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The return of the regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket

Steven Lynch18-Sep-2006The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

I recall that in my boyhood there was great excitement one year at the prospect of Geoffrey Boycott finishing the season with an average of more than 100. I haven’t seen any similar comment about Mark Ramprakash’s current efforts. Have season averages greater than 100 become commonplace? asked Stephen Sheen
They’re certainly not commonplace: since Geoff Boycott averaged 102.53 in 1979 (he also managed 100.12 in 1971), the only two men to average over 100 in a whole English season (given a minimum of eight competed innings) are Graham Gooch, with 101.70 in 1990, and Damien Martyn, who averaged 104.66 from nine matches on Australia’s 2001 tour of England. At the time of writing Mark Ramprakash is averaging 103.54, with a possible two innings to come at Derby later this week. Ramprakash has a fairly modest record against Derbyshire: he averages 35.35 from nine previous matches against them – the only county against whom he has a worse average is Essex (29.18). The target for him to aim at is 115.66, the highest average ever recorded in an English season, by Australia’s Don Bradman in 1938. Ramps would beat that if he makes 267 not out (or 383 runs if he’s out once).Sachin Tendulkar has just made his 40th ODI century, but India lost again. How many of his hundreds have led to Indian wins? asked Sumit Bhave from Jharkand
India have won 28 of the one-day internationals in which Sachin Tendulkar has scored a century, and lost 11 of them: there was also one no-result, against England at Chester-le-Street in 2002. Rather worryingly for India, though, they have ended up losing on each of the last four occasions that Tendulkar has reached 100.Are the current DLF Cup matches the first official one-day internationals to be played in Malaysia? asked Priyantha de Silva from Galle
Yes they were: Malaysia had previously hosted the ICC Trophy in 1997, and the cricket competition of the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but those were not official one-day internationals. When it staged the match between Australia and West Indies last week, the Kinrara Academy ground in Kuala Lumpur became the 161st different venue to stage an official ODI: for a complete list of the grounds, click here.Who has made the highest score at the Melbourne Cricket Ground? asked Chris Macdonald from Carlton … Melbourne
The highest score in a first-class match at the MCG is 437, by Bill Ponsford for Victoria against Queensland in 1927-28. Ponsford also scored the only other quadruple-century there, 429 against Tasmania in 1922-23. The Test record is 307, by Bob Cowper for Australia against England in 1965-66, and the highest individual score in a one-day international there is 173, by Mark Waugh for Australia against West Indies in 2000-01.

Which cricketer called his autobiography Playing With Fire? asked Robert Richards from Cornwall
That was Nasser Hussain, who brought out his life story after his retirement in 2004. Published by Michael Joseph Books, it weighed in at a chunky 512 pages, which I suspect was the record for a cricket autobiography at the time, although the mark was smashed by Steve Waugh’s 816-page monster Out Of My Comfort Zone in 2005!There’s an update to last week’s question about the former Zimbabwe captain Brian Murphy, from Debashish Biswas
“Brian Murphy is the pro at Henley Cricket Club, on the Berkshire/Oxfordshire border. He has been there since at least 2004. Their First XI play in the Home Counties Premier League.”And there have also been a few responses to last week’s appeal for the missing words for Tony Woodward’s poem:
Mike Staveley from Canada suggests:

I wondered how she’d look without her Extra Cover,

And how she would respond if I tried my Leg Break tricks …
While Tony McGowan attempted:

Did she spot your googly coming,

Or your other fancy tricks?
And Farrukh Aziz from Pakistan tried:

Wanting to drive Through the covers, I just got a nick,

I heard the Third Man saying “Oh what a nice flick”.
But possibly the best one came from Chandramouli in India:

I thought she would be a good catch,

And we would make a perfect match.

The ICC has set December 19 as the hearing date for Faf du Plessis’ appeal against his guilty verdict for ball-tampering

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-20164:31

‘I wasn’t trying to cheat, I was shining the ball’ – du Plessis (November 23)

The ICC has set December 19 as the hearing date for Faf du Plessis’ appeal against his guilty verdict for ball-tampering. Michael Beloff QC has been appointed judicial commissioner to hear the appeal.Beloff is the chairman of ICC’ Code of Conduct Commission. He has been part of independent tribunals involving ICC cases previously including the one that found the Pakistan trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir guilty of spot-fixing during 2010 Lord’s Test.On November 22, the ICC match referee Andy Pycroft found du Plessis guilty of ball-tampering and fined him his entire match fee from the Hobart Test against Australia. The ICC chief executive David Richardson had charged him on the basis of TV footage that “appeared to show du Plessis applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition”.Three days later, du Plessis launched his appeal against the verdict, with Cricket South Africa supporting his decision and hoping for clarity from the ICC over what constituted an “artificial substance” in rules pertaining to polishing the ball. In response, Richardson said there was no ambiguity over the definition as far as the ICC was concerned, and said he was “disappointed” with du Plessis’ decision to launch an appeal.

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr was removed from Los Blancos' starting XI against Atletico Madrid due to an injury sustained in the warmup.

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• Vinicius was set to start against main rivals
• Sustained an undisclosed injury minutes before the game
• Brahim Diaz replaced him in the starting XI

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Madrid suffered a major blow prior to kick off of their clash with Atleti, as they had to make do without their star man. The Brazilian was withdrawn just minutes before kick-off, leading to mass confusion among fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Brahim Diaz replaced Vinicius in the lineup, and made an immediate impact, bagging the opening goal of the game within 20 minutes. Vinicius was included on Carlo Ancelotti's bench, but the Real boss decided against throwing him into the game in the second half, and the La Liga leaders were eventually pegged back in stoppage time by an equaliser from Marcos Llorente.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Real fans will hope Vinicius does not face any more time on the sidelines, with the Brazilian having struggled with his fitness in the first half of the season. The 23-year-old has been vital for Ancelotti's side since his return, most notably scoring a hat-trick in Real's 4-1 Super Cup final win over Barcelona.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR

  Vinicius will be determined to be available next Saturday, when his side take on Girona in a potential title decider. Real are favourites for the La Liga title after pulling clear of arch-rivals Barca, but Girona have been the surprise package of the season so far and won't go down without a fight with only two points currently separating the two teams at the top.

The BCCI has authorised its president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to look into the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court verdict, that approved the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, and guide the board and its member units

Arun Venugopal05-Aug-2016The BCCI has authorised its president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to look into the legal ramifications of the Supreme Court verdict that approved the Lodha Committee’s recommendations and guide the board and its member units. While there was no official statement from the BCCI, sources that attended the meeting confirmed that Thakur and Shirke will, in conjunction with the newly formed legal panel, engage with the Lodha Committee, and they will represent the concerns of the state associations as well.”This (Lodha Committee verdict) was the single-point agenda, and it was one [short, focused meeting] that lasted about half an hour to 45 minutes,” a state association official from the east zone told ESPNcricinfo. “The BCCI has the legal cell. We as a state association don’t know the legal aspects but somebody has to take care of such things. So, the SGM was called to authorise the secretary and the president to look into it. Concerns of individual state associations were not discussed; it was [a discussion] on the whole as reforms are meant for everybody.”Another official from a southern state said state associations had been instructed to direct their legal queries to the board’s lawyers who will advise them on the future course of action. According to him, however, the board’s first task would be to seek clarifications regarding its own functioning.”On August 9, the president and secretary are supposed to meet the Lodha Committee,” the official said. “The first priority is clarifications regarding the BCCI, only then will state associations come into the picture. Clarifications on all matters – when should the constitution be amended and how, the recommendations, and we also have the AGM coming up in September – will be sought.”While there has been speculation that the BCCI is inclined to file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s verdict, the official said it was a decision the president and secretary would make based on the legal advice they get. “There will be greater clarity once they meet the Lodha Committee on the ninth,” he said.The official also said there was no instruction from the board regarding elections of the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Cricket Association of Bengal. The Lodha Committee had directed the CAB and KSCA to put their polls – scheduled for July 31 and August 7 respectively – on hold. “The BCCI will give its opinion on it. There will be more clarity after they discuss with the Lodha Committee. We are not going to raise anything as far as state associations are concerned, let the BCCI do. The states will fall in place thereafter.”

Deepti Sharma is the only player not belonging to the two finalists to make the cut

Vishal Dikshit18-Mar-20241 Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals)
For the second season in a row, Shafali, not surprisingly, finished with the most sixes (20) in the WPL, double that of the second-best. While she continued to target the boundaries to provide Delhi Capitals rapid starts, this season saw a much more consistent Shafali who also took more responsibility towards building a solid opening stand with Meg Lanning. She also finished WPL 2024 with the best batting strike rate (minimum 75 balls faced) and shone in the final too with a 27-ball 44.2 Smriti Mandhana (capt, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The title-winning captain doubled her run-tally compared to her forgettable WPL 2023 and looked more assured and free in her strokeplay. Her runs at the top meant a lot more to RCB because she didn’t find a stable opening partner in the tournament. She also impressed with her astute captaincy, field settings and use of resources to be named captain of this XI. In the modest chase in the final, she steered her team almost all the way.Related

• Anatomy of champions: How RCB went from 0-5 to WPL winners in a year

• Perry and spinners steer RCB to WPL title

• Mandhana shuns the spotlight as 'Queens 2024' party at the Kotla

• Smart Stats – Deepti Sharma bags impact honours in WPL 2024

3 Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals)
As imposing and imperious as she has ever been, Lanning was the solid batter at one end with a regular flow of fours while Shafali targeted the sixes. After taking home the orange cap last season, she finished second on the list this time, just behind Ellyse Perry, with another prolific and consistent season. She was as good as ever at finding the gaps on her way to striking more fours than anyone and struck four fifties, also the most, but couldn’t see her side out of a collapse in the final which left her in tears at the end.4 Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals)
Barring the two-ball duck in the final, this WPL season saw a different avatar of Rodrigues whose free-flowing strokes were more powerful, more aerial, and more frequent. Otherwise not known for her six-hitting abilities, Rodrigues impressed with her consistency and along-the-ground strokes, especially in the Delhi leg where the lack of bounce suited her natural game. As compared to zero sixes off her bat in WPL 2023, this time she hit eight sixes and played a pivotal role at No. 3 by shooting up her strike rate from 128.57 to 153.59 in the two WPL seasons.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The Australian hand in winning the trophy, who first confirmed RCB’s knockout berth with a career-best 6 for 15, then lifted them from the pits of 49 for 4 in the eliminator and stayed not out on 35 when Richa Ghosh hit the winning runs on Sunday night. Her four unbeaten knocks gave her a staggering average of 69.40 in the tournament along with the orange cap.6 Richa Ghosh (wk, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
After starting the tournament with a bang – 62 off 37 against UP Warriorz – Ghosh was putting in blitzy performances in the middle order. Then came her stunning 51 off 29 in a high-pressure chase against Capitals to nearly snatch victory. That she led the team almost single-handedly against a top bowling attack in the second half of that chase spoke volumes of her ability to handle pressure-cooker situations. The Indian team management will hope this has prepared the 20-year-old for the big games in the forthcoming World Cups.7 Marizanne Kapp (Delhi Capitals)
A gun new-ball bowler. Powerplay specialist. Swing and seam movement. Dot-ball pressure. Name the skill and she had it this season, impressing at 34 despite battling recent illnesses and injuries. Coming on the back of solid all-round performances in Australia before the WPL, Kapp thrived in different conditions in both Bengaluru and Delhi. She was the main force Capitals used early on to break through before others rallied around her. She was the purple-cap holder until the final, the only game in which she went wicketless.She also set up a victory against RCB by smacking a 16-ball 32 to help Capitals post an imposing 194 before dismissing Mandhana and Ghosh in the chase.Jemimah Rodrigues and Shreyanka Patil were crucial cogs in their teams’ runs to the final•BCCI8 Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
One of the top India allrounders, Deepti showed a new facet to her T20 batting with a high-octane 88 off 60 against Gujarat Giants, her third fifty in a row, which nearly saw Warriorz mow down 67 in the last three overs. She struck four sixes in that innings alone after not managing even one in the last WPL.She was promoted to Nos. 3 and 4 towards the end of the league and did the heavy lifting when some of the other international players didn’t score as much.With the ball, she got breakthroughs in almost all games, highlighted by her match-turning hat-trick against Capitals and frugal figures of 2 for 22 in their last game. She was hence named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament.9 Shreyanka Patil (Royal Challengers Bangalore
Picked the most wickets, did the victory on Sunday night, held the glittery purple-cap trophy and lifted the WPL trophy – all with a hairline fracture on her left hand, which earned her praise from captain Mandhana and many others. After a lean Bengaluru leg, her campaign burst to life in Delhi when she bagged 4 for 26 – all big international wickets – against Capitals before stifling the Mumbai Indians openers and dismissing Harmanpreet Kaur late in the eliminator to turn the match on its head. In the final, she pounced on Capitals again after Sophie Molineux’s triple-wicket over, starting with the wicket of Lanning, who fell to Patil twice in three games.10 Shikha Pandey (Delhi Capitals)
The oldest bowler in the Capitals set-up also bowled the most overs for them because of her experience and regularity of picking wickets. If Kapp did it with the new ball, Pandey shone in the death overs, being the only quick bowler among the top wicket-takers in that phase. Her accuracy stifled the opposition and even though she didn’t pick more than two wickets in any game, she struck in all games but one and finished with nine scalps, only behind Kapp and Nat Sciver-Brunt among the fast bowlers.11 Asha Sobhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
A woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, Sobhana was among the brightest uncapped stars this WPL along with Tanuja Kanwar, who narrowly missed out in this XI.Sobhana bagged the first five-for of this season – in their opening game – and bowled some ripping legbreaks for an attack that had eight bowling options in the final. She was the most economical spinner for champions RCB and bowled the high-pressure last over ahead of Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh when Mumbai needed 12 runs to win the eliminator. She conceded only six in that over and made a name with her fearless flight and change of pace that also fetched her the wickets of Kapp and Jess Jonaseen in the space of three balls in the final.

The American made the most of an opportunity to shine on Wednesday but his future at the City Ground is still uncertain

Matt Turner must have been so damn happy in that moment. His teammates were surrounding him, embracing him one by one. They were chanting "USA, USA USA!" in his honor. He was the hero here, the man who had led Nottingham Forest to victory.

What made that moment so sweet was knowing what came before it and, truthfully, what will come after it. Wednesday was one of few highlights for Turner this season. It's been a season of mistakes and criticism and setbacks, one that has almost certainly cost Turner his position as Nottingham Forest's starting goalkeeper.

Turner had his moment in the sun on Wednesday, having been handed the start due to FA Cup rules. He made the most of it, making the penalty kick save that booked them a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup and a date with Manchester United.

Realistically, though, Wednesday may end up being as good as it gets this season for Turner, who, despite his FA Cup heroics, now finds himself in a tough, tough spot on the club level ahead of some major moments on the international stage.

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  A series of mistakes

  'Nightmare' may be a bit too harsh, but it's close to being a fair way of painting this picture. Turner's move to Forest was supposed to give him a new stage to shine. It has instead wrecked his confidence thanks to a series of mistakes that seemingly couldn't stop snowballing.

  Turner's shot-stopping ability has never been questioned. It has gotten him this far, after all. Despite a relatively late start as a goalkeeper, his ability to simply keep the ball out of the back of the net got him from Fairfield University to the New England Revolution and, ultimately, to Arsenal. Even that, however, has let him down in this first half-season as a Premier League starter.

  Largely, Turner's errors have come when asked to play with the ball at his feet. Manchester United legend Gary Neville labeled the American as "useless" with the ball after a number of errors culminated in a Marcus Rashford goal in December.

  Those errors seemingly sapped his confidence, as Turner hasn't even looked like his old self when it comes to saving the ball anymore. A recent finish by Gabriel Jesus in a loss to Turner's former club, Arsenal, earned Turner further criticism, as many believe the American could have done more to keep the ball out.

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  Turner responds

  Turner, more than most, knows the loneliness of the goalkeeping position. His first real introduction to an American audience came due to a mistake, with a sequence during his college days landing him a spot on SportsCenter's Not Top 10. Since then, mistakes have largely been few and far between. That is, until this season.

  Turner knows it, too. He's aware that things haven't gone well. And, in a recent interview with ESPN, he took ownership of it all.

  "This is a results business," he said. "And we haven't been getting the results that we probably deserve or need."

  "Everything that could possibly have gone wrong in certain moments has gone completely wrong," he added. "Sometimes as goalkeepers you might get away with one or two things, and it feels like this season I've gotten away with zero. It's tough to take."

  Turner is tied for second in the Premier League in errors leading to goals with three. And, inevitably, those errors led Nottingham Forest, a notably unstable club, to try and shake things up in the January window.

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  Forest make a move

  Turner's status as No. 1 was always on shaky ground. Shortly after signing him from Arsenal this summer, Forest brought in another international goalkeeper, Greece's Odysseas Vlachodimos. For a time in the fall, Vlachodimos took over for Turner, who snatched the job back heading into the new year.

  Forest, though, weren't done wheeling and dealing. Before the January transfer window closed, the club went out and signed Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels from Strasbourg, seemingly in response to Turner's errors. In just a matter of months, the club went out and signed three legitimate first-team goalkeepers, proving that Forest had little faith in Turner despite their move for him in the summer.

  Upon his arrival, Sels was immediately thrust into the XI, for a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, a potentially key result in the relegation race. It's expected that he'll be back in goal this coming weekend against Newcastle, too.

  But, in between, Turner was handed a chance at redemption in the FA Cup, and he certainly made the most of it.

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  Turner saves the day

  With Sels ineligible for Wednesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bristol City, Forest turned back to Turner. For some, it would have been difficult to rise to such an occasion. Just days after being told you weren't good enough, Turner was thrown back into the team, not on merit but because of a technicality.

  Forest went up 1-0 early, with a goal from Divock Origi easing any nerves. Those nerves came rushing back just moments later, though. After a fantastic diving save from Turner on a long-range effort, Forest still conceded, with the team's inability to clear the ball leading to a looped finish from Jason Knight in the 14th minute.

  Turner, despite his save, earned some criticism for that sequence. It was unfair, truthfully, with those on social media going at him largely basing that criticism on his past mistakes. There would be no criticizing him by the end, though, as he proved to be Forest's hero.

  Long a penalty shootout expert, Turner flexed his skillset yet again on Wednesday. One big stop was all he needed, and it came in the second round of kicks when he pushed away a shot from Sam Bell. Forest's takers took care of business and onto the next round they went, thanks at least in part to Turner's big save.

  “It has to give him confidence," said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo. "We know it is not easy for him after the decision we took to change in the Premier League, but his response is of a top professional. We are so happy. It was tough but it was worth it. The attitude and the character to never give up makes me very happy."

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England

Andrew McGlashan25-Apr-2018Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England.Yasir has taken 89 wickets in the last two years – more than double Pakistan’s next most successful bowler in the period – but was ruled out of this tour due to a hip injury. Shadab Khan, the 19-year-old legspinner, who has impressed with the white ball but has played just one Test, has huge shoes to fill although there remains a chance Pakistan will decide to go without a specialist spinner given the early-season conditions which are likely to prevail.There has been a significant decline in Pakistan’s Test fortunes since the shared series against England in 2016 which helped them to the No. 1 ranking. They are now languishing at No. 7 following series defeats against New Zealand, Australia and most recently Sri Lanka – their record with Arthur as coach is 11 defeats and six wins from 17 Tests – and are going through a transitional phase following the retirements of batting stalwarts Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.There are four uncapped batsmen in the squad and the absence of Yasir has shorn Pakistan of a senior figure with the ball while also leaving them with their least experienced spin attack to face England in at least 40 years.”Any team would miss Yasir,” Arthur said ahead of the team’s first warm-up match against Kent. “He has the ability to hold the attack and control the game. Shadab is incredibly exciting but also I am not sure that spin is going to be a huge factor given it’s early season in England, so we have covered ourselves in the seam department. But Shadab can clean tails up because he has all the tricks. It is going to be exciting to see how he goes.”Yasir is a big loss but we have him at the National Cricket Academy [in Lahore] and he is getting fit, his stress fracture is healing and it’s really important for us to have him fit and firing for the Australia and New Zealand series later in the year.”Pakistan’s bowling attack will rest heavily on Mohammad Amir, who arrived in the UK on Wednesday having been granted his visa after a short delay. Two years ago he made his return to Test cricket at Lord’s, following his spot-fixing ban, and since then has not earned the rewards his bowling has often deserved with 44 wickets at 37.25. How Pakistan catch will be a critical factor, with Amir suffering significantly from missed chances, although there is also a belief in the team management that the amount of white-ball cricket he has played has led him into bowling too short with the red ball.”He’s our No. 1 bowler, we back him in tough situations. He generally gets it done for us,” Arthur said. “We need him to get the ball swinging, we need him to get his length slightly fuller and if he gets that he’s going to ask a lot of questions.”Amir’s workload has also become a topic of debate in recent times, with the indication that he may sit out some Test cricket to preserve him for the 2019 World Cup and beyond. Arthur said that Pakistan have “three weeks off” between now and the World Cup, leaving a balancing act between building a new era for the Test side while keeping an eye on the demands of the limited-overs game.”We have had the workload debate for a long time now and every team has to do the same. We only have three weeks off in our calendar now before the World Cup next year, so we’d be silly not to arrive here with our bowlers fit and we know who they are – we have identified them – so we just have to manage them because ultimately want the best team to play in that 2019 World Cup.”But also for us it is so important to win Test matches – we are a young team and we need to get our Test team right and to do that we have to build a core of players who can play at any given time. We are trying to resurrect our Test side, we feel we’ve got our white-ball cricket where we need it now, so we are really excited about this series, really excited to see these young guys come out and perform. There’s some incredible talent in our dressing room, so let’s hope it all goes well for us.”

Several big names could move on from the Gunners during the transfer window as part of Mikel Arteta's ongoing rebuild

It’s set to be another busy summer at Arsenal as the Gunners prepare for their first season back in the Champions League since 2017. Some big-money new additions are expected to arrive, but there could also be some high-profile departures as Mikel Arteta continues to rebuild his squad.

From experienced names such as Granit Xhaka, to up-and-coming youngsters like Charlie Patino, there are several players who head into the transfer window with their long-term futures up for debate in north London.

GOAL takes a look at some of the players who could move on to pastures new…

• Emile Smith Rowe

  Should Smith Rowe leave this summer, it would be a move that would hugely divide opinion. The Hale End graduate may have barely featured this season, but he remains a massively popular with the fanbase.

  It’s clear, though, that he’s way down the pecking order under Arteta at present, and with Arsenal expected to bring in more than one midfield addition this summer, Smith Rowe could be deemed as expendable, should a decent offer arrive.

  Arsenal have held talks over signing Mason Mount, a player very similar to Smith Rowe in terms of where he plays, which again does not bode well in terms of the 22-year-old’s long-term future.

  The Gunners firmly rejected multiple bids from Aston Villa for Smith Rowe two years ago, insisting he was not for sale. It remains to be seen whether their stance would be different this time around if some big offers arrive.

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  Granit Xhaka

  It would be strange if Xhaka left this summer, but there is expected to be interest in the Switzerland international when the season comes to an end. And with Arsenal looking at the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, there is a possibility they could be open to letting Xhaka leave to free up space and bring some money in.

  Arteta remains a big fan of Xhaka and he has been hugely influential this season, taking his game to a new level in a more advanced midfield role. But should the 30-year-old push to leave this summer and return to Germany, Arsenal’s manager might not stand in his way.

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  Charlie Patino 

  Arsenal’s young midfielder is set to leave following talks with the club. It has been agreed that the academy graduate can move to seek regular first-team football following his impressive loan spell at Blackpool.

  There is already strong interest in the 19-year-old, both from clubs in England and abroad. Arsenal and Patino’s representatives will now work together to find the best move for the teenager, with the Gunners expected to include several clauses in any deal they agree.

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  Kieran Tierney

  Ideally, Arsenal would like to keep Tierney ahead of the club’s return to the Champions League. But the Scotland international has lost his place in the starting XI this season to Oleksandr Zinchenko and is expected to push for a move.

  Newcastle and Aston Villa are believed to be interested and could make some big bids for the left-back once the season comes to an end.

  Arsenal do need to bring in some money this summer and Tierney is a very saleable asset, so it could be that the former Celtic man will be allowed to leave, bringing to an end his four-year stay in north London.

Sam Northeast for England! Kent fans will demand it once again after his unbeaten 173 at Hove, but is anyone in the England set-up listening?

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Hove16-Apr-2017
ScorecardSam Northeast’s reputation seems consigned to Kent•Getty Images

“Northeast for England!” It’s one thing for Kent fans to chant for their captain (and, to be fair to them, they’ve been singing that for a while). But when those chants are coming from his own dressing room, it does strike a different note. As Sussex slinked off when bad light ended play, Kent’s players, with a 426-run-lead in their step, were in full voice. They, more so than the fans, are annoyed he has been overlooked for as long as he has.Sam Northeast, a decorated youth cricketer, an England Lion and a regular “well what about” selection in many an England XI thrashed out over beer-soaked tables, must be close to the real thing. And it’s innings like today – a barbaric, unbeaten 173, which saw him race to 37 from 23 balls to quell Sussex’s early attack, before bringing up three figures in 123 balls – that will push him close to the front of the queue. It was his 17th first-class hundred and, remarkably, it is hard to peg this as his most devastating.Naturally, Northeast was fairly chilled about England talk, happy to let his record do the talking – 1,474 Championship runs since the start of 2016 at an average of 77.6, if you’re wondering. “There are a lot of people in my position around the counties,” he said. Kent seamer Mitchell Claydon, within earshot, interjected: “Not with 18,000 effing runs in a year-and-a-half,”. Northeast laughed: “See what I have to put up with?”Considering Northeast’s hot streak started during his first full season as club captain and that his role at Kent is wide-ranging – he plays a prominent role in team meetings, player contracts and overseas recruitment – it says a lot about his character that the extra distractions seem to have focused his work out in the middle.During the North-South series in the UAE, in which he scored a century in the second match, he had chats with Andy Flower and England assistant coach Paul Farbrace. There was a chance for a catch-up with Flower today: the ECB technical director was at Hove and spent time talking to Kent’s coach Matt Walker. Northeast, of course, was otherwise occupied.His England claim is not just limited to one format. Recently, he has been one of the standout domestic Twenty20 batsmen in the world. Across the last two seasons in the T20 Blast, he has scored 1,103 runs at an average of 40.9. It is telling, too, that when analysts involved in recruitment for franchises across the world crunch the numbers in search of the most valued picks, Northeast’s name often makes an appearance.But, for now, the England Test side need a middle order batsman. And as well as Northeast’s free-scoring nature aligning with Trevor Bayliss’s blueprint for the Test side, he would also bring with him a knack for big runs. Including today, his last six Championship hundreds have all exceeded 160. He does not have a double hundred to his name – 191 against Derbyshire and 190 against Sussex, both last season, are as close as he has come – but looked like he was on the way to addressing in the final session on Sunday, hitting two sixes and a four in the last four balls of the day to take him to 173 off 181 balls.He shared a stand of 123 with opener Sean Dickson which put Sussex in their place and then one of 161 inside 27 overs with Darren Stevens (71) that whipped them into submission. Sussex, a bowler and ideas light, simply had to accept the punishment that was being dished out. Together, Stevens and Northeast put on 52 off the last five overs.But without Dickson’s patience, Kent would be a long way from the position they currently occupy. His grafting 68 gave Darren Stevens and Wayne Parnell a platform for their 123-run stand in the first innings. Disappointed he was not able to convert that to three figures on day one, it looked like he would get there in the second innings.He was in complete control, knocking the ball about diligently to get to 89 but, again, fell short after being trapped in front by Ajmal Shahzad. When you consider he suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury that kept him out of the opening fixture against Gloucestershire, it was a remarkable effort from the 25-year-old. Just as every good band needs a reliable bassist, Dickson’s calm and diligence allowed the more flamboyant around him to flourish.It’s still a good pitch, as Northeast and Stevens showed by the way they were able to hit through the line so well. “It would be nice if it was a bit cloudy in the morning,” said Northeast. “We’ve got a good bowling line-up here, with good variations and we’ll try a few things out there tomorrow.”

The two spinners finished with match hauls of eight wickets each to clinch the unofficial Test series for Sri Lanka 2-1

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2017
ScorecardWICB Media/Athelstan Bellamy

Left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara and offspinner Shehan Jayasuriya were at the forefront of Sri Lanka A’s series-clinching win in the third unofficial Test against West Indies A, with a match haul of eight wickets each. Their combined efforts meant West Indies A were limited to scores of 181 and 118 in their two innings, to hand Sri Lanka A a comfortable ten-wicket win within two days of play.Pushpakumara, who had a haul of 12 wickets in the second four-dayer, took 4 for 67 in the first innings, with support from Lahiru Kumara and Jayasuriya, who picked up two each. West Indies A’s innings of 181 was propped up single-handedly by Sunil Ambris, who scored his fifth first-class century, even as no other West Indies A batsman managed to score more than 20.Sri Lanka A then took a 92-run lead despite a few stutters with the bat. Captain Dhananjaya de Silva top-scored with 64, while Roshen Silva contributed 52 before retiring hurt.Jayasuriya then took centre stage, accounting for West Indies A’s top six for returns of 6 for 60. Like their first innings, only one West Indies A batsman managed a score of more than 20; in this instance captain Shamarh Brooks hit 52. Pushpakumara ran through the lower order, with 4 for 19, to leave Sri Lanka A with a target of 27 runs to win. The visitors needed only 5.5 overs to reach the target on the third evening.