Keogh, Miller, Sales extend lead after India spinner rips through Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2024Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal claimed five wickets as Northamptonshire ran through Derbyshire’s batting line-up on a day dominated by spin at Wantage Road before Northamptonshire’s batters put the hosts in the ascendancy.Chahal, veteran of 152 white-ball internationals, finished with figures of five for 45, only his third career five-wicket haul, as Derbyshire lost their last six wickets for just 15 runs in 10.2 overs.For most of the morning Chahal bowled in tandem with off-spinner Rob Keogh on a pitch offering plenty of turn and bounce with fielders stationed all around the bat. Keogh also took three wickets for 65 as Northamptonshire claimed a handy first inning lead of 54 on day two of this Vitality County Championship encounter.Luis Reece had top scored for Derbyshire with 50 and while Wayne Masden (47) and Aneurin Donald (21) staged a fightback during a 51-run partnership, Chahal removed both batters in a lengthy spell which included a double wicket maiden.In Northamptonshire’s second innings, teenage Derbyshire quick Harry Moore took two early wickets for just six runs, before youngsters Gus Miller (42) and James Sales (40) mounted a stand of 76. Rob Keogh hit a well-paced unbeaten 46 as Northamptonshire closed on 178 for five, leading by 232 when heavy rain and bad light stopped play.Earlier Ben Sanderson made the initial breakthrough for Northamptonshire, knocking back Brooke Guest’s (28) off stump, while Reece’s innings ended when he edged one from Keogh which spun away. Keogh struck again in his next over when David Lloyd was adjudged lbw as he attempted to sweep.Masden refused to be bowled at, coming down the wicket to strike Keogh over midwicket, cutting and sweeping the spinners as he and Donald manoeuvred the ball into the gaps and kept the scoreboard tickingDonald swept Chahal square for six when he tossed one up, but the bowler got his man when Donald swept a half-volley straight to Sales at square leg. Chahal almost had another wicket with his next ball but Sales, now at short leg, could not hold onto a sharp chance offered by Martin Andersson.Masden was undone by one from Chahal that pitched middle and hit the top of off-stump, while Chappell, hero of the One Day Cup fixture here in July, fell two balls later when he chipped to Luke Procter who ran in to take a diving catch at mid-off. Keogh then removed Andersson thanks to an excellent sharp grab by Justin Broad at leg slip.Chahal wrapped up the innings immediately after lunch, Alex Thomson top edging an attempted sweep, Prithvi Shaw running behind the stumps to take the catch. Chahal then bowled Jack Morley next ball to end the innings.Debutant Moore had Shaw adjudged lbw in the second over of Northamptonshire’s innings, while Procter edged him to Masden at second slip, the Derbyshire man’s 250th first-class catch for the county.Miller though started positively, driving Chappell through mid-on for four to get off the mark before Derbyshire turned to their own spin duo of Thomson and Morley who, while they created problems of their own, were inconsistent, failing to apply sustained pressure.Miller cut Morley for four to take Northamptonshire’s lead into three figures, Sales steering the spinner square for four and flicking him through midwicket for another. Miller duly drove Thomson through cover to bring up the 50 partnership.Miller though became the latest batter to perish playing the sweep, trapped lbw by Thomson shortly before tea, while Sales departed to seam shortly after the break, given out caught behind off Andersson.Saif Zaib and Keogh shared a stand of 41 for the fifth wicket to push the Northamptonshire lead towards 200. Zaib picked up where he had left off in his first innings 90, playing some crisp drives against Andersson and reverse sweeping the spinners, but he departed in a rush of blood, bowled as he danced down the track to Morley.Keogh profited from the reverse sweep in particular, deploying the shot to collect three consecutive boundaries off Thomson. He struck eight fours in total and despite the light worsening during the evening session, he helped Northamptonshire towards a daunting lead.

Manchester City fans will be hoping their damaged side can get back on the horse in convincing fashion when Premier League football kicks off again in August.

The ten-time top-flight champions fell way below their lofty standards last season when finishing in third spot in the competitive division, whilst an FA Cup final slip-up to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace further added to the lacklustre mood at the Etihad.

City have been spending big this summer to try and right the wrongs of their 2024/25 campaign coming undone, with Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait Nouri all coming through the door in quick succession, but this hat-trick of exciting buys still couldn’t stop the Citizens from crashing out of the Club World Cup unexpectedly to Al-Hilal.

More new purchases could be pushed onto the table, therefore, to help boost Pep Guardiola’s men even more, with a potential defensive addition around the £25m mark on the agenda.

£25m star now on Man City's agenda

Of course, it’s not just incoming signings that City will be wanting to press on with.

The dented Premier League giants will also want to get even more personnel off their books this summer – away from allowing just Kevin De Bruyne to move onto Napoli – with Jack Grealish reportedly being eyed up by many a potential suitor, including both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, as City continue with their clearout.

Transfer Focus

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

£40m could soon enter into City’s bank account if the former Aston Villa man finally departs Manchester for good, with £25m of that potentially used to snap up Inter Milan defensive star Denzel Dumfries.

Indeed, as per a new report from Italy, the lightning-quick right-back is being eyed up by City as another first-team altering addition.

It’s claimed that City are ready to trigger that £21m release clause fee, signalling their intentions to make a bid in the not-too-distant future.

How Dumfries can be City's answer to Frimpong

Should Dumfries head to England this summer then he could well be City’s answer to Jeremie Frimpong, with the Citizens once possessing the 5-foot-8 menace during his youth days, before he moved on to Liverpool for a hefty £29.5m after a blistering Bayer Leverkusen stint.

Now, that past regret will be far easier to process if Dumfries soon joins Guardiola’s ever-growing camp to be City’s up-to-date answer to their ex-academy talent.

After all, City have licked their wounds in this department before, with Guardiola and Co. still managing to finish above Chelsea last season, even as their former homegrown product Cole Palmer terrorised Premier League defences at will.

Now, they will be hoping to overshadow another of their top-flight rivals in Arne Slot’s Reds by landing their own version of Frimpong, with both right-backs in question loving a speedy dart forward, as much as they love to battle away at the back for their team’s cause.

Last season in the intense environment of the Serie A, Dumfries would dazzle as a gung-ho option on the right, with a sublime seven of his 11 goals for the campaign coming in Italian top-flight action, which included a fantastic breakaway move being finished off by the direct 29-year-old.

Frimpong bettered Dumfries’ hefty amount, but not by much, with the pacey Amsterdam-born defender chipping in with a bumper nine efforts himself in the Bundesliga.

Dumfries’ FBref numbers over the last year vs Frimpong’s
Stat – per 90 mins	Dumfries	Frimpong
Total shots	1.52	1.36
Shot-creating actions	2.32	2.67
Attempted passes	38.68	35.80
Progressive passes	2.25	2.00
Progressive carries	2.51	4.11
Touches in attacking penalty area	0.76	0.90
Tackles	1.49	1.13
Blocks	1.46	0.98
Aerial duels won	2.60	0.43
Stats by FBref

The similarities don’t just end with their shared prowess for gallivanting forward with pace, however, as seen when glancing at the table above, with both defenders willing to get stuck in for the cause, too.

If anything, City might be winning themselves a better signing by landing Dumfries for a lesser £25m, with the Dutchman winning more tackles and aerial duels over the last year than Frimpong, according to FBref, away from just being known as a “monster” in the words of journalist Alan Rzepa.

A fascinating battle might well ensue at the top of the division next season between City and Liverpool, with the Citizens hopeful they can return to the Premier League summit after experiencing a blip of a season by securing more and more new stars, such as Dumfries.

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By
Ben Gray

Jul 4, 2025

Leeds United are in the market to add another centre-forward to Daniel Farke’s attacking arsenal before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Whites have already swooped to bring Lukas Nmecha in on a free transfer from Wolfsburg to provide depth in that area of the pitch, but they are looking to swoop for another one.

Farke knows that he needs to bolster his options across the pitch after his side won the Championship title to secure promotion to the Premier League, and the German boss is reportedly looking at a number of high-quality number nine targets.

One player who does not look likely to end up at Elland Road this summer, though, is Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz, who is not for sale.

This means that the Whites will have to look at alternative targets to the Cottagers striker, and one player who has been mentioned is Lecce marksman Nikola Krstovic.

What Nikola Krstovic could bring to Leeds

It was recently reported that Leeds are ‘pushing’ to secure a deal for the £21m-rated Montenegro international from the Serie A side, but it remains to be seen whether or not they can get a move over the line in the coming weeks.

If the Championship champions can wrap up a transfer for the 25-year-old centre-forward, though, he could bring a lot of attractive qualities to Elland Road.

Krstovic scored 11 goals in the Serie A for Lecce last season, and provided his teammates with five assists, which shows that he can provide a threat in the final third in a major European league.

The £21m-rated star also won 4.9 duels, at a success rate of 41%, per game in the Serie A, proving that he is a physical striker who can compete in battles with opposition centre-backs.

Appearances

35

37

xG

11.62

12.05

Goals

7

11

Non-penalty xG

9.26

9.68

Non-penalty goals

6

9

xA

1.65

1.68

Assists

1

5

However, as you can see in the table above, there would be a concern over how sustainable his goalscoring is because of his finishing quality in the last two seasons in the Italian top-flight.

He has underperformed his xG in both seasons in the Serie A, by between five and six goals, and this suggests that he may not be a reliable finisher for Leeds.

Therefore, despite the other qualities he could offer, it might be better for the Whites to look elsewhere for a new striker, and they are reportedly interested in one who would be even better than Krstovic.

Leeds considering move for Championship star

According to Football Insider, Leeds United are currently considering whether or not to bid for Norwich City centre-forward Josh Sargent this summer.

The report claims that the USA international is ‘firmly’ on the club’s radar, as they eye up multiple number nine targets, and that Farke is the driving force behind their interest in the striker.

Transfer Focus

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

Sargent was signed by Farke in the summer of 2021 when the German head coach brought him to Carrow Road from Werder Bremen, but the Canaries sacked the manager after just a couple of months of working with the forward.

Former scout Mick Brown has told Football Insider that the boss is “driving the interest” for the Championship marksman, who made the PFA Team of the Year ahead of Joel Piroe.

Brown added: “They’re not the only ones interested, so if they want him they might have to move quickly. Sometimes that interest from other clubs can force people into making a move even if they weren’t quite certain about it before, so we’ll see.”

This means that Leeds may have to decide whether they want to bid for the £21m-rated striker sooner rather than later, to avoid missing out on him.

Why Leeds should sign Josh Sargent

The Whites should swoop to sign the American centre-forward this summer because he could arrive as an even better signing than Krstovic, despite the fact that he played at a lower level last season.

Whilst the Montenegro international was strutting his stuff in the Serie A, Sargent was grinding it out in the Championship with Norwich and caught the eye with his impressive performances.

Of course, some fans may only remember the forward’s output in his Premier League season with the Canaries, after he scored just two goals in 26 games in the 2021/22 campaign.

But that was his first season in English football, as a young striker, and he often played out wide to accommodate Teemu Pukki, in a team that was relegated to the Championship.

Appearances

40

28

32

xG

10.51

12.07

13.32

Goals

13

16

15

Shots on target

41

32

30

xA

3.79

2.74

3.17

Assists

2

2

5

As you can see in the table above, Sargent has thrived since those initial struggles in that Premier League season, outperforming his xG in all three of his second tier campaigns.

These statistics suggest that the 25-year-old star, who was hailed as “phenomenal” by former teammate Ashley Barnes, has the potential to be even better in front of goal than Krstovic, as he has a history of being a clinical finisher, whilst the Lecce ace has underperformed in the last two seasons.

Sargent could also be a better signing than the Serie A marksman because of his pre-existing relationship with Farke and his experience in English football, which could help him to hit the ground running faster than Krstovic.

Leeds may need a fast start to the season to gain enough positive momentum to push them away from an early relegation battle, which is one of the reasons why the Norwich star could be a very shrewd signing for the club and why they should go from considering a bid for him to actually making one.

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ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2025

Shakib Al Hasan has apologised for his silence during the student-led protests in Bangladesh in July, which led to several hundreds of deaths. It is the first time that Shakib acknowledged the movement that led to the fall of the longstanding Awami League-led government – in which he was a member of parliament (MP) – on August 5.”Firstly, I would like to pay my respects to all the students who sacrificed their lives, led the anti-discrimination movement, and were martyred or injured during the people’s uprising,” Shakib wrote on his Facebook page. “I extend my deepest respect and condolences to them and their families. While no sacrifice can compensate for the loss of a loved one, nothing can fill the void of losing a child or a brother, to those of you who were hurt by my silence during this critical period, I respect your feelings and sincerely apologise. If I were in your place, I too might have been upset.”Related

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Shakib was playing in the Global T20 Canada franchise league during the violence in Bangladesh in July. During one of the matches in early August, Shakib argued with a fan who had asked him about his silence on the upheaval back home.Apart from being an MP, Shakib, of course, is arguably Bangladesh’s biggest cricket star ever, a larger-than-life figure in Bangladesh, and so his silence rankled. He was named in a murder case related to the protests, along with 146 other Awami League leaders, while he was playing the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.On September 26, Shakib, who resides in the USA with his family, announced his retirement from Test cricket. He said that if the authorities could guarantee his safe entry and exit from Bangladesh, he wanted to play his last Test in Dhaka, against South Africa from October 21. He had not been in the country since the T20 World Cup in June, having linked up with the Test squad directly in Pakistan and India. BCB president Faruque Ahmed said the board could not guarantee him the security he wanted, but at the government level there were positive signals for Shakib. Sports adviser Asif Mahmud had said the government would provide him with security, but Shakib needed to explain his political stance to his fans.In his long Facebook post on Wednesday, Shakib duly spoke of why he had joined politics last year. He had got an Awami League nomination, and went on to win comfortably from the Magura-1 constituency.”I was briefly the member of parliament from the Magura-1 constituency. My political involvement was primarily driven by my desire to contribute to the development of my hometown Magura. As you know, it is difficult to directly impact the development of one’s area without a specific role in Bangladesh.”My wish to develop this area is what motivated me to become an MP. However, at the end of the day, my primary identity is as a cricketer for Bangladesh. No matter where I have been or in what position, I have always carried cricket in my heart.”Shakib concluded his post by paying tribute to his fans. “You all know that I will soon be playing my last match… I want to say goodbye with all of you around. At the moment of farewell, I want to shake hands with those whose applause compelled me to play better. I want to meet the eyes of those who cheered in joy when I played well and whose eyes welled up with tears when I did not. I believe that at this farewell moment, you will all be with me. Together, we will close the story that, in truth, stars not me, but all of you.”

Liverpool have reportedly made an approach to sign a Sadio Mane-like forward who Manchester United are in talks to sign.

Liverpool announce Ekitike deal and eye Isak

The Reds have spent the most out of all 20 Premier League clubs this summer, with FSG splashing more than £250m on six new signings so far.

Incomings

From

Fee

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

£116m

Hugo Ekitike

Frankfurt

£69m

Milos Kerkez

Bournemouth

£40m

Jeremie Frimpong

Bayer Leverkusen

£29.5m

Armin Pecsi

Puskas Akademia

£1.5m

Freddie Woodman

Preston North End

Free

Hugo Ekitike was the latest marquee addition, costing Liverpool £69m from Eintracht Frankfurt. Talking after completing his move to Anfield, the French forward said:

Despite signing Ekitike, Liverpool may not stop there when it comes to striker signings, with Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak a firm target.

The Swede has his heart set on a move to Merseyside, however, the Reds may have to break their transfer record once more if they are to add Isak to Arne Slot’s squad.

With FSG showing no signs of stopping, the Reds are also looking at a move to sign an in-demand teenager ahead of those at Old Trafford.

Liverpool make contact to sign Man Utd target Idrissa Gueye

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are one of a host of sides to have made an enquiry for Metz attacker Idrissa Gueye. The Reds and West Ham have been in recent contact, as have Brighton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Southampton, and Sunderland.

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Described by FI as ‘one of the hottest properties in Europe’, Gueye is also wanted in Germany and Italy, whereas Liverpool’s rivals, Man Utd, have been in recent intense £17m talks for the 18-year-old striker.

Gueye, already a senior Senegal international, is “rated as highly as Sadio Mane was”, according to reporter Alan Nixon, so Liverpool appear to be wise in making checks on a potential deal for the Metz gem.

A move for Mane from Southampton in 2016 proved to be a brilliant piece of business, with the winger going on to score 120 goals in 269 Liverpool games, winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Now, Gueye could follow in Mane’s Anfield footsteps, making this one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing a free-kick specialist on a free transfer for new boss Russell Martin.

Busy week for Rangers as 49ers sign Rothwell and Fernandez

The Gers and new owners 49ers Enterprises have had a busy week at Ibrox in regards to new signings, with both Joe Rothwell and Emmanuel Fernandez moving to Rangers on permanent transfers.

Rothwell, who worked with Martin at Southampton in their promotion-winning season from the Championship, arrived from Bournemouth, and hours later, Fernandez was announced as a Gers player from Peterborough United.

Rangers’ first 5 Scottish Premiership fixtures	Date
Motherwell vs Rangers	August 2
Rangers vs Dundee	August 9
St Mirren vs Rangers	August 23
Rangers vs Celtic	August 31
Rangers vs Hearts	September 13

Talking after signing Fernandez, Martin said: “Emmanuel is a young defender with a huge amount of potential, and I am excited to welcome him to the club. He has a strong physical presence, is a commanding defender and I believe in this environment we can help him develop and provide him with the opportunities to take his game to the next level.”

The duo join Lyall Cameron and Max Aarons through the door ahead of the Gers’ Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos later this month, and more new additions could be made before the end of the month.

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Leicester City defender Conor Coady and Luton Town midfielder Thelo Aasgaard both look on course to head to Glasgow, and another player with EFL experience is also on Martin’s radar.

Rangers also interested in signing free agent John Swift

According to a report from SportsBoom, Rangers are keen on signing John Swift, who is currently a free agent after leaving West Bromwich Albion at the end of June.

The Gers aren’t the only side keen, though, with Championship sides Derby County, Norwich City, Portsmouth and Stoke City also looking at a cut-price deal.

A free-kick specialist, Swift came through the ranks at Chelsea but has made the majority of his career appearances for Reading and West Brom. The 30-year-old has never plied his trade outside of England, so a move north to Scotland would be a first for Swift, should a deal go through.

Former Baggies boss Tony Mowbray praised Swift last season, highlighting his free-kick ability and labelling him as a a “wonderful player”.

“So it shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that John Swift can bend one in the top corner from 25 yards. He is a wonderful player and that is why he has been in the team.”

Previously, former Reading manager Veljko Paunovic also hailed Swift, saying: “Swift is super talented – he showed urgency and wanted to decide the game. It was fantastic execution and vision to play Joao in. Injuries were the main issue for Swift in the past and he has been missed. It’s important to keep him healthy and motivated like he is now.”

With Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez already potentially heading for the exit door, Liverpool now reportedly face the threat of losing another one of their key men to Barcelona.

Bayern make fresh move to sign Diaz

As Liverpool look to make their biggest statement yet by signing want-away Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, they could show the door to Diaz along the way. The Colombian has been linked with a move away from Anfield all summer long and it’s Bayern Munich who have been battling for his signature.

As ever, though, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are proving to be tough negotiators. The Bundesliga giants have consistently been told that Diaz is not for sale, but the chance for Liverpool to sign Isak may have left the door ajar for the two clubs to finally reach an agreement.

In the latest update, Sky Sports are reporting that Bayern have now re-opened talks to sign the 28-year-old winger for the first time since seeing their £58.5m offer rejected earlier this summer.

Those at Anfield are now reportedly braced for an improved offer, but it remains to be seen whether that will satisfy Edwards and Hughes’ demands to sell Diaz.

Meanwhile, Nunez could also be heading for the exit door amid reports that Al-Hilal are now holding internal discussions about securing his signature in a deal worth over £60m.

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1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 25, 2025

If the arrival of Hugo Ekitike has pushed the former Benfica man down the pecking order, then the arrival of Isak would make him surplus to requirements entirely in Merseyside and that is likely to result in a departure.

Liverpool shouldn’t be overly concerned about losing either of their attacking stars, however, given the strength in depth in that department. Instead, their concern should be focused on elsewhere in their squad.

Barcelona enter race to sign Konate

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona have now entered the race to sign Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool alongside La Liga rivals Real Madrid. The French defender is currently on course to leave as a free agent this time next year and could yet follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Anfield chiefs, meanwhile, will be desperate to avoid the same fate and have already reportedly tabled a fresh contract offer to their important defender.

Unlike Diaz and Nunez, Konate is not a player who can easily be replaced. The towering central defender is at the peak of his powers at 26 years old and should be seen as the eventual Van Dijk replacement in the leadership role within Arne Slot’s backline. But that won’t be possible unless he signs a new deal.

Games

14

Wins

9

Draws

2

Losses

3

Goals Conceded

19

What stands out the most when Liverpool were without their £70,000-a-week defender last season is the fact they conceded around 1.4 goals a game compared to their record of 1.2 when he is next to Van Dijk in their backline.

Simply put, replacing Konate at this stage of his career with someone who could instantly perform to similar levels would hand Liverpool their toughest task this summer.

Bangladesh’s chances of making the semis took a big hit after they faltered with both bat and ball

Srinidhi Ramanujam10-Oct-2024

Karishma Ramharack took 4 for 17•ICC/Getty Images

Karishma Ramharack’s four-wicket haul and Hayley Matthews’ quickfire 34 helped West Indies coast to an important eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh, in Sharjah. Having chased down the target of 104 in 12.5 overs, West Indies, with their second win in three matches, moved to top of Group B. Three teams from this group are now in contention for the two semi-final spots with South Africa and England also on four points, but the latter have played only two matches.Bangladesh succumbed to their second straight defeat in three matches and their chances of advancing to the knockouts took a big hit. Batting once again hurt Bangladesh as they lost six wickets for 27 runs after they were sent in to bat.Ramharack rips through BangladeshWest Indies used as many as seven bowlers but it was Ramharack who stood out by taking a wicket each in her four overs across different phases of the game. The offspinner struck with her very first delivery when opener Shathi Rani tried to sweep and missed. Shemaine Campbelle took the bails off in a flash to effect a stumping. In her second over, the last one in the powerplay, Dilara Akter moved across to sweep but missed, only to expose her middle stump and be bowled. When Ramharack came out to bowl in the 13th over, she mixed her lines well but kept the ball outside off. She had Sobhana Mostary stumped by making her come down the track to an outside offstump delivery. That ended the 40-run third-wicket stand for Bangladesh.Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews added 52 for the opening wicket•ICC/Getty Images

Just when Nigar Sultana and Ritu Moni were looking to stitch a stand during the death overs, Ramaharack came back and knocked Moni out. Chinelle Henry took an excellent running catch after the batter came down and miscued a lofted shot to deep midwicket. Ramharack finished with 4 for 17.Sultana’s slowdownBangladesh showed positive intent with the bat early on, with the openers charging down as early as the second over to go aerial. Nigar started briskly after the openers fell in the powerplay. She particularly took legspinner Afy Fletcher on and smacked three fours off her second over and moved to 20 off 17 balls. However, once Mostary fell in the 13th over and Fletcher struck twice in the 15th, Nigar, who was on 27 off 27, slowed down despite West Indies’ sloppy fielding. Her next 17 deliveries fetched just 12 runs and eventually, she fell to Matthews in the final over attempting a big heave towards deep midwicket.Matthews steers WI’s chaseBangladesh struggled to pitch the ball up and got punished as they erred on the shorter side. It allowed the West Indies batters to rock back and play their shots. Matthews, in particular, pounced on this opportunity in the powerplay and blunted the Bangladesh attack. After being on a run-a-ball seven, Matthews lined up the left-arm spin of Nahida Akter with a punch off the backfoot, piercing the gap between cover and extra cover. Two balls later, Nahida bowled short again and received the same treatment.Legspinner Fahima Khatun, after having given away just four runs off her first over, bowled short on off stump in the fifth over and Matthews stayed back and punched uppishly to find her third boundary on the off side. Marufa Akter overpitched the last ball of the powerplay, which Matthews drove through cover to bring up her sixth boundary. But she was bowled by a nip-backer from the fast bowler in the eighth over for a 22-ball 34. At the end of Marufa’s over though, West Indies needed just 49 off 72 balls which was taken care of by Stafanie Taylor – before she limped off retired hurt – and Deandra Dottin, who smashed an unbeaten 19 off just seven balls.

Aaqib Khan picked up three wickets before Abishek Porel’s 82 kept India C in hunt for the first-innings lead

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2024Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar and Ishan Kishan all missed out on an opportunity to play substantial knocks as India C found themselves in a dogfight for the first-innings honours against India A in Anantapur.At stumps on day two, India C were 216 for 7, seemingly in a better position courtesy of an unbroken 49-run stand between Pulkit Narang and Vijaykumar Vyshak.The bulk of the damage was done by 20-year-old Uttar Pradesh seamer Aaqib Khan, who dismissed Gaikwad (17), Sudharsan (17) and Patidar (first-ball duck) after coming on first change. The innings was then revived by Abishek Porel, who continues to enjoy a breakout year.Porel, one of the bright performers for Delhi Capitals at IPL 2024, struck 82 off 113 balls to build on a clutch unbeaten 35 in the previous game that helped his side clinch a low-scoring thriller.Narang, who at the age of 30 is looking to make up for lost time as a first-class cricketer, will hope to score his third first-class half-century on Saturday and get his side into the lead. Narang, who bowls offspin, is currently on 99 first-class wickets.Earlier, India A managed to stretch their first-innings score from the overnight 224 for 7 to 297 courtesy of lower-order fireworks from Avesh Khan, who struck an unbeaten 51, his second first-class fifty. He was well supported by Prasidh Krishna, who made 34. A bulk of the contribution had come on the opening day courtesy of Shashwat Rawat’s 124.Vyshak, who is on the selectors’ radar after being awarded a fast-bowling contract, picked up two of the three remaining wickets; he finished with figures of 4 for 51. Anshul Kamboj, the Haryana quick fresh off an eight-for in the previous game, ended with 3 for 49.

Wolverhampton Wanderers find themselves looking to build on a mixed campaign last term and are now in the picture to sign a highly-coveted striker, according to a report.

Wolverhampton Wanderers want to kick on after Jhon Arias arrival

Adding some much-needed flair after Matheus Cunha’s departure, Jhon Arias has joined Wolves from Fluminense and has explained that the success of his compatriots at Molineux helped to sell the idea of a move to the Premier League.

He stated: “It’s a project I believe in. They showed me the plans, and there are top players there – I don’t even need to mention André or João Gomes, who came from Flamengo.

“I believe in the squad and in the manager’s work. I know what they expect from me, and I’m ready to give 100%.”

Vitor Pereira has been a breath of fresh air since arriving in the West Midlands, though more reinforcements are needed to ensure the Old Gold can evade being dragged into a relegation scrap.

With that in mind, Almeria full-back Marc Pubill was picked to replace Wolves defender Nelson Semedo, with the latter set to depart to bring an end to a protracted goodbye for the Portugal international. However, the Spaniard has instead joined Atletico Madrid.

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Not to be deterred, Real Betis winger Pablo Garcia could also come in at Molineux after a bid was submitted for his signature, albeit they are competing with Real Madrid and Barcelona to sign the 19-year-old.

Either way, there is plenty of movement on incomings starting to occur at Wolves, which will please supporters after a slow start to the window.

Now, the Old Gold have turned their attention towards strengthening their forward line despite signing Jorgen Strand Larsen on a permanent deal.

Wolverhampton Wanderers fighting to sign Idrissa Gueye

According to L’Equipe, Wolves are one of a number of clubs in the mix for FC Metz striker Idrissa Gueye, who could be set to exit France only months after joining the Ligue 2 club from Génération Foot.

Intriguingly, up to ten clubs are keen on signing the 18-year-old. Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, West Ham United and Southampton are also among his admirers.

Idrissa Gueye at FC Metz – 2024/25 in all competitions

Appearances

20

Goals

5

Assists

1

Metz are keen to recoup a hefty fee of around £17 million for the teenager. Nevertheless, they will listen to offers that near the £13 million mark for the young striker.

Previously, Gueye has been likened to Olivier Giroud by his club’s director of football Frederic Arpinon. At the same time, comparisons to compatriot Sadio Mane have also come to the fore as his rise continues.

Admittedly, the Mbour-born man is likely to be a signing with the future in mind, but there is no harm in Wolves adding another layer of variety to their frontline ahead of another exciting season for all involved at Molineux.