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West Indies collapse from a position of strength as South Africa take series 3-2

Firdose Moonda03-Jul-2021

South Africa won their first T20I series since March 2019, and first in six series, by successfully defending the highest total of the five-match series against West Indies in Grenada. The victory earns coach Mark Boucher and captain Temba Bavuma their first T20I trophy and means South Africa will leave the Caribbean triumphant in both the Test and T20I series.After choosing to bat first, South Africa posted 168 for 4 thanks largely to the continued excellence of Quinton de Kock and his acceleration in the middle-overs. De Kock brought up his third successive half-century of the series, and saw South Africa through a 49-run Powerplay and most of the period between the 7th and 15th over, in which they scored 89 runs at 9.66. He put together 128 for the second wicket with Aiden Markram, who top scored with 70.That proved to be the difference against a misfiring West Indian line-up. Tabraiz Shamsi turned in his most economical effort (four overs for 11 runs) while Kagiso Rabada and Wiaan Mulder conceded less than eight runs an over to ensure West Indies could not keep up with the required scoring rate. Notably, South Africa rebalanced their side to ensure they had six, frontline bowling options, including a seam-bowling allrounder, and that strategic change worked well.South Africa have now won three of the 11 T20I series where the final game has effectively been a decider. Meanwhile, West Indies have won just three of their last 10 T20I series, one against Bangladesh and two against Sri Lanka.Highest partnership of the series South Africa tried a different combination in the top three for this match and though Temba Bavuma’s promotion to open the batting did not work, Markram made a strong case to be considered the permanent partner to Quinton de Kock. The pair’s 128-run stand, the highest of the series for either side, laid the foundation for a total in excess of 180.Both de Kock and Markram brought up half-centuries; de Kock’s was his third in the series and Markram’s his fourth in nine T20Is. Impressively, they both scored all around the ground, with Markram’s 70-runs an even split of 35 each on the off and on side, with boundaries including his signature cover drive, the cut and aerial shots in the ‘v’.De Kock was stronger square of the wicket, with 28 runs on the off-side and 32 on the leg-side and boundaries mostly on the off-side apart from the slogs off Andre Russell and Akeal Hosein for his two sixes. De Kock’s 225 runs are also the most by an individual batter in a bilateral series.The slowdown While South Africa would have been pleased to keep things moving through the middle-overs, their concerns around the finishers remain. They scored just 32 runs in the last five overs, and lost Markram and Rassie van der Dussen in that time. David Miller managed his highest score of the series but did not appear entirely confident and faced 14 balls before his only boundary.Van der Dussen batted lower than usual, at No. 5, and was only needed in the 17th over, which did not give him the time he may have liked to settle. Mulder too didn’t look in control with his only boundary coming off a bottom-edge. Overall, South Africa’s scoring rate in the last four overs in the series was 6.95, while West Indies struck at 11.43 runs an over in the same period.Evin Lewis set the chase up for the West Indies•AFP/Getty Images

Lewis leads for West Indies True to form, Evin Lewis cleared the boundary off the third ball of the West Indian reply when he hit left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin over his head. That triggered a sensational beginning for the hosts; Lewis would hit two more sixes and five fours in his right T20I fifty, off judst 30 balls.It was the second slowest fifty of Lewis’ T20I career, after his 34-ball fifty against Pakistan in 2017. All his other fifty-plus scores have come in 26 or fewer balls. That may not sound entirely disappointing but Lewis would not have been happy with when and how he was dismissed. In the 10th over, Lewis mistimed an attempted six of Ngidi over long-on and was caught by Markram well inside the boundary.West Indies’ lost plot South Africa kept West Indies in check in the Powerplay with some sterling efforts in the field, like Lungi Ngidi’s full length dive at short fine to stop a Lendl SImmond’s flick that was destined for four and Temba Bavuma’s dive at mid-wicket to intercept a fierce Lewis pull. But they also put some chances down, some more difficult than others.Tabraiz Shamsi could not hold on to a return catch in his followthrough off Shimron Hetmyer’s leading edge or to the opportunity Hetmyer presented when he swung at a Mulder full toss and sent the ball swirling to short third man. Mulder got his reward off the next two balls though. Markram held on to a simple chance at long-off to dismiss a hamstrung Pollard before took a low, diving catch at point to dismiss Andre Russell for a first-ball duck.Mulder’s third over took West Indies from 103 for 3 to 112 for 5 and left them needing 57 runs off the last five overs to win. West Indies stayed somewhat in the hunt until Bavuma plucked Dwayne Bravo’s slice off Kagiso Rabada out of the sky to all but secure the series for South Africa. Bavuma judged the catch perfectly, as he made a lot of ground from point to deep point, and took it cleanly to complete a good day in the field.

Glasgow Rangers are currently licking their wounds following last night’s shambolic 7-1 defeat at Ibrox, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men having now shipped 16 goals in just their opening four Champions League games amid what’s been a miserable return to life in Europe’s premier competition.

As the post-mortem continues following the Gers’ inexplicable second-half collapse at the hands of a rampant Liverpool side, one man who is perhaps rightly under scrutiny is Ryan Kent, with the explosive winger having been somewhat anonymous up against his former club.

The expectation would have been for the former Anfield youth product – who joined the Old Firm outfit on an initial loan deal in 2018 – to have a point to prove against his previous employers, although the 25-year-old was one of a number of figures who simply went under against Jurgen Klopp’s men.

The £15.75m-rated forward had been criticised prior to Wednesday’s clash for his lack of impact and work ethic in last week’s defeat on Merseyside, with pundit Frank McAvennie suggesting that the Englishman is the “biggest failure” for the Glasgow side at present.

The Oldham-born speedster has been linked with a return to the Premier League in recent times – with former boss Steven Gerrard reportedly keen on a reunion at Aston Villa – with the £18k-per-week man facing an uncertain future with the Scottish giants with just under a year left on his current deal.

As McAvennie suggested, however, “nobody is going to touch him” – referring to possible suitors – if his work rate does not improve, with Kent having done himself little favours with that meek display last night.

The former England U20 international was restricted to just 22 touches in his 76-minute outing, failing to provide a single key pass and also failing to record a single successful dribble, while also winning just one of his four total duels on the night.

The Scotsman’s Andrew Smith suggested that it was a ‘typical Kent performance’ due to his inability to make an impact in the final third, while Football Scotland’s Euan Robertson suggested that the 5 foot 8 star simply ‘went missing’ in the second half, before his eventual withdrawal.

Pundit Neil McCann was notably critical as he suggested the fleet-footed forward had “disappeared” amid that second-half collapse, while also stating that Kent can have “so much more influence” than he is currently.

Such a performance will likely be of real concern to manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, with the Dutchman perhaps considering the player’s place in the side, as well as whether it is worth fighting to try and keep the contract rebel beyond the end of the season.

On recent evidence, it could well be time to ditch the one-time Bristol City loanee both for this weekend’s clash with Motherwell, as well as potentially in the long term.

Everton are renowned for their disastrous transfer decisions, however, over the last few months it has looked as though the recruitment strategy has taken a turn for the best following a difficult relegation scrap for the Toffees last season and financial concerns plaguing the club.

Following the departure of Brazilian forward Richarlison who was last season’s top goal-scorer at Goodison Park, the future wasn’t looking bright for Frank Lampard’s side but after making eight new signings, Everton are in a fantastic position in the Premier League.

After eight league outings, the Toffees match their fierce local rivals, Liverpool, for points and are currently just four points off the top four after going unbeaten in their last six games picking up four draws and two wins, something supporters would never have dreamed of at the end of last season.

Indeed, Everton were linked with a lot of players over the summer after their struggle over the last campaign but there was one player, in particular, that they dodged a bullet on, former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard.

Everton were reportedly in contact with the out-of-contract player over the summer and were even reported to have submitted him an offer to join the squad on Merseyside. However, the 29-year-old decided to sign for Nottingham Forest instead which turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise for Lampard.

Lingard has not registered a single goal or assist for the Tricky Trees yet, in fact, the attacking ace hasn’t scored a goal in 381 days since he struck against his former loan club West Ham United for Man United in the Premier League last September.

At Nottingham Forest, the playmaker has been a flop in his first seven appearances, creating no big chances and becoming anonymous in his position on the pitch averaging just 30.9 touches per game.

He has also proven unsuccessful in 60% of his dribble attempts and lost 64% of his duels so far.

Everton already made the mistake once of giving an opportunity to a player who has been in the spotlight for their struggles at a top six club with Dele Alli joining the club in January from Tottenham Hotspur after Lampard gave him the chance to prove himself at Goodison Park.

However, it was very quickly obvious that Alli was not going to reignite his career with Everton making a loan move to Turkish side Besiktas this summer after playing just 367 minutes for the Toffees.

Indeed, Lingard who was comedically dubbed “Mr Instagram” by former Man United full-back Paul Parker could have had a similar fate as his spell at Forest so far demonstrates.

With that being said, there is no way Lampard will be losing any sleep over Lingard’s decision to move to the Midlands instead as the recruitment at Everton has been hugely impactful and the future is looking promising for the club.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could be tempted by a move to Newcastle United this summer, according to ex-Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Harrison linked with Newcastle switch

The Magpies have had a steady summer rather than a spectacular one, although the signing of Alexander Isak is an undoubted major signal of intent right before the deadline.

One individual who has been continually linked with a move to St James’ Park is Harrison, who has become a key man for Leeds in recent years, scoring 29 goals in 169 appearances.

It is a rumour that is refusing to go away, as Newcastle look to bolster their attacking options after the injury to Callum Wilson.

The Latest: Robinson worried

Speaking MOT Leeds News, Robinson, now a regular on Sky Sports, claimed that it is easy to envisage Harrison wanting to trade Leeds for the Magpies this summer:

“Listen, Newcastle are going places.

“It’s well documented how much money they’ve got and are going to have in the future. It’s a club on the up and it’s a club who are moving forward and looking to challenge the top-half of the Premier League and get into the Champions League eventually.

“It’ll be difficult for a player to admit his head hasn’t been turned by a club like that – it’s only natural. If you look at the wage structure and wage bill at Newcastle compared to Leeds. It’s nowhere near.

“When you look at the two clubs without the takeover at Newcastle, it’d be a sideways move. But with the way Newcastle are and the direction they’re moving in, it would be a forward move and it’d be a hard one for a player to turn down if they come knocking.

“They’ve got potential for success in the future and there’s the financial package they could offer you. It’s only going to be natural to have your head turned by that.”

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The Verdict: Big loss for Leeds?

Harrison is someone who has provided consistent quality from wide areas for a sustained period, helping Leeds get out of the Championship and then taking his form into the Premier League.

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While the former Manchester City man may not always have stood out as much as other attackers, from Raphinha to Patrick Bamford, 74 top-flight appearances in the space of two-and-a-bit years highlight his importance.

Harrison’s versatility and durability allows him to impress both out wide and in a central attacking midfield role, while an average of 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season highlight the defensive work that will also appeal to Jesse Marsch, so losing him would be a big blow.

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings has now been dealt another setback, according to reports…

What’s the latest?

The Daily Star claim that the 29-year-old centre-back is facing a fight to get back into Steven Gerrard’s starting lineup after being banished to the bench for their Premier League season-opening defeat at newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth.

It’s thought that a scan has revealed a groin injury that could now keep him out of training for several days and that’ll surely put his chances of a return to the XI in grave danger.

The England international also missed their final pre-season friendly against Stade Rennes and faces an almighty battle to regain his spot in Gareth Southgate’s squad for this winter’s World Cup.

Another problem lingering

Dropped by England, dropped as Villa skipper and dropped from the starting lineup.

These three events are enough to test the mental fortitude of even the strongest character and it appears that Gerrard has another problem lingering around Bodymoor Heath as the 6 foot 5 colossus is dealing with injury troubles.

That will only increase the pressure on Gerrard, who has overseen just two wins from his last 12 matches in charge.

The decision to relinquish Mings of the captaincy is certainly looking like an early-season blunder and it’s one that has been slammed as a “big mistake” by beIN SPORTS presenter Richard Keys, who claims that it has split the dressing room – not that it’s a slight on John McGinn.

Truth be told, Villa rarely win without Mings involved. In the 12 league gamers that the Englishman has missed, the Midlands outfit have lost a whopping eight times, winning on just two occasions.

Gerrard’s recent remarks on the matter won’t have helped the situation or the furore surrounding his future at Villa Park either.

“I’m confident and have full belief [that] when Tyrone is back at his best and looks me in the eye and shows me he’s ready to play, he’ll get opportunities,” said Gerrard to the BBC West Midlands reporter Steve Hermon.

Meanwhile, Villa legend Paul McGrath has suggested that the £80k-per-week star “ticks all the right boxes” for the club and questioned the bold decision. “So how do you lose the Armband and your place in seconds . You don’t, so who said what to who, No one cares get him in the team,” he tweeted.

“Titan” and “maverick” is also how presenter Dan Bardell has described the centre-back in the past.

With Mings facing fitness troubles and Villa struggling for form, Gerrard is under immense pressure and he’s only going to get another big problem on his hands the longer he’s absent from the team.

Regardless of holding the captain’s armband or not, Mings must start for Villa.

AND in other news, “I’m sure..”: Journo claims Aston Villa could launch late swoop for “unplayable” £20m “wizard”…

Leeds United are unlikely to sign PSV left-back Philipp Max following a hands-off warning from manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, LeedsLive reports.

The Lowdown: £7m bid

The Whites appear to be on the hunt for a new left-back before the transfer window slams shut, with Junior Firpo out through injury and Leif Davis recently sold to Ipswich Town.

It looks as if centre-back Pascal Struijk will be the man used by Jesse Marsch for the time being after he got the nod in the problem position for the club’s final pre-season friendly.

One player who has been linked is Max, with reports suggesting that Leeds made a £7m offer for the 28-year-old, described as ‘dangerous in the forward areas’ by former Augsburg coach Martin Schmidt.

The Latest: Van Nistelrooy’s comments

LeedsLive relayed comments from Van Nistelrooy on Max in a story shared on Tuesday.

He isn’t thinking about letting the left-back go over the coming weeks, with the report labelling a move to Elland Road as ‘unlikely’.

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The Verdict: Tymon instead?

Leeds could do with getting a move on in their pursuits of both a left-back and a striker, with Charles De Ketelaere now an AC Milan player, and if Max isn’t the man to come in at the back, it could be wise to look at Stoke City’s Josh Tymon.

Reports last month suggested that the Whites were weighing up a move for the 23-year-old, who was a regular in the Championship last season.

The Englishman may not be too expensive, can play further forward when required and loves a nutmeg, so he could be the ideal attacking full-back to rival Firpo going forward.

A big Rangers transfer development has emerged on Ryan Kent’s future at Ibrox during the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish outlet Sporx, Galatasaray are currently in talks with Rangers over a deal to sign the forward.

The report claims that they have already held discussions with the player’s representatives and that they have now made contact with the club to strike an agreement.

It is claimed that they are willing to offer up to £6.8m (€8m) with add-ons on top of that, but it remains to be seen whether or not that will be enough to tempt Ross Wilson into cashing in.

Kent has one year left to run on his current contract and Sporx state that Rangers would be willing to sell him if a suitable offer arrives at their door.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be worried

This update will leave the head coach scrambling to convince the attacker to stay at Ibrox as losing him would be a major blow to the squad.

The Light Blues would lose their biggest source of creativity if Kent left to join Galatasaray this summer and van Bronckhorst will surely be keen to avoid that situation as it would leave a big hole in the team.

In the Premiership last term, the Englishman created ten ‘big chances’ in 26 appearances and provided 1.7 key passes per game. He also delivered five ‘big chances’ in 12 Europa League outings as he consistently put opportunities on a plate for his teammates domestically and in Europe and made himself a vital cog in the starting XI.

Journalist Fraser Fletcher recently claimed that the gem will sign a new contract with the club, saying: “Ryan Kent, I know for a fact, loves it. He loves it at Rangers, so it’s just no surprise at all that Ryan Kent’s signing an extension. He absolutely loves it. So you should expect them quite quickly.”

This swoop from the Turkish giants may have thrown a spanner in the works, however, and that is why the head coach will now be scrambling to speak with the winger to ensure that he puts pen to paper in Scotland and not in Turkey in the coming weeks.

His aforementioned chance creation numbers illustrate how important he is to the team and van Bronckhorst will be particularly worried if he loses Kent’s talents ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers can land a masterclass by signing £500k gem who’d “hit the ground running”…

Wolves are yet to make a signing so far this summer and supporters will not be pleased with the latest news regarding reported target Enzo Fernandez.

What’s the word?

Wolves had been heavily linked with a move for the River Plate midfielder, with the youngster touted as a potential replacement for either Joao Moutinho or Ruben Neves, both of whom could still leave Molineux this summer.

However, the Argentine would eventually sign for Benfica in a deal worth just £8.6m, with a potential £6.9m in add-ons, so he could have been a very cheap option for the Old Gold this summer.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook discussed Wolves’ interest in Fernandez, saying:

“I did a story last week about this sort of wasted chase for Enzo Fernández.

“They [Wolves] sent their chief scout Matthew Hobbs on a 14,000-mile round trip to try and get him to sign, having got an agreement.

“They then pulled the plug and decided not to trigger his £17m release clause, which suggests to me that coffers are running dry.”

Supporters will be fuming

Considering the lack of action at Wolves so far this summer, supporters will surely not be impressed to hear that they had an agreement for such an exciting young player, only to pull out at the last minute.

Fernandez enjoyed a superb 2022, contributing ten goals and seven assists in all competitions for River Plate, despite predominantly featuring as a defensive midfielder.

The 21-year-old was described as “one of the most talented players in Argentina” by Fabrizio Romano and he could have represented a bargain option for Bruno Lage this summer, so it is baffling why Wolves decided not to pay his release clause.

Moutinho’s contract has now officially expired, while Neves could still be on the move, and if Wolves don’t act quickly then they could be incredibly short of midfield options.

Thus, not signing Fernandez could prove to be a big mistake by the Old Gold.

And, in other news… Lage could unearth the next £75m talent as Wolves plot bid for “special” £20m target

Celtic have now got the ball rolling on their summer transfer activity, with players already moving in and out of the club.

Last week, the Hoops announced that they had secured a permanent transfer for Cameron Carter-Vickers after his successful loan spell at Parkhead last season.

In terms of the players going the other way, having already said goodbye to Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton, the Hoops also released a raft of young players including Luca Connell.

One other midfield player that the Bhoys should be looking to offload this summer is Ismaila Soro.

With only 19 appearances under his belt across all competitions last term, the 24-year-old played a mere three minutes of league action between October and the end of the campaign.

This shows just how far down the pecking order the £10.5k-per-week Ivorian has fallen and why it could be the best option for all parties if Ange Postecoglou gives the green light for him to leave the club this summer.

In terms of who the Hoops could look to bring in to take Soro’s place in the squad, one man with whom club have been linked and who may be a good option is Vinicius Souza.

Labelled a “warrior” on the pitch by football scout Mikail Serin on Twitter, Souza is currently valued at £4.05m by Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old is currently owned by Belgian club Lommel, although he spent last season on loan with fellow Belgian side Mechelen. With 27 league appearances to his name, the Brazilian ended the campaign with more interceptions (64) and more tackles won (66) than any other player at the club.

This highlights just how solid a unit he can be in midfield, which is something Celtic haven’t had with Soro, as he only made four interceptions and failed to win even one tackle in his eight league games in 2021/22.

Should the Ivorian find himself following Rogic, Bitton and Connell out of Parkhead this summer, securing a deal for Souza should be at the top of Postecoglou’s to-do list before the new season kicks off.

In other news – “Celtic would like…”: Anthony Joseph drops Lennoxtown transfer claim, Ange will be thrilled

Nottingham Forest are reportedly interested in making a controversial summer move for Derby County midfielder Tom Lawrence.

The Lowdown: Lawrence off this summer?

The 28-year-old has been a key player for the Rams over the years but he was unable to prevent them from being relegated from the Championship in 2021/22.

Lawrence is out of contract at Derby at the end of next month, at which point he will be able to leave on a free transfer ahead of next season.

It feels highly unlikely that the midfielder will be content with playing League One football in 2022/23 and a new report suggests there is plenty of interest in him.

The Latest: Forest preparing for PL

According to TEAMtalk, Forest are one of a whole host of clubs interested in signing Lawrence this summer, including Premier League pair Southampton and Leeds United.

Steve Cooper will have to battle several top flight sides to secure the signing, with his side’s potential promotion surely key given the interest from above.

The Verdict: Wouldn’t go down well

Should Lawrence trade Derby for Forest, there is no doubt that it would be controversial, given the rivalry that exists between the two clubs.

It would certainly be a bold move by the Welshman, who was once described as a ‘wonderful player’ by Gary Bowyer during his time on loan at Blackburn Rovers.

A tally of 90 goal contributions (50 goals and 40 assists) in 264 Championship appearances speaks volumes about his pedigree, though, and it seems Forest are already plotting for life in the Premier League, as they are willing to go head-to-head with Southampton and Leeds, not to mention Scottish Premiership pair Celtic and Rangers.

In other news, a Nottingham Forest bid for one player is expected this summer. Find out who it is here.