All posts by h716a5.icu

Pat Cummins, who suffered an injury similar to the one Mitchell Starc is carrying, says the nature of the bruised heel makes it a difficult one for the team management and medical staff to assess

Daniel Brettig23-Dec-2017Australia’s spearhead Mitchell Starc has no chance of playing the Boxing Day Test if the example raised by his fellow fast bowler Pat Cummins is any indication. Starc has a bruised heel on his right foot, the same injury Cummins suffered during his November 2011 Test debut and which then dogged him throughout the following summer – he did not play again for Australia until mid-2012.While Cummins was then a teenager and Starc is far more seasoned, the niggardly nature of the injury makes it a complicated one for Australia’s medical staff and selectors to assess. As Cummins described, it is a problem that requires rest, and with a four-Test tour of South Africa looming in February, there is little room for recovery should the injury be aggravated in either of the two remaining dead Ashes Tests, however much Starc may want to play.”I think that’s certainly part of the thinking of the selectors, the skipper and everyone around him,” Cummins said in Melbourne. “I know for him he just wants to play every game that’s in front of him but it’s a funny kind of injury. It’s not super common but if it’s not treated well it can drag on for a long time, a bruise where you have to walk all day and bowl on.”I chatted to him about it, I had a similar one on my Test debut and it’s one of those ones there’s no way around. You can’t strap it differently, you can’t try to bowl off the other foot, it’s hard to hide from, so it’s just trying to get it early enough and not really damage it. He knows all that, the staff know all that and I’m sure they’ll work it out.”He’s doing everything he can to get right, he’s been on crutches the last few days to try to take some weight off the heel. But hasn’t tried to bowl yet or anything, we’ve just got down to Melbourne so I think the next couple days they’ll assess that. He’s absolutely itching to get out there and play, but got to make sure he’s right.”With Starc highly unlikely to play, the breach is set to be filled by the Tasmanian seamer Jackson Bird, who has spent most of the year in reserve after playing the most recent of his eight Test matches in the 2016 Boxing Day fixture against Pakistan. Bird is less a fast bowler than a seam and swing merchant, but he knows how to bowl on the MCG’s drop-in pitch, having excelled there on his debut against Sri Lanka in 2012 and also having performed well at the ground for Tasmania.”The wicket is pretty flat, the drop-in wicket,” Bird said. “Whatever length you try and bowl, you have to really bowl the ball into the wicket. Hit the wicket as hard as you can – there usually is a bit of movement on the first day or two. I find whatever length you bowl you really have to hit the wicket. Then in the second dig it usually goes reverse swing, you just have to find the right length that’s going to hit the top of the stumps and try and stand the seam up, hit the wicket hard to get the most out of it.”Mitch has still got a couple of days of training to recover, or try to recover, hopefully for Mitch’s sake his heel isn’t too serious and hedoes get up but in saying that, it’d be unbelievable to play an Ashes Test on Boxing Day. Either way, I’ll be ready and preparing as I normally would for any Test match.”In the first two Tests I left early and went and played Shield cricket for Tassie [Tasmania], so I got a fair few overs under my belt and felt like the ball came out really nicely in those couple of weeks I was away. I had a week in the Perth nets working on a few different things with Sakesy [David Saker, assistant coach]. I haven’t played a Test match since this game last year, so I’ve been ready to go for 12 months basically. If I get the opportunity, I’m really looking forward to it.”Bird said his year as a drinks waiter had been frustrating, albeit mitigated by the quality of the pace bowlers ahead of him in the queue. “It’s a little bit frustrating to not get an opportunity but I’m completely realistic in where I sit behind the fast bowlers ahead of me,” Bird said. “They’re all world-class fast bowlers, I’m under no illusions where I sit.”I’ve just got to prepare as if I’m going to play. I just need to be ready to go if any of those guys don’t come up. That’s the spot I’m in at the moment. I’m not complaining, I’m in a better spot than some blokes are. So I can’t complain too much, it’s great to be around the Australian team, especially in the Ashes.”You can only have 11 players in the team and when we’ve got such good fast bowlers around at the moment, someone’s got to miss out. It’s just been me for the past 12 months and the conditions we’ve played in haven’t helped my cause – a lot of those Tests were in the subcontinent. It is frustrating missing out – and some of the circumstances of the last 12 months made it a little bit more frustrating, but that’s the way it goes. Sometimes you’ve got to cop it on the chin and can’t complain too much about it.”The wicketkeeper Tim Paine is expected to join the squad in Melbourne on Sunday after spending some extra time at home with his family after his father-in-law suffered a stroke. “Tim’s one of the most mentally strong players I’ve ever played with,” Bird said. “He’s shown that the last couple of weeks, to get back into the Test team and perform how he has after such a long period out with career-threatening injuries when he thought he might not get back. If there’s anybody who can compartmentalise that, I think it’s him.”

Liverpool will be among the favourites for Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch if he decides he wants to leave, but they may have to battle a Premier League rival for his signature, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Is Ryan Gravenberch signing for Liverpool?

Bayern appear to be open to Gravenberch's sale for a relatively low fee this summer, with The Mirror reporting the German side hope to receive £22m, if they are to let him leave, given that his move to the Allianz Arena from Ajax has not gone to plan.

However, Liverpool are set to lock horns with Manchester United in a transfer battle, which could potentially drive his price up a bit higher, with both clubs having already tabled contract offers to the Dutchman, who now wants to leave Bayern.

That is according to a report from 90min, which states the 21-year-old has now made it clear he would like to move to the Premier League, amid interest from two of England's biggest clubs, but getting his wish may not be easy.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel would like to keep the youngster as a squad player, and the club may not be willing to let him leave on loan with an option to buy, which is the type of move the Reds are now trying to pursue.

In a new update on X, Plettenberg has also given an overview of the central midfielder's situation at Bayern, stating he wants to play regularly, but he is currently Tuchel's fourth choice option in the engine room.

As such, Bayern bosses do not exclude the Netherlands international's departure this summer, which could happen as late as deadline day, and Liverpool should be well-placed to win the race for his signature.

If the Bundesliga club do green-light the departure, both Jurgen Klopp's side and Man United will be the favourites, although there has been no verbal agreements over a deal at this stage.

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE

What is the market value of Ryan Gravenberch?

With Bayern clearly keen on a permanent move, if they are to let the midfielder leave this summer, they are set to ask for a relatively modest fee of £22m, although he is valued a little higher by Transfermarkt, at €30m (£25.6m).

Considering the potential the starlet posseses, that could prove to be a bargain fee, with former Ajax man Wim Kieft previously lauding him as the best player to come out of his country in recent years, saying:

“He is the greatest talent in the Netherlands. Only 18-years-old, but the prototype of a complete player. You see him grow every week.

“If someone like this makes his debut at the highest level, the big question is whether he can keep up with the faster pace. Gravenberch picks up on that very quickly. Also in the Champions League. When you see how, despite his height and physically, he easily turns away in the crowds and accelerates, you don’t see that much.”

Despite his age, Gravenberch already has a great deal of first-team experience under his belt due to his time with Ajax, and he could now be ready to become a regular starter at one of Europe's top clubs, so it is promising news that Liverpool could be well-placed to sign him.

Manchester United are on course to seal another deadline-day signing, with Sky Sports sharing a transfer update on target Sergio Reguilon.

Are Man United signing Sergio Reguilon?

The Red Devils are on course for a busy final few hours of the transfer window. Prior to Friday, the club’s incomings were Andre Onana, Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and former defender Jonny Evans.

However, earlier on today, United announced a transfer for goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce, with the Turkish shot-stopper likely to serve as back up to Onana.

A new left-back has also been on the agenda in recent days following injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. Marc Cucurella was a target from Chelsea, while Spurs’ Reguilon has also been on the radar, and it looks as if the latter of the two will become a new Man United player.

Sky Sports News shared an update on deadline day from inside Old Trafford, saying that a loan agreement has been reached and the player has already completed a medical.

“We understand Sergio Reguilon will be joining Manchester United on a loan. An agreement has been reached – a medical has been completed, so that’s going to be announced soon.

“There’s a potential break clause as well in January.”

There could well be one more arrival as well, with the club trying to secure a late move for midfielder Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina after director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves flew out to Italy.

Who is Sergio Reguilon?

Reguilon is a left-back who can also play slightly further forward as a left midfielder when needed and will arrive in Manchester with 52 games of Premier League experience under his belt.

The Spaniard, who has also represented the likes of Sevilla and Real Madrid, spent a part of last season back in his native country with Atletico Madrid and doesn't appear to be a part of Ange Postecoglou’s plans at Tottenham.

Following a winner against Leeds back in 2021, pundit Noel Whelan hailed the full-back, labelling him as a “quality player”.

“I thought Reguilon was brilliant. He was the standout for me, he had so much drive going forward.

“We’ve seen in the past at Chelsea how Conte likes to use those wing-backs to break the opposition lines and overload teams. He could do something similar at Spurs.

“He’s also managed to get the best out of Emerson so far in a Tottenham shirt. It looks like they’re going to have to be really fit. They will be absolutely pivotal for Conte and the team.

“I’ve been an admirer of Reguilon for some time. He really stamped his authority on the game and grabbed the winner to show what a quality player he is.”

Therefore, he could be just what United are after in the short term at left-back so late in the window, and it appears as if it is just a matter of time until a deal is announced.

Mandeep Singh’s 29-ball 45 helped Punjab tie Karnataka’s total, before his unbeaten 10 off four balls was instrumental in his side clinching the eliminator

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2018Mandeep Singh’s 29-ball 45 helped Punjab tie Karnataka’s total of 158 before his unbeaten 10 off four balls was instrumental in his side clinching the one-over eliminator in a Super League game in Kolkata.Electing to bowl, Punjab secured the big wicket of Mayank Agarwal when Manpreet Gony had him caught for 6. Karnataka soon slid to 35 for 3 with Karun Nair and K Gowtham falling for 13 each to seamers Baltej Singh and Gony. Karnataka’s recovery was eventually down to a 64-run alliance between R Samarth (31 off 29) and CM Gautam (36 off 31). But, another collapse reduced Karnataka to 102 for 6, with Baltej removing Gautam and Stuart Binny in the space of two deliveries. Karnataka, though, were powered past 150 thanks to Aniruddha Joshi’s 19-ball 40 that included six fours and a six. Baltej finished with figures of 3 for 21, while Gony took two wickets for eight runs in four overs.In their chase, Punjab remained on course for a comfortable win with Mandeep and captain Harbhajan Singh, who batted at No. 3, putting on a blistering 67-run stand in 6.1 overs. Harbhajan, who has set a reserve price of INR 2 crore at the IPL auction, has been in good batting form recently and has batted higher up the order. He smashed 33 off 19 balls, including five fours and a six.However, after Harbhajan was dismissed in the ninth over, Mandeep and Gurkeerat were dismissed within the space of four balls. With Yuvraj Singh also falling after a 25-ball 29, Punjab began to wobble and eventually couldn’t close out the game. Left-arm seamer S Aravind picked up two lower-order wickets out of his tally of four, while legspinner Pravin Dubey, who picked up seven wickets in the last two matches, managed two scalps. Mandeep, however, did better when he got a shot at redemption in the one-over eliminator. A capped player, Mandeep has set his price at INR 50 lakh at the auction.

Ten of the visiting batsmen got to or past 18, but only one – Pat Cummins at No. 8 – went on to score a half-century

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2018Matt King – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesA five-wicket haul from Beuran Hendricks restricted the Australians to a succession of unconverted starts on the second day of their tour match against South Africa A in Benoni. Replying to South Africa A’s first-innings total of 220, the Australians were bowled out after taking a 109-run lead. The left-armer Hendricks picked up his 14th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and found useful support from his fellow seamers Duanne Olivier and Malusi Siboto, who picked up two wickets apiece.Then the home side’s openers, Zubayr Hamza and Pieter Malan, batted through the last 18 overs of day two to move their side to 55 for 0 at stumps.Ten of the Australians got to or past 18, but only one of them – Pat Cummins at No. 8, who made an unbeaten 59 – went on to make 50. The only batsman out for a single-digit score was Peter Handscomb, who was out for a three-ball duck on day one.Resuming with their side 87 for 3, the overnight pair of Cameron Bancroft and Shaun Marsh stretched their fourth-wicket stand to 60 before the latter fell for 25. Bancroft fell 4.5 overs later for 45.A few more partnerships of middling length followed: 43 for the sixth wicket between Mitchell Marsh and Tim Paine, 47 for the eighth between Cummins and Mitchell Starc, and 64 – the biggest of the innings – between Cummins and Nathan Lyon, who struck 38 off 34 balls with three fours and two sixes. All of these allowed the Australians to comfortably surpass South Africa A’s first-innings effort.

Everton manager Sean Dyche will have used the first international pause of the season as a chance to reset and forge ahead with his side's Premier League efforts after a disappointing start.

Suffering three successive defeats before an entertaining 2-2 draw against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane handed the Toffees their first goals and point of the campaign, a daunting clash against title-chasing Arsenal now awaits.

How much did Everton spend this summer?

After falling by the wayside last season and struggling against the threat of relegation, Everton sacked Frank Lampard in January and replaced him with former Burnley boss Dyche, who successfully manufactured an escape from danger and preserved top-flight status on a nail-biting final day, defeating Bournemouth 1-0.

Ashley Young

Free

Arnaut Danjuma

Loan

Youssef Chermiti

£15m

Jack Harrison

Loan

Beto

£26m

Fees sourced via Sky Sports.

While a summer of additions has been concluded, there has been little progress on the pitch thus far – though centre-forward Beto has been described as "fantastic" by The Athletic's Patrick Boyland for his start to life in England, having already found the net once in his two outings.

Dyche will hope to use the draw against Sheffield United as a launchpad, and while Arsenal are one of the most formidable outfits in Europe right now, the Toffees will be emboldened by their 1-0 victory over Mikel Arteta's side in the corresponding fixture last year.

In fact, Everton have won four of the past six matches against the Gunners and are unbeaten in five clashes at Goodison Park, and this could now be the opportune moment for the Blues to kickstart their season. That said, they will need to be better defensively.

Ashley Young, aged 38, has started all four of Everton's Premier League matches this season after joining in the summer, but as Boyland noted, the defence has been "very vulnerable".

Against Arsenal, perhaps it's time for Vitaliy Mykolenko to earn his first league start of the season, especially after his display against England last week, producing a solid performance to help negate the threat of Bukayo Saka.

How good is Vitaliy Mykolenko?

Indeed, analyst Liam Tharme remarked that the prodigious winger got "walloped" by the Ukrainian last Saturday, and while he produced an unforgiving defensive display, it will have caught Dyche's attention ahead of the forthcoming club clash.

Mykolenko, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by Lampard, made five clearances, two tackles and an interception, as per Sofascore, also winning four of his six duels on the day, and while Saka was still lively and elegant, he failed to produce his most effective display for the Three Lions despite hitting the woodwork. After all, this was England's Player of the Year struggling to get into the game.

Journalist Paul Brown doesn't believe that Dyche "trusts" the 24-year-old Everton defender, and while this may be the case, his physicality and robustness might be crucial in nullifying the abundant qualities of Saka, who has already posted two goals and assists apiece for Arsenal this term.

While the £58k-per-week left-back might have some questionable defensive tendencies, there's no question of his tenacity and application, ranking among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances, the top 4% for blocks and the top 10% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref.

While Dyche clearly doesn't hold Mykolenko in the highest regard, he could be an important component against Arsenal and their star man Saka and be the “hero” once again, as has been said by Joe Thomas.

It might even prove to be a masterstroke to deploy the 5 foot 11 defender to the starting fold on Sunday to stifle Saka's threat and set Everton on their way.

Aston Villa have been a team inspired by the arrival of Unai Emery, with the Spaniard installing a new level of aspiration to the squad at Villa Park.

The former Arsenal manager took the reins from Steven Gerrard in October 2022, transforming the outlook in the Midlands by guiding the club from 16th to 7th in less than a year in charge.

The squad, the staff and the fans seem to have adapted as well as possible to the four-time Europa League winners’ style, with only Pep Guardiola as of the end of August winning more points in the Premier League this year than Emery.

Along with making vast improvements on the pitch, the Spaniard orchestrated a successful summer transfer window, securing the signatures of five new faces welcomed in order to bolster the squad.

Emery, joined by his former Sevilla colleague Monchi, broke the club’s transfer record fee to obtain Moussa Diaby, confirming the signing of their number one target in a deal worth £51.9m.

This summer, Villa were able to deliver their primary target, however, this hasn’t always been the case, with one of Dean Smith’s wanted men failing to make the move to Villa Park as hoped.

Moussa Diaby

Bayer Leverkusen

£51.9m

Pau Torres

Villarreal

£33m

Nicolo Zaniolo

Galatasaray

Loan

Youri Tielemans

Leicester City

Free

Clement Lenglet

Barcelona

Loan

Looking back, the signing of Emile Smith Rowe could have been an integral addition to the squad as it is today, but Smith learned the hard way that things aren’t always possible in the transfer market.

Did Aston Villa nearly sign Emile Smith Rowe?

Rewind to the summer of 2021, and Arsenal starlet Smith-Rowe was the playmaker wanted at Villa Park when the team was led by Dean Smith.

It was reported at the time that the Midlands side had two bids rejected for the midfielder, who was a 20-year-old at the time, with the highest offer being in the region of £30m.

This summer, it was deja vu at Villa Park, with Emery speculated to be eyeing a reunion with SmithRowe, as talkSPORT claimed that Villa were back on the Englishman’s tail.

Why didn’t Aston Villa sign Smith Rowe?

As well as Villa, Chelsea were linked to the 23-year-old, however, the outcome has remained the same as it did in 2021, with the Hale End graduate remaining in north London.

Arsenal were adamant on both occasions that their number 10 was not for sale, with him being a favoured member of the squad having been at the club since the age of just 10 years old.

It wasn’t a case of the Gunners wanting more funds, but more the case that the attacker was not permitted to leave the club due to how highly he is regarded in north London.

What is Smith-Rowe doing now?

It was understandable why Smith was eyeing the Arsenal youngster in 2021, as the midfielder contributed to 14 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions in the 2020/21 campaign, scoring seven and assisting seven.

The interest in the Englishman seemed to inspire his place in the squad at the Emirates, as the season after, he became a regular squad member for his boyhood club.

In 33 Premier League appearances, the Londoner scored ten league goals, as well as registering two assists to showcase just the level he could operate at if given the chance.

The 2021/22 campaign marked a high point in his career, and unfortunately, the youngster has been unable to reach such levels since then due to a lack of game time and opportunity in the squad.

While it’s celebrated for those associated with Arsenal that Mikel Arteta has discovered his best XI, Smith Rowe is an outsider to the favoured line-up, having made just 15 appearances since his impressive 2021/22 season.

This term so far, the 23-year-old has been an unused substitute in all five of the Gunners’ Premier League games, making his unavailability in the transfer window all the more frustrating.

What is Smith-Rowe’s market value?

Villa bid £30m for the midfielder in 2021, which was a fair offer considering that the England U21 star had an expected transfer value (xTV) of €21m (£18m) and was in the process of signing a contract extension with his club, via Football Transfers.

The academy graduate’s value hit a high the following summer, as it soared to €39.8m (£34m), however with his game time restricted due to competition in the current squad, his expected value has decreased dramatically.

At present, Smith-Rowe is valued at just €13.6m (£11.7m), telling of how disused his services are in north London of late.

What are Emile Smith Rowe's best qualities?

The summer that Smith was pushing to sign Smith-Rowe, Villa replenished their creative talents and the loss of Jack Grealish with Emiliano Buendia instead, who posed as an alternative to the Englishman positionally.

While it was evident that Villa would’ve preferred to have equipped both players to their squad, the Argentine was the only player out of the two to be delivered to the Midlands, making the £38m move from Norwich.

In hindsight, signing the Englishman may have been the better choice with the knowledge of how the former Canaries ace’s Villa career has gone so far, with Smith Rowe having the capability to thrive to a higher level in the top-flight.

The season after the interest, Smith-Rowe had a hand in 12 goals for Arsenal, while Buendia contributed towards ten for Villa, scoring four to the Gunners star’s ten that campaign.

Away from goal contributions, the England U21 international put in some more assured performances on the pitch compared to Buendia, as highlighted by his averages that campaign.

As per FBref, Smith-Rowe registered a pass completion rate of 82.9% per 90 as well as recording an average of 3.05 progressive carries per 90 for his boyhood club, showcasing his strengths in ball carrying and distribution.

Such traits saw him lauded and notably compared to a former Villan. Indeed, talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino said in 2021 that the Gunners starlet has "got that Jack Grealish about him."

Buendia happened to fall short in both decimals during his debut season at Villa Park, maintaining a pass completion rate of only 78.8% and making an average of 1.90 progressive carries per 90; hardly a talent worthy of replacing Grealish.

Lauded as “incredibly prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his scoring rate of 0.47 non-penalty goals per 90 in the 2021/22 campaign, Smith Rowe showed Villa just what they were missing, with the Villans’ new arrival averaging just 0.19 per 90.

Following his four goals in his debut season, Buendia has only added five more to his tally in the Premier League, with his level of performance in the Championship not yet translated to the top flight.

Smith was unfortunate not to have obtained Smith Rowe, who was simply not for sale at the time of his interest, however, with hindsight in mind, the Midlands side will look back wishing that the situation had been different at the time.

South Africa wrapped up the series 3-1 – their first home win against Australia since readmission – with a 492-run victory

The Report by Brydon Coverdale03-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:58

Holding: Series win will be a big push for SA’s next generation

It’s always challenging for a captain to judge when his team has enough runs on the board. Turns out South Africa had enough about an hour into day two. Led by a brilliant bowling display from Vernon Philander, South Africa took less than 90 minutes on the final day in Johannesburg to wrap up victory by 492 runs, sealing their first home series win against Australia since 1970.A series full of bad blood and boorish behaviour, collateral damage and carnage ended with the latter. Australia started the day on 88 for 3 and lost their remaining seven wickets for 31 runs inside 17 overs. Philander struck with the first ball of the day, again three deliveries later, and kept striking even more regularly and resoundingly than Big Ben. He finished with the remarkable figures of 6 for 21, and match figures of 9 for 51, and Australia were humbled for 119.The win was sealed with the retiring Morne Morkel at the bowling crease, although the wicket was not added to his career tally of 309. Nathan Lyon drove Morkel away through cover and turned for a risky second run; Aiden Markram’s throw from the outfield was good enough for Quinton de Kock to whip the bails off and have Lyon run out for 9. Australia had made only 340 runs for the match; South Africa had that many well before lunch on day two.It is hard to believe Australia won the first Test of this series. It seems an era ago, and in many ways it was. Since then, Australia’s captain and vice-captain have been sacked in disgrace, the coach has resigned, and Tim Paine, not even part of Tasmania’s team at the start of the summer, is now the skipper. In terms of results, Australia’s 1-0 series lead turned into a 3-1 win for South Africa, who dominated throughout the remainder of the series.Not only was this Australia’s first series defeat in South Africa since 1970, it was also the first time since that same tour that they had gone through a series of at least four Tests without a single batsman scoring a century. Australia’s collective batting average of 22.02 was their lowest in a series of at least four Tests since the dark days of the World Series Cricket era, when an enormously weakened side averaged 19.17 in the Ashes in England.The final-day carnage began with Philander nipping one in to Shaun Marsh, whose inside edge ricocheted off his leg and was taken in the cordon by Temba Bavuma. Three balls later, Philander added Mitchell Marsh, whose regulation edge was caught behind. Peter Handscomb soon fell to Philander in almost identical fashion to his first-innings dismissal, trying to leave but instead playing on to his stumps, this time for 24.That was all just a warm-up for Philander, who later managed three wickets in four balls. His fine display of swing and seam bowling brought three consecutive edges from Paine – an inside edge, then an outside edge that didn’t carry to gully, and then a regulation chance to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later, Pat Cummins failed to pick the inswinger and was bowled shouldering arms to Philander, and next delivery Chadd Sayers edged to third slip.Philander’s hat-trick ball was solidly defended by Josh Hazlewood, and the match then entered a holding pattern as Lyon and Hazlewood held off the inevitable for six overs. The only question was who would get the final wicket – Philander, to complete a ten-wicket match haul, Morkel to finish his last Test on a high, or someone else. In the end, it was a run-out, perhaps appropriately effected by Markram, who with 480 was comfortably the leading run-scorer in the series.The final scenes of this vituperative series involved joy and disappointment, but also handshakes and congratulations, the way Test cricket should be. And, also as it should be, the best team won.

The allrounder, who played 21 Tests for South Africa between 1961 and 1966, had been suffering from colon cancer for several years

Firdose Moonda16-Apr-2018Colin Bland, the Bulawayo-born allrounder who played 21 Tests for South Africa between 1961 and 1966, died at his home in London on Saturday night, aged 80. Bland suffered from colon cancer for several years.Bland played first-class cricket for Rhodesia, including fixtures against New Zealand in 1961. He impressed with an innings of 98, and was subsequently included in South Africa’s Test squad. He played all five Tests against New Zealand at home that year, without significant results with the bat, but he showed off the fielding he became best-known for. In later years, Jonty Rhodes’ speed and agility was compared with Bland’s, and his groundwork was a major reason for his selection for the 1963-64 tour to Australia.According to the , Bland “demonstrated that fielding can be both a delight and an exhilarating spectacle through scientific precision.”He did not play the opening Test in Brisbane, but featured in the next four. In the final Test in Sydney, Bland scored his maiden Test hundred to help South Africa take a healthy first-innings lead, and draw the match as well as the series 1-1. He struck his second and final hundreds against England, the latter of those in what would become his penultimate Test, in 1965. His second-innings 127 at The Oval again contributed to a draw, but South Africa’s victory at Nottingham in the second Test gave them their first series win in England. Bland was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1966.The following summer, he was part of the victorious squad that played in the 1966-67 home series against Australia. He only played in the first Test in Johannesburg, where he severely damaged his left knee after crashing into a boundary board. The injury ended his international career.He continued playing for Rhodesia, and captained and coached them. In 1969, Bland moved to Port Elizabeth, where he played first-class cricket until he accepted a job as cricket and hockey coach at the University of Free State in 1971. Bland played cricket for Free State until 1973. After his playing days, Bland ventured into some coaching in cricket and squash. After his relocation to the UK, he continued to coach, and as recently as 2004, was hired by the MCC as a fielding coach.

After Arsenal well and truly demolished PSV in the Champions League on Wednesday evening it looked as though the Gunners were back in the silky groove that had seen them dominate so much last season.

Indeed, that looked true during the opening half an hour of the north London derby on Sunday afternoon too.

Mikel Arteta's men came flying at Spurs who were forced to play through a rampant pressing unit. To their credit, Ange Postecoglou's men did well to navigate proceedings in that regard.

It wasn't enough to prevent them from going a goal down, however, with Bukayo Saka finding the net via wicket deflection off Cristian Romero.

That went down as an own goal before Saka would score in his own right from the penalty spot in the second half. That, however, wasn't enough for a win as Heung-min Son scored twice to ensure proceedings ended 2-2.

Arsenal were far from their free-flowing best. Skipper Martin Odegaard, fresh from a majestic performance in the Champions League a few days ago only recorded 18 passes at a woeful 64% success rate, while Jorginho, a half-time substitute for the injured Declan Rice, was robbed of possession in shambolic circumstances by James Maddison for Tottenham's second.

That said, the usually tireless Eddie Nketiah was perhaps one of the biggest party poopers on Sunday.

How did Nketiah play against Spurs?

The young striker has been an astute deputy for Gabriel Jesus throughout 2023.

The Brazilian sustained an injury at the World Cup last winter, a problem that ultimately saw him miss a few months. At the time, it was a worry for the Gunners, but upstepped Nketiah who scored against West Ham and Brighton immediately after the break before bagging twice, including a late winner against Manchester United in late January.

He started the new campaign vibrantly too, netting versus Nottingham Forest and Fulham, but with Jesus now fit and firing again, his performances have dwindled.

Against Everton eight days ago he was hauled off just after the hour mark and probably shouldn't have been given much more time than that yesterday.

Whether he'd have played but for Leandro Trossard's training injury is an interesting trail of thought, as Jesus was moved to the left-hand side after his European exploits, with Nketiah leading the line again.

However, after a timid showing, it was Jesus who was taken off in the second half, with the academy graduate somehow lasting the whole 100 minutes that were played.

Perhaps the most frustrating moment of Nketiah's afternoon was in the first half. Destiny Udogie's backpass flew past Micky van de Ven which left the Arsenal number 14 with a tight chance to score from.

He ignored Fabio Vieira who was racing towards the penalty spot and instead stuck an effort straight at Guglielmo Vicaro in the Tottenham net.

The £100k-per-week earner is usually accustomed to doing the dirty work but was largely anonymous throughout, making a mere six passes in 100 minutes on the field, and also registering just 23 touches of the ball. For context, even the Gunners' stopper, David Raya, had more say with the ball at his feet, taking 42 touches in total.

Described as "average" by Man United personality Mark Goldbridge, this was certainly a game to forget for Nketiah who was decidedly toothless and inept in the final third.

Usually such a vibrant poacher, he lacked the instinct to be in the right place at the right time, with his small influence on the game summed up by Arsenal's apparent lack of desire to put the ball into the area throughout injury time.

To make matters worse, the 24-year-old was perhaps lucky not to be sent off for a late challenge on Vicario as he flew through the Spurs 'keeper when the ball had already gone.

It's not often in the last 12 months that you could say Arsenal need to sign a new striker. Jesus was so promising in the early stages of term but if they are to persist with Nketiah, trouble will only brew in the final third.

Whether or not Trossard and Martinelli are fit for this week's fixtures, Nketiah must be ditched from the starting XI. His position is surely now Jesus' for the taking.