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Conflict between Cricket Australia and the BCCI has left Australia’s female players confused and fuming about their absence from the list of players taking part in the IPL exhibition series due to take place in India next month.The announcement from the BCCI on Thursday that no Australians would be taking part in the exhibition tournament, a year after Meg Lanning, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt and Beth Mooney all featured in the inaugural match, arrived with players still unsure about whether or not they would be travelling to India for the event.ESPNcricinfo understands that the decision not to include Australian women in the tournament is part of a wider disagreement between the two boards that also featured the BCCI’s insistence on CA honouring a touring commitment to play men’s ODIs in India in January next year, leaving Australian broadcasters angry about an absence of one day cricket on the home calendar while also taking the nation’s best players overseas in the midst of the Big Bash League.CA is believed to have been non-committal about the availability of women’s players for the IPL exhibition for some months, alongside negotiations about the men’s ODI series. However, as the world’s most powerful board put its foot down over the men’s ODI series, the CA chief executive Kevin Roberts broke from annual leave to travel to India for last-minute negotiations about the women’s IPL tournament – talks that now appear to have come to nought.”CA has never said the players will be unavailable. We have been working with the BCCI on this and assisted them with activating the visa process earlier in the week,” a CA spokesperson said. “We confirmed yesterday that the players would be released and able to participate in the tournament that commences on 6 May.”There was no indication at that time that there were any problems with this and the BCCI were grateful for the support of the women’s IPL. As was the case last year we are very supportive of the Women’s IPL and look forward to seeing some great games ahead of the Women’s Ashes.”The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) indicated on Friday that the three players slated to take part – Lanning, Healy and Perry – were still eager to do so if an agreement can be reached between CA and the BCCI.”The Women’s T20 Challenge in India is a good opportunity to grow and develop the global interest in women’s cricket,” an ACA spokesperson said. “In speaking with the players we know they have been preparing to go and are still keen to play. To have no Australian players in the tournament would be an opportunity missed.”Last year’s first exhibition match was not without its troubles, with some disquiet about the nature of the contracts offered to the players to take part, including their terms and conditions. This year CA had been working to negotiate contracts collectively on behalf of their players, before the breakdown in talks that has led to their absence from playing lists named by the IPL.Australia are the reigning T20 World Cup champions after winning the global tournament in the Caribbean late last year, with Lanning, Perry and Healy arguably the world’s best players. CA’s development of the WBBL has been unashamed in its focus to be the world’s biggest women’s event, taking the place that the IPL occupies for the men’s game.

Sam Northeast has not given up on finally earning an England call-up and his towering 169 for Hampshire against Essex would have done his chances no harm ahead of a huge summer of international cricket.At 29, Northeast has not featured in the England system since U-19 level – apart from briefly representing the Lions in the Caribbean a year ago. But, while extremely humble and level-headed about his prospects of representing his country, as with most players, the lure of higher honours is undeniable.”It’s sort of just in the back of the mind, you’ve got to always have that goal, it keeps you going,” Northeast said. “But the most important thing is just to score runs for Hampshire.”If anything comes down the line, that would be a bonus but it’s just nice to score runs and nice to get off to a good season.”Resuming on his overnight score of 94, Northeast needed just four balls to bring up his 22nd first-class century and second since joining Hampshire from Kent before the start of last season.He bettered his previous best for Hampshire of 129, scored against Surrey a year ago before a finger injury hampered his debut season for the county in which he played 10 matches and averaged 25.05.”It was a strange year in many ways last year but I feel a lot more settled this year and hopefully it’s going to be a great year for me and the club,” Northeast said.”It’s just important in any season to get up and running and it’s nice to score a big hundred early and hopefully that gives me a bit of confidence to go on and have a big summer, but the important thing is it set us up quite nicely in this game.”Nineteen wickets isn’t going to be easy but hopefully we can make early inroads tomorrow and get in a winning position.”Northeast had hinted at his good form by scoring 118 against Oxford University in a pre-season warm-up and on the real stage he was flawless. He brought up his 150 with a boundary off Simon Harmer and on the next ball delivered a fifth bonus points as Hampshire reached the 400-mark.England World Cup hopeful Liam Dawson brought up his half-century moments later as he and Northeast pressed on towards a record fifth-wicket partnership for Hampshire against Essex of 165.It was Ravi Bopara who broke it when he hit Northeast on the pads with the last ball before lunch. Northeast faced 255 balls for his score, which included 23 fours and a six, as he anchored an innings in which four batsmen passed fifty.Dawson reached 64 before Matt Quinn was rewarded for some tough toil with his wicket, caught behind by stand-in wicketkeeper Will Buttleman, replacing Adam Wheater, who injured his thumb on the opening day and is expected to be out for six weeks.Dawson made his ODI debut against Pakistan in 2016 and played just two more during England’s tour of Sri Lanka last October before being ruled out with a side strain but some handy T20 performances in Bangladesh and Pakistan, along with his latest knock on English soil, cannot have hurt his chances of selection for the World Cup.At the end of the first day’s play, Hampshire’s feeling was that 450 would be a good first-innings total on this flat pitch. They more than achieved their aim, thanks largely to Northeast and Dawson building on some fine work by James Vince, Aiden Markram and Rilee Rossouw on the opening day.Alastair Cook, playing his first Championship match since retiring from international cricket and receiving a knighthood, caught Tom Alsop off the bowling of Harmer for 24, although the former England captain then dropped Gareth Berg on 20.That small blemish mattered little with Bopara holding onto a catch at deep square leg to dismiss Berg for 33 off Harmer and Hampshire immediately declared at 525 for 8.Fidel Edwards, Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker last season, made an early breakthrough in the fourth over of the Essex innings when he bowled Nick Browne for 1, but Cook and Tom Westley saw their way to an early close due to bad light.

A five-match ODI series has a tendency to lose context mid-way, but these two have the calibre to produce contests that leave one longing for more

The Preview by Ankur Dhawan22-Jan-20197:01

Can’t just focus on Kohli, India have many match-winners – Williamson

Big Picture

When Australia were the dominant ODI team not so long ago, the only competition in the rankings would be for the second spot. The current rankings present a far tighter picture: England are a cut above New Zealand and India, but these teams have so little distance separating them it’s suffocating. New Zealand are ranked third and trail second-placed India by eight rating points and could overtake them by going a step further than the 4-0 thrashing they inflicted in 2014.The contests are close even when comparing the two line-ups that will face off in this series. India’s top three comfortably edges New Zealand’s, as it does with most other teams, averaging in excess of 64 since the Champions Trophy. But here they will be up against a masterful swing bowling pair of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. The hosts’ middle order has a more settled countenance, with Nos. 4 to 7 averaging over 47 with five hundreds as opposed to India’s 34 with one hundred in the same period.

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That middle order will be further bolstered by the return of Tom Latham, whose proficiency at tackling spin could prove pivotal, especially should India opt to field their most potent weapon: a pair of wily wristspinners who already have more five wicket hauls between them in South Africa, England and Australia than Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja combined in ODIs.Incidentally, during New Zealand’s three-match ODI series against India in 2017, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal only featured together in the first ODI in Mumbai. The command with which their threat was blunted by Ross Taylor and Latham pushed India on the defensive, leading to the omission of Kuldeep from the next two ODIs.Their inclusion is an irresistible proposition, a fact corroborated by Virat Kohli post the series win in Melbourne. It would perhaps eventually hinge on the confidence the team management has in allrounder Vijay Shankar’s bowling abilities.A five-match ODI series tends to lose context mid-way, especially if it proves one-sided, but these two can potentially produce cricket of a calibre so high that it might leave one longing for more.

Form guide

New Zealand WWWLW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLWW

In the spotlight

Vijay Shankar was steady with the ball, without being sensational, on debut in Melbourne, emerging as the pivot around whom India can be best balanced in the absence of Hardik Pandya. With him slotted at seven, the top and middle-order can play with a little more freedom than they did in Australia, where they had a less reassuring Jadeja performing that role. And with Kedar Jadhav finding form on his return to the ODI side, the load of the fifth bowler can be shared between the two, allowing India to play both Kuldeep and Chahal and attack with the ball during the middle overs. Vijay is also well acquainted with the conditions in New Zealand, having had a prolific tour of the country with the bat for India A in November and December.For all the brilliance of New Zealand’s middle order, the opening combination remains wobbly, with Colin Munro yet to replicate the performances that make him a certainty in any T20 side. Sandwiched between two failures against Sri Lanka was a 77-ball 87, his highest ODI score. Therein lies the hitch; in 46 matches he is yet to score a hundred. However, in his last competitive match in the Super Smash for Auckland, he struck 41 and took four wickets, showcasing some form but importantly reinstating his value as an allrounder, something he could work to his advantage in the absence of James Neesham.

Team news

India fielded their most balanced side in the decider in Melbourne that they won. The toss-up for the first ODI in Napier could be between Ravindra Jadeja, who is a more condition-specific bowler in ODIs, and the more attacking Kuldeep Yadav, or a third seamer in Mohammed Siraj or Khaleel Ahmed.India (likely): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 MS Dhoni (wk), 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Vijay Shankar, 8 Ravindra Jadeja/Kuldeep Yadav/Khaleel Ahmed, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.New Zealand are likely to make some changes to the side that completed a clean sweep against Sri Lanka in Nelson, notwithstanding Kane Williamson’s assertion that it was their best performance of the series. Tom Latham will come in for Tim Seifert behind the stumps, Mitchell Santner could take the allrounder’s spot replacing the injured James Neesham and Matt Henry will likely have to make way for the returning spearhead Trent Boult.New Zealand (likely): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme/Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Lockie Ferguson/Doug Bracewell, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

McLean Park in Napier has undergone a revamp following the abandonment of two ODIs against Pakistan and Australia due to poor drainage. It last hosted a completed ODI in the 2015 World Cup. It has short square boundaries and the reputation of being a batting-friendly venue, where India last played in 2014, losing by 24 runs despite a hundred from Virat Kohli.

Stats and trivia

• Shikhar Dhawan needs 10 runs more to become the 13th India player to reach the 5000-runs milestone. With Dhawan having batted 117 times prior to this match, he can become the joint fourth fastest there along with Brian Lara (118)
• Ravindra Jadeja needs another 10 runs to reach the 2000-runs milestone. When he crosses that mark, he will become only the third India player after Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar to have over 2000 runs and 150-plus wickets in ODIs. Overall, he will be the 26th to achieve this
• Mohammed Shami needs one more wicket to reach the 100-wickets milestone. He has currently played 55 ODIs

Quotes

“The fact they are No. 3 in the world speaks about their consistency over the last couple of years. We played them in India and got beaten in Mumbai, and all the games were competitive and we felt they had a really good balance.”
“We saw [what happened] in the last series, we want to execute a few things better, certainly in the field we want to step up and get back to our old ways.”

Winning is a habit, and Adelaide Strikers aren’t kicking it anytime soon. The reigning champions started their title defence in emphatic style with a five-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat, built on the back of another stunning spell from Rashid Khan and a dazzling knock from Alex Carey.The match was marred by some bizarre umpiring, with James Pattinson incorrectly given run out by the TV umpire before the Strikers withdrew the appeal, and Carey admitted he nicked a ball to the keeper after being given not out on 52.Rashid decimated the Heat’s batting line-up in conjunction with crafty spells from Peter Siddle and Ben Laughlin. At one stage, the hosts were 9 for 101 before Mujeeb Ur Rahman made 27 off 22 balls, a record for No. 11 in T20 cricket to push the total to 146.Strikers made a blistering start to the chase and though there were some wobbles Carey went deep enough before Jon Wells finished the job.When too many gimmicks might be too muchThe BBL is supposed to be one of the best T20 leagues in all of professional cricket. The opening night of the new season featured a toss of a bat instead of a coin. At one stage there were three players mic’d up on the field at once talking to two different television broadcasters and the whole ground descended in darkness during the innings break to allow for a fireworks display. So when the TV umpire incorrectly adjudicated a run out as ‘out’ that every person at the ground, at home, and around the world could see was clearly not out, you could be forgiven for wondering how serious this tournament is.Pattinson dived to beat a throw from Peter Siddle in the 13th over as the Heat were struggling at 6 for 92. Replays showed him clearly making his ground, but the signal coming down from umpire Greg Davidson was out. After much confusion, Strikers bowler Ben Laughlin inquired with his captain Colin Ingram as to whether they could withdraw the appeal. Ingram checked with on-field umpire Simon Fry and then recalled Pattinson. He only lasted seven balls for four runs before being stumped by Carey from the bowling of Matthew Short.Matthew Hayden does the first ever bat toss in the Big Bash League•Getty Images

Rashid’s worldThe Bash Brothers failed to fire after being sent in and the Heat combusted. Brendon McCullum hit the first ball for four and the second straight up the in the air to be caught by the wicketkeeper. Chris Lynn clubbed 33 from 20 balls including a six and a four off Rashid in the fifth over, but he was knocked over by Peter Siddle with four balls left in the Powerplay.The Heat slumped to 9 for 101 with 31 balls left. Rashid claimed 3 for 9 in three overs post the Powerplay. Equally startling was that he bowled 14 dot balls on a batsman’s paradise. He undid Ben Cutting with extra bounce as the batsman holed out sweeping. He completely bamboozled Mark Steketee and Mitch Swepson in his last over with trademark wrong ‘uns. He was unstoppable and as a result, so were the Strikers.Mujeeb makes historyMujeeb, on debut in the BBL, walked out at No.11 having never made more than 16 in any of his previous 28 innings in professional cricket. He wandered all around the crease and played all sorts of mad strokes including several attempted reverse hooks off the express pace of Billy Stanlake. But he mustered 27 off 22 balls, including three boundaries, the highest-ever score by a No.11 in T20 cricket. Mujeeb and Peirson put on 45 for the last wicket before Mujeeb fell with two balls left in the innings.Carey cool, calm and collectedThe Strikers batting relies heavily on their opening combination and Carey and Jake Weatherald picked up where they left off last season. They cracked 56 in 5.3 overs before Weatherald fell to reduce the required rate to a meagre 6.53.Carey was savage in the Powerplay. He took Steketee for 16 in three balls with simple clean striking and added another six off Joe Burns. Heat youngster Max Bryant dropped Weatherald in the second over which proved costly from a partnership perspective. Carey too was fortunate to survive a caught behind in the 11th over off the legspinner Swepson. He launched the next ball for six and added 18 more to his total before Swepson finally got his revenge. The Strikers still needed 39 from 36 balls but Wells made a very composed and unbeaten 24 to secure the victory with five balls to spare.

The Australia wicketkeeper smashed the fastest World T20 fifty to give Australia’s net run rate a massive fillip after their second win

The Report by Shashank Kishore11-Nov-2018Chances are it may have taken Australia longer to load their kits from the baggage carousel to the team bus than it took to see off Ireland’s small target at Providence Stadium. The enforcer was Alyssa Healy, who walloped a 21-ball half-century – the fastest in the tournament’s history and the second fastest in women’s T20Is – to raze down 94 in just 9.1 overs.The beauty lay in Healy’s brutality. Full tosses and long hops were gleefully accepted. But amid the muscle, there was also grace and elegance which she displayed in equal measure, while lofting the ball inside-out over extra cover. In the end, Ireland’s only takeaway was the experience of playing Australia only for the second time in four years.The result was another reminder of why teams like Ireland need more exposure and not just one qualifying tournament amid the jostle with Full Members for game time.International Cricket Council

Ireland’s best chance of competing was to bat first and put runs up against the three-time champions. Laura Delany called correctly and they finished the Powerplay 27 without loss. Then the big-match nerves failed Ireland as they lost 5 for 16, resulting in a breakdown they didn’t recover from.Ireland didn’t run well, and weren’t helped by poor umpiring calls either – like the controversial call by Langton Rusere to dock them five runs because Delany seemingly ran onto the ‘danger zone’. All this coupled with some tight, relentless Australian lines, resulting in no leeway. Ireland limped to 93 for 6 on the back of Kim Garth’s 24 at No. 7. It left open the prospect of a bruising chase.The struggle wasn’t just restricted to their batting, though. Lucy O’Reilly failed to control her late inswing to deliver as many as five wides in her opening over – the second of the innings. Then Ciara Metcalfe delivered a 12-run over with a mixture of short balls and full tosses, Isobel Joyce went for four boundaries in her first, and suddenly, Ireland were short of ideas as Australia wiped out 60 in just five overs en route a second win that gave their net run rate a massive fillip.The story of the match – as it was on the first of Sunday’s double-header – was the awarding of penalty runs for running on the pitch. In the 13th over of Ireland’s innings, Gaby Lewis was first warned for stepping onto the danger area, when she seemingly steered clear after taking a couple of steps to meet the ball.Off the next ball, Ireland were docked five points when umpire Rusere felt Delany had run mid-pitch. This seemed to have played on Lewis’ mind as she was out in the same over trying to run wide, in the process losing the extra yard to a direct hit to the bowler’s end from mid-off.Umpiring aside, Ireland weren’t also helped by injudicious shot selection. Twice in two overs, they had batters out attempting to scoop Ellyse Perry, only to not just play down the wrong lint but also get beaten by the skid off the pitch. Clare Shillington was the first to perish in this fashion after stroking 19 while Eimear Richardson followed suit in the next over, the 10th of the innings.Then Australia employed the spin choke with rookie legspinner Georgia Wareham clocking in three right overs, with Sophie Molineux – the left-arm spinner – at the other end to stifle the life out of Ireland. The result wasn’t really in doubt at any stage. It was only a matter of when.

Недавно в Origin стартовала бесплатная раздача дополнений Dragon’s Teeth для Battlefield 4 и Apocalypse для Battlefield 1. Теперь их можно забрать и в PS Store. До раздачи они стоили по 1070 рублей. Дата окончания акции не сообщается.

Дополнение Dragon’s Teeth добавляет режим «Соединение», четыре карты («Затонувший Дракон», «Жемчужный рынок», «Пропаганда» и «Сад Лумфини»), пять моделей оружия и другой новый контент. Страница в PS Store.

Дополнение Apocalypse содержит режим «Воздушное превосходство», пять карт («Пашендейль», «Река Сомма», «Капоретто», «Лондон зовёт» и «Остриё бритвы»), шесть моделей оружия, три вида техники и не только. Страница в PS Store.

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Reunited with RCB director Mo Bobat after making the switch from Trent Rockets

Matt Roller03-Oct-2025Andy Flower has been appointed men’s coach at London Spirit, reunited with director of cricket Mo Bobat after they took Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden IPL title earlier this year. Flower takes over from Justin Langer after his side finished seventh out of eight in his first – and only – season in charge.Bobat was appointed director of cricket earlier this year by Spirit’s new owners and opted not to renew Langer’s contract. He has instead convinced Flower to leave Trent Rockets after a five-year association – which featured a title-winning season in 2022 – on a multi-year contract ahead of the 2026 season.MCC and the ‘Tech Titans’, a consortium of high net-worth individuals including the chief executives of Google, YouTube, Microsoft and Adobe, took operational control of the Spirit earlier this week. They will run the franchise as a joint-venture, with MCC retaining a controlling 51% stake and four out of seven board seats.”I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure Andy’s services as our men’s head coach,” Bobat said. “Andy and I have enjoyed a strong working relationship in the past, and I’m looking forward to building something special with him at London Spirit as we enter this new and exciting phase for the franchise.”Related

• Mo Bobat named London Spirit director of cricket

• London Spirit investors believe Hundred can rival IPL

• Two remaining Hundred deals 'on track' after six new investors finalise terms

• MCC in discussions to rename London Spirit, change team colours

Flower said he was “deeply grateful” to have spent the last five years at the Rockets and “hugely excited” to join the Spirit. “It’s a real privilege to be part of such an iconic venue and organisation. I’m also thrilled to be working once again with Mo, and for the first time with both MCC and the Tech Titans.”The Spirit were women’s champions in 2024 but have consistently underperformed in the men’s Hundred. They have won just 12 of their 38 completed matches, with five of those coming in 2022 when Eoin Morgan captained them to the knockout stages for the only time in their short history.Langer brought in Kane Williamson as captain this year and recruited David Warner alongside him at the top of the order, but they only won three out of eight matches to finish second-bottom.MCC have also appointed Donna-Maria Cullen to the Spirit’s board, after she stepped down from her role as an executive director at Tottenham Hotspur FC. Cullen joins Julian Metherell, Rob Lawson and Morgan as MCC’s representatives, with Nikesh Arora (Palo Alto Networks), Satyan Gajwani (Times Internet) and Egon Durban (Silver Lake) taking the Tech Titans’ board seats.The franchise have confirmed that they will play under the same name next year, but are planning a major brand refresh over the winter which could see them incorporate MCC’s egg-and-bacon colours into their kit – most likely as detailing, rather than the primary colour.Six of the eight deals in the Hundred’s new ownership structure were signed off in July, with Nottinghamshire (Cain/Ares) and Surrey (Reliance) expected to confirm their respective deals for Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles next week ahead of a Hundred board meeting later this month.

David Moyes’ return to the Everton dugout provided the most swooshing of lifts back in January, and there’s still plenty to love, but recent results have surely shown the manager that he needs more quality in attacking areas.

The lack of true prolificness across his frontal areas has been among the cruxes of Everton’s issues in recent years, but Beto’s resurgence and Iliman Ndiaye’s brilliant efforts since joining from Marseille in a £15m deal last year have provided a new framework.

Everton need a striker, and Liam Delap appears to be the top target. Ipswich Town’s number nine has been in fine fettle throughout the term and has an active £30m release clause following the Tractor Boys’ relegation from the Premier League.

However, he’s not the only Ipswich up-and-comer who’s on Moyes’ radar.

Everton chasing rising star

According to Caught Offside, Everton are showing ‘strong interest’ in Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson, though they are expected to face stiff competition from newly-promoted Burnley and Leeds United.

Hutchinson, 21, has been a shining light for Kieran McKenna’s side, bringing pace and potency to the attacking ranks.

Valued at €35m (about £30m), he wouldn’t come cheap but would definitely be the kind of signing Moyes wants to make real headway.

What Omari Hutchinson would bring to Everton

Hutchinson left Chelsea and joined Ipswich Town in a £20m deal last summer after exceptional performances in the Championship on loan.

Five goal involvements across 28 matches in the Premier League have made the prospect aware of the top-flight’s harsh realities, but he’s still managed to showcase his skills.

In fact, his crisp ball-playing skills and willingness to drive attacking play forward have even led data-driven site FBref to list Ndiaye as one of his most comparable players, bearing the raw quality to become a major player at a team like Everton.

But given that The Football Terrace’s Dean Jones has made the bold claim that he’s “similar to Cole Palmer,” The Friedkin Group have surely got to be sold on making their move in the coming months.

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

Goals

3

Assists

2

Shots (on target)*

1.3 (0.6)

Big chances missed

1

Pass completion

84%

Big chances created

5

Key passes*

0.9

Dribbles*

1.6

Tackles + interceptions*

1.5

Duels won*

4.3

As you can see above, Hutchinson hasn’t enjoyed the most productive of seasons in Suffolk, but there’s still something to like from his efforts, active, energetic and impressive with the manner of his strikes.

He’s missed just the one big chance in the Premier League this season. Sure, three goals is a rather modest return, but Ipswich have struggled to apply their attacking system effectively and Hutchinson could rise to the next level in a more structured and fluent Everton team.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Palmer, obviously, is operating at a much higher level, but the similarities are there. The Three Lions superstar, who Gary Neville called “a different level” after his performance against Liverpool at the weekend, has scored 39 goals and laid on 25 assists for Chelsea since joining from Manchester City in a £42.5m package in August 2023.

Potency aside, Palmer’s underlying metrics bespeak an energy and combativeness that helps him make the flashier contributions with consistency, averaging 1.6 dribbles and winning four duels per Premier League game this term (Sofascore).

The 22-year-old’s gifted ability on the ball is certainly something that Hutchinson has demonstrated too in England’s top flight, albeit to a lesser degree.

The fleet-footed talent, once of a Chelsea persuasion after graduating from Cobham, has been noted for his “seriously entertaining” style by analyst Ben Mattinson and could provide the excitement that Everton crave to go from one level to another under Moyes’ wing.

The next Barkley: Everton considering move for "unbelievable" £15m star

David Moyes is looking to overhaul his Everton squad this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 2, 2025

The ‘pack of dogs’ that Faf du Plessis spoke of four years ago was back in full force at Kingsmead, ‘headbutting the line’ in a manner more reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane than Jonny Bairstow

Daniel Brettig in Durban04-Mar-2018Like a family heirloom, the concept of verbal hostility on the field of play is passed from one generation of Australian cricketers to the next. There were times during a hot-tempered and endlessly watchable day four at Kingsmead that recalled angry days in the past, as a young Australian side sought to make its own mark on South Africa.It was four years ago, amid an Australian victory over South Africa in Cape Town, that Faf du Plessis described the team then led by Michael Clarke as “like a pack of dogs” in the way they swarmed around an opposition batsman in the field. During that series and the preceding encounter with England, the Australians reached peaks of hostility that left angry words to be exchanged between Clarke and Dale Steyn at the end of the Newlands Test and the teams to socialise separately that evening.Australia had beaten both England and South Africa playing cricket of a high standard and an unmistakable hostility, the intensity of which renewed debate about the way the team plays in moments of pressure. Within the Australian team, there was total certainty about this being the most effective way to win; outside it, there was no little conjecture about how this method, however effective, looked. But the bottom line was that the results went Australia’s way, further entrenching the team’s view that this was how they won. In the words of Nathan Lyon, the Australians play the game while “headbutting” the line between aggression and transgression.This time around, that level of hostility was revisited as Steven Smith’s team sought to bury a Proteas side chasing 417 for victory, and grew in intensity as the commendably upright Aiden Markram frustrated their efforts to do so. Seemingly it started not with the beginning of the South African innings but the arrival of AB de Villiers, who before facing a ball was immediately talking to the umpires. When he was turned back from a quick single by Markram and run out by David Warner and Lyon, the line was headbutted with a force more Zinedine Zidane than Jonny Bairstow – the “pack of dogs” were back.Lyon, upon breaking the stumps, took particular interest in a prone, diving de Villiers as he ran past him, and dropped the ball so closely in his vicinity that it fell between the batsman’s body and one of his batting gloves. At the same time, Warner was yelling at the top of his lungs in Markram’s direction, manically mouthing words that looked like “why’d you do that” among other things. Australian celebrations about getting de Villiers in such a manner, and having an opportunity to get inside the head of Markram at the same time, were summed up by the wicketkeeper Tim Paine.”Obviously it was a huge wicket. You put a lot of planning into how you’re going to bowl to someone like AB de Villiers, so to have him run out for zero is – I think that gets everyone a little bit excited,” Paine said. “The boys were certainly pumped up to see him going back. We think he’s their best player, to have him back in the sheds for zero was a huge confidence boost for us. But we also know how good the rest of their side is.”We knew there was going to be some fight at some stage, and we certainly got that and we expect that to continue throughout the series. That’s what happens when you’ve got two great sides playing against each other. It was a big moment in the game – probably even bigger now that you look back and see how they played after that. and how the wicket didn’t help us as much as we thought it may have.”We spoke to Aiden about running out their best player and one of the best players in the world. I think had someone run Smithy out in our team you’d cop a fair bit of a ribbing. It was nothing aggressive. It was just reminding him of what he had just done, trying to get him off his game, the same as they do to us. It didn’t work.”The fact that it did not work was to be demonstrated as Markram and Theunis de Bruyn regrouped. The latter became embroiled in some fiery exchanges with Mitchell Starc in between deliveries and boundaries. Sometimes, a fast bowler starting to get involved in a war of words with a batsman denotes nothing so much as frustration and a loss of concentration on the task.But it was telling about the way Australia’s players see the game that from behind the stumps, Paine was happy to hear Starc raise his voice. For the way the Australians play is the way that they have been raised to play, at junior, club and state levels, and having all copped it themselves at various times, they are always eager for opportunities to dish it out where useful.”It was good to see actually. We enjoy it when Starcy is up and about like that and at the batters, because he bowls at high pace and can create chances all the time,” Paine said. “It wasn’t his session during the middle but he showed what he can do when the ball starts to reverse-swing – or hopefully tomorrow when he gets the new ball in his hand. He’s such a dangerous, fast, left-arm bowler that it’s a delight to have him in your team.”

For Markram, the experience was akin to the introduction to cricket the Australian Test team way that another young South African batsman had endured back in 2002 – Graeme Smith

In the final session, Starc’s exchanges stretched from the middle of the ground to the boundary, where he replied to numerous choice remarks by a group of young South African spectators at fine leg. Here, too, was a bit of deja vu, recalling a tamer version of the day Merv Hughes swung his bat at a fence at the Wanderers in Johannesburg after being harangued by a spectator as he jogged up towards the dressing room during a rain delay. This time security arrived to calm fans down before things escalated, but it was another moment speaking to the edge on which the Australians were playing.For Markram, the experience was akin to the introduction to cricket the Australian Test team way that another young South African batsman had endured back in 2002 – Graeme Smith. In a detailed interview with Sports Illustrated, Smith later recounted more or less exactly how he had been targeted by Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, in a departure from the “what happens on the field, stays on the field” mantra commonly stated by the Australians. But he was able to get through it with plenty of credit, not only surviving the reaction to the run-out but thriving in one of the finest innings ever seen at Kingsmead.”That was a massive challenge today, as well,” Markram said. “It’s natural when you play against the Australians that there’s a lot of chatter on the field. Something that I certainly don’t mind, something that keeps me in the game and keeps me going, keeps me motivated. And it never really gets out of line either, not a lot of swearing or things like that happen. There are a few here and there but it’s not the end of the world.”I believe it’s part of the game. It’s how the game should be played, nice and hard, and makes success that bit more rewarding. I think just having what happened [with the run out] did affect me a little bit and you hear every word out on the field but I don’t speak back on the field, I try to just get on with what I do and it’s always going to be there, it’s part of the Australian side to keep chatting to batters but it’s something I really do enjoy, it’ll keep coming for the rest of the series, but I enjoy it.”Discussion about whether the Australian side needs to play in this way will carry on long after this match concludes, but it was perhaps telling that the moment the day tilted definitively towards Smith’s side had less to do with intimidation than it did with physical durability, alertness of mind and fierce concentration. Mitchell Marsh, sore after a fall in the field, was brought on to bowl as Markram and Quinton de Kock pulled ever closer to the target. Paine came up to the stumps, and found rapid reward when a Markram edge slapped neatly into his gloves.It was a reminder that for all the bluster, the other tradition carried from generation to generation of Australian players is the pursuit of excellence. How much that excellence has to do with “aggression”, “hostility”, “sledging”, “mental disintegration” or any other of those buzz words is a question that will continue to be asked – especially when Australia perform as well as they have in Durban.

da bwin： Tottenham Hotspur sealed a loan deal to sign Kevin Danso from RC Lens in a last-gasp January window move, which includes a £21 million obligation to buy, but one pundit has shared a “concern” for Spurs in regard to their new arrival.

Kevin Danso set for Tottenham debut against Liverpool

da casino： With both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero ruled out of Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Liverpool, and Radu Dragusin out for at least six months after sustaining ACL damage, manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Danso is set to play a role at Anfield tonight.

Related £165k-per-week Tottenham star set to miss Liverpool with Micky van de Ven

Spurs will be without the Dutchman and another key player tonight.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Feb 6, 2025

You couldn’t ask for a tougher debut than a baptism of fire at Anfield, with Spurs holding on to a precious 1-0 lead from the first leg of their semi-final and Postecoglou desperately looking not to concede easy chances.

“He will play,” said Postecoglou on Danso’s inclusion against Liverpool. “Whether he starts or not we will take a look because we have another game three days later and that has been our existence for quite a while now.

“You are right, Ben (Davies), Archie, Pedro (Porro) has played every minute of football we have had for the last three months, but the boys are handling it okay, and the performances are still stacking up.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Man United (home)

February 16th

Ipswich Town (home)

February 22nd

Man City (home)

February 26th

Bournemouth (home)

March 9th

Fulham (away)

March 16th

“It’s great to get Kevin in. He is ready to play. Whether he starts or he comes on, we will make a decision. It’s really important he is part of it now because losing Radu was a massive blow so having him available is good.”

When asked if Danso was a reactionary signing from Spurs, given just how late it was on in the window, not to mention how they hijacked Wolves’ deal for the Austrian, Postecoglou assured supporters he’s there for the long-term.

“I don’t think we’d be signing 21-year-olds and 19-year-olds reactively,” said Postecoglou in his pre-Liverpool press conference.

“If it was reactive we’d be signing 35-year-olds. So the nature of the players signed shows they’re not just about now, they’re about us continuing to build. I certainly see Toni, Mathys and Kevin very much part of a short, medium and long-term strategy here, for sure. They’re all really good fits for what we’re doing.”

Pundit shares Kevin Danso "concern" for Tottenham

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham shared a “concern” he holds with Danso signing for Tottenham.

“Danso isn’t actually someone that I know too much about,” Wenham said. “However, I do think to myself that he is 26, he’s been playing in the French league for a long time, and none of the other clubs have touched him.

“Some of these scouts have been on extensive missions in France scouting the likes of William Saliba, Wesley Fofana and Leny Yoro. However, nobody has picked up on Danso before. As a result, that is a bit of a concern for me.

“I hope I’m wrong, and he comes in and smashes it. However, that does ring some alarm bells for me.”

While the 26-year-old didn’t quite make it at Southampton, his Ligue 1 form for Lens shows exactly why Tottenham brought him to N17.

According to WhoScored, Danso stood out as Lens’ second-best performer before making the switch to Spurs, all while making more clearances and blocks per 90 than any other player in Lens’ squad. The defender also won more aerial duels per 90 than any of his former teammates in that time.