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South Africa batsman Farhaan Behardien has said they were confident at the halfway mark of their match on Tuesday that their total of 189 would be “tough” to surpass for Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016South Africa batsman Farhaan Behardien has said they were confident at the halfway mark of their match against Australia that their total of 189 would be “tough” to surpass. South Africa opted to bat at the Providence Stadium and were struggling at 112 for 6 in the 29th over, before Behardien’s 62 pushed them to a more competitive score.”The chat [during innings break] was to hang in there and we had a score to bowl at,” Behardien said. “We knew that the Aussie team is full of confidence but we knew that 190 would be tough. They didn’t struggle too much getting the score the other night against the West Indies but it was tough. [Today], the first eight overs, Parnell and Kagiso bowled really well and got those three wickets which put Australia on the back foot. So the chat halfway through was that we had given ourselves a chance and if you bowl really well, which we did tonight, we can win the game and I’m very glad that we did. It’s not easy beating the Australian team.”I thought it was one of those wickets where there was quite a lot happening. Finchy played an unbelievable innings considering the conditions. But we always felt that we were in the game. We went with quite a bold game plan with three spinners, and it paid off on a wicket that offers some assistance for the spinners.”Behardien top-scored for his team with his fifth ODI half-century by building partnerships with the lower order. He first put on 37 with Aaron Phangiso, who scored 9 off 41, for the seventh wicket and then 39 with Kagiso Rabada, who stayed unbeaten on 15. Behardien was satisfied to show a gutsy performance on a pitch that was not easy to bat on.”It’s nice to get a score for the team,” Behardien said. “There was a middle-order collapse against Sunil Narine, he kind of got stuck into us on that particular day. Personally, to be out there and grind it out for nearly 30 overs and…the trend of white-ball cricket over the last year has just been of big scores and free-flowing batting innings and sixes and fours. So for me to pull out that performance was pretty satisfying.”Even as teams have struggled to put on big scores at the bowler-friendly Providence Stadium pitches, Behardien hoped the forthcoming matches in the tri-series would be more batsmen-friendly.”Apparently, St Kitts and Barbados offer a bit more pace and bounce, even and through bounce,” he said. “Guyana was obviously low and slow so they brought all the spinners into play. Similarly, our spinners did really well. Phangi took three wickets against the West Indies the other night and Shamsi, Imran [Tahir] and Phangiso again did really well tonight. There’s a big emphasis on playing spin. Hopefully the tracks will be a little more in favour of the batters in St Kitts and Barbados.”Behardien also sang praises for debutant and chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who struck in his first over with the wicket of Glenn Maxwell and finished with an impressive 1 for 36 from eight overs that included a maiden. Shamsi had two lbw appeals in his first over – against Finch and Maxwell – but got only one in his favour.”He brings new energy to the group. He made his debut today against the world champions so we had chucked him in the deep end straightaway,” Behardien said. “I played with him at the Titans, my state franchise side, in South Africa. There’s a little bit of mystery to him.”We’ve seen wrist spinners coming to the fore in the shorter formats – [Adam] Zampa’s coming, a lot of the IPL teams have one or two wrist spinners who turn the ball both ways. I think that’s the key going forward as to try and get some back-up for Imran Tahir. And we need somebody to be groomed by him. Tabraiz Shamsi offers a left-arm chinaman in the mould of Brad Hogg, bit of fire in his belly, always up for the game, always keen to put a performance in. It’s always gold dust to have a guy who turns the ball both ways.”He is tough to pick and I hope he will be tough to pick for the next couple of weeks. Like I said, he’s new so teams won’t have too much footage on him and hopefully the wickets will assist him little bit. But as I’ve heard that the wickets in Barbados and St Kitts are a bit more batter-friendly, he’ll have to work hard and work on his lengths. As a team we’re really excited about a left-arm wrist spinner playing in our starting XI. Hopefully he can be a member of our side for the years to come.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set for a 'busy summer' under Julen Lopetegui that could yield major changes at Molineux, according to journalist Alex Crook.

What's the latest transfer news involving outgoings at Wolverhampton Wanderers?

As per Football Insider, Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes is attracting interest from Liverpool despite the Old Gold choosing to remove a £44 million release clause inserted into his contract at Molineux.

The report also states that Wolves 'remain realistic' over their chances of being able to keep the Portuguese midfielder and would likely accept a bid of £50 million for his services.

As per The Telegraph, club captain Ruben Neves could also be set to move on this summer, with Wolves set to demand a fee in the region of £40 million before considering sanctioning his departure, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona all monitoring his situation.

Wolves winger Adama Traore is out of contract at the end of this term and his agent Jorge Mendes has recently offered him to Serie A giants AC Milan, according to Calciomercato.

Veteran duo Diego Costa and Joao Moutinho are also set to see their deals in the West Midlands expire upon the conclusion of 2022/23 alongside full-back Nelson Semedo, as per FootballTransfers, raising questions over whether they will also need to be replaced heading into next term.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook thinks that Wolves boss Lopetegui will be given financial support to help reshape his squad in the summer.

Crook said: "They've got Moutinho who I think will go, Traore's out of contract, so if Neves goes, that's three of the old guard that will have moved on. I'm not sure you'll get much more out of Costa.

"I think it could be a busy summer of ins and outs. This is the first summer transfer window under Julen Lopetegui.

"My understanding when they appointed him is that they told him he'd be backed in the transfer market, which they did in January, so I think he would expect to be backed again."

Who could Wolverhampton Wanderers look to sign this summer?

As per 90min, Wolves are keen on bringing Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Molineux in the summer; however, they face stiff competition from Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester, Newcastle, West Ham, Lazio, Napoli and AC Milan.

The same outlet also report that the Wanderers are keen on Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun, who could be set for an uncertain future at the Emirates once he returns from loan club Reims in the off-season.

El Correo also claim that Osasuna defender David Garcia is on the radar for the Old Gold as Lopetegui aims to reshuffle his squad heading into 2023/24.

One thing is for sure; it looks set to be a busy next few months in the West Midlands, which could see some new faces walk through the door as Wolves aim to improve on an inconsistent 2022/23 campaign.

For all the potential frustration surrounding Liverpool's potential lack of recruitment of late – particularly with regard to the midfield ranks – the Merseyside outfit have seemingly remained astute operators when it comes to moving players on, having recouped a tidy sum with player sales last summer.

Jurgen Klopp and co notably sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich for a fee of around £35m – despite the Senegalese forward having had just a year left on his deal – while also raking in around £16m with the departure of academy graduate Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest.

In hindsight, it also looks as if the Anfield hierarchy struck gold with the sale of Japan international, Takumi Minamino, with the 28-year-old having seen his stock plummet since joining Ligue 1 side Monaco on a £15.4m deal last June.

How much is Minamino worth now?

The Premier League giants had originally snapped up the dynamic forward for what appeared to be a bargain price of just £7.25m back in December 2019, with the 5 foot 8 ace having previously shone during his time at Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg, scoring 64 goals and registering 43 assists for the club in 199 games across all fronts.

Hailed as a "wonderful signing" at the time of his arrival in England by Klopp, Minamino was rarely afforded a real chance to prove his worth in the side on a consistent basis, having been unable to dislodge the starting trio of Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah in attack.

As it proved, the one-time Gamba Osaka man would go on to score 14 times in 55 games in all competitions during his time with the Reds, albeit with only four of those coming for the club in the top flight.

Despite having been lauded as a "machine" and described as someone who "defends like a Devil" by Klopp, the 47-cap menace was restricted to a sporadic, impact role at Anfield, having also spent the tail-end of the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Southampton.

After making just 11 league appearances last season, the diminutive playmaker was ultimately allowed to depart for Stade Louis II ahead of the current campaign, with Liverpool raking in almost double what they had originally paid for the player just a few years earlier.

That sale now looks even more impressive due to the decrease in Minamino's valuation, with CIES Football Observatory noting that the forward is now worth as little as £7m, despite still having just over three years left to run on his existing deal.

It has proven a difficult debut campaign in France, in truth, for the £78k-per-week man as he has been restricted to just seven league starts to date, chipping in with one goal and three assists in that time.

Those woes even ensured that the struggling figure was branded the biggest 'flop' of the season earlier in the campaign by French outlet, Quotidien Du Sport, while that claim was also backed up by journalist Nabil Djellit who claimed he was a "flop player".

As such, it truly looks as if Klopp and co pulled off a real coup by managing to sell the player for a handsome profit.

Celtic are thought to be readying a new ‘huge’ contract offer for manager Ange Postecoglou, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Transformation

Postecoglou arrived in Glasgow back in the summer of 2021 from Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos and has helped turn things around at Parkhead. The 57-year-old has won 76 of his 102 games in charge of the Hoops, with his side averaging an impressive 2.54 goals per game.

The manager has won three trophies so far during his tenure and is on course to retain the Scottish Premiership title ahead of rivals Rangers this season, with the Hoops currently nine points clear at the top of the table.

Postecoglou could also guide Celtic to a domestic treble over the coming months after already securing the League Cup, however, his current contract is set to expire in the summer. He has been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months, with Tottenham the latest English club to be backed for a swoop.

The Latest: Off-field update

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey provided an update he’s heard from Parkhead in the last 48 hours regarding Postecoglou. He stated that the Hoops want to tie the manager down to a new long-term deal after recent interest from the Premier League.

Celtic are ready to increase Postecoglou’s wages, with a ‘source with knowledge of the situation’ revealing that Celtic are preparing a “huge” offer which may include a release clause.

The Verdict: Good news

Postecoglou has only been on a 12-month rolling deal since taking over from Neil Lennon, so it is good to see that the club want to finalise a long-term agreement following plenty of speculation over a possible exit. He’s made an immediate positive impact and actually has a better record with Celtic than any of his previous clubs.

Celtic also appear to be doing everything they can to keep Postecoglou when it comes to their current squad, with the club working hard to keep Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and Jota, players who Postecoglou views as key.

They are even planning to add to their squad with three headline signings in the summer, with Postecoglou targeting a new centre-back, central midfielder and striker. Therefore, should the manager and club officials remain on the same page reading into the summer, you’d like to think that a long-term contract could be agreed upon over the coming months, which may prove to be the most important piece of business.

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson Royal missed the game on Saturday against Nottingham Forest after struggling with a knee injury.

Why didn't Emerson Royal play against Forest?

Since the arrival of Pedro Porro in January, the Brazilian right-back has impressed massively for the Lilywhites and has kept ahold of the starting spot for the majority of the games since.

However, he was not included in the game on the weekend as Spurs took all three points against Forest as Porro starting at right wing-back.

Emerson did play 70 minutes on Wednesday night as AC Milan knocked the Londoners out of the Champions League with their 1-0 aggregate victory.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the Brazilian's injury issue is to do with his knee and is something which continues to flare up:

(52:20) "Emerson's got a little, he's got this problem in his knee that kind of keeps flaring up at the moment, occasionally, so obviously Porro got his chance again."

What does this mean for Porro's game time?

As aforementioned, since arriving in north London, Porro has not exactly had a smooth transition into life in the Premier League as he shared the minutes with Emerson.

But he has started the last two Premier League games now for Spurs and his performances have continued to develop after he made an impression coming on against Milan.

And he did so again on the weekend as he grabbed his first assist for the club with a superb cross which Harry Kane was able to head home.

Gold awarded the Spaniard with an 8/10 rating for his display in the game on Saturday as he played a role in all three of the goals for the hosts.

With Emerson struggling with an ongoing issue, this feels like the perfect opportunity for Porro to nail down some consistent displays for Spurs in the starting XI.

Because Emerson's displays have been so impressive recently it has felt perhaps a little unfair to dislodge him from the team just because of Porro's arrival.

But at the end of the day, Porro is a big-money signing for Spurs and fans will want to see him on the pitch as well as Antonio Conte who will have likely been crying out for a natural right wing-back in January.

There is definitely room for improvement in his game having lost possession 22 times and been dribbled past on five occasions (via SofaScore).

However, it does seem as if he could be set to be handed some back-to-back starts in the league if Emerson's issue is something Spurs want to treat with caution.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has said that ‘there are legs’ in speculation linking Leeds United with a move for Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Nuno rumours

Nuno appears to be on the Elland Road managerial radar despite the club confirming this week that Michael Skubala will remain in temporary charge.

Reports have suggested that an interview has been held between the Whites and the Al-Ittihad manager, who is a surprise contender to take over in Yorkshire. There has even been speculation claiming that Leeds plan to pay Nuno’s €5m release clause.

The Latest: Jacobs’ comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs appeared to confirm that Leeds are eyeing the former Wolves and Tottenham manager. However, the journalist then said that moves for either Frank Lampard or Steven Gerrard could be a worry.

“There are legs in the Nuno Espirito Santo links and he’s a manager that comes with Premier League experience.

“I think that there’s more of a worry around Lampard or Gerrard. Gerrard is probably, of those two, the one that has been more closely linked because Leeds need a manager with a proven capability of firefighting. It’s not easy to walk into that Leeds United dressing room mid-season.”

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The Verdict: Needed

As Jacobs mentions, Nuno has the Premier League experience that appears to be required at Leeds right now. Without a top flight victory since November, the Whites find themselves in another battle to avoid the drop, with Nuno impressing in Saudi Arabia, winning his last seven games.

Even if the worst was to happen and Leeds were to be relegated back to the Championship, the 49-year-old has experience of guiding a club back to the Premier Legaue, winning the second-tier title at Molineux.

Overall, Nuno has 211 wins as a manager from 428 games, so he could be the ideal candidate at this moment in time after moves for Raul, Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Marcelo Gallardo failed to go through.

Transfer expert Christian Falk has backed up reported interest from Everton in signing Hoffenheim central midfielder Dennis Geiger in the summer.

The Lowdown: Everton interest

It was reported earlier this week that Everton are interested in signing Geiger once his contract expires in the summer.

The Hoffenheim academy graduate, who ranks highly on FBRef’s assist and shot-creating metrics, is currently set to leave as a free agent, although a contract extension has not yet been ruled out.

The Latest: Interest ‘serious’

Writing in his latest column for CaughtOffside, Falk has backed up Everton’s interest in Geiger, saying that it is ‘serious’, but they face competition from both Frankfurt and Benfica for his signature:

“Dennis Geiger could become Sean Dyche’s first signing for Everton. There is serious interest there, he’s 24 and is set to become a free agent in the summer.

“Also, Frankfurt and Benfica are interested, so I think there will be competition between Frankfurt and Everton.

“Frankfurt has to act on the position and they need someone but Everton has a bit more money. I think Geiger’s future could be up to these two clubs.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Everton need to make sure that they get this deal done ahead of the competition, as signing Geiger could be a really smart piece of business on a free transfer.

No player in the in the Toffees squad currently averages more key passes per game in the Premier League than he does in the Bundesliga (1.7), while only Idrissa Gueye can match his 86.2% pass accuracy in terms of Blues midfielders.

Lauded as a ‘real live-wire‘ by his former team-mate Sandro Wagner, Geiger would bring a lot of energy into the midfield as well as guile, and at 24 years of age, the Merseyside club simply cannot go wrong with this deal.

Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom has revealed Brandon Williams could leave Manchester United on loan before the January window comes to an end.

What’s the word?

With transfer deadline day now upon us, many Red Devils fans will be keeping a close eye on who could potentially be added to Erik ten Hag’s squad in the final hours.

For instance, United are now in talks with Bayern Munich over a loan deal for Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer as he could help fill the void left by Christian Eriksen’s long-term injury.

However, the club may also be looking to shift a few players on loan. While speaking about it on Sky Sports News, Ransom explained that he was the only first-team option likely to head out at this stage.

He said (1:08:10): “Brandon Williams though is the one player in the first-team squad – in and around the first-team squad, probably a better way of describing him – who could still leave on loan today.

“It’s whether the United get an option that they deem suitable for him to go and get some first-team football.”

Time to head out

United winger Anthony Elanga has been linked with a move to Barcelona but with Ransom suggesting Williams is likely to be the only loan exit, it looks as though the 20-year-old will be staying put.

The young left-back has played just five minutes of football all season – coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup – and so it’s no shock to hear that the club might be willing to let him go.

At 22 years of age, he really needs to be playing more regular football and he did at least get that on loan at Norwich City last term as he played 26 times in the Premier League.

It remains to be seen as to who might be keen on making a move for Williams and if they can make a good enough offer to United but it sounds as though this could develop in the coming hours.

Sunderland may have to wait until the summer transfer window to sign young Genk forward Andras Nemeth, according to a fresh transfer report.

The Lowdown: Sunderland linked with Nemeth signing

The 20-year-old is struggling to be a key man for the Belgian giants currently, only managing one goal and assist apiece in 15 Jupiler Pro League appearances this season.

Nemeth has been linked with a move to Sunderland in recent times, as Tony Mowbray looks to improve his attacking options at the Stadium of Light.

A new update suggests that the Black Cats may have to bide their time, though.

The Latest: Summer move more likely

According to Het Nieuwsblad [via Sport Witness], Genk ‘do not want to talk about an immediate transfer’ when it comes to Nemeth and teammate Mika Godts, putting paid to a January move happening.

His current team feel he ‘could also be of great value’ to their reserve team in the second half of the season.

The Verdict: Go for him at the end of the season

This is a disappointing update for Sunderland, who may have to been hoping for a January deal, so they may now have to turn their attention elsewhere.

A summer move for Nemeth should still be attempted, however, with the youngster scoring eight goals in 11 appearances for Hungary’s Under-21s, as well as netting in his only senior cap to date.

At 20, he could be a long-term addition, too, maturing as a player and learning from an in-form Ross Stewart at Sunderland, before potentially partnering him in attack.

West Ham United have failed to replicate last season’s Premier League form in this campaign, with David Moyes’ side being dragged into a relegation battle that no supporter would have foreseen during the summer.

They have conceded 24 goals in 18 matches and Moyes will be keen on improving his defensive options during the January transfer window.

One player that could potentially be a great fit at the London Stadium is Manchester United defender Harry Maguire and former England defender Stuart Pearce has endorsed a move for the centre-back while speaking to talkSPORT, saying:

“If I was West Ham, if I was Newcastle, if I was Aston Villa, I’d be all over trying to get Harry Maguire out of there. I’d be asking the question whether he’s available. He’d be a brilliant addition to a football club.

“He’s the right age, the right stature, right experience. He might just need another challenge now as he’s not getting regular football.”

Maguire would be the perfect Ogbonna heir

Ogbonna has played 213 matches for West Ham since joining in 2015, however with his contract expiring at the end of the season and a lack of game times this term, it is likely that he will depart the club.

Maguire would be an excellent addition to Moyes’ defence and with the Englishman making just 12 appearances across all competitions this term, it could be time for him to depart United.

His ability shouldn’t be questioned, especially considering the 29-year-old was superb at the World Cup for England, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.34 across five matches.

He played in a team that kept three clean sheets, while Maguire made 1.4 tackles, 3.6 clearances, and 0.8 interceptions while also winning an impressive 68% of his total duels, proving just how effective he can be when on form.

Former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann once described the 53-cap England colossus as a “mustang”, current United boss Erik ten Hag doesn’t seem convinced by his abilities and this could lead Moyes to lure the player to London in search of regular game time.

He still has plenty of years left in the tank and could become a cornerstone at West Ham, with slightly less pressure and more minutes of action, Maguire could finally replicate his national team form at club level.