Gary O’Neil is going to have to sell a few Wolverhampton Wanderers players this summer in order to bring in his own transfer targets.

Speaking ahead of the final Premier League match of the season, O’Neil said: “We won't be blessed with resources as in money to spend.

'We have a lot of players out on loan, so hopefully some of them can come back and help us or we will be able to sell some and that will help us [spend].”

Could it be one of their most important players who leaves in the coming weeks, however?

Wolves could sell £60m starlet this summer

Rayan Ait-Nouri was perhaps one of the standout performers under O’Neil last term, firmly establishing himself in the starting XI. Overall, he made 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists as he was mostly used on the left side of the midfield.

This form has clearly attracted plenty of attention from fellow Premier League clubs, as Liverpool and Manchester City are showing interest in the Algerian defender.

The youngster won't come cheap, however, as O’Neil reportedly placed a £60m asking price on him back in April amid interest, which could give the Old Gold a major financial boost.

Losing him would leave a big gap to fill on the left, however. Hugo Bueno is a wonderful talent, but it is clear O’Neil will need to make another signing in this area.

Could a player who has just been released by Tottenham Hotspur be the answer should Ait-Nouri depart?

Wolves could sign a former Spurs starlet

According to reports late last month, Wolves were showing some level of interest in Ryan Sessegnon, who was entering the final few weeks of his spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

Having joined Spurs for £25m back in 2019 with a bright future ahead of him, it didn’t work out in the capital as he made only 57 appearances for the club.

Club

Games

Goals

Assists

Fulham

120

25

18

Tottenham Hotspur

57

3

4

Hoffenheim

29

2

3

Hailed as a “huge talent” by former Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen as he was making his way into the senior ranks, Sessegnon has now been released by Spurs and is a free agent.

Given that O’Neil doesn’t have much money to spend, he could be an ideal replacement for Ait-Nouri should the Algerian move on this summer.

The Englishman has played the majority of his club football on the left side of the midfield, which could allow him to slot into O’Neil’s 3-4-3 formation with ease.

Not only that, but the 24-year-old has scored 30 goals along with registering 25 assists in 206 professional matches, which would have been higher had injuries not halted his progress.

Sessegnon is currently working hard on his fitness at a training camp in Portugal as he looks to impress potential suitors.

According to football.london, his preference is to stay in England with regard to his next move. Could this be all the incentive O’Neil requires to make a move for the 5 foot 7 gem in the coming weeks?

O'Neil selling "underrated" Wolves star would be a bigger loss than Neto

He has interest from the Premier League this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jun 14, 2024

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca explained why he substituted star player Christian Pulisic after he scored a wondergoal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Pulisic scored a wondergoal
• Reacted angrily after being subbed off
• Fonseca explained his decision to take off his best player

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The United States men's national team attacker netted his fourth consecutive Serie A goal as he scored the equaliser with a sensational volley in the 60th minute. Towards the end of the game, Pulisic was subbed off as Fonseca brought in Samuel Chukwueze. The USMNT star was visibly disappointed at the manager's decision as he angrily reacted after being taken off.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Thirteen minutes after Pulisic equalised, Fiorentina restored their lead as Albert Gudmundsson netted the winning goal for his side. After the match, questions were raised over Fonseca's decision to replace the team's best player on the pitch when the club was trailing. He explained that it was a prudent decision to protect the American from serious injury.

• WHAT PAULO FONSECA SAID

  Speaking to DAZN, the manager said, "It was out of caution with Pulisic, he had a problem with his flexor during the week. Chukwueze came in well and created opportunities."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AC MILAN?

  The Rossoneri, who suffered their second defeat of the ongoing Serie A season, will be next seen in action after the international break against Udinese on October 19.

Leeds United have a busy summer ahead of them as they plot to secure promotion to the Premier League from the Championship at the second time of asking.

The Whites failed to make an instant return to the top-flight, following their relegation last year, as they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley last month.

Daniel Farke led his team to a third-placed finish in the league and that meant that they had to go through the play-offs, and they beat Norwich 4-0 over two legs before falling short in the capital.

The German head coach will now have to navigate the upcoming summer transfer window to ensure that his squad is in the best possible position to attack the Championship once again.

Bundesliga side Bayern Munich have been touted with an interest in teen whiz Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto is said to be keen on a move to Italy, and forward Crysencio Summerville has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool.

Central midfielder Ilia Gruev, per TEAMtalk, is also of interest to Borussia Dortmund and the club have placed a price tag of £15m on his head.

This means that Leeds could need a new midfield partner for Glen Kamara, and they are reportedly already in talks with a player who could fulfill that role.

Leeds United in talks to sign £3.4m starlet

According to Italian outlet il Resto del Carlino Sport, via Leeds United News, the Yorkshire-based outfit are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Reggiana attacking midfielder Natan Girma.

The report claims that Italian side Monza alongside English teams Leeds and Watford are all lining up moves to sign the 22-year-old ace, as Farke looks to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

It states that the Hornets and the Whites have already held talks with Reggiana and the player's representatives ahead of a possible summer transfer for the young whiz.

The outlet goes on to add that it could take an offer of up to €4m (£3.4m) to secure his services, and that any bids below €3m will not be considered by the Serie B side.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to pay £3.4m, or a fee within that region, to add the dynamo to their ranks his summer.

If they do decide to push ahead and sign the Swiss maestro then they could land a player who could thrive alongside Kamara in the middle of the park at Elland Road.

Glen Kamara's impressive debut season with Leeds

Farke swooped to sign the Finland international from Scottish giants Rangers ahead of the 2023/24 campaign for a reported fee of around £5m.

The 28-year-old played a crucial role at the base of the midfield for the German head coach as his metronomic play in possession was key to how the team wanted to play.

Leeds looked to dominate the ball and dictate the play by having the majority of the possession, so that they could methodically break down their opponents, as they averaged 58.3% of the ball per game.

Kamara ranked within the top 2% of Championship midfielders for pass accuracy (92.7%), the top 10% for passes attempted per 90 (65.10), and the top 6% for progressive passes per 90 (6.87).

This shows that he was an outstanding passer in the second tier, both in terms of his ability to retain possession at an exceptional rate whilst also being progressive and forward-thinking in his use of the ball.

Minutes played

2,968

7th

Pass accuracy

92.7%

1st

Key passes per game

1.0

4th

Assists

3

5th

Accurate short passes per game

48.6

4th

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old metronome also ranked highly within the Leeds squad in a number of key in possession metrics.

No one was more efficient than him with the ball at their feet, as shown by his incredible pass accuracy, and he added a creative threat on top of that.

However, Kamara did end the Championship season with zero goals in 40 appearances (including the play-offs), which suggests that there is room to improve on that front.

Why Leeds should sign Natan Girma

Girma could now be brought in to thrive alongside the Finnish whiz as he has the quality to offer a box-to-box presence next to the metronomic former Rangers star.

The 22-year-old talent has the ability to offer a goalscoring threat from the middle of the park, to make up for Kamara's struggles at that part of the game, whilst also providing defensive cover in front of the back four.

Firstly, the £3.4m Leeds target scored five goals in 26 appearances in the Serie B for Reggiana during the 2023/24 campaign, and ranked within the top 14% of his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.29).

This suggests that the Swiss wizard, who scored five goals in 21 games for Servette at U21 level, could provide goals from midfield to make up for Kamara's lack of threat in the final third as a finisher.

No central midfielder scored more than one goal in the Championship for the Whites this season, which suggests that Girma could add something that Farke's side desperately lacked.

Alongside his attacking prowess, the former Servette youngster is also an above average defender who can help to win possession back and cut out opposition attacks.

Tackles (2.04)

Top 11%

Interceptions (0.64)

Top 31%

Blocks (1.75)

Top 7%

Clearances (0.99)

Top 35%

Aerial battles won (1.17)

Top 19%

As you can see in the table above, he ranked above average among his positional peers in the Serie B in a variety of key defensive metrics, including tackles, interceptions, and aerial duels won.

These statistics suggest that Girma, who made zero errors that led to shots or goals for the opposition, offers quality in and out of possession for his side.

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ByDan Emery Jun 8, 2024

Therefore, he could be the perfect partner for the metronomic Kamara as the Whites target could be a fantastic box-to-box midfielder to complement the Finnish ace's fantastic ball retention and passing quality in midfield.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي ليفربول يفكر في البديل المناسب لخلافة النجم المصري محمد صلاح في صفوف الفريق الإنجليزي، حال الفشل في التوصل إلى اتفاق لتجديد عقده.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم محمد صلاح مع ليفربول في صيف 2025، أي نهاية هذا الموسم.

وصرّح محمد صلاح أكثر من مرة، في تصريحات علنية مؤخرًا، بعدم وجود مفاوضات أو عروض من جانب مُلاك ليفربول بشأن تجديد عقده.

وذكرت شبكة “fichajes” الإسبانية أنه بينما يعمل ليفربول ضد عقارب الساعة لإنهاء ملف تجديد عقد محمد صلاح، فإن الإدارة تدرس بالفعل البدائل الممكنة في حالة عدم التوصل إلى اتفاق.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ألدريدج: محمد صلاح يلعب في دوري خاص به.. وليفربول يحتاج إلى مهاجم جديد

وأوضحت أنه من بين الأسماء التي يتم تداولها على نطاق واسع لدى إدارة ليفربول، هناك ليروي ساني جناح بايرن ميونخ.

ويعيش ليروي ساني وضعًا مشابهًا لـ محمد صلاح حيث سينتهي عقده مع بايرن ميونخ الصيف المقبل، ولا يوجد اتفاق بشأن التجديد حتى الآن.

وأشارت إلى أن محمد صلاح يُعد جزءًا لا يمكن تعويضه في صفوف ليفربول، ولكن بالنظر إلى كون مفاوضات تجديد عقده لا تتقدم بالسرعة المتوقعة مما يسبب قلقًا للمسؤولين، فإن الإدارة ترى أن ليروي ساني بديلًا مثاليًا نظرًا لملفه المفني وخبرته وتناسبه مع ديناميكيات الفريق.

ومن المعروف عن ليروي ساني، سرعته ومرواغته وقدرته على إحداث الفارق في المباريات، وهو ما يشكل خيارًا جذابًا للغاية لـ ليفربول.

وأفادت أنه في حال وصول ليروي ساني إلى ليفربول، فإنه لن يخفف فقط من آثار رحيل محمد صلاح حال حدوثه، بل سيعزز الفريق الذي يسعى إلى مواصلة المنافسة على أعلى مستوى.

وسبق لـ ليروي ساني اللعب في الدوري الإنجليزي وذلك مع فريق مانشستر سيتي، قبل رحيله في 2020.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na manhã desta quarta-feira, o Flamengo empatou com o Madureira por 1 a 1, em Conselheiro Galvão, em partida válida pelo jogo de ida das quartas de final do Campeonato Carioca sub-20. O Tricolor saiu na frente com gol deDouglas Cunha, mas Daniel Cabral deixou tudo igual e deu números finais ao confronto.

>Nova camisa 3 do Flamengo lançada! Veja galeria de fotos com o uniforme

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O Madureira abriu o placar logo no começo do primeiro tempo.Logo aos sete minutos, depois de uma disputa pelo alto na meia-lua, a bola sobrou para Douglas Cunha, que pegou de primeira para botar o Tricolor na frente.

> Veja a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

O Flamengo conseguiu reagir e o empate veio ainda no primeiro tempo. Aos 34 minutos, André foi lançado em profundidade e tocou para Lázaro, que estava livre na entrada da área. A zaga do Madureira, por sua vez, chegou rápido e conseguiu o desarme. No entanto, a bola sobrou para Daniel Cabral, que cortou a marcação e finalizou para dar números finais ao jogo.

As equipes voltam a campo na próxima quarta-feira para o jogo da volta, na Gávea, às 10h. Por ter melhor campanha do que o Madureira na Taça Guanabara, o Flamengo tem a vantagem do empate para se classificar para a fase semifinal do Campeonato Carioca sub-20.

Flamengo e Madureira empatam em 1 a 1, em Conselheiro Galvão, pelo primeiro jogo das quartas de final do Campeonato Carioca Sub-20.

⚽: @danielcabral5_ #GarotosDoNinho #VamosFlamengo

📸: @mcortesdasilva8 /CRF pic.twitter.com/Pf4A7dqRcm

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) August 25, 2021

Aston Villa are already enjoying a busy summer before the transfer window has even officially opened, and now more midfield reinforcements could be on their way.

Douglas Luiz wants to leave Aston Villa?

After securing Champions League football for the first time in their history courtesy of a fourth-placed Premier League finish, the Villans and NSWE are keen to add quality to their side to ensure that their only movement next season is forwards rather than back.

They have already agreed on arguably their most important deal, tying manager Unai Emery to a new contract which will keep him in charge until 2029, with the Spaniard having led a major turnaround at Villa Park.

Now, their attentions have turned to on-the-pitch matters. To that end, they have begun strengthening their midfield ranks, with Ross Barkley set to arrive in a £5m deal from relegated Luton Town imminently after a deal was agreed with the former Villa loanee.

However, they were rocked by news from Italy claiming that Douglas Luiz has asked to leave the club this summer, despite having two years left to run on his contract with Aston Villa and having just enjoyed his best season to date.

Douglas Luiz's excellent 23/24 season
Appearances	35
Goals	9
Assists	5
Shots on target per 90	0.39
Key passes per 90	1.59

He is reportedly valued at around 60m euros (£51m), and his sale would certainly prove beneficial for financial fair play reasons, which could allow Aston Villa to spend big on the rest of their squad this summer amid links to Conor Gallagher. Now, it appears Monchi is on the hunt for yet another midfielder.

Monchi low-balls for McKennie

That comes in the shape of Juventus man Weston McKennie, who has been touted as a potential option in a swap deal for Luiz in Italy.

However, it appears that Villa could also be keen on doing a straight-up cash transaction for the 25-year-old, whose previous Premier League experience came via a difficult loan spell at Leeds United which ended in their relegation.

Aston Villa lurking for £25m target who's fallen out with his current coach

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The USMNT midfielder is approaching the final year of his £53,000 a week deal in Turin, and is thought to be available for around €25m (£21m) this summer, with Juve not expecting him to renew his contract and a departure seeming 'inevitable' ahead of the new campaign.

That is according to Tuttosport, relayed by Sport Witness, who add that Villa are looking to sign him on the cheap this summer, with Monchi personally driving negotiations. The ex-Sevilla Sporting Director is reportedly 'willing to pay between €12m and €15m (£10m and £13m) for the 25-year-old's signing' on a permanent basis this summer, around half of what Juventus were holding out for.

Despite this, it is added that 'discussions remain open' and that fresh talks are expected in the future, though any deal is likely to be delayed by the Copa America taking place from the middle of June.

Any move for McKennie, on top of a deal for Barkley and a potential move for Gallagher, would likely be contingent on one of Villa's current midfield options moving on, even if it is not in a swap deal. Should Luiz become available, clubs from the Premier League may well be willing to offer Villa a better deal than Juve can put together.

An inventive 79 not out off 47 balls from Suryakumar Yadav – his highest score in the IPL – carried the Mumbai Indians to 193 for 4, setting up their fourth victory in six matches this IPL. In pursuit of a tall target, the Rajasthan Royals lost three wickets in the powerplay, including that of their captain Steven Smith and Sanju Samson. Jos Buttler then slugged a 44-ball 70, threatening a comeback, but the Royals were ultimately dismissed for 136 in 18.1 overs.The 57-run victory – which also featured a fearsome Jasprit Bumrah spell (4-20) – meant Mumbai climbed to the top of the points table followed by the Delhi Capitals, who have played one match fewer, at No.2.After Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma sped away to 49-run opening stand, Yadav, in contrast, got off to a slow start – he was on 12 off 11 balls at one point. He watched Sharma and Ishan Kishan hole out off successive balls. He then watched Krunal Pandya, who was promoted to No.5 ahead of his younger brother Hardik and Kieron Pollard, struggle to 12 off 17 balls. However, Yadav’s wide range of strokes ensured Mumbai still took 68 from their last five overs and finished very strongly.Sharma, de Kock quick off the blocks
De Kock, who regained form with 67 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in Sharjah, set the tone in Abu Dhabi, too, with a crisp four off the first delivery from Ankit Rajpoot, who was picked ahead of left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat. The ball slid onto the bat in the early exchanges, with Sharma also using the extra pace of Rajpoot to his advantage. After launching him into the Royals dug out over the long-off fence, he sat back, waiting for the short ball and cracked it away to the left of sweeper cover.Smith used as many as five bowlers in the powerplay, but it was 19-year old debutant Kartik Tyagi who produced the breakthrough when he bounced out de Kock for 23. Sharma progressed to 35 before legspinner Shreyas Gopal had him caught at long-on with a wrong’un. His first delivery to Kishan, too was a wrong’un, which he spliced to extra-cover. Mumbai were 88 for 3 in the 10th over. A scoopful of Surya
After using his long reach to get to a pitch of a Gopal legbreak and pump it over extra-cover, Yadav hung back and placed Tyagi either side of third man for fours. Another great piece of placement – late-cut between the keeper and short third man for four brought him a fifty off 33 balls.The Royals had reserved two overs of Jorfra Archer for Pollard and Hardik at the death, but in the end Pollard wasn’t needed at all. While Hardik forced Archer down the ground for four, Yadav unfurled his ramps and scoops to pepper the ‘V’ behind the wicket. Thirty seven of his 79 runs came in that region. It was quite fitting that he helped finish the innings with a ramped four. Hardik did his bit in the unbroken 76-run stand with Yadav off six overs, contributing 30 off 19 balls.Buttler or nothing for Royals
Trent Boult found swing with the new ball once again, removing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck in the first over of the chase. Then, in the next over as Bumrah opened the bowling for the first time this season, Smith fell swiping wildly for the third time in three matches. When Boult drew a top-edged pull from Samson to mid-on, the Royals were 12 for 3 in the third over.Buttler played himself in, getting to a run-a-ball 24 before exploding against the slower bowlers. He claimed 49 off 24 balls from Krunal, Rahul Chahar and Pollard.It needed a spectacular catch at the long-on boundary from Pollard – another special from the specialist T20 outfielder that will likely break YouTube – to get rid of Buttler in the 14th over. Royals lost their last five wickets for 38 runs and their third game in a row. The punches weren’t done yet. Long after the game was done, the IPL fined Smith INR 12 lakh for slow over-rate.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola may look back on the 2023/24 campaign as a failure after his side only collected one major trophy.

The Sky Blues lifted the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive season but that was their only piece of silverware, as they fell short in the domestic cups and the Champions League.

They were beaten by Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup and lost to Real Madrid, the eventual champions at Wembley, on penalties in Europe.

Guardiola, therefore, may look to utilise the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business earlier this month, to bolster his playing squad before the end of August.

The Cityzens have already been linked with moves for Barcelona's Frenkie De Jong, Bologna centre-back Riccardo Calafiori, and Bayern Munich sensation Jamal Musiala, who was formerly on the books at Chelsea.

City are also reportedly in the market to land Musiala's teammate at international and club level ahead of a possible exit from the Bavarian giants this summer…

Man City in contention to sign Germany star

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Premier League champions are one of a number of clubs in contention to sign Joshua Kimmich.

The journalist names Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Liverpool as the five 'top' sides who are viable suitors for the Germany international.

Interestingly, he adds that the versatile midfielder does not currently have an active agent representing him, which means that any team who wants to sign him this summer will need to contact him directly to negotiate terms ahead of any potential transfer.

That claim came after Plettenberg had reported that it is 'increasingly likely' that Kimmich will secure a move away from Bayern Munich ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

His current contract with the Bundesliga side is due to expire in the summer of 2025 and the 29-year-old star is 'unlikely' to put pen to paper on an extension.

This has left Bayern in a difficult position, as they would not want to lose him on a free transfer next year, and they are now prepared to listen to offers for him this summer.

The reporter adds that 'concrete' talks will take place after the 2024 European Championship, in which Germany have made it to the round of 16, to sort out his future ahead of next season.

If City do end up winning the race for the midfielder, who appears set to leave Bayern, then they could land a phenomenal partner for Rodri in the middle of the park.

Rodri's midfield excellence for City

Once again, Rodri was a colossus in midfield for the Cityzens during their 2023/24 Premier League title success as he bossed teams week-in-week-out.

The Spain international, who was off the back of being named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2022/23 campaign, was a dominant force for Guardiola to help his side to yet another league title.

His ability in possession of the ball allowed him, and City, to dictate and control matches, which then allowed the attackers to weave their magic in the final third to secure the points needed to finish top of the division.

Passes attempted (112.26)

Top 1%

Pass accuracy (92%)

Top 3%

Progressive passes (11.55)

Top 1%

Shot-creating actions (4.82)

Top 5%

Non-penalty goals (0.25)

Top 7%

Assists (0.28)

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, Rodri ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of key passing metrics, with his progressive passing being a particular standout.

The average midfielder in the Premier League completed 4.84 progressive passes per 90, less than half as many as the Spaniard managed, and this illustrates just how forward-thinking and incisive the star was with his passes.

His work out of possession was also impressive as the 28-year-old metronome won 71% of his aerial duels and 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League, which shows that he was dominant in physical battles to win possession back and stop opposition attacks.

City could now land a dream partner for Rodri, who won 2.9 tackles and interceptions in the top-flight last term, by securing a deal to sign Kimmich this summer.

Why Man City should sign Joshua Kimmich

The 29-year-old defensive midfielder, who can also play at right-back, is a phenomenal talent who could form an extraordinary partnership with the Spanish star in the middle of the park.

Like Rodri, Kimmich is perfectly suited to playing in a ball-dominant team and has the quality in possession to be a creative and progressive passer.

He ranked within the top 3% of Bundesliga midfielders for passes attempted per 90 (93.76) and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90 (9.47), which speaks to his desire to get on the ball and play forward to find his teammates in dangerous areas.

The £316k-per-week star also ranked within the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (5.29), the top 6% for Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.29), and the top 13% for assists per 90 (0.25).

This shows that Kimmich, who was dubbed a "mentality monster" by ex-boss Hansi Flick, also has the ability to create chances at an impressive rate from a midfield berth.

Appearances

34

28

xA

6.10

9.27

Big chances created

8

11

Ball recoveries per game

6.9

5.0

Ground duel success rate

56%

60%

Pass accuracy

92%

91%

As you can see in the table above, both players were fairly evenly matched in their respective divisions last season when it came to their work in and out of possession.

Kimmich, however, created more 'big chances' and ended the campaign with a higher xA, despite playing six fewer games, and this suggests that he could offer more creativity than Rodri for City.

The German ace did lose a whopping 70% of his aerial duels but these constrasting statistics perfectly illustrate why they could form a terrific pairing.

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Rodri can be the strong defensive force, who can dominate opponents in the air, and Kimmich can take the creative reins to consistently break down opposition defences next season.

South Australia collapsed to lose their last eight wickets for 84

Daniel Brettig12-Oct-2020

Shaun Marsh plundered a century in the final session•Getty Images

Ashton Agar and Shaun Marsh led a dominant display for Western Australia to give them a lead of 362 and set up a final day victory push against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield match at Karen Rolton Oval.Having begun proceedings at 1 for 178, the Redbacks lost the centurion Jake Weatherald just the fourth ball of the morning as he hung his bat out to a Cameron Gannon delivery outside the off stump, and never again regained control of their destiny.Agar followed up his century in the company of Josh Inglis by twirling his way to five wickets, starting with Travis Head when the South Australia captain top edged an attempt to clear the midwicket boundary. Gaining some appreciable turn out of the footmarks, Agar conjured a classic to bowl Harry Nielsen between bat and pad, and with a trio of tail-end wickets claimed his last four victims for seven runs in 53 balls – taking his figures from 1 for 96 in 22.4 overs to 5 for 103 in 33.The displays of Agar, Lloyd Pope and Mitchell Swepson will all be sources of encouragement for the national selectors, as spin has played a far larger role in the first two Shield games than was the case for the vast majority of last summer on a succession of grassy surfaces.The Redbacks had lost nine wickets for 134 on a friendly batting surface, giving the Warriors plenty of time to build their lead in the final session, and of the batsmen to appear on day three, only Brad Davis and the stranded Liam Scott could be even moderately happy with their efforts.Sam Whiteman was an early casualty in Western Australia’s second innings, touching a bouncer from Chadd Sayers through to Nielsen, but from there Marsh took complete control of the game with Cameron Bancroft working the ball around at the other end.Marsh was able to take advantage of some loose stuff from Pope, who was far too variable in his length, while of the other bowlers only Scott’s medium pacers were able to restrict the flow of runs in any meaningful way. This meant that the lead accrued quickly, even to the point that Marsh might have been able to consider a declaration late in the day.Instead, he was content to bat through to stumps and in doing so reach a century scored with ease, with Bancroft falling to a terrific running catch by Tom Cooper from what became the final ball of the day. Agar’s spin out of the footmarks will be critical to the tale of the fourth innings.

Deivarayan Muthu24-Oct-20202:54

Gambhir: Kings XI’s attack seems to have all boxes ticked now

The Kings XI Punjab had no business winning this. They had managed all of two boundaries in their last 13 overs, and it could’ve been just one had David Warner not fumbled at wide long-off in the final over of the Kings XI’s innings. Rashid Khan, Jason Holder, and Sandeep Sharma all bowled skilfully to limit the Kings XI to 126 for 7.David Warner and Jonny Bairstow then dashed out of the blocks, and rattled off 56 together in 38 balls. The Sunrisers Hyderabad had no business losing this. However, they unravelled spectacularly in the face of smart bowling on a tiring Dubai track to be bundled out for 114, losing 10 for 58. Chris Jordan, picked in place of James Neesham, and Arshdeep Singh claimed five of those wickets in the last two overs as the Kings XI defended the lowest total this IPL.The Kings XI’s come-from-behind victory – their fourth win on the trot – moved them up to fifth on the points table, just behind the Kolkata Knight Riders who had retained their fourth spot after toppling the Delhi Capitals earlier in the day. As for the Sunrisers, they dropped to sixth, but they’re still in the hunt for the playoffs and are the only team outside the top three with a positive net run-rate.Rashid, and his ripping googlies
After perfectly judging a skier at deep-square leg to get rid of Mandeep Singh, who has been pushed up to the top in place of the injured Mayank Agarwal, for 17 off 14 balls, he tested KL Rahul and Chris Gayle with big-turning googlies.Gayle and his off stump were beaten in Khan’s first over, then in his second Rahul hastily stabbed a shorter googly towards midwicket. He made the incision in his third with a tossed-up googly that dipped sharply and bowled Rahul through the gate for a run-a-ball 27.The collapse, part one
At the other end, Holder kept hiding the ball away from Gayle’s swinging arc. Gayle duly tried to manufacture a boundary, but couldn’t clear long-off. Then, when Glenn Maxwell searched for a release, he holed out to long-on. He has now played out 100 balls this IPL without hitting a six.In the absence of Neesham, the Kings XI’s batting was lighter, and when Jordan flapped a catch to short-fine leg for 7, they were 105 for 6. However, in the last two overs, Nicholas Pooran struck two fours, the second of which slid under Warner, to drag his team to 126 for 7.The collapse, part two
Even though the pitch was slowing down in the second half, the total didn’t look enough. It certainly didn’t look enough when Warner and Bairstow dominated the Kings XI in the powerplay, sprinting to 52 for 0.Warner reverse-whipped legspinner Ravi Bishnoi’s first ball for four, and then when he attempted an encore off the second, he tickled a googly behind and was given out following a successful review from Rahul, who had caught the ball behind the stumps. In the next over, M Ashwin, the other legspinner drifted a legbreak in and bowled Bairstow around his legs.Rahul then punted on Mohammed Shami and brought him back, deciding to finish his quota by the ninth over. Abdul Samad, who was promoted to No. 4, took on Shami, but holed out to mid-off, where Jordan grabbed an excellent overhead catch.It probably still didn’t look enough when previous match-winners Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar were tapping the ball into the gaps, adding 33 off 44 balls. However, it started to look enough once J Suchith, the substitute fielder, plucked one out of thin air to remove Pandey for 15 off 29 balls.After Arshdeep Singh had Shankar nicking off for 26 off 27 balls, the equation boiled down to 17 off 12 balls with five wickets in hand. The batsmen panicked, but Jordan and Singh didn’t, and it proved 13 runs too many for the Sunrisers.