An unbeaten first-innings century from Devon Smith, coupled with Kyle Mayers and Shane Shillingford’s resounding returns, piloted Windward Islands to an eight-wicket victory inside three days over Jamaica at the Arnos Vale Ground.Jamaica’s decision to bat received little validation from their batsmen as they were bowled out for a paltry 56 in 19.4 overs. Only two of their batsmen got into double-figures, with wicketkeeper Devon Thomas registering a top score of 15. Their undoing was spearheaded by the fast-bowling duo of Mayers (6 for 29) and Delorn Johnson (4 for 26).Windward’s reply was led by Smith’s unbeaten 253-ball 100. His second ton in three matches, and 29th overall, all but nullified opposition captain Nikita Miller’s 5 for 58 and secured a lead of 167 for his side. That began to look match-winning as soon as Mayers picked up two wickets in successive overs to reduce Jamaica to 21 for 2. Offspinner Shane Shillingford then took over, picking up his 37th first-class five-wicket haul and finishing with 7 for 91. Raul Palmer, with 46 off 128 balls, and Fabian Allen, with 77 off 95 balls, were the strongest sources of the Jamaican resistance as they were bowled out for 262.Left with a target of 96, Windward were able to win despite Smith retiring hurt and Tyrone Theophile (36) and Jerlani Robinson (19) losing their wickets.Two half-centuries and a match haul of 9 for 42 from Roshon Primus helped Trinidad and Tobago hammer Barbados by 130 runs at Kensington OvalBatting at No. 7 Primus lifted T&T from 122 for 5 to 196 in the first innings with an 80-ball 60 – his third first-class fifty. It was the only notable contribution besides a 53-run second-wicket stand between Amir Jangoo (32) and Isaiah Rajah’s (38) and at that point it seemed like Barbados had the upper hand with Kevin Stoute and Justin Greaves taking seven wickets between them.But then they slumped to 34 for 6 in their first innings with Primus doing the star turn again as he removed three of the top five batsmen for single-digit scores. Stoute (81) and Kenroy Williams (46) tried to wrest the initiative back with a 90-run stand for the seventh wicket but Primus’ returns of 4 for 21 along with Bryan Charles’ 3 for 32 bowled Barbados out for 168 and gave T&T a 28-run lead.T&T wicketkeeper Jangoo then plundered seven fours and two sixes to amass a top score of 71 off 131 balls in the second innings, while Primus chipped in with a 62-ball 51, before Greaves’ 5 for 63 ended the T&T innings at 211.Set a target of 240, Barbados plummeted from 62 for 4 to 78 for 9 within the space of eight overs, with Primus taking 5 for 21. No batsman scored more than 20 as Barbados were bowled out for 109 in 40 overs.

Isa Guha, the former England seamer, has become the first woman to be appointed to the board of the Professional Cricketers’ Association

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2017
Isa Guha, the former England seamer, has become the first woman to be appointed to the board of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.Guha, 31, becomes a non-executive director of the players’ union.She retired from international cricket in 2012, having played a part in England’s victories in both the World Cup and the World T20 in 2009, as well as two Ashes triumphs in 2005 and 2007-08, when she took career-best match figures of 9 for 100 at Bowral.She has since gone on to forge a career in broadcasting, becoming the first female summariser on BBC Test Match Special in 2014, before co-hosting ESPN’s coverage of the 2015 World Cup in Australia.”Isa has a vast knowledge of the game from a men’s and women’s perspective,” said David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive. “With our international women players now full members of the PCA, Isa will bring real insight to the PCA board.””I am delighted to be joining the PCA at an exciting time for the game here in England for our men and women at both domestic and international levels,” Guha said.”I look forward to working with the team at the PCA, and with all the many past and present players, as the country prepares for a number of major events, starting with the ICC Champions Trophy and the Women’s World Cup this summer.”

Tottenham Hotspur have frequently sent scouts to keep an eye on Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, who could be available for as little as £45m according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are Tottenham signing Tapsoba?

Now in charge of a defence that was in disarray last season, Ange Postecoglou has no time to waste in strengthening his backline this summer.

Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier have been tipped to leave Tottenham this window, while loanee Clement Lenglet has returned to Barcelona, meaning that Postecoglou is likely to need new faces to make up the numbers in defence.

One of those that has been readily linked with a move to north London is Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen. The Burkina Faso international has blossomed into one of the Bundesliga's best central defenders and it seems inevitable that he will move onto bigger and better things this summer.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano insisted that Spurs are one of the leading candidates for his signature, having claimed that Tottenham's scouts have frequently gone to watch the 24-year-old.

"I keep saying that Tapsoba is a priority target because they [Spurs] love Tapsoba. Tottenham scouts have been there many times this year to follow Tapsoba. So, he is a player they really love and they feel is perfect for Premier League football."

"He is a leader. So, there are many factors in a deal and Tottenham think he is a fantastic option".

When quizzed about how much he thought Tapsoba would fetch in the current market, Romano suggested approximately £45-50m, potentially with some add-ons. The top end of that valuation, excluding add-ons, would make him Spurs' second most expensive player of all-time, as per Tranfsermarkt.

Tapsoba, who has been hailed as "frightening", is not the only defensive name on Spurs' shortlist, however, with Marc Guehi, Tosin Adarabioyo and Micky van de Ven all having been linked.

Would Tapsoba make Spurs better?

Having featured 33 times in the Bundesliga last season and five times in the Champions League, Tapsoba was given plenty of opportunities to progress, and he took those opportunities.

Tapsoba is a modern centre-back and is comfortable stepping out of defence and moving the ball directly up the pitch. Compared to other centre-backs in the Bundesliga last season, he ranked in the top 13% for progressive carries per 90 (1.25) and the top 10% for progressive passes (5.30).

He is good under pressure, rarely gifting possession to the opposition, and generally employs a good range of accurate passing. However, his major strength is one-v-one defending, with the 24-year-old coming out on top on 71.4% of occasions he is dribbled at.

Spurs' defensive shoddiness last season must be improved upon if they have any hope of returning to the Champions League places, with Taposba potentially being a solid foundation on which Postecoglou can build.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been able to reach “the pinnacle of this ruthless industry” despite eternal rival Lionel Messi being “more talented”.

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Portuguese superstar one of the all-time greatsHas broken countless records down the yearsEfforts are the result of hard work & dedication

WHAT HAPPENED?

Two all-time greats have collected 12 Ballons d’Or between them, with countless records broken in domestic, continental and international competition. Messi, who is now on the books of MLS side Inter Miami, is considered to have cemented his reputation as a result of being blessed with God-given talent.

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Ronaldo, on the other hand, has had to work tirelessly for everything that he has achieved – with the Portuguese maximising his potential through a combination of natural ability and relentless ambition. That drive has taken him to the very top of the game, with millions being inspired by his efforts along the way.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former Premier League star Paul McVeigh – who once played against Ronaldo during their respective spells at Norwich and Manchester United – falls into that category and now references CR7 on a regular basis in his new role as a keynote speaker. McVeigh has told the : “Cristiano Ronaldo is someone I talk about a lot, probably I would say Lionel Messi is more talented, an absolute superstar from the start. Ronaldo was a good player, but he wasn’t the best ever. So how does he go from being good potential to being the best two in the world? If you ask 100 people, most think he has got to the pinnacle of this ruthless industry due to dedication, belief and work. Everything always comes back to what he is doing in his head, his mindset and psychology. Psychology is the single greatest differential in football… and life.”

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Ronaldo is still going strong at 38 years of age, with 18 goals recorded through as many appearances for Al-Nassr this season, and he is expected to play on into his 40s – allowing him to edge towards 800 total efforts at club level while enhancing record-setting hauls of 203 caps and 127 goals for his country.

An update has emerged on Arsenal and their interest in a swoop to sign Southampton ace Romeo Lavia ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are progressing in their pursuit of a deal to sign the central midfielder this summer.

The reporter tweeted: "Understand Arsenal are advancing in talks to sign Roméo Lavia. Negotiations ongoing with Southampton and player’s camp, still no official bid. Southampton hope for their record fee for U21 player. Man Utd interested but priority is Mount; Chelsea, keeping close eye."

He then added that Premier League champions Manchester City have a buy-back clause that would enable them to snap the Belgian talent up for £40m before the summer of 2024, although it remains to be seen if they are willing to activate it.

Southampton's current club-record U21 sale came in 2014 when they sold Luke Shaw, who was 18 at the time, to Manchester United for a fee of £27m, that could rise to £31m, which means that £40m would meet their requirements for a deal.

This comes alongside a report from Sky Sports that has claimed the club are set to make a £90m bid to snap up West Ham United captain Declan Rice, with Romano confirming that the club's interest in the pair is not related. Indeed, it seems Mikel Arteta and the club are progressing on more deals in the background of the heavily reported Rice saga.

How did Romeo Lavia perform last season?

Southampton signed Lavia from Manchester City in a £14m package ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and the teenager enjoyed a strong first season in senior football in spite of his team's relegation to the Championship.

The Belgium international, who was hailed as a “monster” by journalist Benjy Nurick, had just two first-team appearances to his name prior to moving to the south coast and still only has 32 total games in senior football after 26 Premier League starts for the Saints.

However, he made 3.6 tackles plus interceptions per game and completed 86% of his attempted passes in the division, and his qualities in and out of possession are what made him so highly rated during his time at The Etihad.

Lavia particularly excelled at putting his body on the line for Southampton last term as the 19-year-old enforcer currently ranks in the top 4% of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for blocks made per 90 (1.90).

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously claimed that the teenage maestro had the ability to break into City's senior squad. He wrote:

"It is very clear why Pep Guardiola wants Romeo Lavia to be part of the Manchester City first team. He is an intelligent and aggressive presser of the ball in defense, a comfortable dribbler, adept passer of the ball, and physically strong. These traits are enormously important in the Pep Guardiola system, and Romeo Lavia possesses all the talent to break into Manchester City’s first team one day."

This suggests that the potential is there for him to make it at the top level and his experience at St. Mary's could be an important step on his way to success as the exciting youngster now has a good amount of Premier League matches under his belt.

The BCCI has sent a list of observations, of objections as well as suggestions, to the ICC regarding the new constitution that will be up for vote at the next round of meetings in April

Nagraj Gollapudi20-Mar-2017The BCCI has sent a list of observations, of objections as well as suggestions, to the ICC regarding the new constitution that will be up for vote at the next round of meetings in April.While the major focus of the BCCI’s response was the ICC’s proposed new financial model, the board also sent its thoughts on a number of governance issues, including membership, the role of the ICC chairman and the composition of the ICC Board.The new constitution was passed in principle at the board meetings in February but each proposal is likely to be put to vote separately in April.Here is a summary of the main points the BCCI makes:Membership Committee
– The ICC Board must have final say on membership issues with power to re-examine all aspects of any recommendation of the Membership Committee.- The Membership Committee should be an independent external agency that is not part of the ICC. If not, then members that sit on the committee should not be ICC directors.- One member from each continent should be part of the committee. “This is because admission of a new member and/or re-classification of an existing member will impact all members and views of at least one member from each continent needs to be taken into account before assessing the comprehensive impact of the same,” the BCCI said.- If any member was to fall foul of any terms and conditions, then it should get at least 90 days to carry out remedial action before the committee examines the respective board.- If a member country is in serious breach of its obligations then unless there is “prima facie view” or “sufficient evidence” the ICC Board should not suspend or terminate its membership.- The Dispute Resolution Committee, which deals with appeals on membership issues, must be independent of the ICC. No member of this committee should be an ICC director or part of any other committee.- To avoid any impact on the FTP, any new admission or re-classification of an existing Full Member should only be done at the end of every revenue cycle.- To retain Full Member status, a country should have played a minimum number of Test matches.ICC Chairman
.- The chairman should not be elected through a secret ballot. A transparent procedure must be laid out in the ICC’s Articles of Association.- If a chairman fails to finish his tenure, the new entrant should be appointed only for the remainder of the term and not for a fresh two-year period.- The chairman, acting or full-time, cannot have a vote at ICC Board meetings because the post is an independent authority and the ICC is a members’ organisation.- The CEO should report to the ICC Board and not the Chairman. The CEO and ICC management should be appraised by an independent external agency considering the senior staff is paid “substantial bonuses” based on their performance.- The chairman cannot have binding powers. Only the CEO, under the ICC Board’s instructions, should hold such a power.- The chairman cannot call a special meeting or choose a venue for the same. Only the ICC Board has the authority.ICC Board of Directors
– There should be only one director, not three, representing the Associates on the ICC Board.- The Independent director should be a non-voting member.- A current or former player should have a seat on the ICC Board, but also with no vote.- A secret ballot cannot be triggered by two or more voting members on the ICC Board, which the present ICC constitution permits.- The rule about having a two-third vote to pass a resolution can only apply if all the voting members are present- ICC committees should be independent and not comprise any of the Board directors. “This will obviate potential situations where the same person is part of the MC which makes a recommendation, sits on the Board of Directors which reviews the recommendation to take a final decision, and is also part of the Dispute Resolution Committee which will decide any appeal on membership issues against a decision of the MC or Board of Directors.”

Harry Kane's family dream of him winning trophies at Tottenham Hotspur as the north London club intend to keep the player despite heavy transfer interest, David Ornstein has revealed.

What's the latest on Harry Kane?

The England striker was in sensational form for Spurs last season, scoring 30 league goals despite the team performing poorly and finishing eighth, and with just one year left on his contract, he has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United.

However, Spurs have no intention to sell their star player, particularly to a rival, and it seems that they will resist any offers for the 29-year-old this summer.

Speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, Ornstein claimed that Daniel Levy is highly unlikely to sanction a sale for Kane this summer.

"As far as I know, Harry Kane is not for sale is Tottenham's perspective, to anywhere, not to the Premier League and a rival and Daniel Levy wouldn't want to sell unless perhaps the fee got absolutely monstrous, and we've got no evidence that that's likely to happen," he stated.

"He would like to sign Harry Kane to a new contract and then Ange Postecoglou will get a good thing going on at Spurs, they would start moving in the right direction, being competitive next season.

"We've seen other clubs who have become competitive quite quickly, and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that Harry Kane sees a Tottenham that he wants to stay at in the course of next season.

"He's a boyhood fan, his family are, their dream is really to win with Tottenham, but clearly that hasn't materialised so far."

Should Spurs sell Kane?

New manager Postecoglou has a big job on his hands, as he is taking over a Spurs squad in need of serious repair, and having failed to qualify for European football, finances may be limited at Spurs this summer.

They have already deemed a main target in David Raya as too expensive, and Postecoglou's ability to bring in his own targets may be jeopardised unless a major sale is made.

Unless there is indication that the £200k-per-week star would sign a new deal this summer, keeping him beyond the transfer window could be delaying his potential departure, and Spurs could cash in this summer in order to help fund a major rebuild of the side.

Kane, who has been described as "exceptional" by Pep Guardiola, knows that if he waits until he is a free agent next year, that he could have his pick of clubs to move to, so choosing to remain at Spurs despite their struggles would be an unsurprising decision.

The ACA have revealed that they want to discuss ‘what is in and what is out of shared revenue streams’,a definition that has become a major stumbling block

Daniel Brettig01-Jun-20173:46

What exactly is the Cricket Australia-ACA pay dispute?

Australia’s players are willing to compromise on a major financial sticking point that lies at the heart of their ongoing pay dispute with Cricket Australia (CA). As the board’s nine directors met in Brisbane on Thursday, the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) opened up a potential path for more productive talks, by indicating they are open to a redefinition – and reduction – of the revenue they are entitled to share in.That led to a reciprocal response from CA, who have expressed their own willingness to be “flexible”. In a negotiation period that began last November and has been the most divisive and bitter in 20 years, this may be a significant step forward ahead of the June 30 deadline by which the parties must find agreement.CA has repeatedly claimed that the ACA is seeking a share of all revenue in the game for professional players, including from such areas as sponsorships of grassroots competitions and junior registrations. The claim was made explicit in a briefing note distributed to media last week, which said:”A proportion of revenue from the sponsorship of grassroots cricket programs has to be distributed to elite player payments. Under the ACA’s new proposal, a guaranteed 22.5% of all CA and the states and associations revenue means the players would receive 22.5 cents of every dollar spent by parents on a junior registration fee.”However, the ACA have now confirmed that the players’ flexibility over the next pay agreement extends to being “open to a discussion of what is in and what is out of shared revenue streams.” The position was conveyed in a letter to the CA chairman David Peever last month.A narrower definition of agreed revenue may be the first building block of a deal between the parties. It would remove the impending risk of a major industrial relations battle, in a year when Australia are scheduled to play a home Ashes series after tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and India.”The players have always had and still do have flexibility,” the ACA president Greg Dyer said, striking a far less confrontational tone. “There is room to move to modernise this partnership. The ACA can discuss new models of revenue sharing, and how we can collectively manage risk.”A CA spokesman said the board was also prepared to be flexible. “CA believes there is still time to conclude an MoU by 30 June and reiterates its preparedness to be flexible in negotiations,” he said. “CA urges the ACA to spend more time at the negotiating table and less time writing press releases in order to begin making progress towards a resolution.”Less than a month remains before the expiry of the current MoU, with CA threatening that all players out of contract will be unemployed should the ACA not agree to discuss its current pay offer. A key plank of the offer is the replacement of revenue sharing with fixed wages for players, with only international players entitled to any of the game’s “blue sky” above that, while state player contract levels are effectively frozen over the next five years.CA’s tactics have included efforts to put space between the ACA and the players, including the team performance manager Pat Howard’s attempts to deal directly with all contracted players by email. Howard recently offered multi-year deals to the top five CA-contracted players – Steven Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins – under the board’s new terms, an approach that was quickly rebuffed.The allrounder Moises Henriques, who is also part of the ACA executive, said the association was working closely with the players, and that they were willing to be flexible in the interests of reaching an agreement with CA.”We’re a part of the decision-making process, in strategy and how we play it … and the ACA are just a representative agent of the players,” he said. “Really, the decisions get made by the players and the ACA acts on their behalf.”It’s not like we [the ACA] are going to do anything the players don’t want to do. Coming to an agreement would be the best way forward. What we’ve got to worry about is that agreement being made as quickly as possible. Maybe CA may have to give a little bit, we may have to give a little bit, who knows. But the players know we need to get to an agreement. Guys want to play international cricket, guys want to play state cricket. The players want it sorted and I am sure CA do as well.”

The under-fire Gunners star was deployed in a surprising new position for his national team, but should he change roles at club level too?

The international break is not the most-popular concept among most Premier League fans. Many see it as an irritating interruption to the absorbing club season, but it can often provide some intriguing stories of its own.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann provided one of the most eye-catching narratives of the most recent pause by shockingly deploying Kai Havertz at left-back for Die Mannschaft's games against Turkey and Austria.

Havertz has played in a string of positions during his career so far – midfield, second striker, out wide and centre-forward. Still, nobody expected his versatility to extend as far as being able to play in a defensive role. Quizzed on his decision before the Turkey game, Nagelsmann responded in forthright fashion: "I have a great idea, he's an exceptionally good footballer. This is a very good option."

• Getty Images
  

  Nagelsmann's surprise pays off?

  Despite the ex-Bayern Munich boss' confidence, it was hard not to raise an eyebrow when Havertz trudged over to the left wing at the Olympiastadion in Berlin to take his place alongside Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rudiger and Benjamin Henrichs in the back four.

  However, inside five minutes, the Arsenal man had scored, sweeping home Leroy Sane's cross after the ball broke from a set-play. It was a nice moment, especially considering how badly Havertz has struggled in front of goal since joining the Gunners, but it told us little about how he might fare as a left-back long-term.

  As the game progressed, though, there were a few promising signs in this regard. Havertz scampered forward each time Germany were in possession, generally staying wide as opposed to coming inside, as is all the rage in the Premier League currently.

  Despite this attacking intent, he was not culpable for either of Turkey's first-half goals, matching up well against his opposite number. The blame for each of those must instead be apportioned to right-back Henrichs, whose positioning was lax for both strikes.

  Turkey's third, however, scored after Niclas Fullkrug had levelled the scores up in the 49th minute, did involve Havertz. He was penalised for handball in the box, rather unfortunately, when his arm was deemed to have been in an 'unnatural position' when it blocked Abdulkerim Barakci's volleyed cross. Yusuf Sari would then dispatch the resulting penalty.

  That moment aside, Havertz enjoyed a pretty solid first outing in his new role. He got up and down the wing, though his defensive positioning was a little suspect at times, and made a team-high five clearances, as well as registering two interceptions. He got on the ball far more frequently than he has been for his club recently too, registering more touches (63) than he's managed in all-but one of his Arsenal appearances so far.

  Nagelsmann was certainly impressed, saying at full-time: "Kai said he wanted to do it, wanted to try it. I don't see this as a risk for him, but as a very, very big opportunity to play a key role at the Euros. For a first time in an unfamiliar position, he did extremely well and probably was our best player."

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• Getty Images
  

  Don't back down, double down

  Not everyone was as enthused by the experiment, with Lothar Matthaus one of Nagelsmann's most vocal critics. The Germany legend wrote in his column: "It can’t be a permanent solution if we suddenly let one of the best German offensive players of recent years play full-back. This is also a slap in the face to those who have played there recently, even if there were problems on the left side of the defence."

  Nagelsmann was not deterred by this criticism, again fielding Havertz at left-back for his team's trip to Vienna. Germany repeated their ultra-attacking approach and were torn apart by Ralf Rangnick's side in transition. By the time Marcel Sabitzer made it 1-0 just before the half-hour mark, they could have already been two goals down.

  Things got even worse early in the second half when Leroy Sane was sent off for a brainless shove on Phillipp Mwene. That dismissal ended round two of the Havertz experiment early as he shifted to a right-sided attacking role before being subbed off 13 minutes from time – shortly after Christoph Baumgartner scored Austria's second.

  When he was at left-back, Havertz again looked comfortable enough defensively and carved open a few opportunities for his team-mates, finding an unmarked Sane with an inch-perfect crossfield pass late in the first half. But after the game, his new position was scarcely addressed. As one might expect, the significance of Germany succumbing to back-to-back defeats attracted far more interest.

• Getty
  

  Indicative of a wider malaise

  This latest pair of worrying results continue the trend of Germany's long-term demise as a footballing superpower, with both the men's and women's senior sides exiting their most recent World Cups in the group stage.

  It's not just on-field results that are the issue either. There is also a startling lack of connection between the national team and the supporters, with many fans choosing to boycott Qatar 2022. Havertz himself addressed this recently, saying: "We had no support. There were also other reasons for this, we understand that. But there was also no support in terms of football. We were on our own."

  The reasons for this severing of emotional ties are complex. One key issue is the perceived overcommericalisation of the national team, but the chaos in the dugout and on the pitch has certainly not helped things either. Hansi Flick was supposed to bring some order on the men's side, but failed, becoming the first Germany manager to ever be sacked in September following a terrible run of results.

  Nagelsmann had offered some hope in the previous international break, leading the team to positive results against the United States and Mexico, but the Turkey and Austria defeats have swiftly extinguished hopes of a swift revival. It's clear that the new coach is still not sure what he wants the team to be. Opting to play Havertz in a brand new role speaks to this, even if left-back has been a real problem area over the past few years.

  He tried to explain his gung-ho approach after the Austria game, saying: "We're not defensive monsters. We won’t be defensive monsters next summer either. That's not us. Our players play at clubs where they have to focus less on defence and more on attack."

  It's a bold way to play, especially with a tournament around the corner, and the stress of potentially having to thrive in an unfamiliar position is unlikely to help Havertz get back to his best at club level any time soon.

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  Havertz looks absolutely lost

  Despite its challenges, the international break likely came as welcome respite for the £65-million ($81.5m) man. The stats since Havertz joined Arsenal from Chelsea this summer make for grim reading.

  He's managed just one goal and one assist in 19 appearances so far, with his poor 2022-23 form for the Blues bleeding over into the current season. It's not just the lack of attacking output that's been concerning either. Even Havertz's most staunch supporters would struggle to defend his start in north London.

  There's a growing list of grimace-inducing moments that will have worried manager Mikel Arteta: his air kick against Manchester United, him somehow avoiding a red card at Newcastle and that pitiful first-minute header in the Sevilla game. More generally, there's a feeling that he looks a little lost each time he takes to the field, with his body language being criticised.

  He's underperformed his Premier League xG by a team-high 1.2 this season and isn't carving out many chances much either; 14 Arsenal players are averaging more shot-creating actions in the Premier League this season.

Paul Collingwood starred with bat and ball at Gosforth as Leicestershire never recovered from a disastrous start

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2017
ScorecardPaul Collingwood starred with bat and ball [file picture]•Getty ImagesPaul Collingwood hurried Durham to a five-wicket Royal London Cup win against Leicestershire at the South Northumberland club ground in Gosforth.After taking 3 for 42 in dismissing the visitors for 211 with one ball unused, Collingwood went in at 122 for 3 and remained unbeaten on 65.Leicestershire were brought swiftly back to earth after their 103-run win against Warwickshire, slumping to 13 for 4 after losing an important toss.Fresh from his 153, Mark Pettini edged Chris Rushworth’s second ball of the match behind and although the pitch appeared to have good carry, Cameron Delport and Aadil Ali both lobbed up easy catches from mistimed drives.They provided James Weighell with the first two of his four wickets, the third coming when Ned Eckersley also surrendered by hooking straight to long leg.Mark Cosgrove was beginning to look dangerous when, on 21, his attempted pull off Paul Coughlin flew off the top edge over the wicketkeeper for six. But, on 37, he clipped Collingwood straight to deep square leg.At 68 for 6, Zak Chappell went in and remained unbeaten in compiling his maiden one-day half-century. He reached 50 with a fierce pull wide of long-on off a slower ball by Weighell and had eight other boundaries in his 59 off 82 balls.Lewis Hill was the second-highest scorer with 44 before he clipped Collingwood to mid-wicket and was brilliantly caught by Keaton Jennings, diving to his left. Dieter Klein helped Chappell add 73 in 17 overs for the ninth wicket before he heaved across the line in the 49th over and was bowled by Weighell for 26.When Durham replied, left-armer Klein surprised Jennings with a full toss which had the Durham captain lbw for 12. But Michael Richardson was soon in full flow as two cuts off Gavin Griffiths flew to the boundary.Richardson reached 50 off 65 balls but then went back for a second run to third man and found himself at the same end as Stephen Cook with the throw heading for the other end.Cook was bowled for when trying to run Tom Wells to third man then Cameron Steel fell lbw to a yorker in the same over with 33 still needed. But Collingwood hit two sixes and six fours in his 45-ball half-century and quickly finished the job.