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Ajinkya Rahane and Peter Handscomb staged an outstanding match-winning partnership of 120 as Leicestershire beat Gloucestershire by four wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern Method at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to book a quarter-final berth in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Chasing a revised target of 196 in a contest reduced by rain to 36 overs a side, the Foxes registered their fifth win in six games in Group B with 14 balls to spare, the fourth-wicket pair of Handscomb and Rahane scoring 65 not out and 62 respectively.Having already raised two hundreds in the competition this season, Handscomb reaffirmed his rich vein of form, the Australian mustering five fours and two sixes in a superbly-judged innings off 70 balls, while Louis Kimber contributed a quickfire 28 in 18 balls to put the outcome beyond doubt as Leicestershire recovered from 19 for 3 to win with something to spare.Put into bat on a used pitch beneath low cloud cover, Gloucestershire struggled to build partnerships and came up short on 192 for 9, Cameron Bancroft top-scoring with 36.Leicestershire took full advantage of the damp conditions, seamer Tom Scriven claiming 3 for 37 from seven overs and Liam Trevaskis and Alex Green weighing in with two wickets apiece in a disciplined performance with the ball.Victory helped defending champions Leicestershire secure a second-place finish in Group B and their reward will be a home quarter-final tie against Hampshire at Grace Road on Friday in a repeat of last season’s final.Their confidence high on the back of four wins in five matches, Gloucestershire were buoyed by an opening stand of 50 between Bancroft and Miles Hammond in 10.4 overs. But things changed quickly following the introduction of Scriven, who bowled Hammond for 19 to spark a decline which saw the home side lose seven wickets for 95 runs in 18 overs.Gloucestershire’s cause was further hindered by the return of rain, the elements forcing the players to leave the field with the score on 55 for 1 after 12 overs. When play finally resumed, a further four overs had been lost and the situation now required urgency on the part of Bancroft and new batsman Joe Phillips.Leicestershire made the most of favourable circumstances to assume control thereafter. Bancroft had advanced his total to 36 from 51 balls when, no doubt frustrated by lack of progress, he chanced his arm against Scriven, attempting an expansive on-drive and falling to a brilliant diving catch by Handscomb at mid-on.Teenage seamer Green then had Phillips, who had scratched 10 from 32 balls, held by Rahane at mid-wicket to reduce the hosts to 76 for 3.The defending champions continued to turn the screw, slow left armer Trevaskis luring dangerman Jack Taylor into an ugly shot, Gloucestershire’s captain holing out to short fine leg for eight. Scriven accounted for James Bracey for 18, the left-hander falling to another fine catch at mid-on by Handscomb, at which point Gloucestershire were 109-5 and in danger of falling short.With 11 overs in which to make an impact, Irish international Curtis Campher announced himself with two successive sixes at the expense of Green, only to be caught at the wicket off the bowling of Roman Walker after raising 21 from 14 balls, a score matched by Ben Charlesworth when he was bowled by Trevaskis.It was left to Graeme van Buuren and Tom Smith to pick up the pieces, Gloucestershire’s veterans deploying all their considerable knowhow to stage a restorative alliance of 32 in 6.1 overs for the eighth wicket. Green had van Buuren held in the deep for 17 in the penultimate over, Smith finishing on 27 not out from 23 balls.A Gloucestershire bowling unit denuded by injury and call-ups to The Hundred and England Lions, nevertheless made the perfect start, Josh Shaw striking with his first and fifth deliveries to remove Ian Holland and Lewis Hill without scoring. Fellow seamer Dom Goodman got in on the act in the sixth over, Sol Budinger miss-timing a pull shot and holing out to mid-on as the Foxes slipped to 19-3, requiring a further 177 to win at 5.8 an over and already heavily dependent upon Rahane and Handscomb.Leicestershire’s fourth wicket pair saw off the new ball bowlers, punished the occasional poor delivery during tight spells from Campher and Smith and took advantage when Gloucestershire, short of seam options, sought recourse in Charlesworth for the first time this season, to stage a 50 partnership in 10 overs and put pressure back on the home side.Rahane was first to his half century, attaining that landmark via 59 deliveries and bringing up the 100 partnership in the process, while Handscomb required seven balls fewer to realise 50 as the required rate came down to five an over for the first time.Having accrued 7 fours and a brace of sixes, Rahane was looking to accelerate when his 76-ball innings came to an abrupt halt, Hammond taking a catch at short extra off the bowling of Smith to afford Gloucestershire the breakthrough they so desperately needed. But Kimber promptly smashed 23 in one over from van Buuren, helping himself to 3 sixes and a four, to effectively quash any prospect of a West Country revival.

Celtic are taking stock ahead of another busy transfer window and could now be set to field interest in one of their star players from the Premier League, according to a report.

Celtic set to pursue reinforcements in the wide areas

By now, everyone knows that Celtic are in the market to buy a striker this summer and several names have began to crop up on their radar to address the position, including Telstar forward Youssef El Kachati.

However, their pursuit of a winger over the coming months is arguably just as important, especially when you factor in that Jota is a long-term injury casualty at Parkhead.

The iconic Portuguese winger is set to be out for another six months, give or take, meaning there is plenty of room to secure another body or two to prop up Brendan Rodgers’ range of options.

Sarpsborg talent Sondre Orjasaeter was a Celtic target in January and there is every chance the reigning Scottish champions could return to bid for the Norwegian during the window, albeit he won’t be the only name on their shortlist.

Royal Antwerp’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha has also been mentioned in connection with a move to Glasgow and could be available due to his current employers’ wish to cut costs drastically during the summer.

Jeremie Frimpong repeat: Celtic eyeing move for "outstanding" £1m star

Celtic are lining up a move for an English full-back who could be a repeat of Jeremie Frimpong.

ByDan Emery Jun 2, 2025

Daizen Maeda had to feature out wide and as a centre-forward during the second half of the campaign, and it would be wise for Rodgers to provide cover for the Japanese attacker in light of his extraordinary 33-goal campaign for the Bhoys.

Nevertheless, Celtic are also aware that everyone has their price; something that could now be put to the test if recent developments are to be believed.

Brentford emerge as frontrunners to sign Nicolas Kuhn

According to TEAMtalk, Brentford are now frontrunners to sign Nicolas Kuhn from Celtic as they search for potential replacements in light of developments that could point Bryan Mbeumo in the direction of Manchester United, while he also has interest from Arsenal.

The outlet claim a bid of around £20 million could be difficult to reject for the Bhoys, who have made a habit of regularly selling players for profit down the years.

Nicolas Kuhn’s 2024/25 campaign – all competitions

Appearances

51

Goals

21

Assists

15

Mbeumo could be set for Old Trafford if the Red Devils pay in excess of £60 million, and Brentford have turned their attention to the former Germany Under-20 international alongside Brighton & Hove Albion and three other unnamed English top-flight clubs.

Fashioning 52 chances on Scottish Premiership duty, Kuhn was a thorn in the side of opposition defences and has previously been labelled “breathtaking” by Marvin Bartley due to his excellent attacking displays.

Celtic won’t want to lose one of their prize assets. However, they usually do make a signature sale at this time of year, so it is a scenario that cannot be ruled out.

Mohamed Salah is a player who’s exceeded all expectations at Liverpool Football Club, taking the club to new heights in the eight years he’s spent at the club.

The Egyptian joined the Reds in a £34m deal from Roma back in the summer of 2017 and has since registered over 400 appearances, breaking all sorts of records along the way.

He notched a total of 29 goals and 18 assists in his 38 Premier League outings, matching the record for the most combined goal contributions – highlighting his impact within the final third.

The 2024/25 campaign was the fourth time the 32-year-old had claimed the division’s Golden Boot award, with his efforts undoubtedly leading Arne Slot’s side to title glory.

However, many other attackers on the books have struggled to make a similar impact at Anfield, with the manager needing to delve into the transfer market as a result.

Liverpool’s deals to land new attackers over recent years

The likes of Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz have all been signed by Liverpool in the last couple of seasons, costing a pretty penny in the process.

The trio have set the hierarchy back around £180m, but have struggled to deliver to the same level as Salah – scoring just 28 between them, lower than the Egyptian managed alone.

All three of the players have been linked with a switch away from Merseyside over the summer months, showcasing how much they’ve struggled to deliver on a consistent basis.

Saudi Arabia, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been touted as possible destinations for the current Reds attackers, but it’s unclear if the hierarchy would be willing to allow them all to leave.

However, if they were to leave the club, it would provide vital funds for Slot to land targets he wants to improve the side, leading to noise about potential additions.

The player who could be Liverpool’s best attacker since Salah

In recent days, Florian Wirtz has been labelled as a potential addition for Liverpool, with talks already being held to land the 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

The Bayer Leverkusen star has impressed throughout 2024/25, registering 30 combined goals and assists, with Bayern Munich also interested in his signature this summer.

However, it’s been claimed that the youngster only wants a switch to Anfield this summer, potentially linking up with current teammate Jeremie Frimpong in the process.

Despite the links to Wirtz, the Reds have also been linked with a move for Atlético Madrid’s Julian Alvarez over the last few weeks, with a real emphasis on improving the club’s front line.

The Argentine has also impressed massively this campaign, registering 36 combined goals and assists, offering a versatile option that can play right across Slot’s frontline.

He only joined the LaLiga outfit from Manchester City last summer, but could be on the move again, should any side agree to pay his lofty £126m release clause during the off-season.

Alvarez, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one journalist, has enjoyed the best year of his career, helping Diego Simeone’s side register a third-placed finish in Spain’s top-flight.

Games played

37

35

30

36

31

Goals & assists

23

14

7

18

22

Goals per 90

0.6

0.4

0.4

0.4

0.3

Shot-on-target accuracy

51%

38%

38%

42%

47%

Shots on target per game

1.3

1

1

1.1

1.2

Take-on success

52%

50%

34%

45%

49%

Aerials won

40%

39%

37%

25%

20%

When delving into his underlying stats, he’s outperformed current Liverpool stars Gakpo, Diaz and Nunez, whilst also being a better option than Wirtz for the Reds.

He’s registered the most combined goal contributions, handing Slot the added dimension in attacking areas to give the side the best chance of retaining their title.

Alvarez has also managed a higher shot on target rate than the quartet, showcasing the clinical edge that he could provide the squad in 2025/26 should he complete a switch to Merseyside.

The £105m fee mooted for his services is certainly a huge investment, but one that could allow him to follow in the footsteps of Salah and become a fan-favourite under Slot.

If he gets anywhere near close to the levels produced by the Egyptian, he will be a sensational signing, one that would allow Slot to have another deadly attacker at his disposal ahead of next season.

Slot's answer to Huijsen: Liverpool enquire about signing £74m "freak"

Liverpool would consider signing a centre-back this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 28, 2025

Part and parcel of promotion to the Premier League is the reality that some players are not going to be a part of Leeds United’s future beyond this summer.

Players who did not play regularly in the Championship may not be suited to playing in the top-flight, given that they were not deemed good enough at a lower level, and that is why Patrick Bamford could be in trouble.

The English forward only played 17 times in the league in the 2024/25 season, coming off the bench in all of those outings, and failed to provide a single goal or assist to the team.

No final decision on his future has been communicated by the club or player, but his lack of minutes last season does not suggest that he is likely to be a key player in the top-flight next term.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Meanwhile, another member of Daniel Farke’s first-team squad has already revealed that the club have made a decision on his future at Elland Road.

Max Wober's statement on his Leeds future

Whilst on international duty with Austria, central defender Max Wober has confirmed that the Premier League side have told him to leave during the summer transfer window, as they want to cash in on him.

He told Krone: “Leeds have already told me clearly that they want to sell me.”

Wober’s contract at Elland Road does not expire until the summer of 2027, though, so a team will have to come in with an offer to sign him if they want to move on from the Austrian flop on a permanent basis.

Leeds paid a reported fee of £11m to sign the left-footed dud from RB Salzburg in January 2023, under Jesse Marsch, but it remains to be seen how much of that fee the club would want back for him.

Why Wober must go before Bamford

The West Yorkshire outfit must push the Austria international out of the door at Elland Road this summer before Bamford because he does not, on paper, look to be a player who will provide much value to the squad.

Wober, who was described as “half-hearted” and “slow” against Hull by pundit Tony Dorigo, only played eight times in the Championship this season, playing half as many matches as the striker, and endured a rough time in the Premier League last time out.

22/23 Premier League

Max Wober

Appearances

16

Starts

14

Clean sheets

2

Dribbled past

8x

Duel success rate

53%

Penalties committed

1

Error led to shot

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Austrian flop played for Leeds in the second half of their relegation season and failed to step up, with two clean sheets in 16 games.

These statistics, coupled with his lack of minutes this term, suggest that he is unlikely to make the step up to the Premier League, which is why it is a good decision by the club to tell him to move on.

Bamford, meanwhile, may not be a frontline option for Leeds, given his struggles this season, but he is an experienced player who could provide value off the bench and around the squad.

The 31-year-old striker has scored 24 goals and provided 14 assists in 104 Premier League games in his career, including 17 goals in the 2020/21 campaign under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford has been there and done it in the top-flight in the past and could impart his experience and wisdom to the younger and less experienced members of the squad as a back-up option next season.

That is not to say that Leeds must keep the striker at Elland Road, as a move for him to go and play regular football could still suit all parties, but he has more to offer the team than Wober, who does not have any past success in the Premier League.

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Therefore, Leeds should make selling Wober a big priority this summer, whilst they can afford to be relaxed about Bamford and his situation.

It promises to be an important and busy summer at Celtic.

Despite being on the brink of a sixth domestic treble in just nine seasons, progress in Europe remains Brendan Rodgers’ primary ambition, so he’ll want to bolster his squad, seeking to better Celtic’s run to the Champions League first knockout round this season.

Well, just to get into next term’s league phase, the Hoops will have to come through a play-off in August, which certainly will not be straightforward, given that their opponents are currently projected to be one of Crvena zvezda, Bodø/Glimt, København, Ferencváros or Dinamo Zagreb.

Thus, Rodgers will be eager to get Celtic’s summer business done as early and as expediently as possible. The need to replace Jota is an important matter.

The latest on Jota's injury

Earlier this month, Rodgers confirmed what every Celtic supporter had feared, revealing that Jota had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament at Tannadice against Dundee United, meaning he will be sidelined for “six to nine months”.

The Portuguese winger only returned to Glasgow as recently as January, rejoining from Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £8m, having been sold to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League for a club-record £25m a year and a half earlier.

Jota marked his return by scoring against Motherwell at Fir Park, on target five times in 16 appearances for the Celts since returning in total but, sadly, we will not see him on a pitch any time soon.

Thus, in need of a new wide attacker, could Celtic secure a very highly-rated winger?

The Jota replacement that Celtic must sign

Reports from Spain back in January suggested that Celtic were ‘considering’ a move to sign Real Valladolid winger Raúl Moro.

During the winter transfer window, Ajax technical director Alex Kroes went public with the Dutch giant’s interest in Moro, exclaiming “we are interested… yes”, adding that the 22-year-old “can play on both the left and right wings”.

Moro joined Valladolid permanently from Lazio, following a one-year loan spell, last summer for a reported fee of €2.5m (around £2.1m), but reports now believe he is valued at £8.5m.

Los Blanquivioletas though, are under pressure to sell, having been relegated from La Liga, collecting just 16 points all season, making Moro’s eye-catching performances all the more impressive.

Ryan McDonald of the Daily Record describes the Spaniard as a ‘rising star’ whose career has ‘exploded into life’ this season, while data analyst Berk Bekgöz believes he has been “one of the standout players in La Liga​​​​​​​” this year, praising his “speed, agility, and effective dribbling”.

​​​​​​​So, let’s assess how Moro and Jota compare.

Appearances

26

32

Minutes

1,144

2,256

Goals

6

5

Assists

3

6

Shots

21

44

Shots on target %

52.4%

36.4%

Progressive carries

17

103

Attempted take-ons

19

125

Take-on success %

36.8%

43.2%

Big chances created

3

8

As the table outlines, Moro’s statistics this season are almost universally more impressive, while taking into account he’s played over 1,100 minutes more, but this is surely offset by the fact that Valladolid are one of the worst teams in La Liga history.

The highly-rated youngster is surely not going to stick around for a campaign in the Segunda División, so will more than likely be on the move this summer and, while they face competition from other clubs, Celtic should do all they can to secure his services.

Dream Jota replacement: Celtic line up move for "wonderful" £10m-rated star

Celtic could land a dream replacement for the injured Jota by signing this star.

ByDan Emery May 14, 2025

This summer is a huge one for Liverpool football club if they are to sustain the success they’ve achieved in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm on Merseyside.

The Reds have claimed the Premier League title for just the second time in 2024/25, achieving such a feat with multiple games to spare, highlighting the impressive job done by the Dutchman.

Many supporters undoubtedly had fears for the side after Jürgen Klopp’s departure last summer, but it’s safe to say Slot has rapidly put those worries to bed.

He has the opportunity to create a new era of success for a generation of the fanbase, but it’s crucial that the board backs him in his quest by landing him the targets he wants.

With just a couple of weeks until the transfer window opens, work has already been done behind the scenes to land targets who would drastically improve the options at the manager’s disposal.

The latest on Liverpool’s hunt for new defenders this summer

Whilst boasting the second-best defensive record in the Premier League, Liverpool are still in the market for added reinforcements in such a department.

Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez has been their number one option to strengthen the left-back department, with the Cherries demanding a fee in the region of £40m for his signature.

However, the Hungarian might not be the only star to join the Reds from Andoni Iraola’s side in the coming months, with Dean Huijsen on their radar, according to one Spanish report.

It claims that Slot’s side have already made an offer to the 20-year-old’s representatives over a summer switch to Anfield, but face competition from sides such as Real Madrid and Chelsea.

It also states that it remains to be seen whether he will stay in England or move to LaLiga during the off-season, with multiple outfits willing to trigger his £50m release clause in his contract.

Why Liverpool’s £50m target would be better than Murillo

Huijsen isn’t the only defender linked with a switch to join Liverpool in the near future, with Nottingham Forest’s Brazilian star Murillo emerging as another target for Slot’s men.

The 22-year-old has been a key part of their hunt for a Champions League spot, having a real impact at both ends of the pitch – as seen by his goal against Crystal Palace earlier this week.

He’s a unique option in today’s market, taking pride in his ball-playing ability, always offering a presence in driving out with the ball from the back and playing a diagonal pass to a teammate – but could cost a fee in the region of £80m.

However, despite his eye-catching ability at the City Ground, the hierarchy should still prioritise a move for Bournemouth star Huijsen, with the Spaniard a better option in 2025.

When comparing his stats to those of Murillo this campaign, he’s managed to outperform him in numerous key areas – handing the manager a perfect partner to Virgil Van Dijk.

Huijsen, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has completed more progressive carries per 90 whilst also completing more of the passes he’s attempted – showcasing his impressive ability on the ball.

How Huijsen compares to Murillo in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Huijsen

Murillo

Games played

29

34

Goals & assists

4

2

Progressive carries

1.5

0.6

Progressive passes

4.7

3.1

Pass accuracy

83%

78%

% of tackles won

60%

58%

Interceptions made

1.9

0.9

Aerials won

2.6

1.2

Stats via FBref

He’s also won more of the tackles he’s entered to date and made more interceptions, highlighting that he’s a better option than Murillo without the ball – further improving the club’s impressive defensive record.

Given the difference in stats, it should be a no-brainer for the club, not to mention saving themselves £30m if they were to make a move for Huijsen instead of the Forest gem.

Such a saving could allow for added investment into other key areas of the first-team squad, further improving their chances of making it back-to-back triumphs in the Premier League next season.

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Arsenal have held talks to sign a once-marquee forward “in recent days”, and he was likely impressed by Mikel Arteta’s side last night as they hammered Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in hugely important Champions League win

Arsenal wowed on-lookers with a stunning victory over the European champions on Tuesday evening, courtesy of two sublime free-kicks from club-record signing Declan Rice and a brilliant Mikel Merino finish.

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Eduardo Camavinga was also sent off in the dying minutes of the game and the France international is set to miss their return leg in Spain as a result, compounding Real’s misery in what was a real night to forget for the La Liga heavyweights.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

It was a statement performance by the Gunners, who put Real to the sword and placed one foot in the Champions League semi-final draw, but history shows they cannot take the second leg at the Bernabeu lightly, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men have sparked unlikely comebacks in previous seasons.

“I’m very proud, we had a very complete and big performance collectively, and you need that in the organisation and what we had to do to dominate the game and to create Madrid problems,” said Arteta after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Real.

“This night is about all two factors, one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off is something I haven’t seen before, so playing with that energy, with that commitment, with your crowd makes a huge difference. And then magic moments, individual moments that decide all matches and the first two goals of Declan sums up the night.”

Following last night’s display, Arsenal’s odds of winning the tournament have increased dramatically, and supporters will be hopeful they can put Real to bed and go on to make history by winning their first-ever Champions League title.

An impressive run in Europe would also do wonders to attract key summer transfer targets, with new sporting director Andrea Berta already working on potential Arsenal signings for next season.

Arsenal hold "fresh" Leroy Sane talks "in recent days"

As things stand, the north Londoners still have a chance of signing former Man City forward and Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane on a Bosman deal.

The Germany international, who once commanded a £137 million price tag when he was at Eastlands, could leave for nothing if his contract is allowed to expire on June 30th, but Bayern remain at work to tie him down.

That is according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, who also says Arsenal have held “fresh talks” with Sane “in recent days”.

The 29-year-old has 11 goals and five assists to his name in all competitions this season, adding to his overall total of 59 strikes and 54 assists since joining the Bavarians, and he’s a proven big-game player.

There is little denying Sane would be an excellent alternative to Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side, but much will hinder on Bayern’s attempts to wrap up a new deal.

He stamped his aura on the last day of the English Test season, putting the seal on a famous Sri Lanka win

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Sep-2024Pathum Nissanka’s celebration for his second Test century was familiar but still as crisp as ever.Helmet in one hand, bat in the other, arms outstretched, and hair on point. Still for a moment, milking the ovation from the near-10000 here on Monday at the Kia Oval. A facsimile Jude Bellingham stance, albeit a good foot shorter, but with just as much aura. It said all that needed to be said; “you came for the last day of the English Test season, but you’ll leave thinking of me”.There were not many better candidates for Sri Lanka’s hero in this third Test. The neatness to Sri Lanka registering a first win at the Kia Oval since 1998, thanks to a man born earlier that year. Likewise, that a fourth Test win on these shores was steered home by someone skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was happy to label “the best batsman in Sri Lanka right now” during the post-match presentations. He will join the likes of Don Bradman and Gordon Greenidge as the seventh overseas batter to strike a fourth-innings hundred in a winning cause.The overnight split of Nissanka’s unbeaten 127 – 53 off 44 on Sunday evening, 74 off 80 the next morning – speaks to its pro-activeness. Sharp out the gates, calmness throughout, particularly in Autumnal conditions for part two – then a kick over the finish line with a flurry of boundaries.Related

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The instructions at the start of the pursuit of 219 were simply to play with freedom. “What I told him was that even in 50 balls, he scores 150, I’m happy with that,” revealed Sanath Jayasuriya. “What we need is runs.” Runs are what they got, though perhaps not quite at the lick their interim coach suggested to the hero of the piece.England still took the series, of course. But there was a sting to how easily they were dispatched by such measured yet attacking verve. Nissanka did unto them as they strive to do to others.But don’t get it twisted. Nissanka wasn’t simply the best version of England, he was the best version of himself. And that is no accident, nor is it simply a story about steady technical progression, but rather steady growth.The 30 months between centuries number one on debut and this one in his 11th cap speak for themselves, as do the contrasts. Against West Indies in March 2021, he spent 19 minutes shy of six hours at the crease, eventually finishing with 103 from 252 balls. He ends this match with 191 off a total of 175, and the unique honour of being the ninth batter in Test history to pass fifty in fewer than fifty balls in both innings.And yet, both are true reflections of Nissanka. That arrival on the Test scene was predicated by an average of 65 in Sri Lanka’s first-class system, which didn’t just set him apart from the rest, but had beards trying to discern whether he was a phenomenon or just an anomaly. Given the country’s batting production line had slowed to a chug, there was a temptation to settle on the latter.Angelo Mathews and Pathum Nissanka celebrate Sri Lanka’s famous win•Getty ImagesMickey Arthur, Sri Lanka coach at the time, knew they had a good one, but could also see how this “different beast”, as he put it, needed to be honed rather than tamed. “I guess mentally we had to give him assurances that this is where we wanted him to play. This is what we wanted him to do. And irrespective of whether he was a success, we still backed him.”Things did not necessarily play out that way, even if Nissanka did have a solid enough average of 38.35 from his first nine caps, before a two-year hiatus. That was essentially the result of a back injury that initially sidelined him, before a long-term hamstring niggle that ended up ring-fencing him for limited-overs cricket.White ball cricket, however, did not come all that easy until 2022, when he seemingly got bitten by a radioactive Sanath. The assumption of a new penchant for risk – rooted in hardwired knack for picking up length – came alongside a greater selection of shots to choose them. And the six one-day centuries that followed, including becoming the first Sri Lanka batter to strike an ODI double-hundred at the start of this year, ingrained a new natural game in Nissanka that has finally made it to the Test stage.Across the four innings he has played on this tour, his 26 fours are more than half what he managed in the previous 15. The Olly Stone bouncers he sent into the stands at backward square leg on Sunday have now trebled his overall tally of Test sixes.

“A facsimile Jude Bellingham stance, albeit a good foot shorter, but with just as much aura. It said all that needed to be said; “you came for the last day of the English Test season, but you’ll leave thinking of me””

As Nissanka blocked everything worth blocking, while still managing to guide boundaries whether driving or leaping off his toes to cut through point, before finally opening his wrists into a drive in that region to confirm victory, it seemed crazy he missed that first Test. The reasons for that were nothing more than loyalty to Nishan Madushka as the man in possession of the openers’ spot.”Pathum came in after a long time with his injury,” Jayasuriya explained. “And also Nishan Madushka and Dimuth (Karunaratne) – these were the guys we were playing with for almost a year, without Pathum. We wanted to give him (Madushka, eventually dropped for the third Test) the chance to play well.”The sense is that Dhananjaya wanted Nissanka in for the start. If there’s any consolation, Sri Lanka’s captain won’t be starting a series without him any time soon.There will be some inevitable patronising of Sri Lanka with this result. That it is good for the game and the wider health of Test cricket. Perhaps there is some truth to that. But at the same time, this Test veered into uninspiring patches largely because of England’s approach.Thankfully, though, Nissanka provided a classy ending – of a talent embarking on a grand new beginning.

The Zimbabwe head coach talks about the side’s recent turnaround, their World Cup ambitions, and new talent coming through the ranks

Interview by Danyal Rasool17-Aug-2022A few months ago, Zimbabwe cricket was at its nadir, their most recent ignominy a crushing home series clean sweep at Afghanistan’s hands. In a bid to try and stall the side’s downward spiral, Zimbabwe Cricket appointed former captain Dave Houghton as head coach. Since then, the team has enjoyed an astonishing revival, going unbeaten in the T20 World Cup Qualifier to book their berth in the tournament proper in Australia, following it up with T20I and ODI series wins against Bangladesh.Here, Houghton speaks about the method behind the side’s reversal of fortunes and his plans for Zimbabwe cricket.Let’s talk about the T20I series win against Bangladesh. What did that tell you about this Zimbabwe side?
Obviously we’re delighted to take that T20 series, and in the way we won it, which showed great spirit. What was key for me was that we attacked from bad positions in both the second and third matches, something we wouldn’t have done in the past. We’ve also used a number of different players through the series and that’s part of my effort to broaden our base. So that is hugely encouraging.Related

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While the standard of opposition wasn’t as good [as Bangladesh] in the [T20 World Cup] Qualifier, the amount of pressure upon us to qualify almost made up for it. The biggest thing for me, though, is that we played [against Bangladesh] with the same intensity and fearlessness as we played those qualifiers. And if we can bring that to the table during these games, I think we will be a very good challenge for most sides.You’ve had an instant impact after coming in at a low ebb for Zimbabwe cricket. Why do you think that happened?
I knew the guys pretty well. I was involved last year with local franchise cricket coaching, so I knew the players and what I’d seen last year is that there’s some very, very talented and highly skilled players. But when they play for Zimbabwe, they don’t seem to want to get their skills out.All I’ve done up until now is basically said to them that I want them to play fearless cricket. There will be no recriminations if they make mistakes. Making mistakes is a good way of learning, but I want them to go out and play with their skills, because we’ll never know how good we are until we actually put our skills on the table. I think that has been the turning point. We’ve gone out and we’ve played a good, aggressive brand of T20 cricket in particular. And some of the people that watched this were quite amazed at some of the skills our players had. It purely and simply was about them having too much fear of failure. They just weren’t able to actually play to their potential.

“I think that the team had become accustomed to losing. And unfortunately, as much as winning is a habit, so is losing, and it can be quite hard and frustrating as a coach to try and get that to change”

Sounds like there are some parallels with what Brendon McCullum seems to be doing with the England Test side.
I think he’s a slightly bigger name doing it with a slightly bigger team. It’s nice to have that comparison, but I think I have a way to go first. Let’s see how we go in six months’ time, when we’ve got through Bangladesh, India and Australia, which are some tough, tough teams, and then the World Cup, and then we’ll see if changes are made and progress has been made.What did you think you needed to change from Lalchand Rajput’s time and in what areas did you think Zimbabwe were going down the wrong direction?
It [would be] wrong of me to criticise any previous coach. But I think that the team had become accustomed to losing. And unfortunately, as much as winning is a habit, so is losing, and it can be quite hard and frustrating as a coach to try and get that to change. The board realised that as well, and made the change for Lal and myself to try and get a new voice into the change room to see if we can get an about-turn to that losing habit. But as I said, it’s been purely mental. There’s no time between now and when we get back from Australia to actually do any technical work.Did you also have different views on selection? Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams were being moved on and then they went on to play an integral role in the qualifiers?
I think in every side you need a semblance of seniority as well as your young up-and-coming players. We have a nice blend. Sean was injured for a long time and that was a shame. But it’s great to have him back. He really is a big player in our team. And so is Sikandar, and both of them are very senior, very experienced. Their cricket may have dropped in the last few months prior to me arriving, but since I’ve come back in, they’ve been mainstays of our side and have played brilliant cricket. Once these games are out of the way, I’ll go and look at the franchise systems and see what [talent] is coming up in four or five years’ time that’s going to replace our senior players.Sikandar Raza was a key figure in Zimbabwe’s series win over Bangladesh, scoring hundreds in both ODIs and fifties in two of three T20Is against them•Jekesai Njikizana /AFP/Getty ImagesSome of your key players are ageing. Are you confident you have quality coming through the ranks to replace them?
We’ve got five franchises right now and they’ve got about 20 people on the staff in each franchise. The standard is very much at the same level. You could probably take ten of the squad of 15 I’ve got now and change them with another ten and have no difference.The difference is the lack of match-winners. When I go back to our past and you look at when the team was playing with Andy Flower, Heath Streak, Grant Flower, they were a head above the rest of the group and could win you matches on their own. There were always a number of players who were match-winners. At the moment we don’t have those match-winners, but we have a very big number of good players all across the same level. And I’m hoping that some of the youngsters coming through now, with the experience they’re getting, will in four or five years become those match winners.Is it frustrating to lose a lot of Zimbabwe’s best players because they go abroad?
That’s nothing new. We’ve been losing those guys since 1980. When we first became independent, we lost Brian Davis, who went off to Tasmania and then in the nineties we lost Graeme Hick and Kevin Curran. It’s been going on for ages and you can’t stop people going off and playing elsewhere. But I think there’s more than enough guys to give us a serious, decent side over a number of years.There have been reports that you could play a role in bringing some of the players who’ve gone to England, like Ben Curran and Gary Ballance, back to Zimbabwe. Is that an opportunity you’re exploring?
I don’t think that we’ve ever said anybody who goes and plays elsewhere can’t play for Zimbabwe. The biggest thing is letting them know they can come back. So you drop them a line and say, this is an option for you. But they must want to come back to play for Zimbabwe. This is not a case of us going out there and throwing contracts at people who haven’t broken the world where they are anyway. They can get involved in the franchise system and if selected, play for Zimbabwe. There’s nothing action-wise with specific players going on at the moment, but I have told the guys the door is open.

“In the past, the team was playing with Andy Flower, Heath Streak, Grant Flower, who could win you matches on their own. At the moment we don’t have those match-winners, but we have a very big number of good players all across the same level”

Do you think Zimbabwe’s player pool is too shallow right now?
I would agree with you but for the fact that when I played Test cricket, we had a player pool of about 15 people, and we managed to hold our own against India and a few others. What I see now, with five franchises playing good professional cricket all year round, is that it’s quite substantially better than it used to be. There’s always room for more, and I’m sure that’s part of Zimbabwe Cricket’s logistical plans going forward – to get more schools playing, resurrect some of the old school grounds which are still there but need to be redone. And get more facilities, because there’s such an interest in the game it’s amazing.How well placed is Zimbabwe cricket from a financial point of view to cope with the bigger sides over the years? How can they remain competitive at the very top level with a much smaller budget?
I don’t really know a lot about the Zimbabwe budget. I know that we were in debt certainly five years ago. The new chairman Doc Mukuhlani [Tavenga Mukuhlani] came in and, with the help of the ICC, put in a lot of austerity measures over the last five years, trimmed the number of people working in the company [ZC] but still managed to maintain a fairly high level of domestic first class cricket.The end result of that is, I believe, that we are now out of debt completely. And at the most recent ICC meeting they have now decided that we can actually control our own funds again. For a long time, the ICC were distributing the funds for us. We’re in a good position to not only maintain and improve as a cricket team, but also to maintain and improve as a cricket nation.For a period in the last decade or so, Zimbabwe Cricket was viewed as a place with a somewhat dysfunctional, even toxic, workplace culture. Do you detect any of that now, and how do you find this work environment?
I can’t really comment about six or seven years ago, but I’ll tell you that when I look back over my 40-year career with Zimbabwe, probably 18 to 20 years as a player, this is probably the best I’ve ever been treated. And [I’m working] with some of the nicest people I’ve ever worked with. If there was some toxicity some years ago and rumours creeped out about that, it certainly hasn’t affected me. The people that I work with now are open all the time to suggestions on how we can improve. They’re absolutely fantastic.Zimbabwe fans turned up in numbers to cheer the side on in the T20 World Cup Qualifier final against Netherlands in Bulawayo•Zinyange Auntony /AFP/Getty ImagesFor the T20 World Cup you’re in a group with Ireland, Scotland and West Indies. Some people thought the other group, with Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, UAE, would have been easier. But are you now in a position where you’d be disappointed not to qualify out of that group, or is that setting expectations too high?
I’ve said all along I want to make the World Cup proper. It didn’t worry me which section we were in. I genuinely feel that as well as we can [currently] play, we’ll certainly be a handful for those three sides in our section. A couple of guys sort of mentioned it to me before the final: “Do you really want to win this game? Don’t you want to be in the other section?” And I said, “Who knocked us out the last time we were in one of these qualifiers? Wasn’t it UAE?” And that got the point across.I think either section will be just as tough. It’s funny that so many years later in my playing and coaching time, I end up in these situations. When we first became an international side after independence in 1980, we had to go to the Associate Members’ World Cup – there was no second, third and fourth prizes. You had to win it to go to the World Cup. For us, the money that we gained from going to the World Cup kept us going every four years because we weren’t heavily sponsored by the ICC at that time. So there was so much pressure on us, but we managed to do it three times. So I’ve sort of been through those phases and I know how much pressure that can be.You were coach of the Zimbabwe side when they finished fifth at the 1999 World Cup, Zimbabwe’s best ever result at a global tournament. Is there anything that gives you encouragement that this side could be a similar surprise package?
It’s tricky, because although that was the best we’ve ever performed, there is a little bit of history to that tour for us. And in a way we got to where we got to not by luck but without even really trying. There had been a dispute over payments before we left and when we left Zimbabwean shores we had not practised for a month.When we played India we were sort of almost out of it completely. Alistair [Campbell] lobbed the ball to Henry Olonga and he got three wickets in an over and bang, we’d beaten India. When we got to the last game, against South Africa, I literally said to the guys, “Please make sure your bags are down in the foyer so that after the game we know we can get off to the airport.”We didn’t think we could beat South Africa and then we did, and you look up and we’re top of our section, and going through with points because the other two sides coming through were South Africa and India and we’d beaten them both. So we got to where we got to by playing a free and fearless brand of cricket, which is what I’m trying to get our guys to do now. In that sense, we can absolutely draw encouragement from that.

“It didn’t worry me which section we were in in the T20 World Cup. I genuinely feel as well as we currently play, we’ll certainly be a handful for the three sides in our section”

How can you set goals for Zimbabwe that are both realistic and exciting for Zimbabwe fans?
Setting long-term goals is not in my domain at the moment. If you want a goal now, it’s to fill the stadiums. That’s the goal. In Bulawayo, we had somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 [people] for that final [Qualifier], which isn’t far off full. And they sing and dance and scream and cheer for us and it’s a fantastic atmosphere. And if we can continue to fill the stadiums by the brand of cricket that we play, cricket will grow exactly how we want it to.How exciting is it to host India after such a long time?
I think the excitement around the Indian tour, even though it’s only three ODIs, is immense. In town, when you talk to people, that’s all they talk about. It reminds me of my youth when we went to play in the World Cup and we played against Dennis Lillee and [Jeff] Thomson, who most of our guys had only ever seen on TV before. It’s now got to that stage with the Indian players because they are so well known worldwide for their exploits in the IPL and playing for India. So it’s a matter of saying to these guys that yes, you’re playing against this team and yes, you must respect them, but don’t be in such awe of them that you can’t go out and play. It’s a formidable unit and we’ve got our work cut out, but it’ll be fun.What coaxed you back into the Zimbabwe fold?
I was doing some work for Zimbabwe anyway. I have always wanted to put back into Zimbabwe Cricket. I want to get it back to as close as it was when I was playing – No. 8 or 9 in the world rather than the 12-15 we’ve slipped to. I wanted to get us back and do everything I can to help out. So when the offer came to take over the national side, I couldn’t say no, although I wasn’t really looking to do a head coach’s role because it can get quite pressurised at times. I just said, “Yes, I’ll get on a plane.” I jumped on a plane three days later and I was here.

19-year-old shared record 423-run stand with Jack Leaning

Interview by Sreshth Shah11-Aug-2020You started at Kent at age 10. What pushed you into cricket that young?My brother – he was a big influence on me playing cricket. My parents played semi-professional tennis so I’ve always had that gene, but my brother played for Kent from age 10 until he was 16 or 17, so I was always there whenever he wanted throw downs. That’s what got me into playing cricket. When my brother used to bowl at me, I was two or three years below, so obviously he was very quick for me. And I wanted to play with him quite a lot, so they would put me in the same team with him quite often. So in that sense, I’ve played in teams two years above my age category. I believe that it’s helped me.Is there anyone you would compare yourself to as a player?I’ve changed quite a lot over the years. I used to be more of an attacking player – I mean I still am, but I’m not as reckless as I used to be. Sam Billings was the person I’ve been looking up to since I was 10, but now playing with him is quite funny. I’d like to think I’m similar to how he plays – he’s quite attacking. Within the Kent environment, I’m probably close enough to him.ALSO READ: Stevens skewers Sussex after Cox-Leaning run bonanzaHe had a tough year after dislocating his collarbone, but scoring three hundreds in a row in the Championship was quite impressive. I talk to him quite a lot, and try to take a lot of information from him on how he goes about his business. I’ve tried to take bits from him and put it in my own; he’s so open, which is really good.What boxes did you tick on debut?I obviously wanted to play for Kent, that was my aspiration. I was playing in a Kent 2nds game at the time, a T20, and I was told, “Jordan, you’re opening for us against Hampshire, so see you tonight?” I drove up, and was pretty nervous on the ride up. I ended up playing because Zak Crawley was called up to the England Lions team, so I was happy being the next best batsman. I went out there, told myself ‘just have fun’, and if things don’t go too well, that’s unfortunate, but I went out there all guns blazing. I got 27, dismissed by a good ball. I was happy I started well.What’s been your favourite batting performance so far?My knock against Bangladesh Under-19s at Beckenham maybe. I was playing a T20 Blast game against Hampshire the day before and I was driving back home thinking, “I don’t have anything on tomorrow”, so I called [head coach] Jon Lewis and asked him: “do you mind if I play tomorrow?” And he said: “let me call you in a bit.” And he called back an hour later and he said: “Jordan, pack your bags. Your hotel is booked.”So I drove to the hotel at 10.30pm. But I was nervous going into the game: my highest score for the Under-19s was about 30, so I was thinking I really need to score some runs, but then I scored 122 not out that day. That was my best international performance so far.What kind of questions would you ask a top cricketer?I’ll give you an example. I was supposed to play against Yorkshire away when Stevo [Darren Stevens] got 240-odd. But I got dropped for Faf du Plessis, which I was upset about that game, because he came into the side for just that one game – but I guess that’s fair enough since he is the captain of South Africa.So I asked him: “if you’re in a bad run of form, what do you do? What are your two main things?” He said to me: “There are two things I make sure are right: my backlift and my head.” Anything else he doesn’t really bother about. It was something I hadn’t explored before. Talking to him about that, things became much more clear.”The ethos of the senior team is coming down to our junior sides”•ICC via GettyWho is the most challenging bowler you’ve faced?Probably Jofra Archer, at Hove in a T20 game. He bumped me and it was ridiculously quick. I ended up three strips behind me. I didn’t really enjoy it, but ended up getting my highest Blast score there. Tymal Mills and Rashid Khan were in that attack too, and Chris Jordan, so it was quite a challenging game all around. Their pace, and their change-ups were difficult. The first ball Mills bowled, thank god, was a full toss, so I cut it for four. It was only supposed to go for one so I could get off strike…The England team in the last five years has played very different white-ball cricket. Are you suited to it?Yes, I think so. I used to be really attacking. Now I’ve calmed it down just a bit, but I’m still hitting it at a strike rate of 100-120 most of the time. I feel like my strike rate will be up there or close enough to how England play. [In the Under-19s] it’s normally an aggressive top three, too. That doesn’t mean slogging every ball at all, don’t get me wrong: just putting away the bad balls, defending the good ones, trying to get off strike, trying to strike at 100 if you can. But if there’s some good balls and you need to block them, fair enough. Obviously the ethos of the senior team is coming down to our junior sides which is good because if we do break into the first team, we know what it’s all about.But do you like red-ball cricket? It doesn’t turn you off?I used to be like ‘white-ball cricket is gonna be my life’, but I’ve realised that if you want to make it as a cricketer in England, then red-ball cricket has to be the start for me. If I can play red-ball in England, I can play white-ball in England. That’s my thought process. So I really want to focus on my red-ball in 2020.