Warwickshire and Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin will miss the remainder of the county season after suffering a fracture of his left tibia
George Dobell16-Aug-2016Warwickshire and Ireland fast bowler Boyd Rankin will miss the remainder of the county season after suffering a fracture of his left tibia.Rankin, 32, suffered the injury in training ahead of Warwickshire’s current Championship match against Surrey at Edgbaston, with subsequent scans revealing that he will miss the Bears’ final matches as well as Ireland’s upcoming fixtures against Pakistan, Hong Kong, South Africa and Australia.Dougie Brown, Warwickshire CCC Director of Cricket, said: “It’s extremely frustrating to lose Boyd during such a key point in the season. He will now go through a rehabilitation programme with our medical team to rest, strengthen and be ready for our 2017 pre-season schedule.”Warwickshire, however, received a boost with news that batsman Sam Hain is in contention for Wednesday’s Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final against Essex after recovering from a shoulder injury, while allrounder Chris Woakes has been released by England to play following his Man-of-the-Series performance in the Investec Test series against Pakistan.
Wolves forward Hee-Chan Hwang has been praised for his performance in his side's draw at Molineux, with his work-rate and energy drawing particular applause from journalist Liam Keen.
How did Hwang play against Everton?
Everton scored a late equaliser to deny Wolves a win in their final home game of the season, but Hwang gave a good account of himself, and opened the scoring in the first half, finishing as the ball rebounded to him after a sensational run and shot from Adama Traore.
The 26-year-old was given a 7.2 rating by SofaScore, as he scored, completed 82% of his passes, and won two fouls in a toughly contested battle.
Speaking on Express & Star after the match, Keen singled out Hwang as Wolves' best player, and praised his commitment to the side.
"Four goals this season, three in the Premier League. all three of them have been tap-ins. I can't criticise Hwang for not scoring worldly goals either, he's in the right place at the right time," he stated.
"He has good instincts, good finishing and on his overall play today, Hwang, I thought he was excellent. He was probably Wolves' best player, he ran himself into the ground and had to come off in the second half because he was so knackered."
Can Hwang be an option for Wolves next season?
Hwang's strike was his third of the season in just ten league starts, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez preferred to him throughout the campaign.
The former Salzburg forward has hardly been prolific for Wolves, scoring just eight times in 61 games, and despite his strong display against Everton, it remains doubtful that he can be a starter for Julen Lopetegui's side next season.
Jimenez may depart the club as he enters the final year of his deal, and Wolves could dip into the market for a more prolific goalscorer, but Hwang could prove to be a solid rotational option.
The South Korea international can provide cover across the front line, having played near-equal amounts on either wing or through the middle, and if he can continue to deliver committed displays like he did against Everton, he could endear himself to Lopetegui and the Wolves fans for next season.
Wolves secured Premier League safety, but will be looking to kick on next season and avoid a relegation battle again, and more quality additions are necessary in the summer.
Rob Keogh’s maiden List A century led Northamptonshire to a thumping Royal London Cup victory over Durham by 170 runs at Wantage Road
ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2016 ScorecardRob Keogh made his maiden List A hundred (file photo)•Getty ImagesRob Keogh’s maiden List A century led Northamptonshire to a thumping Royal London Cup victory over Durham by 170 runs at Wantage Road. Keogh’s 134 helped the home side post 355 for 6 before five wickets for Azharullah saw Durham bowled out for just 185.Keogh’s career-best helped Northants to their third-highest List A total, a score they defended with ease after two early Richard Gleeson wickets and three from Azharullah that took out the middle order. None of the Durham batsmen were able to get the visitors into the chase and they were bowled out in 35.3 overs – taking a significant blow to their net run rate.Victory for Northants revived their campaign after only one win from three completed matches previously. Keogh was the star, his 134 the joint-seventh highest one-day score for the county. He rebuilt the innings in a stand of 149 with Rob Newton for the fourth wicket and went to his second fifty of the competition in 57 balls with six fours.But the acceleration towards a century was most impressive – it took only 31 balls with six further fours and a six, lifted over midwicket during an over from Scott Borthwick that was taken for 18. A long-hop was also pulled to the midwicket fence before a full toss was planted over mid-on. Another four came via a drive wide of the same fielder.A square-driven boundary backward of point brought Keogh’s maiden century and an enthusiastic ovation. Keogh found the fence three more times before being caught at deep midwicket. It was a special innings.He shared a record fourth-wicket stand for Northants against Durham with Newton, whose 65 in 46 balls was his third List A fifty and best effort of the competition this year. He skipped down the pitch to gracefully strike Ryan Pringle into the sightscreen for six, one of four maximums that also included a hook over deep square leg.Newton’s was the third half-century of the inning after Josh Cobb’s 56 gave Northants’ a heathy start. He turned the second ball of the innings for four, added consecutive boundaries off Chris Rushworth’s and lifted Jame Harrison for a handsome six over deep square leg. His second fifty in this year’s competition was raised in 53 balls with five fours and a second six, flicked over long leg. But, trying to force Borthwick down the ground, Cobb presented a return catch to the bowler.Cobb’s wicket saw the innings stagnate as 19 runs came from the next six overs and captain Alex Wakely chipped Pringle tamely to midwicket for 11. It left Northants 133 for 3 after 27 overs before Keogh and Newton began a fine recovery. Rory Kleinveldt finished the innings off perfectly with 32 in 13 balls, including six fours.Early wickets were always likely to kill Durham’s chase and Gleeson found two: Mark Stoneman hurried trying to pull, caught at mid-on, and Borthwick caught behind trying to leave. Phil Mustard also chipped a catch to mid-on for 20 and at 44 for 3, Durham were struggling. Azharullah’s 5 for 43 ripped out the middle order and Graeme White chipped in with two more victims as Durham were rolled over.
Seekkuge Prasanna’s 95 almost beat Sanath Jayasuriya’s fastest ODI hundred in history and Kusal Perera struck a hundred as Sri Lanka thumped Ireland for a second time in Malahide
The Report by Tim Wigmore in Malahide18-Jun-2016 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSeekkuge Prasanna clubbed nine sixes during his 95 off 46 balls•Getty Images/SportsfileWhen he walked out as Sri Lanka’s No. 3, his eighth batting position in 24 ODI innings, Seekkuge Prasanna had an ODI average of 9.19. No one would have imagined that he would come within one blow of breaking one of Sri Lankan cricket’s most cherished records.On April 2, 1996 in Singapore, Sri Lanka played their first match since the country’s World Cup win, in Lahore. Liberated by the moment, Sanath Jayasuriya doubled down on the methods that had contributed to Sri Lanka’s most famous day, and ravaged a 48-ball century.The record has held for two decades without serious challenge: besides Jayasuriya himself, no other Sri Lankan has scored an ODI ton in under 70 balls. Yet Prasanna belied his lack of batting pedigree to come closer than anyone else.His very first ball hinted at the violence that was to come. An offspinner from Andy McBrine looped up invitingly, and was smited over long off for an emphatic six. The shot spoke of how the situation empowered Prasanna to heave from ball one: he was promoted up the order after Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka had added 147 for the opening wicket.Each of Prasanna’s heaves over the legside boundary seemed more emphatic than the last. If the shots lacked finesse, they made up for it with timing and power: one nonchalant pick-up off Boyd Rankin over square leg was particularly imperious, seeming to mock the man stationed for the exact shot.Few situations will lend themselves so gladly to empowering Prasanna to heave without regard for his wicket as today, but the innings holds out the promise that he will establish himself as a dangerous floater in the line-up. The only shame was that, attempting another smear over the legside to hit his 10th six, he was bowled by Tim Murtagh five runs shy of Jayasuriya’s record with two balls to beat it.Smart stats
377 – Sri Lanka’s total, their fourth highest in ODIs.
293 – Runs added by Sri Lanka’s first three batsmen, their fifth best in ODIs. The top six such scores have all been in away games.
308 – Sri Lanka’s score at the fall of the second wicket, only the fifth time in ODIs that they have passed 300 before losing their second wicket.
95 – Seekuge Prasanna’s score, his highest in 102 List A innings; his previous best was 92*, way back in November 2007.
135 – Kusal Perera’s score, his third hundred and his highest score in ODIs.
86 – Runs conceded by Boyd Rankin, the most he has ever leaked in ODIs.
Overshadowed by Prasanna, Perera’s innings came to seem almost like a throwback to a more genteel age of ODI cricket; his shirt was nameless, which seemed to embody his relative anonymity.Not that he was remotely prosaic: 135 came at well over a run-a-ball. If Prasanna’s innings was defined by clearing the legside ropes, the abiding image of Perera’s was of crisp driving through the offside, often over the heads of those in the 30-yard circle.The upshot of their contrasting innings, and of Gunathilaka’s carefully compiled innings, was that Ireland needed some admirable death bowling – just 15 runs came from the final three overs – to restrict Sri Lanka to under 300.On a benign pitch, Ireland’s bowlers were too often guilty of bowling full tosses. Less tangibly, Ireland are a less abrasive side to play against than in the days when Trent Johnston, John Mooney and Niall O’Brien – the latter two reunited in the commentary box, O’Brien torn calf rendering him unable to play for another month – combined to antagonise batsmen.At times during Sri Lanka’s assault, Ireland seemed alarmingly quiet. At least Ireland just about retained their sense of humour: when Prasanna and Perera had fallen in quick succession and Sri Lanka were 310 for 3, Kevin O’Brien chirped: “Come on lads, make it 320 for 5 here”.Ireland have built their cricketing reputation upon chasing steep targets, but here was a task of a different order to their heists in Bangalore or Nelson. After the top three were dismissed early on – Maharoof ending a wait of 1556 days for an international wicket when Ed Joyce lashed a wide delivery into the hands of Gunathilaka at point – the rest of the day was so lacking in intensity that it was possible to imagine this was not a full-fledged ODI, but merely an exhibition match, the sort of game that used to be Ireland’s lot when Test teams deigned to visit.Rather incongruously given the size of Ireland’s beating, five Irish batsmen notched their highest scores. The most significant and heartening contribution came from McBrine.His stylish drives though the offside, the hooked six that brought up his half-century and a contemptuous pull off Angelo Matthews when he dropped short, were not the futile shots of a late-order swinger, but rather those of a player with the capacity to bat in the top seven against Test opposition. Sage judges reckon that, having played his first innings in an ODI at number eleven, McBrine will develop into a batting allrounder.At least McBrine’s crisp late shots, and a huge towering straight six by Boyd Rankin, gave the Malahide crowd some cheer on a day when three Irish sports teams were defeated in the space of one afternoon. But with next week’s ICC meeting, which Ireland will hope will see the world game move towards more inclusive structures in both Test and ODI cricket, looming, Ireland’s emphatic defeat was ill-timed.
Chelsea star Dujon Sterling is set to join Rangers after agreeing a four-year deal with the Scottish outfit.
The 23-year-old is out of contract next month and is set to leave Stamford Bridge after first joining the club as a seven-year-old in 2007.
Much like many of Chelsea's most promising youngsters, he has been forced out on loan for four of the last five seasons with his most recent spell with Stoke City.
What's the transfer latest on Dujon Sterling?
According to Football Insider, Sterling has already agreed to join Rangers and once he completes a medical with the Scottish outfit, he will put pen to paper on his new deal.
The medical will be completed imminently and having already been given a tour of Rangers' training ground, only the most important details remain.
In his career to date, Sterling has been able to provide 13 goals and 16 assists in 193 appearances across a number of different positions.
Todd Boehly watches on from his seat at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea play in the Premier League.
The Blues are infamous for their loan policy but Sterling's exit marks a failure in this department. The 23-year-old leaves as a free agent so Chelsea will not recoup a transfer fee from his departure.
Given the financial scrutiny the London outfit is under, any income will help alleviate pressure to generate revenue that can be directed towards transfers and balancing the books.
Who are Chelsea's transfer targets?
The Blues could theoretically complete a double transfer from Napoli given the reported interest in defender Kim Min-Jae and attacker Victor Osimhen.
However, signing them will likely cost a fortune given their success this season in Italy. Osimhen, in particular, will cost a heinous amount of money to bring to the Premier League.
The Nigerian forward could cost as much as £131m although Chelsea are investigating whether they could include the likes of Christian Pulisic and Kepa Arrizabalaga to sweeten the deal for Napoli.
But with the Blues having already spent a huge sum of money under the stewardship of Todd Boehly, perhaps looking to utilise some of their young talents would have been a wise option.
It is believed Mauricio Pochettino has now agreed to become their next manager over the summer and he is a manager who is known for his positive influence on a club's exciting, young prospects.
And given the injury issues which Reece James has suffered from in recent months, perhaps allowing Sterling to leave could be a decision which they are left to rue over coming years.
Amid what has been a season of real frustration for Tottenham Hotspur, the north London outfit were dealt yet another blow after suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, with Ryan Mason's men having been pegged back in their battle for European qualification.
That frustrating loss has ensured that the Lilywhites have now won just one of their last six Premier League games, with the interim appointment of that man Mason having failed to have the desired impact on an underperforming squad.
The 31-year-old will likely have been concerned over the lack of impact from his forward line, in particular, against Unai Emery's men as the likes of Heung-min Son and Richarlison made just 30 touches combined, with only talisman, Harry Kane restoring some credibility by converting late on from the penalty spot.
Even the England skipper – who now boasts a stellar haul of 27 league goals for the season – was not without blame for the defeat to the Villans, however, with the 29-year-old having squandered a gilt-edged chance to level things up just after the break after firing straight at Emi Martinez.
In truth, the "only real positive" to come from the trip to Villa Park – in the words of The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare – was the cameo outing of summer signing Yves Bissouma, with the Mali international having been a shining light on his first appearance since February.
How did Bissouma perform against Villa?
It has undoubtedly been a frustrating debut campaign for the 26-year-old in the capital due to his persistent injury woes, although the former Brighton and Hove Albion man showed flashes of just why the club splashed out around £25m to acquire his services back in June.
After replacing Oliver Skipp around the hour mark, Bissouma went on to make a strong impression in the closing stages having completed 30 of his 31 total passes as a marker of his ability in possession, while winning one of his two total duels to indicate his ball-winning prowess.
Tottenham's Harry Kane and Yves Bissouma
As football.london's Alasdair Gold noted, the £55k-per-week machine 'brought energy to the midfield' following his second-half introduction, having 'looked bright' on a day that many of those around him found life difficult.
That glowing praise was also corroborated by the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, with the respected insider writing in his post-match player ratings pieces that the 6 foot rock was 'one of Spurs' better players', despite having been out of action over the last few months.
The hope will be that Bissouma can go on to make an even bigger impact over the coming games, before establishing himself as a key figure under whomever the permanent managerial appointment will be for next season.
Pat Cummins has been withdrawn from the Australia A squad for a series of winter games in Queensland, with Cricket Australia taking a cautious approach to his recovery from a stress fracture of the back
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2016Pat Cummins has been withdrawn from the Australia A squad for a series of winter games in Queensland, with Cricket Australia taking a cautious approach to his recovery from a stress fracture of the back.Cummins will instead target the Matador Cup at the start of the 2016-17 season for his return, which would make it more than a year between matches for Cummins after he suffered the injury during Australia’s ODI tour of England last September.At the time Cummins was announced in the squad for Australia A’s matches in July-August, national selector Rod Marsh said that while he was hopeful Cummins would be available, it would depend on the advice of medical staff.”Pat is going really well with his rehabilitation but is unlikely be ready to play at full match intensity during the Australia A tour,” Marsh said on Wednesday. “After discussions with Pat and the medical staff, we have decided to wait an extra month and look for him to return for New South Wales in the Matador Cup.”A long series of injuries have afflicted Cummins, now 23, since he was Man of the Match on his Test debut in Johannesburg in late 2011, and he has not played a Sheffield Shield game in the past five seasons.
Arsenal still have a good relationship with wonderkid Charlie Patino, despite the teenager's desire to leave the club in the summer transfer window, according to journalist David Ornstein.
What's going on with Arsenal and Patino?
The midfielder has spent the season on loan at Blackpool where, despite his side suffering relegation, he had a fairly productive first full senior campaign and made 36 appearances.
The Englishman was regarded as one of the best talents to ever come out of Arsenal's Hale End academy, but it seems that his potential will have to be fulfilled elsewhere as he has expressed his desire to leave.
Patino wants regular football next season, and does not want to head out on another loan spell. With Arsenal back in the Champions League, they cannot offer him the playing time he wants, and he is set to leave permanently.
Speaking on The Athletic Football Podcast (26.00), Ornstein revealed that the decision to leave has been seen as best for all parties, and Patino's relationship with Arsenal is far from broken.
"The conversations I've had suggested that the dialogue the discussions, the talks around the Patino situation have been amicable. It's not like there's a player desperate to go and a club standing in his way and wanting to stockpile him, and hoard this young homegrown talent who fans are pinning their hopes on and vice versa, there's a realisation and maturity in it that sometimes these situations occur," he stated.
"Let's be grown up about this, the fairytale doesn't always happen. Of course he would have been one of the next stars at Arsenal, but Arsenal look dramatically different to how they were looking when he was starting to emerge. And timing is a blessing or a curse, you know, right place at the right moments and wrong place at the right moment."
Arsenal's Charlie Patino.
Are Arsenal and Patino making the right decision?
Arsenal have had a number of high-level talents emerge from Hale End in recent years including Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, but there was a very different outlook at the club when they broke into the team.
When Arsenal were going through a tough period of low league finishes, talent emerging from the squad could flourish with less pressure, and Europa League football to get acquainted with the team.
Arsenal are now competing at the top of the table and will be in the Champions League next season. The level of the team has been raised, and even the likes of Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson are struggling for game time now.
Patino could have gone on another loan before attempting to join the squad in 2024, but his lack of patience when looking at an already young team competing at the top of the country may be justified, and a move to a club where he can play regularly could suit all parties well.
Manchester United will not look to bring in Wout Weghorst from Burnley on a long-term basis following his short-term loan deal at Old Trafford, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
What's the latest transfer news involving Wout Weghorst?
As per Lancs Live, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has detailed that he will hold discussions with Weghorst over his future at Turf Moor at the end of this term.
Kompany said: “It’s a little bit difficult to have any discussions at all at the moment because we’re all in the cutting edge moments of the season. You think that those conversations could happen sooner, but in reality it’s difficult because you’re so focused on getting over the line with your goals.
“He has his goals, he wants United to be in the Champions League and he wants to win the FA Cup if possible. We have our own goals, we still want to get the trophy over the line, but the moments will happen and I’m looking forward to having that conversation.”
Football Insider have claimed that Manchester United have already decided that they won't be taking up the opportunity to sign Weghorst in the summer, with the Red Devils set to target an elite centre-forward in the forthcoming transfer window.
Weghorst was brought to Old Trafford on a loan basis from Burnley in January, in a deal that saw his temporary stay on loan at Besiktas terminated to facilitate the move.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist O'Rourke doesn't think that Manchester United will be willing to sign Weghorst on a permanent deal from Burnley.
O'Rourke said: "I think Manchester United aren't planning on signing Wout Weghorst on a permanent basis. It was a stop-gap move late in the last January transfer window just to fill the void following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.
"He's come in and done a decent job, but he hasn't scored enough goals. If he'd had scored more goals and maybe played better, there might have been a better chance of the deal becoming permanent."
Should Manchester United look to sign Wout Weghorst on a permanent deal?
By all means, Weghorst, who is "admired" by Ten Hag, has done a decent job leading the line for the Red Devils and has given Erik Ten Hag another option in attack; however, it looks unlikely that he will stay at Manchester United on a permanent basis.
Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Netherlands international has made 25 appearances in all competitions, registering two goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Wout Weghorst could be the striker Everton turn to.
Despite his lack of goals, Weghorst has been an industrious presence in the Manchester United frontline, as per FBRef, ranking in the top 2% of forwards in Europe's top five divisions for making blocks, with an average of 1.34 per match per 90 minutes across the last 365 days.
Nevertheless, it looks as if Weghorst's stay at Manchester United may be short and sweet as Ten Hag looks to recruit a world-class striker ahead of 2023/24.
Tottenham Hotspur have seen plenty of names touted for take their vacant managerial hot seat, with interest from several big names given the magnitude of this job.
However, it is just that importance that makes this such an imperative signing for Daniel Levy. Having essentially failed in his last three appointments, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all struggling to bring the success promised, surely the CEO must realise that it is time to take the club in a new direction.
Previously, the Lilywhites had earned success as the plucky underdog, rising through the ranks and shocking everyone. Although their status has been bolstered since those days under Mauricio Pochettino, that does not mean the club needs a complete shift in the philosophy that earned them steady progression.
Perhaps a lesser-known option could be the way to go; someone who is hungry for success and is keen to lead this club along their path.
Therefore, Levy must avoid making a common mistake: hiring the biggest name available.
With Luis Enrique continuing to be linked with the role, despite again falling into that category, it seems like the man making these big decisions might never learn his lesson.
How does Luis Enrique play?
With two stints as the Spanish national team boss succeeding his tenure at FC Barcelona, the 52-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the sport.
Enjoying fast, free-flowing football that relies upon a harsh vertical transition, his preferred 4-3-3 system could appeal to Spurs' current squad which is laden with pace on the counter. However, it is a similar method that Conte tried to employ, to little success, certainly not appealing to the fanbase.
Although the former Celta Vigo coach prefers a far more attractive branch of this philosophy, it still often surrenders the impetus that fans of the north London outfit have gone without for so long.
tottenham-hotspur-antonio-conte-jose-mourinho
The shining light of Enrique's career thus far is undoubtedly the treble won with the Catalonian giants. Although this is an immeasurable feat, and not one to be downplayed, a front line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar is sure to aid any push for the unprecedented.
Unfortunately for Levy, his current crop of players marks a stark downturn in quality.
American commentator Juan Arango, who has been featured on AppleTV and the Guardian, still maintained that the coach was "terrible" in his conduct too.
Having worked with the best, perhaps the Gijon-born tactician might not be suited to motivating a group that needs more than just a tactical shift to make them play. The squad needs gutting, replacing the dead wood to truly enact a mentality shift.
Enrique could well go on to achieve further success in the future, but for now, he falls alongside the likes of Conte and Mourinho in terms of stature.
Therefore, Levy cannot afford to repeat his old mistakes during this crossroads in the club's future.