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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  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.

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  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.

Arsenal's stellar summer window seems set to continue, as a new name has emerged for Mikel Arteta to consider…

What's the latest on Goncalo Inacio to Arsenal?

Having tied up a move for Kai Havertz, and progressing on deals for both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, it is now Spanish publication AS who are suggesting that Edu's latest transfer exploit will come in the form of Goncalo Inacio.

The Sporting CP centre-back has shone in his homeland of late, with the report detailing that the Gunners hold a serious interest in the 21-year-old titan.

However, his exit will not come cheap, with the Portuguese club expected to demand around €45m (£39m) in one full payment.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

The team that Arteta is building in north London seems to now be reaching its final form, as a squad littered with players supremely confident in possession and perfectly aligned with his philosophy. William Saliba has taken to English football with ease after a string of loan spells, whilst the acquisition of Oleksandr Zinchenko helped knit the philosophy together perfectly, to outline just two examples.

Now, in Inacio, the Spaniard could add a truly outstanding centre-back into the fold, who has emerged as one of Europe's paramount ball-playing defenders.

In fact, when compared to other centre backs across the continent, he ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 7% for pass completion and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.

This youngster underpins a new generation of defenders, yet standing at 6 foot 1 boasts the physicality to dominate too. After all, he did maintain 1.4 interceptions and 1.9 clearances per game in the Liga Portugal last term, with the tactical analysis page Premier League Panel describing him as a "leader" with "immense recovery speed" earlier in June.

To pair this excellence with another signing in that mould could underpin Arsenal's back line for the next decade, as Timber closes in on his move to north London.

He also shines in these previously mentioned ball-playing attributes, yet his fleet-footed nature has often seen him progress into midfield as an inverted full-back.

Perhaps with Inacio punching high-quality progressive balls into the Dutchman, he could then exert his creative influences higher up the pitch, with this youthful combination sure to star for the foreseeable future.

After all, the 22-year-old also ranks in the top 1% of defenders in the next eight best leagues (outside of the top five) for progressive passes and carries per 90, as well as the top 4% for progressive passes received per 90.

He accepts the ball so willingly, and then has the quality to turn defence into attack in an instant. The presence of such a technically-gifted asset behind him would facilitate an increased number of opportunities to get on the ball and form a destructive unit.

With versatility in bucketloads and quality that belies their youth, this could be a double swoop that builds the platform for unlimited future success for Edu and Arteta.

Tottenham Hotspur were likely shocked to the core when Bayern Munich submitted their offer for Harry Kane, with Daniel Levy probably assuming most would be put off by the ludicrous £200m price tag that was placed upon his head.

The chairman has remained staunch on his stance regarding the England captain, and having rejected that first advance from the Germans, he stuck to his word.

However, with news continuing that a second bid will come, it seems that now a decision must be made on whether to cash in on the 29-year-old now or lose him for free next summer when his contract comes to a conclusion.

Should he opt for the former, perhaps he could seek to reinvest those funds in the future of his number nine position, handing Ange Postecoglou the tools necessary to truly kickstart his revolution in north London.

He will need more than the initial €70m (£60m) that the Bavarian giants offered though if he is to secure the £130m that Napoli will demand for Victor Osimhen. Despite that, the Lilywhites remain one of the listed interested parties in the striker.

Is Victor Osimhen better than Harry Kane?

Across Europe, there were few front-men who could compete with the imperious form of Kane as he found the net on 30 occasions in the league despite his club being in turmoil.

In fact, he even ranked second in the race for the European Golden Shoe, of which Erling Haaland unsurprisingly stands way out in front. However, just three places behind the £200k-per-week finisher is the Nigeria international, showcasing how the 24-year-old is not far behind the levels that the Spurs favourite has reached.

The former LOSC Lille marksman hit 26 Serie A goals last term alongside notching five assists, with his raw physicality offering a completely different style to Kane's. Journalist Colin Udoh had even branded the former a "monster of a player" as if to further emphasise this point.

It could be argued that given the relentless press Postecoglou will attempt to implement in north London, Osimhen even offers an upgrade on his technically-exceptional but somewhat sluggish current option.

The presence of this 6 foot 1 star in a title-winning side will likely also interest Levy too, as he desperately seeks to add some silverware to end the stigma surrounding his club.

Kane has spent 11 long years as a senior player in the capital, with little to show for it except for his chance to break the all-time Premier League scoring record.

However, should he turn that down in favour of guaranteed trophies in Germany, Postecoglou can be safe in the knowledge that, should they choose Osimhen as his replacement, he will see little downturn in terms of goalscoring.

Chelsea have already waved goodbye to a number of first-team regulars this summer, with more set to follow in the coming days as part of a mass squad overhaul.

While the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Manchester United-bound Mason Mount will be missed, others have either had less of an impact at Stamford Bridge (Kalidou Koulibaly) or simply have not played as much of late (N'Golo Kante).

One player who very much will be missed should he move on this window is long-serving captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who has once again been linked with the exit after an 11-year stay at the club, during which time he has won every trophy on offer.

Amid claims personal terms have already been agreed between Azpilicueta and Inter on a two-year deal, The Sun reports new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is willing to let the defender leave for a nominal fee – or indeed, for free.

That is because Pochettino is already happy with the options he has available at right-back, with Reece James hopeful his injury issues are behind him, while Malo Gusto is now part of the squad after signing from Lyon in a £26m deal in January.

James will start the new Premier League season as Pochettino's first choice down the right, but Gusto showed last season at Lyon – whom he re-joined in January on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season – that he may well have a big part to play this season for the Blues.

Who is Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto?

Gusto spent two seasons as a first-team regular for Lyon, racking up 51 Ligue 1 appearances since the start of 2021/22 and catching the eye with his attacking play down the flank.

As pointed out by Football.london writer Bobby Vincent, the 20-year-old "is very dangerous going forward" and also "has an eye for a cross". That is very much reflected in the stats, with his 6.55 crosses per 90 minutes last season very similar to the number recorded by James at Chelsea (6.59), as per FBref.

There are other similarities between the pair, too, as they also completed a similar number of passes per 90 minutes last season (64.6 for James, 66.2 for Gusto) and also won a near-identical number of tackles (1.45 v 1.47), suggesting the France U21 international will be a good fit for Chelsea.

Using FBref's player comparison tool, there is a full-back even more alike Gusto in terms of their statistical profiles: Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.

The pair won a similar number of tackles per 90 last season (48.8% for Gusto, compared to 46.2% for Davies), hit the target from a similar number of shots (42.9% v 42.1%) and registered blocks at a similar rate (1.24 v 1.23).

They also had the majority of their touches in the middle third of the field (43.6 v 40.2) – highlighting where they spend most of their time – and played 4.80 and 4.85 passes into the final third per 90 respectively.

Whether it is the next Davies that Chelsea have signed or a younger version of James, it is clear that Gusto is a talented player who is capable of challenging for a first-team place once Azpilicueta's exit is finally sanctioned.

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.”

Cristiano Ronaldo plunged into an ice bath ahead of Portugal's final Euro 2024 qualifying game against Iceland.

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Ronaldo plunges into an ice bathPortugal face Iceland nextA Selecao have qualified for Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portugal and Al-Nassr star shared a photo on his Instagram story where he can be seen calmly meditating as he plunged into an ice bath ahead of the national's team final Euro 2024 qualifying match against Iceland. The Ronaldo-led side have already booked their place in Germany while maintaining a 100% win record through their nine qualifying matches.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 38-year-old looks to be in great shape both on and off the pitch. He has scored 16 times in 17 matches and provided nine assists for his club this season and was also on target for A Selecao in their recent 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in the Euro qualifiers.

WHAT RONALDO SAID

The superstar uploaded his Instagram story with the caption, 'G Night' with a 'cold face' emoji.

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WHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?

The Manchester United and Real Madrid legend will be next seen in action against Iceland on Sunday before heading back to Saudi Arabia where Al-Nassr will be playing against Al-Akhdoud in the Pro League on Friday. Ronaldo and Co currently trail leaders Al-Hilal by four points.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:11

Tait: Bumrah is consistent and unstoppable

Legspinner Karn Sharma and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah picked up their best T20 bowling figures on the same day, combining to take 7 for 23 in seven overs to lift Mumbai Indians into their fourth IPL final with a six-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders.Sent in to bat on another difficult Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, Knight Riders succumbed against excellent bowling plans to slump to 31 for 5 in seven overs. A 56-run sixth-wicket partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and Ishank Jaggi ensured they would get past their lowest total – 67, against the same opponents in 2008 – but their total of 107 was never going to present Mumbai a genuine challenge.Mumbai lost three wickets inside their Powerplay, before Krunal Pandya and Rohit Sharma steadied the chase with a 54-run stand. Krunal was unbeaten on 45 off 30 balls as Mumbai got home with 33 balls to spare.Bumrah, Karn demolish top order
Mumbai are among the best teams in the IPL at drawing up strategies against individual players. They proved this in the Powerplay.Bumrah had not taken the new ball this season, but he did so today. There seemed to be a reason for this – his exaggerated angle into the right-hander and the bit of extra bounce off his high-arm action can make it hard to hit down the ground. Down the ground is Chris Lynn’s go-to area, and even the presence of a fielder at long-on did not deter him – he only managed to pick him out, though, making contact with the ball off the high part of his bat.The exaggerated inward angle also did for Robin Uthappa, who has a pronounced tendency to plant his front leg across and play around his front pad. Bumrah, bowling a second over inside the Powerplay for only the third time this season, slipped one in nice and full, beat his inside edge, and pinged his front pad.In between those wickets, Karn took out Sunil Narine. Before this match, Narine had scored the bulk of his runs through mid-off, at a blistering pace: 78 – 36.45% of his 214 this season – off 24 balls. Mumbai had made note of this even in the previous meeting between these sides at Eden Gardens, stationing a man at long-off and getting their quicks to deny him the drive. He fell for a four-ball duck in that game, lofting a back-of-a-length offcutter from Tim Southee to extra-cover.This time, following broadly similar plans, Mitchell Johnson, Bumrah and Lasith Malinga gave him only 10 from seven balls – with six coming off one hit over square leg – before Karn came on to bowl the fifth over. The legspinner made a conscious effort to deny Narine swinging room, bowling at pads instead, and gave up only a leg-bye off two balls before he came back on strike. Frustrated, he ran down the pitch and was stumped slogging at the perfectly-pitched googly.Two more fell in Karn’s next over, the seventh of Knight Riders’ innings. Gambhir picked out deep midwicket and Colin de Grandhomme, camped in his crease to a googly he didn’t pick, was rapped on the back pad. Knight Riders were 31 for 5.A brief and inadequate fightback
Suryakumar and Jaggi stemmed the fall of wickets, but runs continued to trickle. By the end of the 12th over, Knight Riders were only 61 for 5. Then Suryakumar swept Krunal to the square-leg boundary and followed up by lifting him inside-out over extra-cover. Jaggi, who had been scoring at well below a run a ball till that point, also got into the act, whipping Malinga for two leg-side fours in the next over. Knight Riders made 22 off the 13th and 14th overs, but they were taking risks in order to score that quickly. Karn came back to bowl the 15th over, and Jaggi, getting too close to the pitch of the ball, whipped him straight to long-on.There was no real batting to follow, and Knight Riders only added 19 while losing their four remaining wickets, leaving seven balls unused. Johnson picked up two in the 17th over, Bumrah got his third in the 18th, and Malinga finished off the innings with a trademark dipping slower ball in the 19th.Krunal aces Mumbai’s chase
Mumbai only needed one partnership, and they got that courtesy Krunal and Rohit. They lost three wickets before that, though, two to Piyush Chawla. Like Karn, Chawla enjoyed the amount of grip he was getting off the surface; he foxed Lendl Simmons with a googly in the second over, and then bowled Ambati Rayudu after spinning a legbreak past his outside edge. In between, Parthiv Patel, who had hit three fours in racing to 14, top-edged Umesh Yadav to the keeper.Right from the time he walked in, there was a sense of awareness about Krunal’s batting. His first four was a paddle-sweep through the vacant short fine-leg area – Narine had moved that fielder to slip in a bid for wickets. Krunal showed ample signs that he was picking Narine’s variations out of his hand, scoring two fours in the 12th over – a dab to fine third man and a chip over the covers.Rohit pulled Nathan Coulter-Nile straight to deep square leg in the 13th over, but by then Mumbai only needed 20, off 46 balls. They would only need 13 to set up a summit clash against Rising Pune Supergiant.