Ed Cowan’s unbeaten 134 off 267 balls enabled New South Wales to end the second day of their Sheffield Shield match against Victoria with a 42-run advantage
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017 ScorecardEd Cowan made his first first-class century in 23 innings•Getty ImagesEd Cowan’s 23rd first-class century gave New South Wales a healthy lead at stumps on the second day against Victoria at the MCG, where the Blues finished at 4 for 300. Replying to Victoria’s first-day score of 258, New South Wales had a 42-run advantage at stumps and plenty of opportunity to extend that lead further yet, with Cowan at the crease on 134 and Peter Nevill on 18.Victoria’s new-ball bowlers, Jake Reed and Scott Boland, dismissed the New South Wales openers Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin within the first 10 overs of the innings. But Cowan, batting at No. 3, settled in for a series of partnerships that frustrated the Victorians, first a 141-run combination with Kurtis Patterson, who made 61.Moises Henriques then put on a 92-run stand with Cowan which ended when Henriques was lbw to Reed for 51, and by the close of play the Cowan-Nevill partnership had reached 50. It was Cowan’s first hundred at first-class level since October 2015, ending a drought of 23 innings without reaching triple-figures.
A supercomputer has predicted back-to-back promotions for Wrexham as they're tipped to win League 2 next season.
Will Wrexham get promoted from League 2?
Last term, after a 15-year absence, the Red Dragons finally managed get themselves back up into the Football League.
This obviously would have been the first big goal to achieve under A-list owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but now the ambitions will keep growing and growing.
Indeed, largely thanks to the sucess of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary, the Welsh club has managed to nearly triple in value since the Hollywood takeover 2021.
But to match that commercial sucess off the pitch, the Red Dragons will be desperate to continue on their upward trajectory next season as they entre a more difficult league.
Well, the good news is that a supercomputer, via BonusCodeBets, has predicted the outcome of the 2022/23 League Two table – by formulating a range of informative outright odds markets – and Wrexham look set to win the division.
What will the 2022/23 League Two table look like?
Interestingly enough, Nott County are also tipped for sucess having been promoted alongside Wrexham last term as well. Indeed, they're predicted to finish third, claming an automatic promotion spot as well Stockport who are backed to finish second.
Just below those three in the table, Bradford, Gillingham, Mansfield and Milton Keynes Dons will battle for the final promotion place in the play-offs. Notably, Gary Neville’s Salford City are expected to finish eighth, meaning they'll miss out on a play-off spot by just one place.
However, at the other end of the division, things don't look quite so pretty for the likes of Morecambe and Harrogate Town who will, in theory, be relegated and drop out of the Football League.
Of course, you never can know how things will turn out in football, but it's certainly a positive sign for Wrexham fans that they are already seen as favourites to secure another promotion.
No doubt, the club's ability to attract big names could help next term. After all, just this week they've been linked with an exctiing transfer for a former Manchester United man.
Indeed, Nick Powell – who was once dubbed the next Paul Scholes – could be on his way to the Racecourse Ground if recent reports are to be belived.
All in all, if Reynolds and McElhenney can keep Wrexham hurtling along at the same breakneck speed, it sounds as though they could be playing Premier League football in the not-too-distant future
Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal shared seven catches as wicketkeeper in South Africa’s first innings
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2017It is a record that may never see the light of the day.Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal split the wicketkeeping duties during South Africa’s first innings at Newlands. Chandimal had suffered a fever leading into the match and the Sri Lanka management decided not to overburden him on the opening day. But he was back behind the stumps on the second morning.Between them, Mendis and Chandimal grabbed seven catches as South Africa were bowled out for 392. That created a quirky statistic: seven is the most catches held by a keeper in an innings but, of course, this haul was shared between two men. The record number of dismissals for Sri Lanka is six, held jointly (and aptly) by Chandimal and Amal Silva.The same thing happened in 1977, between West Indies and Pakistan in Jamaica, when Majid Khan spent time behind the stumps in place of Wasim Bari who later returned and the pair took seven catches between them in the second innings.In Cape Town, Mendis took three catches on the opening day – including a sharp leg-side snaffle to remove JP Duminy – then Chandimal had a hand, in every sense, in each of the four wickets to fall on the second morning. He did especially well to get forward for a low catch offered by Quinton de Kock.Sri Lanka are blessed with a stack of wicketkeeping options. There is another in this current XI – opener Kaushal Silva has played three Tests as the designated keeper – and they omitted a fourth gloveman, Kusal Perera, who had played in the opening Test. A case of many hands making light work?
Leeds United have been a side never shy in front of goal, whether it be under the exceptional Marcelo Bielsa or even the struggling Jesse Marsch.
Even when trundling towards the drop last term, the Whites still managed to notch 48 goals, outscoring most of their relegation competition. This does mark a far cry from the 62 they scored during that imperious return to the top flight though.
rodrigo-leeds-united
However, recent reports have emerged suggesting that Rodrigo, their top scorer from that torrid later campaign, has a release clause of just €3.5m (£3m), making the Spaniard ripe for the plucking from Elland Road.
A huge chunk of that aforementioned figure could be set to depart.
Given he was initially bought for £27m, the club are set to make a monumental loss on the 32-year-old who offered a brief glimmer of hope throughout a dark and depressing year in Yorkshire.
To offset such financial failures, the 49ers will have to be shrewd in this summer window, likely scouring from within the Championship or the free-agent market to find their deals.
Fortunately, an option within the latter has come to light, with soon-to-be departing Lyon forward Moussa Dembele free from his £51k-per-week contract this summer, and reportedly on the list of Leeds' new ownership.
Could Moussa Dembele replace Rodrigo at Leeds United?
Having scored 13 league goals for a relegated side, Rodrigo has already proven himself a fine asset more than capable of starring in the top flight. His exit is almost a guarantee given the tiny fee attached to him.
However, this French forward could perhaps pose a fine alternative, despite the statistics of late suggesting a recent loss of form.
Just three goals in 23 Ligue 1 showings are a harsh indicator, given the form of Alexandre Lacazette ahead of him. The 26-year-old has only started eight games in the league.
As the machine-like striker in the season prior, he showcased his true talents by finding the net on 21 occasions, proving himself more than capable of leading the line. When handed confidence and a run of games, the former Celtic man has proven his talent in front of goal.
That spell in Scotland, where he would score 51 goals in just 94 games, saw Brendan Rodgers rush to praise him. The currently out-of-work manager claimed:
"Moussa has everything with his power and pace. It was a different sort of system and the boys looked a real threat and linked up really well.
“His opponent at centre-back was strong but Moussa is so powerful with ability, touch and work rate. He was excellent. I am very pleased to have him back and his contribution."
With the 49ers having inherited something of a mess in this Leeds team, still licking their wounds from a relegation that three different managers could not halt, they could offer some clarity by making a confident first foray into the market.
Not only would it mark a huge statement of intent, but it would also offer an immediate replacement should Rodrigo exit Elland Road.
A round-up of the CSA T20 Challenge matches that took place on December 2, 2016
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2016Andrew Birch’s five-wicket haul helped Warriors close in on Titans’ top position in the table with a six-wicket win in Centurion. After Titans were restricted to 147, the Warriors chase was steered by half-centuries from Colin Ingram and Colin Ackermann.Put in to bat, Aiden Markram (23) and Heinrich Klaasen (26) got starts, but Titans lost wickets regularly once Birch broke the opening stand in the third over. Sisanda Magala and the rest of the attack reduced them to 88 for 5 before Birch returned and took four of the remaining five wickets. That Warriors recovered to 147 was down to Albie Morkel (25 off 21) and David Wiese (36 off 28), and their stand of 42 for the sixth wicket. Birch finished with career-best T20 figures of 5 for 16.Warriors also lost their first wicket early, to Morkel, but JJ Smuts and Ingram put on a rapid 68 in 8.1 overs to put their chase on track. Once Smuts fell for 33 off 25, Ingram and Ackermann pushed the score past 100, and though Ingram fell to Tabraiz Shamsi for 50 off 45, and Ackermann for a quicker 53 off 34 with three sixes, the chase was sealed with seven balls to spare.At the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin dented Knights’ chase of 183 with 4 for 39 to give Lions a 20-run win. It was Knights’ sixth consecutive defeat, after their win over Cape Cobras in the tournament opener, as they continued to languish at the bottom of the table.Knights lost Michael Erlank on the first ball of the chase, caught off fast bowler Hardus Viljoen. Partnerships of 46 for the second wicket between captain Theunis de Bruyn and Leus du Plooy, and 50 for the third wicket between du Plooy and Pite van Biljon helped them recover. Du Plooy was trapped lbw by Fortuin having top-scored with 45, and when van Biljon fell to the same bowler for 42, Knights were 123 for 5. They lost another wicket at the same score, before slapping 39 runs off the last 25 balls to finish on 162 for 6.Opting to bat, Lions had a solid foundation laid by openers Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks, who put on 66 in 6.5 overs. Hendricks struck five fours and two sixes in his 31-ball knock, and when he fell at the halfway stage, caught off de Bruyn’s pace bowling, he had made 53 out of Lions’ total of 88. Thereafter, Nicky van den Bergh took over and pinged four fours and three sixes before perishing in the last over for 57 off 35.Knights’ bowlers shared the wickets equally with Marchant de Lange, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Aubrey Swanepoel and de Bruyn taking a wicket apiece.
Manchester United have another midfielder on their radar it seems, with Sport 1, via Sport Witness, reporting that the club are in the race for Felix Nmecha.
Who is Felix Nmecha?
The 22-year-old has emerged as a key player for Wolfsburg over the course of the 2022/23 season, managing more games in the Bundesliga this year than he has managed over the course of his entire career to date. The side picked him on 30 occasions and the player responded by bagging three goals and five assists along the way despite his more central position on the field.
It's been a breakout year for the young talent, with Nmecha now becoming one of the best in his position in Europe and in the Men's 'Top Five' big leaves based on his stats. His assist rate of 0.25 per 90 for example is far and away his best figure, as it puts him within the top 4% of players for that. It shows that he has a knack of finding teammates in good areas and setting them up for good chances. In addition, the midfielder is also extremely strong in the air, with his 2.16 aerials won per 90 putting him in the 93rd percentile. This will come as no surprise considering that he stands at nearly 6 foot 1.
Now, having showcased his combination of physicality and vision for Wolfsburg, he could be given a chance elsewhere this summer. According to a report from Sport 1, via Sport Witness, it states that both Borussia Dortmund and Man United are set to go head-to-head for his signature this summer, with a price tag of around 15 million Euros (or £12.9m) slapped on his head.
No official bid has been made from either party yet though but the Red Devils have reportedly spoken to the player's father – as he currently has no agent – over a potential move to the Premier League. Other reports have also claimed Newcastle United are eyeing a deal.
When does Felix Nmecha's contract expire?
The midfielder's current deal with Wolfsburg has another two years to run, with the player having only joined Wolfsburg back in 2021/22. However, the interest seems to be high and it's no wonder considering how he has fared at the top level of German football so far.
His 1.81 shots per 90 rate and 0.15 non-penalty goals per 90 mark him out as one of the most attacking and offensive players in his position, with the midfielder not afraid to get forward and have a go at goal or even tee up a teammate. Nmecha also isn't afraid to take on an opposition defender, with his 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 showing a superb ability to beat his man and drive the ball forward. In short, he is a player that would certainly add some creativity and drive to the centre of the field for the Red Devils.
Manchester United look increasingly likely to sign Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.
Have United been linked with Kim Min-jae?
The South Korean has seen his stock rise hugely this season, following a memorable campaign that has arguably led to him gaining legendary status in Naples.
Kim was one of Napoli's standout performers as they won their first Serie A title since all the way back in 1990, and he is now possibly regarded as one of Europe's best centre-backs. The 26-year-old started 35 of his side's 38 league matches, averaging 3.5 clearances per game in the division, as well as 3.6 in the Champions League, as per WhoScored.
United are on the lookout for a new central defender before the start of next season and the Napoli hero has emerged as a primary target, with various reports linking him with a summer move to Old Trafford. Now, a new claim has emerged – one that further suggests he could be on his way to the Premier League.
Napoli's Kim Min-jae
What's the latest regarding Kim Min-jae's future?
According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], "insiders" at Napoli now "take it for granted" that Kim will be a United player this summer and feel a transfer is all but done. They are ready to trigger his release clause, which is a minimum of €50m (£43m), sealing the move in the process.
What that fee ends up being reportedly depends on the Red Devils' turnover in 2022, with the hope being that he could be signed for a relatively cheap amount, but it does look as if the defender could be on his way to England.
Kim really could be the perfect centre-back signing for United this summer, coming in and bolstering their options hugely and taking them up another level. Harry Maguire could well move on, with the same potentially applying to Victor Lindelof, and while Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have shone in stages as a partnership, although the latter is now 30 years of age and injury-prone.
For that reason, Kim could be viewed as the future of United back-line, alongside Martinez, with his combination of defensive expertise and ball-playing quality both attributes that could make Erik ten Hag's side a real force, having enjoyed a 91% pass completion rate in Serie A in 2022/23.
Former Reds hero Park Ji-sung has described his £33,000-a-week compatriot as "extraordinary" which is high praise from someone who knows how to make the grade at Old Trafford, and the club must do all they can to seal his signature in the coming weeks.
Ashton Agar smashed 47 off 19 balls to set up victory for Western Australia in a severely rain-shortened match against the Cricket Australia XI at Hurstville Oval in Sydney
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2016 ScorecardAshton Agar delivered victory to Western Australia•Getty ImagesAshton Agar smashed 47 off 19 balls to set up victory for Western Australia in a severely rain-shortened match against the Cricket Australia XI at Hurstville Oval in Sydney. The game was reduced to 15 overs per side due to the wet weather earlier the day, and after Duckworth-Lewis adjustments were made, the CA XI’s 8 for 147 translated into a target of 156 for the Warriors.Agar had taken two wickets and Andrew Tye picked up 4 for 23 as the CA XI pushed for a competitive total, with opener Sam Harper the top scorer with 48 off 28 balls. Jake Carder contributed 43 from 18 deliveries and Matthew Short struck four sixes late in the innings during a cameo of 27 from 10 balls.But a fast and furious opening stand of 44 from 3.2 overs between Hilton Cartwright (32 off 14) and Michael Klinger (29 from 20) set the Warriors on the right path, and Agar steered most of the remainder of the short chase. Agar struck four fours and four sixes and although he departed with 13 runs still required, he had done enough.Adam Voges hit the winning runs as the Warriors completed their five-wicket win with eight balls to spare.
Offspinner K Gowtham picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as Karnataka completed an innings-and-160-run win over Delhi on the third day in Kolkata
Shashank Kishore in Kolkata22-Oct-2016 ScorecardK Gowtham leads Karnataka off the field after Delhi were bowled out in the second session on the third day•ESPNcricinfo LtdDelhi’s coach KP Bhaskar lamented how batsmen these days, particularly in domestic cricket, undermined the use of technique in search of flexibility. “Back in our days, technique was most important. Then came potential, and fitness was third. Today, technique has gone to number three.” On Saturday, the third day in Kolkata, his batsmen did not do much to disprove that theory as Karnataka won by an innings and 160 runs to walk away with seven points.Shots you don’t expect from Ranji players – Delhi coach
Delhi’s head coach KP Bhaskar has said it was his side’s poor batting, and not the Eden Gardens surface, which was to blame for their abject surrender inside three days to Karnataka. “It was not a 90-run wicket, to be honest,” he said. “We committed hara-kiri and played shots you don’t expect from a Ranji Trophy player. “I always tell these boys ‘when you represent Delhi, you are representing the whole cricket fraternity’. You’re talking about the likes of the Virender Sehwags, the Virat Kohlis, the Jimmy Amarnaths and the Madan Lals. They’ve set standards, they’ve had character. You have to adapt, that’s what makes a better player, and we lacked that.”
That Delhi were nearly bowled out twice in under a session each time, even as Karnataka stacked up 414 showed the Eden Gardens surface was not to blame for the batting debacle. This was a classic case of what Daljit Singh, BCCI’s chief curator, termed the “middle wicket” that assisted seamers early on, eased out for batsmen to make merry and then took turn. By being bowled out for 90 in the first innings, Delhi did not give themselves a chance to make best use of the surface, where as many as five Karnataka batsmen made half-centuries.If it was S Aravind, who ran through Delhi’s line-up in a fine exhibition of seam bowling in the first innings, offspinner K Gowtham, playing in only his second first-class game in nearly four years, did the bulk of the damage on Saturday. That he had the luxury of attacking fields helped him lure the batsmen repeatedly with flight. And batsmen fell into the trap of trying to break free. The end result was a maiden five-wicket haul.After a failure in the first innings, this was an opportunity for Gautam Gambhir to knuckle down and bat long. If match time was what he wanted, he could not have asked for a better challenge. Abhimanyu Mithun, darting the ball both ways, and Aravind, coming off a four-for in the first innings, tested Gambhir’s front-foot play. But three plays and misses later, he poked at an away-going delivery that was gobbled at second slip by Robin Uthappa. Mithun had two in two when he got a ball to deviate late to square up Dhruv Shorey and hit the top of off stump.Nitish Rana held fort briefly for 28 runs, but was foxed by a straighter one from Gowtham. Delhi’s lack of application and match awareness increasingly became visible when Rishabh Pant, coming off a triple-century in the previous game against Maharashtra in Mumbai, started with a six, but fell soon after when he was sucked into a drive that carried to second slip. Unmukt Chand, the vice-captain, tried to fetch a slog sweep from outside off, only to top-edge to Karun Nair at first slip. At 94 for 7, there was a possibility of the match finishing before lunch.That they just managed to stretch it beyond was largely due to Karnataka switching off briefly as the interval approached. It took them little over 10 overs into the second session to wrap up the match, when Aravind, quite fittingly, had the final wicket when the ball beat Pawan Suyal’s slog to send the off stump on a cartwheel. Varun Sood swung his way to 41 not out in the interim, when Delhi needed to bat out 180 overs to save the game.
Tottenham Hotspur can now look forward to the start of a new regime under newly-appointed boss, Ange Postecoglou, with the 57-year-old set to be tasked with reviving the fortunes of the club following what proved a rather dour, 2022/23 campaign.
One prominent issue that will be on the agenda for the former Celtic boss will be to secure a resolution regarding the future of talisman, Harry Kane, with the England captain having been linked with moves to both Manchester United and Real Madrid amid his expiring contract.
If the 29-year-old does opt to leave the Lilywhites this summer in search of a new challenge, Postecoglou will no doubt need to find a suitable replacement for the club's leading scorer ahead of the start of next season, with £60m addition, Richarlison, hardly looking like the man to fill the void after scoring just one league this season.
Amid the potential need to acquire a new centre-forward, recent reports in Spain suggested that Aston Villa marksman, Ollie Watkins has emerged as a possible target for the north London outfit, with the 27-year-old having enjoyed an impressive campaign with the Midlands side after bagging 15 top-flight goals.
The former Brentford ace – who has been valued at around £70m – has proven himself something of a "machine" in front of goal of late, according to iNews journalist, Daniel Storey, as he now boasts 40 league goals since the start of the 2020/21 season.
Interestingly, as far as Spurs supporters are concerned, the Englishman has been likened to a previously prolific striker who shone at White Hart Lane, in the form of Jermain Defoe, with pundit Trevor Sinclair stating back in 2020 that Watkins "reminds [him] of Defoe in and around the 18 yard box".
That comparison bodes well for the impact that the Villa man could make in the capital, with Defoe having been a truly clinical attacking weapon across his two spells at the club.
How good was Defoe at Tottenham?
Having begun life on the books at London rivals West Ham United – where he also scored 19 goals in 30 appearances while on loan at Bournemouth in 2000/01 – the now-retired ace was snapped up by Tottenham on a £7m deal in February 2004, before quickly endearing himself to Spurs supporters after bagging seven goals in just 15 league appearances in the second half of that season.
The 5 foot 7 menace would go on to score 36 league goals across the next three-and-a-half seasons before joining Portsmouth on an initial loan deal in 2008, albeit while then making a swift return to north London in the summer of 2009.
Tottenham's Jermain Defoe
That return paid instant dividends as the ace scored 18 goals during the 2009/10 campaign, helping to secure an overall tally for the club of 143 goals in 363 games in all competitions, prior to joining MLS side, Toronto in 2014.
An undoubtedly "prolific striker" – according to former boss Andre Villas-Boas – a key feature of Defoe's game was his ability to stretch a defence, with his former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard describing the Englishman's movement as "fantastic", while also stating that "he’s a dream for a midfielder because his movement tells you where to play the ball."
That quality is seemingly shared by his compatriot Watkins – as Sinclair alluded to – with journalist Josh Bunting having heaped praise on the one-time Exeter City man for his intelligence when leading the line:
"His movement opens up the centre-backs and it allows him to make those direct runs in between."
That likeness between the pair, due to their movement and finishing prowess, would seemingly suggest that Watkins could prove to be Tottenham's next Defoe, if Postecoglou does push for a move for the £75k-per-week speedster this summer.