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Allrounder Robin Martin-Jenkins continued his encouraging start to the season with four wickets as Sussex shaded an absorbing first day of their County Championship Division Two tussle with Surrey at Hove

15-Apr-2010
ScorecardArun Harinath spent nearly six hours over his 62 as Surrey laboured•Getty ImagesAllrounder Robin Martin-Jenkins continued his encouraging start to the season with four wickets as Sussex shaded an absorbing first day of their County Championship Division Two tussle with Surrey at Hove.Two of them came in his first over and included the prize scalp of Mark Ramprakash, who has scored 10 of his 109 first-class hundreds against Sussex. He then picked up Gareth Batty before ending a painstaking innings from opener Arun Harinath who batted for seven minutes short of six hours for his 62 before departing three overs from the close, by which time Surrey had reached on 199 for 7.Sussex skipper Mike Yardy put Surrey in hoping that a green-tinged wicket might assist his seamers and when the visitors were reduced to 15 for 3 in the 12th over it looked a good decision. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, back at Hove for his third spell with the county, took just four overs to strike when Matt Spriegel edged behind after extra pace forced him onto the back foot.Ramprakash has been a consistent thorn in Sussex’s side over the years, particularly at Hove where his last two scores have been 266 not out and 123. But today he made just five before Martin-Jenkins trapped him half forward with his second delivery. He struck again three balls later when Usman Afzaal played horribly down the wrong line to lose his off stump for a duck.That brought Rory Hamilton-Brown to the crease to face the county he had played with for two seasons with before returning to The Oval in the winter to become Surrey captain. He was reprieved by wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd on 11 standing up to Martin-Jenkins but helped the obdurate Harinath add 65 in 31 overs and was just starting to play some of his favourite offside shots when he drove expansively at Rana and edged low to slip.Sussex were well in control when Steven Davies slapped Monty Panesar’s 11th ball to midwicket in the next over to reduce Surrey to 81 for 5 but Harinath stood firm. He was dropped twice, on 17 and 47 and both times in the slips, on his way to a grinding half-century off 232 balls which he reached with the best shot of the day when he skipped down the pitch to loft Panesar over mid-on for his sixth boundary.A stand of 55 in 31 overs for the sixth wicket with Batty steadied Surrey but Martin Jenkins returned to claim the former Worcestershire man who was squared up and caught behind. Harinath and Chris Schofield then put on 62 for the seventh wicket but Martin-Jenkins returned with the new ball to have the 23-year-old caught off a mistimed pull after he had faced 290 balls, Martin-Jenkins finishing the day with 4 for 43 from 18 overs.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele is attracting interest in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere Dello Sport (via The Sun), who claim that in a rather big and surprising twist to the player’s future, Jose Mourinho is interested in a deal to bring the 25-year-old to the Stadio Olimpico this month, as the 58-year-old manager believes that the France international’s style of play would suit his Serie A outfit.

The report goes on to state that, although Spurs paid a club-record €60m (£53.8m) fee for the central midfielder only two-and-a-half years ago, Antonio Conte would be willing to part with Ndombele for a figure of around just €30m (£25m) this month.

Conte must axe Ndombele

Considering how much Mourinho criticised Ndombele during his own spell as the Tottenham manager, the news that the Portuguese coach is interested in signing the midfielder for his Roma side will undoubtedly come as something of a huge surprise to many of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.

Indeed, the 58-year-old coach previously said of the Frenchman: “I have to be honest, Tanguy is the kind of guy that you always expect more from than what he gives me. Because he is so talented that you always expect more. The talent is amazing.

“I think by the talent point of view, by the creation in midfield, by the vision, he is second to nobody in this moment in European football. But the feeling is that he always has more to give, he never reaches the limit of the effort, the sacrifice, even the ambition. So he is the guy I love as a player, but he frustrates me a little bit because I think he can be much better than what he is.”

And, when taking into account how little the 25-year-old has featured under the management of Conte, should Roma indeed be willing to stump up £25m for the central midfielder this winter, the Italian manager simply must sanction his sale.

Indeed, since Conte’s first game in charge of Spurs back in November last year, the £25m-rated man has played just 80 minutes of Premier League football – out of 720 minutes available.

Furthermore, over the three league fixtures these minutes have come in, the £200k-per-week midfielder will have far from impressed the 52-year-old manager, earning extremely disappointing SofaScore match ratings of 5.7, 6.4 and 6.3 against Everton, Liverpool and Crystal Palace respectively.

As such, considering his lack of game time and extremely hefty weekly wage, it would indeed appear wise for Conte to finally call time on Ndombele’s career in North London, as the player who Graham Roberts dubbed a “joke” is simply not worth the money he is costing Tottenham with each passing day.

In other news: “In talks…”: Fabrizio Romano drops teasing Spurs update that will leave fans buzzing

Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe national team captain, arrived in Zimbabwe today

Cricinfo staff09-May-2010Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and Zimbabwe national team captain, arrived in Zimbabwe today to conduct a week-long coaching clinic at the High Performance Centre in Harare.Fletcher, who linked up with the South Africa squad as a batting and tactical consultant during England’s winter tour to South Africa, will be working with selected national age-group players – as well as some of the senior national team players and local coaches – at the centre.”We have a full schedule with the Under-16s, Under-17s and Under19s throughout the week but we have also allocated time with some of the provincial coaches as well”, said Kevin Curran, director of the Centre. “Fletcher’s credentials as a world class coach are unquestionable and we are honoured to have him here. It is a fantastic opportunity for players and coaches alike.”Fletcher coached England for seven years up until 2007, and guided the team to unprecedented success in that time, including six series wins in a row leading into the 2005 Ashes. He also led England on two tours to South Africa, starting with his maiden series in charge in 1999-2000 and culminating in a memorable 2-1 triumph five years’ later.As Zimbabwe’s first ODI captain, Fletcher played a key role in Zimbabwe’s famous victory over Australia at the 1983 World Cup. After his retirement, he gradually moved into coaching, winning trophies with Western Province and then Glamorgan before he was selected as the first foreigner to coach England in 1999.Fletcher’s is the second high-profile visit by a respected coach to Zimbabwe this year, after legendary legspin coach Terry Jenner travelled to the country in January.

Australia are to be denied the chance to have a look at Steven Finn ahead of the Ashes this winter

Cricinfo staff07-Jun-2010Australia are to be denied the chance to have a look at Steven Finn ahead of the Ashes this winter. He will have a break from cricket after playing a leading role with the ball in England’s 2-0 series win over Bangladesh and is set to undertake a strengthening programme similar to that performed by Stuart Broad. As such, he will not take part in domestic cricket or any of the ODIs ahead of England’s Test series against Pakistan.”Steven Finn has had an impressive start to the summer and will now undertake a strengthening programme similar to that recently undertaken by Stuart Broad,” said Geoff Miller, England’s national selector. “This will also rule Steven out of the NatWest Series against Australia and Bangladesh before his preparation for the npower Test series against Pakistan.”However, England coach Andy Flower insisted the move had nothing to do with hiding Finn ahead of the winter’s Ashes tour and preventing Australia make early notes about the tall quick bowler. “It does not have anything to do with Australia, or the Australian [ODI] series,” he said.”I would be very strong in the description that this is definitely not rest,” he added. “He will not be resting; he will be doing a very intensive strengthening programme. He is a young man that needs to develop more physically, and there is a window of opportunity to do that. The reason he is being pulled out of Twenty20 is he needs this in the same way Stuart Broad did.”It is the responsible thing to do for him personally and in the best interests, medium and long term, of the English cricket side.”Andrew Strauss and Graeme Swann are also going to be rested ahead of England’s upcoming one-day internationals against Scotland, Australia and Bangladesh and will be unavailable for any Friends Provident domestic Twenty20 games before their international engagements.Miller explained that while Twenty20 cricket gives the players the chance to switch from a Test to a limited-overs mindset, it is important to be mindful of regulating player workloads.”The coming rounds of the Friend’s Provident t20 matches are an ideal opportunity for several England players to switch their focus from Test cricket to limited-overs cricket as we look ahead to the forthcoming one-day International against Scotland and the NatWest Series against Australia and Bangladesh,” he said.”We must be mindful of the management of the players’ workload and their desire to play in what is a hugely exciting Twenty20 competition. Graeme Swann is in need of a well earned break and as a result won’t play any cricket during this period. We believe the best preparation for Andrew Strauss’s build up to the NatWest series does not involve the Friend’s Provident t20 fixtures and as such he won’t be available for these matches during this period.”James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, and Kevin Pietersen will have a week’s rest but will be available to play domestic Twenty20s from June 13. Alastair Cook will receive treatment for an ongoing back injury later this week before returning for Essex on the same date.”I feel for the counties when we make these decisions on players and pull them out of county games,” Flower said. “The directors of cricket and coaches and captains are under their own pressure with results.”When you pull their best players out of competitive matches it is quite a hit for them. I realise it requires a lot of understanding from them, and we very much appreciate it.”Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott will be available for all county fixtures until June 15. England play Scotland in Edinburgh on June 19 before five ODIs against Australia, starting on June 22, and three against Bangladesh.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reporter Pete O’Rourke has shared his Tottenham Hotspur transfer belief involving Real Madrid playmaker Isco.

The Lowdown: Isco linked to Spurs…

Over these last few weeks, there has been a report linking the Spaniard with a move to north London as Tottenham reportedly chase attacking midfielders this month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Jesse Lingard, who can both operate as playmakers, have been mentioned alongside Spurs, with Galacticos ace Isco also among the names.

Indeed, The Sunday Mirror recently claimed (via The Express) that Tottenham will be offered the chance to sign the 29-year-old if he decides against a contract extension at the Bernabeu.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes Isco claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has backed this transfer claim coming out of Spurs, sharing his belief that Isco may have in fact been ‘put to Tottenham’.

He explained: “Isco, a talented playmaker and seemingly on the market at Real Madrid. I’m sure he’s probably been put to Tottenham.”

The Verdict: Avoid…

At 29 years of age and having started just 10 La Liga matches in total for Real Madrid since the beginning of 2020/21, we advise Spurs and their manager Antonio Conte to give Isco a miss.

He has cut a bit-part figure in the Spanish capital recently and targets such as Kulusevski, who is far younger and more versatile, represent better value in the long-term.

Earning a reported £200,000 per week – the same as Spurs’ leading earner Harry Kane – Isco’s wage demands could also be too much financially, with the negatives far outweighing the positives over a move.

Former Tottenham favourite Raphael van der Vaart once branded the 38-cap man as ‘the best player in the world’ (Marca), but it is clear that he may not suit the north Londoners.

In other news: ‘Real possibility’…Tottenham can now meet asking price to sign ‘world-beater’, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly now enquired over the possibility of signing Benjamin Mensah in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Right wing-back wanted

It is no secret that Spurs are targeting a new right wing-back this month, with Adama Traore the most prominent name to be sounded out as a potential signing.

Matt Doherty has been heavily linked with a move back to Wolves, which would leave Antonio Conte a little light in that position, while Emerson Royal has not exactly impressed since his summer move, registering just one assist in 14 Premier League appearances from the right flank.

Thus, it is an area of the pitch that they will look to strengthen before the window closes.

The Latest: Mensah enquiry

As per Sky Sports (13 Jan, 12:46), the Lilywhites have now made an enquiry to Peterborough United about Mensah, who can play as a right wing-back as well as on the right of a traditional back four.

He would go straight into their U23 set-up, although there are a number of other clubs interested in his signature, so it’s not a done deal yet.

Mensah made his debut for the Posh in a 2-1 win at home to Cambridge United in the EFL Trophy back in 2019 at just 16 years of age, and went on to play in three more games in the tournament.

The Verdict: Preparing for first team

It will be good for the North London club to get in a player for the U23s who can play as a right wing-back, so that they can play a system that would best prepare them for the first team under Conte.

Of course, Mensah is one for the future, but the 19-year-old will have aspirations of breaking into the first team should he perform well – there aren’t exactly a whole host of world-class options in front of him.

Nonetheless, having made his senior debut at such a young age, he is certainly heading in the right direction, and could well turn out to be a gem that can be unearthed at Hotspur Way.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ ace THFC are now eyeing here!

Ed Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Sri Lanka A 78 and 32 for 0 trail Australia A 402 (Bailey 154*, Cowan 126) by 292 runs
ScorecardGeorge Bailey made an unbeaten 154 with 14 fours and six sixes•Getty ImagesEd Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville. It was hard work for the Sri Lanka A bowlers as the hosts stretched their lead to 324 before declaring.The day began with Usman Khawaja getting to a half-century. Khawaja and Cowan made steady progress before the former was dismissed for 69 by Sachithra Senanayake, nearly 23 overs in to the day’s play. The pair had added 141 for the second wicket, and that was followed by another century stand, this time between Cowan and Bailey. Cowan was eventually dismissed by Nuwan Pradeep for 126, caught by the wicketkeeper. Bailey and Peter Forrest added 94 in quick time to take the score past 350. Bailey scored in fifth gear, smashing 14 fours and six sixes in his 154 off 138 balls. He declared at 402 for 4, leaving the visitors to bat out 11 overs till stumps.The opening pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Tharanga Paranavitana ensured they didn’t lose a wicket. The Sri Lankans will face a test of skill and character as they look to save this game with two days remaining.

Loads of Everton fans have been left fuming over some injury news on Abdoulaye Doucoure.

As per the club’s official website, the midfielder has sustained a groin injury from their 1-0 loss at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday and will begin treatment at USM Finch Farm.

This is not the first time that the 29-year-old has suffered a bad injury this season, and on that occasion it sent lots of Everton supporters into meltdown. Given their current position in the Premier League table, they are again fearing the worst.

Doucoure is ranked as the Toffees’ fourth-best player of the campaign by WhoScored and has ranked highly among his team-mates in terms of average tackles, shots, dribbles and passes per game in the top flight, while also recording the most assists. What a blow it would be if the Frenchman is out for another prolonged period of time.

Everton fans on Doucoure injury news

These Everton fans fumed as the injury news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that it was ‘depressing’:

“We actually could go down”

Credit: @ollietramineee

“Relegation pending”

Credit: @jt1998efc

“How depressing”

Credit: @victoriacarlin_

“Pain.”

Credit: @MainManMina

“Absolutely cursed.”

Credit: @DanWilsonnnn

“Oh dear!”

Credit: @AnonymousEFC1

In other news, find out whose display against Aston Villa was blasted by many Evertonians

Alastair Cook, the England Lions captain, has been ruled out of the match against India A at Grace Road with a back problem

Cricinfo staff01-Jul-2010Alastair Cook, the England Lions captain, has been ruled out of the match against India A at Grace Road with a back problem.He first felt discomfort during the previous game against West Indies A, although it wasn’t apparent as he made 71 off 81 balls in a five-wicket victory at Wantage Road. He will now undergo further assessment on the problem.”Cook will be reassessed on Saturday when a decision will be made on his involvement during the remainder of the Triangular series,” said an ECB statement.Cook previously suffered back problems on England’s tour of South Africa last year when he was pulled out of the one-day squad mid-way through the series. It was diagnosed as a bulging disc and at the time Cook said it was something he would need to manage, but recovered to take part in the Test matches.Andrew Gale, who captained the Lions on their tour of UAE in February, will lead the side in Cook’s absence

Leicestershire’s County Championship clash against Derbyshire is evenly poised after the bottom-of-the-table visitors staged a spirited fightback on the third day at Grace Road

05-Aug-2010
ScorecardLeicestershire’s County Championship clash against Derbyshire is evenly poised after the bottom-of-the-table visitors staged a spirited fightback on the third day at Grace Road.Derbyshire claimed the last four Leicestershire wickets for 16 runs and then converted a first-innings deficit of 94 into a lead of 144 by reaching 238 for 5 at stumps as they look for their first Championship win since April.Wayne Madsen led the way with 66 off 129 balls sharing an opening stand of 86 with captain Chris Rogers and another half-century partnership with Garry Park. But left-arm spinner Claude Henderson kept the hosts in with a chance of their fifth win of the season by dismissing Dan Redfern in the penultimate over of the day to complete a spell that brought him figures of three for 41. Leicestershire began the day on 260 for six, a lead of 64.But they failed to capitalise on the strong position they held, spending more than an hour scoring 16 runs in 16.1 overs for the loss of the last four wickets. Henderson had his middle stump uprooted by Steffan Jones in the second over of the morning and although Tom New reached a half-century – his sixth against Derbyshire – off 85 balls with five boundaries the runs then dried up.Wickets fell with New the last man out when he was beaten going for a single by a direct hit on the stumps from Greg Smith. Smith finished with impressive figures of 3 for 40 off 23 overs and there was also a three-wicket haul for Jones.Leicestershire did not make the best use of the new ball before lunch and both Rogers and Madsen were able to unleash a succession of boundaries as Derbyshire made a run-a-ball start in the first 11 overs. It was not helped by Madsen being dropped at slip off the bowling of Nathan Buck and the same player also survived a big lbw shout from Nadeem Malik.But Rogers, who looked in fine form, fell three short of a half-century with Matt Boyce making up for his earlier drop by taking a sharp low chance at slip off Malik. Madsen had some good fortune on his way to 50, playing and missing on several occasions before Henderson struck finding the edge against Park with a delivery that bounced on the batsman.Madsen’s 129-ball innings came to an end when he mistimed an intended off-drive at Henderson giving Paul Nixon a catch at mid off. Derbyshire’s run rate slowed in the evening session with Henderson keeping a tight grip on things before claiming the vital wicket of Redfern, leaving an impressive Chesney Hughes still there on 30 at the close.It gave Derbyshire a useful lead of 144 but with rain forecast for the final day it will need some enterprising play from both sides to produce a positive result.