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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has just watched Spurs legend Son Heung-min confirm that he will be leaving the club in an emotional press conference, with the north Londoners poised to continue making headlines this transfer window.

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Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 1, 2025

It has been a fairly eventful summer at N17 thus far, having spent over £110 million in total on the signings of Kevin Danso, Mathys Tel, Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus.

Their recruitment expenditure would’ve been £170 million if Morgan Gibbs-White had sealed his £60 million move to Spurs – as was widely expected around three weeks ago. However, after a very unexpected chain of events, including legal threats from Nottingham Forest, his transfer was blocked, and he’s since signed a new contract at the City Ground.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025

Average match rating

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Tottenham are still in the market for a new playmaker and alternative to Gibbs-White, with chairman Daniel Levy also reportedly considering an audacious move for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo.

Their need to sign a new left-winger is also emphasised by Son’s now-imminent departure.

The South Korean burst into tears after he announced that this year would be his last in a Tottenham shirt, and the Lilywhites must now begin the search for his potential replacement after Son’s stellar decade in north London.

“Before we start, I just want to share the information that I have decided to leave this club this summer,” said Son.

“Respectfully, this club is helping me to make my decision. It was the most difficult decision I have made in my career. The main reason is I have achieved everything I can at Tottenham. I need a new environment for a fresh challenge.

“I have been here for 10 years. It’s a beautiful club with beautiful fans. I have such amazing memories. I just felt like I need a new environment to push myself to get more out of me. I think I need a little bit of change. Ten years is a long time.”

As one big name looks set to depart, another comes through the door.

Joao Palhinha completes Tottenham medical with "formal steps" to follow

According to Fabrizio Romano, midfielder Joao Palhinha is on the verge of completing his move to Spurs on loan from Bayern Munich.

The Portugal international agreed a temporary deal with an option to buy for around £26 million next summer, and Romano claims that Palhinha has now completed his Tottenham medical with “formal steps” to follow between the clubs.

Palhinha’s debut campaign at Bayern, after he sealed a long-awaited move there from Fulham last year, wasn’t exactly ideal.

The 30-year-old fell down Vincent Kompany’s pecking order following a season blighted by injury and suspension, with Palhinha now returning to London just 12 months after waving goodbye to Craven Cottage.

Spurs will cover his full £166,000-per-week salary, but Frank is apparently “really excited” about signing Palhinha as he’s exactly the type of player Tottenham’s new head coach has been looking for (Fabrizio Romano).

Every passing day at St. Andrew’s seems to throw up another gigantic transfer rumour involving Birmingham City.

This time, Bright Osayi-Samuel is the main name being linked with an ambitious switch to the West Midlands. The Blues are allegedly closing in on a deal to land the ex-Fenerbahce man on a free transfer, as per journalist Mike McGrath.

The non-stop rumour mill is unlikely to grind to a halt here when it comes to dishing out notable figures who could soon call Chris Davies’ side home, with plenty of other EFL-ready stars tipped to relocate to the Blues very soon.

Latest on Birmingham's transfer search

Having spent £15m just on Jay Stansfield alone last season when plying their trade in League One, it’s not the greatest shock in the world to see Birmingham flexing their muscles once more in terms of incoming signings.

Indeed, the mega-rich Blues are reportedly close to adding both Tommy Doyle and Demarai Gray to their expanding camp, with reports even suggesting that the Birmingham-born winger could cost around £8m to obtain.

Joining the aforementioned trio through the door very shortly could also be Kieran Dowell, with an exclusive report from GIVEMESPORT stating that a proposal has been made on the end of the newly promoted side to bring their former loanee back to St. Andrew’s.

However, it’s stated that this proposal is up in the air at the moment as new Rangers boss Russell Martin continues to assess whether Dowell is part of his long-term Ibrox plans or not.

With Ben Davies also on their agenda, according to GIVEMESPORT, it’s clear that adding in Championship experience by the bucket load is a huge priority, as Birmingham navigate the treacherous, but thrilling step back up to the second tier.

In Dowell, the Blues might well be winning themselves another adaptable and exciting presence at the level that’s very similar to Osayi-Samuel, as both potential new signings aim to help Birmingham soar to even greater heights in their fresh surroundings.

Why Dowell can be another Osayi-Samuel

Last season was a clear example for all those watching on at St. Andrew’s that the 27-year-old attacking midfielder is an accomplished performer in the EFL, as seen in his five goals and four assists from just 19 League One runouts.

Amazingly, he should only up his performance standards if he sticks it out for Birmingham’s move up to the Championship, with fans of clubs such as Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, and Wigan Athletic knowing all too well what the former England U21 international is about at the intimidating level.

In total, playing for those myriad clubs in the Championship, Dowell has managed to tally up a mightily impressive 26 goals and 12 assists from 123 clashes, with Osayi-Samuel not lagging too far behind with his own hefty output.

Indeed, the soon-to-be Birmingham presence can boast his own healthy total of 23 goals and assists across 109 Championship games, with the correlations between the seasoned pair not just ending there, as seen in their similar abilities to line up for their team across various positions if needed.

AM

120

31

12

RM

50

9

10

CM

25

2

1

RW

19

7

5

LM

17

2

1

SS

2

0

0

LW

1

0

0

DM

1

0

0

Across the ex-Queens Park Rangers man’s varied career to date, he has staggeringly lined up in ten different spots on the field, with a makeshift striker role even being taken up by the Nigeria international on occasion.

Dowell can show off the same levels of flexibility when looking at the table above, with the one-time Championship title winner more than capable of playing down the left or right wing, away from excelling as a number ten.

Even hailed as a “high-quality” performer by Davies last season, it does feel as if Dowell would jump at the opportunity to return to such a familiar stomping ground in the second tier, particularly after a challenging Rangers spell.

Both Dowell and Osayi-Samuel joining the Blues camp would show that the newly promoted side means business heading up a league, with another promotion not the craziest shout if everything clicks into place.

Better than Gray: Birmingham City close in on signing "blistering" star

Birmingham City look set to now add this blistering star to their growing camp.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jun 30, 2025

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2024The Lanka Premier League’s Dambulla franchise has new ownership – an engineering consulting firm called Sequoia Consultants based in Los Angeles.Sri Lanka Cricket announced this news about two weeks after the board was forced to terminate the previous ownership of the Dambulla franchise, because one of the co-owners – Tamim Rahman – was arrested by Sri Lanka police under the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports Act.SLC said this new franchise will be run by a local company named DeSilva Holdings, “which was specifically set up for this purpose”. The owner of DeSilva Holdings, Priyanga de Silva, is in turn a majority shareholder of Sequoia, and had played domestic cricket in Sri Lanka, according to the release.Related

LPL terminates contract with Dambulla Thunders

Under DeSilva holdings, the franchise will be known as Dambulla Sixers, having previously been Dambulla Viiking, Dambulla Giants, and Dambulla Aura – the ownership having changed repeatedly since the tournament’s first season in 2020.”My desire to get engaged in cricket, especially cricket in Sri Lanka, prompted me to purchase the Dambulla Sixers team,” said De Silva. “I have seen LPL grow as a league during the last four years, which is commendable for a small country like ours. I am excited to be a part of this growth and be able to contribute to the development of cricket in our country,” he added.The new ownership takes charge with a little over three weeks to go, before the tournament’s scheduled start, on July 1. Matches will be played in Pallekele, Dambulla, and Colombo.

Manchester United are beginning to motor in the summer transfer window and could now make progress in signing a defensive addition, according to reports.

Manchester United look for arrivals after Matheus Cunha

Ruben Amorim is aware there is alot of work to do this summer at Old Trafford and there is plenty of movement expected to occur in both directions, though he can smile at the thought of having Matheus Cunha to work with at the Red Devils.

Signing a five-year deal, the Brazil international will earn £200,000 per week after his move from Wolverhampton Wanderers and could rise to their second-highest earner if Bruno Fernandes leaves the club for Al Hilal alongside other permutations.

Financially, it may be difficult to secure everyone on Manchester United’s shopping list after missing out on around £100 million by virtue of losing out in the Europa League final.

Regardless, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s swinging cutbacks may have left some room for manouvre alongside the aforementioned news that Al Hilal have set a five-day deadline regarding Red Devils captain Fernandes. If the skipper does leave, his goal contributions could be replaced by Bryan Mbeumo, after David Ornstein revealed on Monday that the Cameroon star wants to join the Red Devils.

Defensively, Amorim wants to strengthen his side and could try to land a bargain £15 million deal for Brighton & Hove Albion star Pervis Estupinan.

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1 ByKelan Sarson Jun 1, 2025

Intriguingly, the Ecuador international has just two years left on his deal at the Amex Stadium, which may force the Seagulls to sell before his value begins to dwindle if he doesn’t sign an extension. Now, the Red Devils could be set to pounce for another defender after opening talks over a swoop for his services.

Manchester United could land Udinese star Oumar Solet

According to reports via TBR, Manchester United could land Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet this summer after agent Claudio Pasqualin noted that the 24-year-old may depart the Serie A outfit following talks between both clubs.

Five similar players to Oumar Solet (FBRef)

Nico Schlotterbeck

Borussia Dortmund

Waldemar Anton

Borussia Dortmund

Alessandro Bastoni

Inter Milan

Matt Doherty

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

Labelled “excellent” by Fabrizio Romano, Solet has notched a solitary goal and two assists in 19 appearances across all competitions, but his main sphere of influence exists at the other end of the field. Making 92 recoveries and winning 20 duels on Serie A duty this term, reports claim that the 25-year-old could move for £34 million, fitting Manchester United’s philosphy of finding value for money on the market.

Fair to say, it has been a very forgettable season for West Ham United.

The Hammers are currently 15th in the table, a major downturn following three top-half finishes in four years, while they’ve enjoyed just five home wins, their lowest tally since being relegated in 2010/11.

The Irons could improve that tally in their final home match of the season on Sunday, welcoming Nottingham Forest to East London, although, having won only four of 16 Premier League matches under Graham Potter, confidence is unlikely to be sky-high.

Thus, a big summer is ahead for the Hammers and, if they’re going to start contending for European spots once again, their recent recruitment record needs to improve.

Jarrod Bowen's West Ham career

While many of West Ham’s recent big-money signings have turned out to be massive flops, the reported £22m paid to sign Jarrod Bowen from Hull City in January 2020 has proved to be an absolute bargain.

Now the club captain, he has scored 72 goals and provided 50 assists in 236 appearances for the Hammers, including the historic late winner against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League Final, securing the club’s first trophy for 43 years.

So, let’s assess how he compares to West Ham’s other big-money signings of the London Stadium era.

West Ham signings £20+ (2016-present)

Players

Fee

Appearances

Max Kilman

£40m

39

Crysencio Summerville

£25m

22

Niclas Füllkrug

£27m

18

Luis Guilherme

£25m

12

Edson Álvarez

£35m

71

James Ward-Prowse

£30m

65

Mohammed Kudus

£38m

78

Lucas Paquetá

£50m

118

Gianluca Scamacca

£30m

27

Nayef Aguerd

£30m

58

Kurt Zouma

£30m

103

Nikola Vlašić

£33m

31

Saïd Benrahma

£30m

155

Sébastien Haller

£45m

54

Pablo Fornals

£24m

203

Jarrod Bowen

£22m

236

Issa Diop

£22m

121

Felipe Anderson

£36m

73

Marko Arnautović

£20m

65

André Ayew

£20.5m

50

All statistics and information courtesy of Transfermarkt

What the table above highlights, first and foremost, is that West Ham have spent, and arguably wasted, an absolute mountain of money since relocating to the London Stadium almost a decade ago.

A few players on that list, namely Kurt Zouma, Pablo Fornals, and Saïd Benrahma did establish themselves as stalwarts, while others have been mercurial talents without ever really getting it all together; looking at you, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paquetá, Felipe Anderson, and others.

That’s not to mention the complete flops, who we won’t name, and let you make up your own mind!

Nevertheless, Bowen has been, indisputably, West Ham’s best signing of the modern era, so should the Irons go shopping in the EFL Championship again, as they search for their next gem?

West Ham chasing a new centre-back

According to a recent report by Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian, West Ham are ‘continuing’ to pursue a deal to sign Burnley central defender CJ Egan-Riley.

It has been widely reported, including by L’Équipe, that the 22-year-old is close to joining Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, who are owned by Todd Boehly’s company BlueCo, and his current market value is estimated to be around £12m, according to Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, West Ham are still very much in the running to sign the centre-back who Graeme Bailey of TBR Football describes as a “brilliant young defender”, while Andy Bayes of BBC Sport outlines that he, alongside partner Maxime Estève, has played a ‘key role’ in Burnley’s promotion.

So, let’s assess how Egan-Riley compares to West Ham’s current selection of centre-backs this season.

CJ Egan-Riley vs West Ham centre-backs 2024/25

Statistics

CJ

Egan-Riley

Jean-Clair

Todibo

Max

Kilman

Konstantinos

Mavropanos

Appearances

43

27

39

34

Minutes

3,705

1,788

3,439

2,077

Tackles

60

41

36

33

Tackles won

42

26

23

39

Interceptions

36

23

42

50

Clearances

199

72

202

118

Blocks

39

24

56

24

Errors leading to a shot

2

3

5

1

Ball recoveries

185

70

143

70

% of aerials duels won

49.3%

48.9%

67.3%

70%

Pass completion %

86.2%

87.7%

86.5%

85.9%

Touches per 90

79

58

58

50

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, Konstantinos Mavropanos has been West Ham’s best-performing centre-back this season, but Egan-Riley certainly compares favourably to the existing trio.

The Burnley youngster ranks first when it comes to tackles and ball recoveries, while many of his other statistics are more than comparable, while admitting he’s played the most minutes, and is operating at a lower level in the Championship, of course.

Nevertheless, the available evidence suggests he would be an excellent addition for the Hammers, if they’re able to beat Strasbourg to his services, and that is why he could be the best signing since Bowen because, at the age of 22, he could be a star for the club for many, many, years to come.

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Liverpool are believed to be “working on” tying down an “outstanding” player to a new contract alongside Virgil van Dijk, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Salah signs new Liverpool deal

The news that Reds supporters have been dreaming of finally came true on Friday, with Mohamed Salah signing a new two-year deal at Anfield.

There have been concerns all season long that the 32-year-old Liverpool legend would leave the club, but he will now be on Merseyside until at least 2027, saying he intends to win more trophies there:

“If I don’t believe that, I would not have signed. I believe the team can win trophies and with the support of the fans and the city, and that the supporters always give us in the games, I believe we can win many trophies in the next years.”

Now, the hope is that other players will follow suit, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk also both out of contract at the end of this season.

While it looks increasingly likely that the latter will stay put and do the same as Salah, the former’s head appears to have been turned by a move to Real Madrid. That said, nothing has been confirmed over Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool at the peak of his powers.

Liverpool want new deal for "outstanding" ace

According to Romano in his newsletter for GiveMeSport, Liverpool are still looking to seal a new deal for Ibrahima Konate, as well as Van Dijk:

“They are in negotiations. Now the priority was obviously Salah and Van Dijk, but the next one could be Konate as Liverpool are working on it.”

Ensuring that Konate remains at Liverpool for the foreseeable future is of the utmost importance, considering he is still only 25 years of age and eight years Van Dijk’s junior.

The Frenchman is appreciated by so many at Anfield, from Arne Slot to the supporters, and captain Van Dijk also hailed him earlier this season, saying after their win away at Wolves in September:

“As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding, in my opinion.

“He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that’s what asked. And also we have a young player behind him in Jarrell, who is also doing well. We have to keep pushing each other and he is doing a good job.”

Relatively speaking, the £70,000-a-week wage that Konate earns is low compared to many of his teammates, so he deserves an improved contract to show that he is truly appreciated.

Liverpool confident of winning race for "amazing" £60m+ star this summer

The Reds are in a good position to strike a deal…

2 BySean Markus Clifford Apr 12, 2025

Granted, injuries have hampered him at times in his career, so there is a slight risk involved in handing him an extension, but he should only get better in the coming years, and losing him at this point in his career could be a big blow to the Reds.

They have had their moments in most games, but still find themselves at the bottom of the points table

Sruthi Ravindranath25-Oct-2025Almost. It’s the word that has defined Bangladesh’s campaign at the 2025 women’s ODI World Cup. They almost defended 178 against England. They almost beat South Africa but dropped catches under pressure. They almost chased down 203 against Sri Lanka.The what-ifs are many, but for a team playing only its second ODI World Cup, Bangladesh have punched above their weight. Yet, despite the fight, they find themselves at the bottom of the points table – even below winless Pakistan – level on number of wins with New Zealand and Sri Lanka, all three teams having split points because of washouts.The gulf between bat and ball has been evident throughout their campaign, and it surfaced once again against Sri Lanka. After their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 203, Bangladesh’s batters stumbled, dragging the chase deep but falling short in the final over. After that match, captain Nigar Sultana had admitted to her side’s struggles in crunch moments but refused to attribute their narrow losses to luck.Related

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“It’s really heartbreaking, definitely, because we came here to win,” she had said. “This kind of match, I think we played three games against England, South Africa and now Sri Lanka. I think we need to think about it and we have to learn so many things. [In] this kind of situation, [we should learn] how we should calm our nerves and how we should get runs. And definitely, the young players have been playing in the middle at crucial moments. So, I think they should learn.”It’s definitely our mistake. It’s not just one match; this is the third time it’s happened like this. I think we’re failing to finish properly in the final moments. We shouldn’t need to take it to the last over while chasing this kind of target. That’s our fault. Maybe there were some miscalculations, and we couldn’t use some bowlers properly in the middle overs.”Bangladesh’s batting has shown promise in patches – five different players have scored fifties, including Nigar’s fighting 77 against Sri Lanka – but frequent collapses and a glut of dot balls have proved costly. Their dot-ball percentage of 66.6 is the second-highest in the tournament, underlining their struggles.They began their campaign by comfortably chasing down 130 against Pakistan, but fell in a heap against England, New Zealand and Australia to post totals below 200. Against South Africa, Shorna Akter’s 35-ball 51 – the fastest half-century in women’s ODIs for Bangladesh – took them to 235, but they dropped several chances in the end to lose the match. Against England, they got their catching right, but the third umpire’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight proved costly in the end.There have been a few heartbreaks for Bangladesh at this World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesOne of the factors behind the inconsistency has been their limited preparation. Since early 2024, the only top-ranked side Bangladesh have faced is Australia, back in March last year. Apart from the World Cup qualifiers in April, their build-up featured no international cricket, only domestic training camps. Nigar stressed the need for more exposure against top-ranked opposition. In the current FTP running from 2025-29 though, they are set to face India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand across formats.”The more competitive cricket you play, the sharper your skills get,” she said. “In ICC tournaments, we face new situations that we don’t often see in bilateral series, where we play the same opponents again and again. A stronger domestic setup or league system would help a lot. If we get to play more competitive games at home, our chances of losing tight matches will go down for sure.”But there have been other positives too, with their young bowling attack standing out. Fast bowler Marufa Akter, just 20, whose hooping deliveries troubled batters in the powerplay, has impressed many. Their spin department, led by veteran Fahima Khatun, has also shone through the performances of youngsters Rabeya Khan (20) and 18-year-old Shorna, who together have taken more wickets than Khatun. Against Sri Lanka, both youngsters were preferred over Khatun – a call that paid off, as they shared five wickets between them.”Among the eight teams in this World Cup, we’re the only one with three legspinners and all three are different types,” Khatun had said before the Sri Lanka match. “As a senior, I always try to collaborate with them and encourage them. They’re very young and crucial for our team. I often tell them, ‘You’re better than me; I have a lot to learn from you.’ Having three different kinds of legspinners is a big advantage for us.”Shorna Akter have been one of the standout players for Bangladesh in the tournament•ICC/Getty ImagesAt home, Bangladesh’s players feature in two main domestic tournaments, the Women’s Dhaka Premier League and the National Cricket League, both often played on spin-friendly, low-scoring pitches. On the eve of the India game, batter Sobhana Mostary acknowledged that while the level of competition can vary, the domestic structure is slowly improving.”Last ODI World Cup in 2022, only Pinky [Fargana Hoque] scored fifty but in this tournament, you can see around six or seven fifties,” she said. “So, I think that’s an improvement. Scoring a fifty is not easy; I also got my first fifty in this World Cup. If I can keep this consistency, it will help me in the next series. Similarly, [Sharmin Akhter] Supta has been performing well for a long time.”Now our domestic tournament is going good. In [Dhaka] Premier League among ten teams, six teams are good enough but four teams are like 50 – 50. Five years ago, two-three teams were good. But now five to six teams are good. Before, most players came from North Bengal, but now we have players from Chattogram and Sylhet as well. Maybe their parents are also watching the matches now. I think most people in Bangladesh are following this World Cup, which is a great inspiration for us. It motivates us to fight against stronger teams. That’s it, everyone is watching and supporting us, and that means a lot.”Bangladesh are yet to see one of their players feature in either the WBBL or WPL. Mostary hopes that changes soon.”In WPL, every time we send our name, they are not [okay to] pick a Bangladeshi. But we are thinking about this tournament – like Marufa [is] doing very good in Indian conditions. And Rabeya is also very bowling good this tournament. So maybe in the upcoming WPL they are [picked].”Bangladesh will leave the tournament with more heartbreaks than wins, but also with signs of growth. Among bottom-ranked sides, few have shown as much promise, or left as many almosts behind.

Against England and New Zealand, they have exposed their opponents’ flaws

Ian Chappell10-Mar-2024We’ve seen a variety of captaincy styles in the two current Test series between the best four sides in the competition, India, England, Australia and New Zealand.Rohit Sharma and Ben Stokes have waged an intriguing captaincy battle in their Test series. However Stokes’ aggressive leadership faltered at a crucial time and India – well led by Rohit – claimed the series with a resounding victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.On the third evening Stokes desperately needed to start India’s chase with his best two bowlers and try to claim at least one wicket. Incredibly, he gave the ball to a part-timer, Joe Root, and ignored the experienced, probing bowling of Jimmy Anderson. India took full advantage and scored an invaluable 40 runs off just eight overs.Related

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Stokes missed a trick in Ranchi. He then compounded his error by allowing too many easy singles on the final day by resorting to some cautious field placings. At a time when Stokes needed to be extremely brave as captain and hope he got lucky, he was abnormally conservative.India probably would still have won but at least by going on the attack, Stokes would have given England their best chance of an upset victory. Stokes could improve his captaincy in demanding chases if he took the example of the leadership master in those situations – Pakistan’s Javed Miandad.Rohit proceeded to take full advantage of the tentative field placings with a thoughtful innings and India’s solid opening partnership helped seal victory.The second innings should have been a time to force the Indian batters into taking a risk, but by allowing easy singles, Stokes gave his opponents the upper hand. He also needed to use the experience and guile of Anderson to try and force the issue on the third evening but instead relied on the part-time spin of Root.The use of Root could probably be put down to an over-reliance on the right-left combination to get the wicket of India’s accomplished opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. There are times when good captaincy hinges on gut feel rather than statistics or theories; this was such an occasion.In Wellington a week or so ago, New Zealand captain Tim Southee lost the plot by allowing Cameron Green and batting rabbit Josh Hazlewood to amass a century stand for Australia’s last wicket. New Zealand made numerous mistakes to comfortably lose the Test but despite Green’s undoubted skill in shepherding the tail, Southee’s leadership blunder was monumental.

In both India and New Zealand some techniques have been questionable. Why do right-handers get caught at leg slip against an offspinner? In fact, why are they trying to hit the ball there when there is a leg slip in place?

Continually dropping catches has certainly hurt New Zealand but allowing a mammoth tenth-wicket partnership is an unpardonable sin. New Zealand’s feeble batting – they failed to reach 200 in either innings – called into question their tentative approach against Australia, and spoke of their inability to cope with the offspin of Nathan Lyon.The inability to battle against Australia is in sharp contrast to the New Zealand rugby team. In recent years the All Blacks have been dominant against Australia on the rugby field but the opposite is true on the cricket ground.As for playing offspin, in both India and New Zealand some techniques have been questionable. Why do right-handers get caught at leg slip against an offspinner? In fact, why are they trying to hit the ball there when there is a leg slip in place? American baseballer “Wee” Willie Keeler’s credo of “Hit ’em where they ain’t” is equally applicable to cricket.In the final Test in India, England again capitulated to spin – this time it was the wrist version, from the talented Kuldeep Yadav, who broke open England’s vulnerable batting order while R Ashwin plundered the bottom half as offspin was again dominant.India have been getting stronger in this series, while England are regularly being overwhelmed by spin. They’re fortunate it’s the final Test. Meanwhile, in Christchurch, New Zealand’s capitulation continued; they slumped to a third consecutive score below 200, this time at the hands of Australia’s excellent fast bowlers.Despite all the feel-good stories and bold predictions, India and Australia are still flexing their muscles as dominant teams.

An injury replacement for Aditya Tare, the keeper-batter scored 115 to help Mumbai post a competitive total

Srinidhi Ramanujam15-Jun-2022The sun only shone sporadically at the Just Cricket Academy on Wednesday, but Hardik Tamore made hay anyway.The wicketkeeper-batter brightened gloomy Bengaluru with his 115 and drove Mumbai’s progress on day two of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Uttar Pradesh as the team posted a first-innings total of 393. It began as a dull morning, and play was delayed by two hours following heavy overnight rain, forcing the first session to be washed out without a ball bowled.But once the sun began to emerge, Tamore and Shams Mulani put Mumbai in the driver’s seat with a century stand before the bowlers took two early wickets to leave Uttar Pradesh on 25 for 2 at stumps.Related

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It has been quite a few months for Tamore. The 24-year-old from Boisar, which lies in the Palghar district in Maharashtra, led Mumbai in the CK Nayudu U-25 tournament early this year, having also previously captained their U-16, U-19 and U-23 teams. Tamore was down with Covid-19 just before landing in Ahmedabad for the CK Nayudu tournament, before returning to score 391 runs at an average of 35.55 – including a hundred and two fifties.But when it came to the Ranji Trophy, Tamore had to play the waiting game. The right-hander had played only four first-class matches prior to the Uttar Pradesh game, having made his debut as a specialist batter during the 2019-20 season. Who knew then that the Ranji Trophy wouldn’t be held the following season?And he may have not even played in 2021-22 at all, had Aditya Tare, Mumbai’s first-choice wicketkeeper, not injured his finger during the quarter-final against Uttarakhand.However, when the opportunity came his way in an all-important fixture, Tamore grabbed it and made a statement.”Before the knockouts, when we were in Bombay, he [Tare] told me ‘Just express yourself. Don’t think much. Just do whatever you have done at the Under-25 level’,” Tamore said after the second day’s play.And that is what he did on Wednesday. After bringing up his half-century off 73 balls on Day 1, he was determined to convert it into a big score. He drove through the covers; pulled and hooked with ease; and punished the half-volleys.File photo – Tamore says Mumbai coach Amol Muzumdar advised him to ‘just stay [at the crease] for as long as possible’•Cricket South AfricaHis real test came in the first hour after lunch, when Uttar Pradesh’s bowlers stuck to a fifth-stump line and hoped to find swing under overcast skies. Once conditions brightened up, though, the fast bowlers toiled as Tamore stitched a solid 113-run partnership with Mulani for the sixth wicket.”I was confident coming into this game,” Tamore said. “I played in an Under-25 tournament recently. All my team-mates, Sarfaraz [Khan] and Amol [Muzumdar, the coach] sir have encouraged me, and sir has always shown faith in me. I just wanted to perform for my team.”I was just waiting for an opportunity to bat. I did not set a target that I have to score this many runs in this match. My plan was just to play till the end. It was cloudy in the morning and the ball was swinging a lot. So Amol sir asked me to just stay for as long as possible. I didn’t want to play any flashy shots, so I relied on my basic cricketing shots.”For all that, though, Tamore stepped away from those basic shots when he was batting on 98. He may have been playing his first first-class game of the season – a semi-final, that too – but when the opportunity arose, he had the confidence to neatly find a gap with a reverse-sweep and pick up the two runs he needed to reach three figures, shortly after tea. He had gotten there in 172 balls.It was an important knock, enabling Mumbai to post a total of 393 after having been 260 for 5 overnight. They could have scored even more had it not been for a late collapse that saw them lose their last four wickets for just seven runs.But by then, Tamore had done exactly what he had set out to do: to “use the opportunity if and when that arrives”.

Nottingham Forest are on the lookout for solidity under Sean Dyche and could now be set to make an intriguing move courtesy of owner Evangelos Marinakis.

The Tricky Trees had a fairly ominous start to the Premier League campaign that culminated in the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, which was followed by Ange Postecoglou’s short tenure at the City Ground that ended under acrimonious circumstances.

Now, Dyche is the man at the helm and there is a feeling that improvement is starting to take shape on the River Trent, characterised in clear fashion by their convincing victory over Leeds United before the international break.

Ultimately, Forest are still in the relegation zone and have their work cut out to ensure they survive in the top-flight this campaign, though the fact that players such as Elliot Anderson are earning rave reviews from Thomas Tuchel is a reason for some optimism in the East Midlands.

Paying tribute to the Three Lions midfielder, the England coach labelled him as ‘one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’ before a routine victory in World Cup qualifying over Serbia, emphasising the value of his services that the Tricky Trees have at their disposal.

Even then, a tricky fixture at Anfield awaits for Forest on the other side of the international break before a quickfire double header against Malmö and Brighton, requiring squad rotation to make sure Dyche has fresh options to choose from.

Stability is something that hasn’t always been easy to come by at the City Ground, and club owner Marinakis doesn’t wait around when it is time to make a decision, something he could again demonstrate in January.

Nottingham Forest set for intriguing Christos Mouzakitis pursuit

According to Tuttosport, Nottingham Forest are among a clutch of clubs that are keen on Olympiacos star Christos Mouzakitis, who is also wanted by Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, AC Milan and Napoli.

Intriguingly, the Greek giants are owned by Marinakis, and he is said to be the one who will have the final say on his next destination amid their £30 million asking price for the 18-year-old midfielder.

Mouzakitis is described by Tuttosport as a player who’s ‘already one of the greatest talents in Greek football history’, with a clutch of Premier League sides taking notuce.

However, Forest may well have an edge given their close ties to the teenager via their owner.

Known to idolise AC Milan veteran Luka Modrić, Mouzakitis is a recipient of the TuttoSport Goldenboy Web Award and has registered two assists in 13 appearances this season across all competitions.

Nevertheless, he is under contract until 2029, and Olympiacos will hold the cards should a bidding war start to take place for his services, making it a tough ask for any suitors to land their man for anything less than a premium.

Either way, Marinakis could be the defining factor for Nottingham Forest in this one, and it may be worth keeping an eye to see what developments occur over the coming weeks and months.

Nottingham Forest could also be set to allow a surprise departure