that has consistently abused its own people,” he said. “I’m disappointed the ICC hasn’t shown more compassion with regard to what’s happening in Zimbabwe.”Olonga urged ICC to change its hitherto inflexible stance with regard to teams touring Zimbabwe, keeping apartheid-era South Africa in mind. He said that when rebel tours took place, it felt like “that they were showing no concern for the people who were suffering under that oppressive regime.” Olonga said that the situation was “immoral and the world somehow has to take a stance.”

The winning team© K Moses

For the third time in as many attempts, India pulled off a stunning one-day win against Pakistan at Lahore. This time, though, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and co. could only watch from their moving bus as the pot-bellies in blue went about the business of dropping catches and bowling wides. Fortunately, the visiting Indian Journalists XI also did a few things right, and the Sports Journalists Association of Lahore (SJAL) team were left well behind, losing by 62 runs.The match, organised by the SJAL, was just one more small component in the long list of interactions between the two countries that has been organised on this tour. You can’t go for a walk in the park without having someone tell you how every event, however random or unplanned, was designed to bring the two governments together. Most journalists have enough to worry about banging out copy in time to meet deadlines and please editors, and if you believed everything you heard, they were all diplomatic pawns in a grander design. The especially naughty local children go as far as saying that Pakistan merely let India win the one-dayers and the first Test, since this is a friendship series.Vikrant Gupta, of the television channel Aajtak, did what Sourav Ganguly failed to do in five one-dayers. He won the toss and justified his appointment as captain by carting the bowling around for 91 off only 70 balls. Several bowlers ran in quickly and bowled slowly, but none could dismiss him. At the other end, batsmen gently prodded the bowling away and fed Gupta the strike. G Rajaraman (10) broke trend with some agricultural slogging.Qaiser Chouhan was the one bowler to trouble the Indians. This could very well be because he realised that there was no Bradman-in-waiting in the opposition, and adopted the cunning strategy of bowling straight. Just when he thought he had done something clever, he realised that the fall of each wicket brought fresh legs to the crease. Indranil Basu of newspaper took over the assault from Gupta, banging 30 off 18 balls to take his team to 198 for 5 from 25 overs.The break also afforded the chance to discuss the finer points of the performance with the experts at the ground. Some former Pakistan Test cricketers turned up to watch, of whom at least one missed the original India-Pakistan match at Lahore, because he was not sent tickets by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Imtiaz Ahmed, the first Pakistani wicketkeeper to score a Test double-century, Saeed Ahmed and Younis Ahmed were among those who spent a lazy Saturday watching an ungainly, overweight lot with limited talent murder the game they themselves had once played so well.The quick break sorted, Team India lurched into its first huddle. It shouldn’t be said that journalists don’t learn anything from watching hours of cricket. Loud noises were made, meaningless slogans chanted, and they assumed fielding positions they were more accustomed to writing about. Iqbal Harper (19) and Aqeel Ahmed (21) began as though they needed to make 199 in 10 overs. And it was not until this not-so-humble reporter splayed Harper’s stumps with his first ball of the match that team India got into their second huddle.From then on there were more get-togethers than decent partnerships, as an assortment of bowlers ran through the batting. Rajaraman (3 for 14) put paid to any ideas of a middle-order revival, and Ajay Naidu, of newspaper (4 for 21) wisely stuck to his gentle left-arm spin and ran through the late-order. Rahul Banerji also proved that it is possible to keep batsmen quiet by lobbing balls so high that there was a risk of one of the many security guards shooting it out of the air thinking it was a clay pigeon. One batsman laughed so hard as the ball came down he managed to get himself out caught.In the end, SJAL XI were bowled out for 136 in 24.2 overs and it was time for everyone to rush from the Lahore City Cricket Association to the Gadaffi Stadium to get to work. The Indian team were in shock as they saw a group of people clad in uniforms strikingly similar to theirs. When they were told that India’s journalists were continuing the good work they had begun on the field, one cricketer said, “Good job, that’s another nail in the coffin.” Another one was generous enough to chirp, “Now you guys can write whatever you want about us and we can’t complain.” If only it were that simple. When they wake up the next day, however, each sore muscle and aching bone will remind them that it’s back to business as usual.

Pakistan cricket has been in freefall for more than a year, failing miserably against every opposition other than Zimbabwe and suffering an early exit from the 2003 World Cup. One can only hope it plunges no deeper in this 20-year low.Reading the media hype before the first game against the Aussies, Pakistan cricket fans remained optimistic of resurgence, hoping that the World Cup was ideal for that, but it never came. The patience of the passionate but now frustrated public has run out and there is an outcry for immediate and dramatic remedies.The authorities will need to solve the problem with the current lot of players who, after the series of losses have lost faith in themselves and their levels of determination and commitment have gone. Persistence with old warriors has meant little new talent has come through, and when these experienced players fail, there is no one to turn to. The present side has an average age of 28 which is rather high when their past strength lay in the exuberance of youth.It is time to give serious thought to a complete re-structuring of the team – bidding farewell to the old faces and letting the youngsters take over. Wasim, Waqar, Inzamam, Rashid and Saeed have been great servants of Pakistan cricket but now best advised to retire with dignity than face an unceremonious exit. Some media reports mention the possibility of Moin Khan being brought back as captain, or Wasim Akram reported as wanting to continue for another year. While both may be capable, such short term solutions will not help Pakistan cricket for the future.Now is the time to hand over the reigns to a younger skipper, the options being Youhana, Younis Khan or Saqlain, and then to build a young side around him. The greatest advantage of introducing new players is they have not been sullied as part of a losing team; morale is high and they will remain committed to cricket as they have a point to prove, not past laurels to rest on.The ‘powers that be’ need also to think about the future of the ‘never got there stars’ who have been tried out long enough but have failed to show any signs of improvement or maturity. Afridi for one, has been given every possible opportunity to prove himself but another promising all-rounder must be given a go. Pakistan should observe and learn from the Australians, where they have built a team around specialists, not ‘bits and pieces’ players.Unlike Wasim’s thoughts published in the press, I firmly believe there is a great pool of talent in domestic cricket and deserving candidates should be given every chance to prove themselves. The PCB, instead of appointing more committees to study the Pakistan debacle at the World Cup would be better advised to start training and selection nets right away and shortlist the players – the domestic season is almost over, the weather is cool and the time ripe.Yes, in the formative phase the ‘new’ side may suffer due to lack of experience but by the time more important events come along they will have matured and the selectors been able to identify the players of the future. The various possibles are:
Batsmen: Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Naved Latif, Taufeeq Umar, Hasan Raza, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat and more.
Bowlers: Mohammed Sami, Mohammed Zahid, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Irfan Fazil and more.
All-rounders: Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Naved-ul-Hasan, Yasir Arafat, Shoaib Malik.
Wicket-keepers: Kamran Akmal, Humayun Farahat and Atiq-uz-Zaman.The above are just a few of the ‘possibles’ with many more waiting in the wings. The choice of wicket-keeper is also a source of concern, the selectors need to find the ideal balance between sheer ‘glovemanship’ and talent as a genuine batsman. Kamran Akmal is one who fits those requirements perfectly as he showed in the tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa. He deserves an extended run to cement his place in the squad as the lead wicket-keeper.All these drastic measures may be in vain as it is finally up to the players to perform. No amount of coaching can change the way they think unless sufficient motivation and more importantly, cricket education is provided. It is easy to pick up ‘spoken english’ playing county or league cricket in England but where are the psychological skills to be learnt that are part and parcel of modern cricket?Admittedly, English county cricket provides a lot of training but these days, not many foreign players get to captain a side to learn the rest of the required skills because players are picked to perform a particular role. Imran Khan and Wasim Akram learnt a lot more being skippers of their county but this chance is not available to all.This is the ‘essential education’ the PCB needs to provide the young talent, for many of our players do not have much formal education and little mental toughness to face the rigours of international cricket. This is key if we are to groom professional attitudes in our cricketers; sheer talent is not enough, we need players who have been trained to think of their team and not just for their place in the team.They need to learn control of emotions and attitude, not crumble when the going gets tough – defend stoutly and fight when some of the top order batsmen are downed early or when they get tonked about by Tendulkar’s magic, get back to bowl a tight line and length to make things tougher.That’s what I am on about, professionalism not raw talent and this is what needs to be learnt through proper ‘cricket education’.It is high time our cricket bosses too show a greater deal of commitment and prove themselves through accepting healthy criticism rather than rest on the glory of what they have done for grounds, floodlights, academies or grass-root cricket in Pakistan. One does feel for them as it is true a lot of development work was done, but the essentials of building a professional team was perhaps underestimated. Instead of accepting defeat, Pakistan’s cricket managers need a proactive ‘reaction’ and come out of their corner fighting to set things right.As frustrated and disappointed as cricket fans may be after the World Cup, they will soon forget and all ready to cheer as soon as they see Pakistan cricket return to its rightful status at the top of international cricket.Ed: If readers wish to correspond with the author, please email Taha Noor

Yorkshire crushed Lancashire by seven wickets in the Roses battle at Headingley to preserve their 14-point lead at the top of Division One of the CricInfo Championship.Set a victory target of 157 in 78 overs, Yorkshire needed only 33.5 overs in which to score their runs and take a maximum 20 points from the match.Openers Matthew Wood and Craig White wasted no time in getting Yorkshire off to a cracking start, putting on 55 before White was bowled by left-arm spinner Gary Keedy with the second delivery after lunch.Wood went on to make 51 with ten fours off only 74 balls but this was slow compared with the onslaught that followed from Darren Lehmann.The Australian, who made a Roses record score of 252 in the first innings, plundered 48 from just 24 balls with seven fours and two sixes, both the big hits coming off Keedy.Lehmann gave a sharp chance to Mark Chilton at short leg before he had scored – a firm clip at Keedy hitting the fielder on the shoulder – but he again made batting look a simple operation and when he moved on to ten it gave him 1,000 Championship runs for the season.Keedy dismissed both Wood and Lehmann, who was clean bowled having a big swing, but he suffered when skipper David Byas blasted him for 14 runs in an over to end the match.Lancashire had set out on the final morning on 280 for eight with a lead of 122 and the ninth-wicket pair of Peter Martin and John Wood took their stand to 68 in 18 overs before Wood was run out for 35 by Gary Fellows’ direct hit from cover as the batsmen failed to complete a quick single.Martin reached his 50 off 79 balls with six fours but soon afterwards White had Keedy caught behind with the score on 314.Byas said afterwards: “This ranks as one of the most satisfying wins in a long time because Lancashire are a good side and for us to make 531 after they had reached 373 in the first innings was an excellent effort.”Darren Lehmann’s contribution was absolutely magnificent and stands head and shoulders above everything else but Matthew Wood batted beautifully in both innings and Darren Gough’s 96 was also a fantastic knock.”We have not talked about winning the Championship yet but with a game in hand it is in our own hands and if we can beat Surrey in the next match starting at Headingley on Wednesday it will be a step nearer.”

Newcastle United have now reportedly been contacted with the chance to sign a Champions League defender in the January transfer window.

Burn and Livramento suffer new injuries

Whilst Newcastle did get back to winning ways against Fulham to advance into the last four of the Carabao Cup last night, they were forced to do so without Dan Burn.

The defender’s injury rubbed salt in the Magpies’ wounds in the Tyne-Wear derby last weekend and Eddie Howe has now confirmed how long they will be without the England international.

The Newcastle boss told reporters: “It was sort of under the radar in terms of reviewing the game the importance of Dan and losing him, just for everything he brings to the team.

“That was a big blow for us. I think he’s been excellent in recent weeks. It’s a rib problem with some issue with his lungs. We wish him well, it will be probably around four to six weeks.”

Lewis Miley and Jacob Murphy are versatile enough to provide cover, but there’s no doubt that Newcastle’s defensive depth is something that must be addressed next month, with Tino Livramento also leaving the victory over the Cottagers with a fresh knee problem.

With that in mind, new sporting director Ross Wilson has already reportedly set his sights on a number of potential reinforcements, including 17-year-old Honest Ahanor.

The teenage star is one of the most promising defenders in Europe and has already made his mark on the first-team at Atalanta. Whilst he is years away from reaching the peak of his powers, Newcastle would be landing an impressive coup by securing Ahanor’s signature ahead of several chasing parties.

Meanwhile, Wilson could also welcome a ready-made defender in January thanks to Bayern Munich. According to TeamTalk, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Sacha Boey next month.

Newcastle offered chance to sign Sacha Boey

A player who was wanted by Manchester United before he joined Bayern Munich in 2024, Boey could still be on his way to the Premier League courtesy of Newcastle. Both the Magpies and Crystal Palace have reportedly been offered the chance to secure his signature in 2026 by his representatives, who also represent Newcastle forward William Osula.

Related Newcastle open talks to sign £15m-a-year Man Utd target who's open to January move

PIF know him well…

Posts ByTom Cunningham

The 25-year-old right-back has started just five of Bayern’s 12 Bundesliga games so far this season, but would instantly have the chance to grab hold of a starting place at St James’ Park amid injury problems.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Newcastle transfer insight For in-depth context on Newcastle’s defensive options, subscribe to the newsletter for expert analysis on injuries, scouting reports, player fits, and transfer scenarios – plus a broader view of the transfer market. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for Newcastle transfer insight For in-depth context on Newcastle’s defensive options, subscribe to the newsletter for expert analysis on injuries, scouting reports, player fits, and transfer scenarios – plus a broader view of the transfer market.

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Dubbed “excellent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in 2023, the big question that remains is whether Boey has the quality to step in for a player of Tino Livramento’s calibre, should the fullback continue to struggle on the injury front.

League stats 25/26 P90

Boey

Livramento

Minutes

463

976

Assists

0

0.9

Tackles Won

0.78

1.3

Ball Recoveries

4.12

5.65

The stats highlight just how important Livramento is at St James’ Park and Newcastle simply must welcome cover for the injury-prone defender. Boey has so far struggled to reach the same levels as the England international this season, but the context of his game time must be considered.

Saved by Miley: Howe must drop Newcastle flop who looks well past his best

	Shoaib Akhtar arrives for the second meeting of the appellate tribunal © AFP

Shoaib Akhtar has apologised to Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, during the second meeting of an appellate tribunal at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. The three-man tribunal, headed by Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, is reviewing Shoaib’s appeal against a five-year ban imposed by the Pakistan board on disciplinary grounds.Farrukh, while announcing that Shoaib had submitted a written apology to the Pakistan board’s legal counsel, said the tribunal had decided to adjourn till April 30, when the board’s arguments will be heard. “After a heated two-hour discussion on the charges levelled against the fast bowler, the situation took a turn when Shoaib asked for an unqualified apology to all public, to the PCB chairmam, and all his team-mates for anything which may have caused embarrassment for them.”Shoaib’s lawyer, Abid Hasan Minto, later read out a statement on his behalf. “I would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart for any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf. I have resolved to alter my habits to refrain from such incidents in future and I will obey the PCB rules and regulations.”Meanwhile, Farrukh said the tribunal would make its own decision regardless of the PCB’s response to his apology. “It doesn’t mean that after submitting the apology, Akhtar will be exonerated, but still, it is an important development.”His apology means that Shoiab has satisfied one clause of a PCB notice which sought an unconditional appeal from him. The notice had also sought damages of Rs 200 million (approximately US$3 million) for “defaming” Ashraf and “sullying the name” of the Pakistan board and Pakistan cricket in general. Shoaib had, in an interview to the Express News channel, alleged that the ban was punishment for not having shared his Indian Premier League earnings with Ashraf.