A wrap of the fourth day’s play of the 8th round match between South Australia and Queensland

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Tom Cooper is South Australia’s leading run scorer this season•Getty ImagesTom Cooper’s second century of the Sheffield Shield season delivered a six-wicket victory to South Australia in their match against Queensland at Adelaide Oval. Set 279 to win what had been a low-scoring game, South Australia had wobbled to 4 for 92 before a match-winning partnership between Cooper and Jake Lehmann saw them home.The pair put on an unbeaten 187 for the fifth wicket, having come together on the third afternoon. Lehmann finished on 78 not out and Cooper – South Australia’s leading run scorer this Shield season – was unbeaten on 119. Adam Zampa was named Man of the Match for his maiden 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket.

Manchester United's ownership situation could impact their transfer plans, journalist David Ornstein has revealed.

What's the latest on Man United's ownership battle?

There is yet to be clarification on the outcome of the ownership bidding war between Sheikh Jassim Hamad Bin Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe for Man United, as the Glazer family are yet to decide the next steps in their running of the club.

Despite agreeing a deal for Mason Mount, Man United's budget could be limited this summer, and without clarity on their owners, they may not be able to pursue all of their targets.

Erik ten Hag would like a striker and a goalkeeper in addition to Mount, but he may have his hands tied.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Ornstein revealed that at the moment, United have a list of targets which they will pursue, but it is unclear what budget they will have until the ownership situation is sorted out:

"It's quite complicated because of the ownership situation at Man United about exactly what they're able to do. It was always quite clear that there would be budget for a Mason Mount level deal, but beyond that, not so certain," he stated.

"Of course, many people want to see the ownership situation clarified as quickly as possible and if there is to be a takeover, maybe more funds will be released. In terms of the operations on a day-to-day basis. John Murtough leading the recruitment set up, being regarded as business as usual, and so they are pursuing options in their priority positions, which are striker, and also goalkeeper, midfield was one of those.

"You don't know exactly how the chronology will go and it seems that Mason Mount has fallen first but they'll continue those pursuits."

Who could Man United target?

Given the financial fair play limitations they are currently facing, United may not be able to pursue both a big-money goalkeeper and forward.

There have been links with Andre Onana, with the future of David De Gea thrusted into uncertainty as a new contract has still not been agreed, whilst striking a deal for Harry Kane looks increasingly unlikely this summer.

Hojlund has been linked, but with a reported £86m asking price, the Atalanta forward may be out of reach for United.

If the ownership situation is not resolved soon, then United could fall further behind if they are unable to fully operate in the transfer market, and could miss out on their main targets to rival clubs.

كشف شريف إكرامي، حارس مرمى بيراميدز السابق، عن سبب رحيله عن الأهلي، مؤكداً أنه لم يكن يشارك بانتظام، وكان يبحث عن فرصة للعب وتحقيق المزيد من الإنجازات.

وقال إكرامي في تصريحات عبر برنامج “الكلام المظبوط” على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “رحلت عن الأهلي لأنني لم أكن أشارك، وذهبت لـ بيراميدز ولعبت أول سنتين، أي حوالي 80 مباراة”.

وتابع: “في كل مرحلة في حياتك تريد أن تبني تاريخ وتصنع إنجازات، هذه المرحلة أنا مررت بها وحققت كل شيء”.

واضاف: “ولو كان ملف التجديد أدير بشكل مختلف كان ممكن أستمر مع الأهلي، وخطوتي لـ بيراميدز لأنني كنت أريد أن أشارك، وأريد أن أستثمر في عمري الكروي، وخروجي من القلعة الحمراء كان مُشرفًا”.

طالع أيضًا | شريف إكرامي: بيراميدز يتعرض لحملات حتى يبقى بدون بطولة

وأوضح: “أعلنت يوم 1 فبراير أنني سأرحل، والكل أشاد بالقرار وأن النهاية تليق بلاعب قائد، الأهلي أعلن بعد 7 أشهر بشكل رسمي، وتبدو أن الأمور على المستوى الرسمي مُستقرة”.

ولفت: “فوجئت بحملات تحملني مسؤولية ما حدث مع رمضان صبحي، وأنا طوال عمري حريص على علاقتي بالجماهير، ولم أكن أريد أن يتم أخذ انطباع عني، ووقتها صرحت وأوضحت شكل علاقتي بـ رمضان”.

وشدد: “عندما كان رمضان يلعب في إنجلترا وقرر العودة إلى مصر تحدثت معه لأنني ضد أي لاعب يحترف ويعود مرة أخرى، ولكنه عاد، لأنه صاحب قرار”.

واختتم: “صعب جدًا في مصر أي ناد جديد يدخل في المنافسة ويأخذ مكان الأندية الكبار مثل الأهلي والزمالك، لأن الموضوع (مش بس كورة)، هناك أمور خارجية ليس لها علاقة بالملعب، هل هناك توازن بين المنافسين؟ لا، هل هناك تكافؤ فرص وكل ناد عنده ملعب؟ وهل كل ناد يمتلك جماهيرية؟ لا”.

Arsenal have enjoyed a fruitful start to their summer transfer window, having announced Kai Havertz as the first of what promises to be many new additions.

Mikel Arteta is wasting no time in ironing out his new-look squad for the upcoming campaign, seeking to get all his business done as early as possible.

However, one deal that has run on far longer than he would have liked has come through their pursuit of Declan Rice.

Such a lucrative switch was always going to be a tricky one to negotiate, and with Manchester City entering the race at one point too, the pressure ramped up significantly. Despite that, it now seems like they are set to get their man, with a £105m package agreed with West Ham United.

In an effort to offer him the perfect partner, and in turn emulate one of their legendary past captains, it seems their interest in Southampton's Romeo Lavia remains strong, as a fine option for £50m.

Could Romeo Lavia emulate Patrick Vieira?

Having already been branded as a "special player" by journalist Dan George, his debut season in senior football stunned many with his maturity in the engine room despite being only 19 years old.

He was a combative yet classy presence for the relegated Saints, battling for every ball but then boasting the technical gifts to progress the play.

As such, his 6.80 average rating in the Premier League was largely upheld through his 86% pass accuracy, 68% dribble success rate, 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game, via Sofascore. Only Thomas Partey for the Gunners could equal his tackling tally from that term.

His lack of experience did not affect his ability to battle with the very best, and with time he is certain to only flourish further. Especially if that future is overseen at the Emirates, under the tutelage of Arteta.

Vieira was a true Arsenal legend, playing 401 games for the club and winning plenty of silverware throughout his illustrious career. His role in leading Arsene Wenger's 2003/04 team to an unbeaten league campaign is a feat that still remains unmatched today.

His longevity was not owed solely to his immense stature and relentless work rate, although it helped greatly, but also his touch of class to dictate the play. Lavia's aforementioned figures suggest that the foundation is in place for the Belgium international to one day grow into a similar player, and partner Rice for the next decade.

After all, the England international has added key offensive statistics to his already well-rounded game to make him a perfectly versatile option to highlight this summer revolution.

Last term, his 7.19 average rating would have made him the Gunners' third-best player as they pushed for the title, with his six goal contributions aided through one key pass and 2.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Combining these two physical assets, who both have the requisite skillset to thrive in the modern day, could prove the catalyst for truly making the north London outfit a tangible threat to Manchester City.

Cheteshwar Pujara is no stranger to quick fifties or even quick hundreds, but they are generally his marches from 150 to 200 rather than 0 to 50. Like the time he went from 60 to 100 in 34 balls against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 2012-13. In a Ranji game he has once gone from 150 to 200 in 17 balls. In a triple-century against West Indies A, Pujara scored 71 off the last 55 balls he faced, striking everything cleanly even as he turned down singles when batting with the No. 11 . In the ongoing Test in Hyderabad, though, with India pushing for a declaration, Pujara went at it from ball one, and ended up with an unbeaten 54 off 58 with a hooked six.While the logic behind the innings is clear – he could play so freely because India were not going to bat for long – Pujara sought to clear perceptions around him. Pujara is not part of India’s limited-overs squads, and doesn’t have an IPL contract, but hoped things were going to change soon. He is part of the pool in the IPL auction, which will take place on February 20.”We wanted to accelerate, we just wanted to bat for a session,” Pujara said. “We wanted to get as many as possible that is why I was playing freely. There is a perception that I can’t play many shots. But if you look at the domestic cricket and overall, the way I have played, this was one of the occasions that gave me an opportunity to express myself and I did that.”I am very hopeful that perception will go soon. I have got a T20 hundred in a DY Patil Tournament. Probably I am batting freely, I have added a few shots to my game, which is helping me. Even in Test format, the way I am striking the ball, the way I have been batting in the last few series, I have changed my game, which is helping me in T20 and one-day game. In near future I think things will change.”India fans don’t have cause for worry, though. Pujara will still sell his wicket dearly in Tests. “The approach was quite different as there was a situation where I could play freely,” Pujara said. “I could take some risks and play my shots. Because when it comes to Test cricket, you still have to put a price on your wicket and when you are playing in first innings, you don’t want to play any rash out get out and put the team in trouble. This was an opportunity where we just had to bat for one session, and even if I got out, we had batsmen who could come in and accelerate.”Things went to plan as India scored 158 runs in first session to give Bangladesh four sessions to survive. R Ashwin then gave India clear advantage with two out the three second-innings wicket to fall. Earlier in the day Ashwin had set the record for being the fastest man to 250 Test wickets. Pujara paid tribute to the world’s No. 1 bowler.”Probably he is the toughest spinner when it comes to any opposition team,” Pujara said. “Many teams are always planning on how they are going to face Ashwin. The kind of brain he has, it’s not just about bowling; he thinks as a batsman, he knows what are the weakness of batsman and what are the areas he needs to bowl. I think it’s the experience.”With the ball beginning to turn on day four, Pujara expected India to win the Test even though Bangladesh resisted them in the first innings. “I think the ball has started turning now,” Pujara said. “Probably the wicket is slightly on the slower side but at the same time probably it has opened up and there should be more assistance for spinners tomorrow. We expected the ball to turn from day three but it started turning more from day four onwards rather than day three.”Anyway, the way we performed as a bowling unit, a lot of credit goes to the bowlers. It wasn’t an easy wicket where you can run through the sides. They bowled with a lot of patience. They had to work hard to get them out.”

Last season:
In: Azeem Rafiq
Out: Andrew Gale
Overseas: Peter Handscomb (Aus), Travis Head (Aus, T20)2016 in a nutshell
For much of the season, Yorkshire were in contention not just for a third successive Championship, but also a coveted treble in all three formats. Instead, they ended up with nothing. As well as their defeat to Middlesex on the last day of the season with the Championship at stake, they lost in the semi-finals on NatWest Blast finals day when only Adam Lyth made much of a fist of a target of 157 and went out at the same stage in the Royal London Cup as Steve Davies’ hundred spearheaded Surrey’s victory. In the Championship, Lyth and Alex Lees were strong up top, but the middle-order failed repeatedly. Jack Brooks’ 60 wickets was a tally unmatched by Division One pace bowlers and Ryan Sidebottom strove as valiantly as ever, while Tim Bresnan had a redoubtable summer with bat and ball, all concluded with his unavailing 142 against Middlesex at Lord’s, to underline his popularity within the county.2017 prospects
Yorkshire should challenge strongly again in all competitions, but they do have vulnerabilities. They have immediately been exposed in the Championship by Brooks’ absence from the first month because of a calf injury. That puts the onus elsewhere. Sidebottom will want a final hurrah in his last season, but Liam Plunkett and David Willey had a joint tally of only 19 Championship wickets in 12 matches last season, and Willey, whose much-trumpeted arrival at Yorkshire has so far been a bit of a dud, is recovering from a shoulder operation. Matt Fisher has huge potential but hamstring and groin injuries demand he is used conservatively until his resilience is proven. England’s withdrawal of Jonny Bairstow from early games (even though he was free to enter the IPL auction – work out the logic in that) will ask also questions of the middle order, although the prospect of Australian Peter Handscomb at No. 3, followed by Gary Ballance, means the pressing issues are at No 5. Travis Head will expect to make a bigger impact as he returns for the NatWest Blast.In charge
Andrew Gale steps up from captain to first-team coach as Yorkshire put faith in their own, a similar decision to that over the Pennines with Lancashire handing the coach’s role to Glen Chapple. It will be intriguing to see how Gale’s passionate and demanding leadership style translates, but his retirement was judiciously timed and, like Chapple, he has the advantage of being highly respected within the county. Ballance, Gale’s choice as captain, still harbours hopes of an England return, but as long as he commits himself fully to the role it can prove to be a good decision. All overseen by the wise counsel of director of cricket Martyn Moxon, who may keep a closer eye on first-team affairs until the new team bed in.Key player
Much will rest with Ballance as Yorkshire seek to rid themselves of last summer’s disappointment. A prolific season with the bat would offset Yorkshire’s middle-order issues in the Championship and, with a few injury concerns around, he will need to manage his pace-bowling resources shrewdly. Man-management skills will involve getting the best out of Lees, who he replaces as captain in the limited-overs formats after only one season, and Adil Rashid, whose eyes will be on Champions Trophy success and whose relationship with Gale had its ups and downs.Bright young thing
Most eyes will be on Fisher, with good reason, but Matthew Waite’s appetite for the fray, whether with bat and ball, created an excellent impression during two high-pressure limited-overs matches in 2016 – a quarter-final victory against Glamorgan in the NatWest Blast and in the Royal London Cup semi-final defeat against Surrey at Headingley. Such are the advantages, the Yorkshire dressing room will testify, of learning how to put his contact lenses in the right way round. Waite, a former Yorkshire Academy captain, is a combative seamer and lower-middle order batsman and should make further progress over 20 and 50 overs this summer.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Yorkshire look bound for a top-three finish in the Championship, but a third title in four years will depend on finding a winning blend in a pace attack that is heavily stocked with over-30s. With a new £32m stand to fund – negotiations, although delicate, seem to be reaching fruition – they also need the sort of NatWest Blast season that pulls in big crowds for more than just the Roses match.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship Div 1 11-5; NatWest Blast 9-1; Royal London Cup 13-2

Nottingham Forest have emerged as a frontrunner to sign Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, according to fresh reports.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea?

The Premier League’s left-sided winger worked his way up through the youth ranks to graduate from the academy at Stamford Bridge and become a regular feature of the first-team, where he's so far made 126 senior appearances, but his future is currently extremely uncertain.

Last season, England’s former international was sent out on a season-long loan to Bayer Leverkusen to receive more game time, but that spell didn’t go as well as hoped as he only made seven starts all term which will have been disappointing for both the player and his parent club.

The Blues product, however, will be out of contract at the end of the next campaign so this window will be Mauricio Pochettino’s final opportunity to cash in should he not want to lose him for free, and should he depart, he’s already got a heavily invested suitor at The City Ground.

The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg recently reported that the Reds, Fulham and AC Milan have all registered an interest in the 22-year-old who is ready to embark on a new challenge, but if the following update is to be believed, it’s the former who have leapfrogged their competitors into pole position.

Are Nottingham Forest signing Hudson-Odoi?

According to Football Transfers, Nottingham Forest are the “among the favourites” to sign Hudson-Odoi should he secure a move away from Chelsea. The SW6 outfit “want to sell” the attacker and Steve Cooper is a “huge fan” of his target having managed him at the England’s U17s World Cup earlier in his career. The Blues are “looking” to demand £20m, though if a deal is to be agreed, it likely won’t be until “later” in the window.

Should Marinakis make an offer for Hudson-Odoi?

Nottingham Forest’s owner Evangelos Marinakis will know that Cooper holding an existing connection to Hudson-Odoi means he knows a lot about what he’s capable of, and even though he only scored one goal and provided the same number of assists last season at Leverkusen, he still looked promising and could thrive in the next chapter of his career in the Midlands.

Chelsea’s forward was averaging 3.86 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over in Germany which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, as per FBRef, not to mention that he had strong link-up play with his teammates, recording an 86.9% pass success rate, higher than any of the regular current starters in NG2.

The Wandsworth-born ace, who has the versatility to operate in seven different positions across the pitch, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful having won five senior trophies with his boyhood club, including the Champions and Europa League, so could bring a much-needed winning mentality to the side.

Last but not least, Hudson-Odoi has been dubbed a “monster of a talent” by journalist Nizaar Kinsella and it’s obvious that he has bags of potential to be unleashed, and this is exactly what could happen should he sign on the dotted line to become a new recruit under Cooper.

Arsenal still need to agree the yearly payment structure over the fee for Declan Rice, but once this is finalised, the deal will be completed, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Rice to Arsenal?

Arsenal have fought off interest from Manchester City and now appear very close to securing a record-breaking transfer for the West Ham captain.

The Gunners initially had two bids rejected, but a mega-offer of £100m, with £5m in add-ons, has been deemed acceptable as an overall package.

However, Romano has revealed that the structure of the payments of the initial £100m is still yet to be agreed, with West Ham wanting the payment made in less time.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano indicated that this would be the final hurdle before officially completing the deal.

"There is an agreement on the fee, £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons, a club record fee for Arsenal, a historical fee for English football as Declan Rice is going to be the most expensive player ever.

"It's just a matter of hours probably, but it's just about the payment terms. As I told you, Arsenal want to pay in four years, and West Ham want the £100 million guaranteed fee to be paid in 18 months. So he's about this detail, then the deal will be done."

What will Rice bring to Arsenal?

The England midfielder will come at a high price, but Arsenal are investing in a signing who could help them challenge at the top level for years to come.

Rice will arrive as an experienced Premier League captain, with European experience under his belt, and fits the age profile that Mikel Arteta has targeted in the last few seasons.

At 24, he can form a midfield trio with Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz for the next few years, and he can help replace the leadership void which will be left if Granit Xhaka leaves the club.

Rice could play as both a number six, in front of the back four, and further forward, and this tactical flexibility will be something Arteta can use when setting up his team for bigger games.

The Englishman ranks highly for interceptions as per FBref, and his presence in the middle when facing tough opponents could give Arsenal an extra aggressive edge, something which they often lacked over the years.

He is a signing that can help Arsenal bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City, as they attempt to challenge for the title again, and beating their rivals to the signing is a huge statement of intent from the club.

Liverpool are interested in signing Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio, who has a €45m (£39m) release clause included in his contract, according to reports from Portugal.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Torino defender Perr Schuurs is emerging as a key target for Liverpool, with Tuttosport reporting they have had an opening offer of €30m (£26m) rejected by the Italian club, however they are set to return to the negotiating table with a fresh bid.

Jurgen Klopp has instructed FSG to sign the Dutchman at any cost, so the German tactician is clearly determined to win the race for his signature, but he is not the manager's only defensive target, with Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba also emerging as an option.

90min report that Tottenham Hotspur are also in talks with the Burkina Faso international, though they are concerned about growing interest from the Reds and Newcastle United, so there may be a transfer battle on the cards and it is clear Liverpool want a new central defender.

With Ibrahima Konate recently being linked with a move to Napoli, Klopp could be forced to bring in multiple new additions at centre-back this summer, and there has now been an update on the pursuit of Inacio.

Sport Witness relay reports from Portugal, which detail that Klopp is "not satisfied" with his defence, and the Sporting CP defender is "one of the names" on his list of targets for this window.

Liverpool are said to have sent scouts to watch the 21-year-old on several occasions last season, and they would have no problem meeting the €45m (£39m) release clause included in his contract.

However, the Reds may have to move swiftly if they want to sign the youngster for a lower amount, as Sporting are working on offering him a new deal, which would ideally see his release clause raised to €80m (£69m).

As such, if Liverpool are going to make their move, they will need to do so before any contract is signed.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

The Almada-born defender almost exclusively plays at centre-back, but that has not stopped him from pitching in down the other end of the pitch, ranking in the 98th percentile for assists, and in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 in the past year, when compared with other centre-backs.

Lauded as a "sensation" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the youngster has a keen eye for cutting out opposition attacks, averaging 1.4 interceptions per game last season, the second-highest figure of any Sporting player who played more than two games.

Although he is still very young, the Portugal international is already well-adjusted to first-team football, having made a minimum of 25 appearances in all competitions for Sporting over the past three seasons.

In the 2021-22 campaign, the starlet averaged more passes per game than any other player in the Portuguese top flight, highlighting how composed he is in possession of the ball.

£39m could end up being a steal for Inacio, and Liverpool should move quickly before he puts pen to paper on a new deal.

A round-up of the Group A matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches held on February 28, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2017

An unbeaten 206-run partnership between opener Anurag Sarangi (104*) and Govinda Poddar (100*) took Odisha to a nine-wicket win against Assam at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla. The win – Odisha’s first of the tournament – was orchestrated by fast bowler Basant Mohanty, whose five wickets in the first innings helped bowl Assam out for 207, before their batsmen chased down the target with ease.Mohanty, who returned career-best List A figures of 5 for 26, was assisted by Deepak Behera’s three wickets to trouble Assam’s batsmen from the start. While captain Arun Karthik’s 73-ball 56 and Jamaluddin Syed Mohammad’s 78-ball 53 took Assam near the 200-run mark, regular wickets at the start, and towards the end meant Assam managed to set Odisha a target of 208. Six Assam batsmen finished with single-digit scores.After Sandeep Pattnaik fell early in Odisha’s innings, Sarangi and Poddar struck 206 runs in 188 balls in an unbeaten stand to remove any hope of an Assam victory. The duo hit 24 fours and four sixes to take Odisha to a with more than 14 overs to spare.Baroda’s bowlers, led by Hardik Pandya (3-26) and Soaeb Tai (3-36), skittled Punjab out for 174 runs to complete a 75-run victory at Delhi’s Karnail Stadium. Punjab crumbled from a position of strength at 125 for 2 – courtesy Gurkeerat Singh’s 62 and Mandeep Singh’s 43 – to being all out 49 runs later, thereby taking Baroda to the top of the group.After fifties from Krunal Pandya (78) and Aditya Waghmode (54) at the top of Baroda’s innings gave them a strong start, four wickets from Baltej Singh and another three from Siddarth Kaul meant Baroda folded for 249 runs. From 193 for 4 in the 43rd over, Baroda managed to add only 56 runs for their last six wickets.Gurkeerat and Singh gave Punjab’s chase the stability it needed at the top, but regular wickets from Hardik, Tai and Atit Sheth (2-24) meant Baroda managed to skittle their opponents out thereafter without much trouble.Half centuries from openers Faiz Fazal (53) and Jitesh Sharma (84) helped Vidarbha easily chase down the 200 target set by Railways to win by eight wickets at Delhi’s Palam A Ground. The duo’s first-wicket stand yielded 117 runs before Ganesh Satish (36*) and Ambati Rayudu (19*) took Vidarbha home with 28 deliveries to spare. This after Railways managed to post 199 courtesy Manjeet Singh’s innings of 54 off 30 deliveries after he came in to bat at No. 10.Akshay Karnewar (3-32) and Ravikumar Thakur (2-47) ran through Railways’ top order while run outs inflicted by YS Thakur and Rajneesh Gurbani meant Railways were struggling at 134 for 9. Manjeet came to the rescue striking three fours and five sixes to help his team post a competitive total their bowlers could look to defend.But the target of 200 was never enough as Fazal’s patient 95-ball 53 and Jitesh’s 114-ball 84 gave Vidarbha the start their other batsmen could carry on from. And carry on they did as Satish and Rayudu saw their team through without any other casualties. The win saw Vidarbha move to second spot, tied on eight points with group leaders Baroda.