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A shortage of water in the region means giving the pitch what it needs to come alive – as South Africa no doubt prefer – is a challenge

Firdose Moonda31-Dec-20173:05

Know your opponent: Kagiso Rabada

And on the last morning of 2017, it rained.Okay, it drizzled, but for the people of the Western Cape, the province of South Africa enduring its worst drought in more than a hundred years, the drops were welcomed like small mercies. Things in this part of the country are bad. Showers are timed at no more than two minutes, toilet flushing has been reduced to only if absolutely necessary, and people have been asked not to use more than 87 litres of water each per day.It’s in these circumstances that India’s tour of South Africa begins, in these conditions that South Africa hope to be able to present India with a pitch with pace, bounce and seam movement. And the only way that can happen is with the sprinkling of water.Luckily, Newlands has borehole-water supply but groundsman Evan Flint told ESPNcricinfo it has still been a tricky preparatory period. “With the pitch, we’ve been able to carry on watering it as usual every day with borehole water. But the outfield, we’ve only watered it twice a week so it’s a little bit drier and maybe not as lush as we would like it. The challenge is that we need to leave live grass on the wicket, thin grass, so that there is pace, but we want to make sure the ball doesn’t grip and turn. Ideally, what we need is a little bit of rain in the morning and then sun in the afternoon and I don’t know how many days we will get that for.”December 31 was a rare day on which exactly that happened, but Flint hasn’t seen much of that over the last few months. The usual Cape winter rains were thin and the unseasonal spring and summer showers have been few and far between. Still, he has been hard at work since the off season started in April.Flint usually spends months “keeping an eye” on his Test pitch – it is generally the same one and it generally does the same things. There’s some life in it upfront, it flattens out over the next two days and then starts to deteriorate. In recent years, the wearing down of the pitch has not happened as much as expected, something Flint recognised. “That has sometimes been a criticism of my pitches – that they don’t deteriorate,” he said.The 2011 New Year’s Test , which India played in, is a case in point. After India made some early inroads, both sides scored first innings totals of over 350, South Africa’s second innings was just under 350 and India were set 340 to win. They would likely have got there if time hadn’t run out. It’s tough to say the same about South Africa’s chances of taking wickets. The drawn match at Newlands gave India their best result in a series in South Africa: also a draw.Getty ImagesThat they hope to go one better this time is a no-brainer and they have come with a balanced enough side to mount a serious challenge. Furthermore, South Africa will remember how the green mambas in Johannesburg in 2006 and in Durban in 2010 backfired on them. Those two matches remain the only two India have have won in this country, having played 17. Back then, they had an attack with one or two standouts (Sreesanth in 2006, Zaheer Khan in 2010) and a few supporting acts. Now, they have a five-man attack, all equally capable of holding their own.Still, South Africa see their best chance as trusting in their bowlers to do the damage and their batsmen to withstand, much like India did the last time South Africa visited their shores in 2015. Rank turners in Mohali and Nagpur meant two of the four matches end inside three days, in India’s favour. The Nagpur pitch was subsequently rated poor by the ICC but the fact remained, India had ended South Africa’s nine-year unbeaten run on the road. It doesn’t need any further explanation to conclude that South Africa will want to get some of their own back.”Everybody is pretty clear on what they want. We’ve tweaked a few things in terms of trying to get fresh green grass and we’re also working on getting the wicket hard, so we’re rolling it, but we have to keep the grass alive at the same time,” Flint said. “It will help the bowlers out in the beginning but it’s not going to be the Wanderers or Centurion.”South Africa may have to wait until the second and third Tests upcountry to really unleash their full hostility on India. Until then, they can only know that Newlands has done everything it can to support the cause, and, like everyone else in the province, they can pray for morning rain.

Glasgow Rangers secured a relatively comfortable win against Ross County over the weekend which sets Michael Beale's Ibrox side up nicely for their vital Champions League playoff tie second leg on Wednesday evening.

The task against PSV Eindhoven will be tough, yet the Gers secured a famous 1-0 victory away from home against the same opposition a year ago and the boss will be hoping lightning does indeed strike twice.

With the transfer window closing on Friday, Beale may also be eyeing a late deal or two, and he alluded to it while speaking to Sky Sports.

What has Michael Beale said about incomings at Rangers?

In quotes relayed by The Scottish Sun), the manager said:

"I think there's been a little bit in terms of one or two names out there there's been a little bit of truth in that. But nothing for us to confirm right now.

"Come the end of the window you may see one or two out and one in but it is all open at the moment in that sense."

With Ianis Hagi already joining Alaves on a loan deal, could Beale move on another player, this time Ben Davies?

Does Ben Davies have a future at Rangers?

At the beginning of the month, The 4th Official gave a transfer update on the defender's future, saying that “Ben Davies told he is free to move away” and it looked as though the Light Blues were getting ready to sell their £4m signing after just a year at the club.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The 2022/23 campaign wasn't the greatest for the former Liverpool defender as he failed to rank in the top ten across the squad for overall Sofascore rating and tackles per game, while ranking seventh for interceptions per game, indicating that he wasn’t as influential as first anticipated upon his arrival.

The Gers have shown interest in a few defenders of late, with Zak Vyner and Jake Cooper the names mentioned. Cooper has recently signed a new deal with Millwall however and a move for Vyner doesn’t look like it will materialise.

As such, the 42-year-old may well be out to target the English Championship for someone else; Harry Souttar.

Are Rangers signing Harry Souttar?

The Leicester City centre-back was first linked a few weeks ago by journalist Geoff Peters, who said:

“Rangers are interested in taking Harry Souttar on loan from Leicester City. Souttar was an unused sub against Coventry at the weekend and not in the 20-man #lcfc squad tonight at Burton. Other clubs also monitoring the situation. His older brother John joined Rangers last year.”

Souttar has played 73 matches across the top two divisions in England since arriving at Stoke City in 2016, yet it was the 2022/23 season where he began to show his true worth.

Firstly, he starred at the 2022 World Cup for Australia, showcasing his defensive qualities by winning a whopping 4.8 total duels per game – at a success rate of 68% – while also making 5.5 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per game, good enough to rank him first and second in the squad for the latter two metrics.

Additionally, he was also solid for the Foxes during the second half of the season, despite their relegation, winning a staggering 3.2 aerial duels per game – a success rate of 86% – while he also ranked in the top ten for clearances and interceptions. Considering he started just 11 matches for the club, this is rather impressive.

The £40k-per-week centre-back was even hailed as a “beast” by journalist Sacha Pisani following Australia’s win over Tunisia at the World Cup, and he would be an excellent addition should Beale decide to move for him in the coming days.

They may well have to ship out Davies first, but it would surely be a worthwhile decision by the Gers.

The South Africa fast bowler will be reassessed in four to six weeks’ time

Firdose Moonda08-Jan-2018Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the Test series against India, after seeing a foot and ankle specialist on Sunday, the third day of the first Test. Steyn will be reassessed in four to six weeks’ time. He had sustained significant damage on his left heel in Cape Town.Standing on crutches at the end of the Test, which South Africa won by 72 runs on Monday, Steyn told the host broadcaster that he should be ‘up and running in six weeks’. “I’m on the crutches because I’ve got a no bearing weight on the leg for a while, at least two weeks, which makes it seem worse than it actually is,” he said. “But it’s right underneath the heel, so it’s extremely sore to stand on or step on. And as you know, as fast bowlers we land on that front foot pretty often. So I’m going to have to give it time to recover – six weeks, and I’ll be up and running again.”In his first Test in over a year, Steyn bowled with fire to nip out two wickets and move within two scalps of equalling Shaun Pollock’s South Africa record of 421 Test wickets. “I feel incredibly bad for Dale,” Faf du Plessis, the South Africa captain said. “Having been injured myself, I know it takes a lot of time and effort to try and get back. Dale worked for a year. It was great to see him back and it looked like he didn’t go anywhere. Standing at slip, he looked like he could nick off guys at any time. Luckily, it’s not his shoulder again.”Steyn suffered the injury just before tea on the second day, when he landed awkwardly in the footholds, and then pulled out of the last three balls of his over. He was immediately taken for a scan, which showed that the plantar fascia (the tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes) has separated from the bone. He saw a specialist on Sunday, who confirmed the nature and extent of the injury but was unable to provide any means of speeding up his recovery.”I get quite close to the stumps, but that ball, I came a little bit wider and landed on the side of the foothold,” he said. “And I must have slipped on it a little bit. I walked back, stood there for a little bit, went to the top of my mark and tried to run, and I was like, ‘no, this isn’t happening’. I thought it was a bit of a bruised heel and they said, ‘let’s just go get an MRI to be 100 percent sure’. It showed up a little tear in the muscle underneath the heel.”Steyn is currently in a moon boot and will be reassessed as his recovery progresses. South Africa’s selectors have named Duanne Olivier, who played against Bangladesh, and Lungi Ngidi, who has returned to form after a back injury over the winter, as replacements.Given that Steyn’s injury has occurred just over seven weeks before South Africa host Australia in March, he could be doubtful for the start of that series as well. Steyn would probably need some game time before playing international cricket again. South Africa’s franchise four-day competition resumes in February, which could give Steyn an opportunity to play long-format cricket in a bid to make another Test comeback. South Africa will also be playing ODIs and T20s against India in February, which Steyn may target.”Yeah, that (getting ready for the Australia series) is the plan. Next two weeks, nothing on my feet. Stay off my feet. After that, I’ll start walking around, and in about four weeks, I’ll start running and then look to start practicing again in six weeks. That’s a long time. I spent a whole year out, so when someone says to me six weeks, it doesn’t sound too bad,” he said with a laugh.This is the fourth major injury Steyn has suffered since late 2015. A groin problem sustained in India in November that year kept him out of three of the four Tests on that tour, and when he returned on Boxing Day 2015, he suffered the first of his two shoulder injuries. He was unable to play three of the four home Tests against England, but was fit by the time New Zealand played in South Africa in August 2016. He played both Tests before breaking a bone in his shoulder in Australia in November 2016, and was out of the game for 14 months before making a comeback against India.Steyn has now not completed three of the last five Tests he has played. “If it was my shoulder, which I was struggling with over the last year, that would have been extremely disappointing,” he said. “But this is a cricket injury, it’s like a batter getting hit on the hand and breaking a finger. So I’m okay with that, just got to put it away and get on with the job.”

Daniel Farke has likely not enjoyed the start to his Leeds United career that he would have hoped for, but after the tumultuous summer he was forced to oversee, he can hardly be blamed for needing some extra recovery following its conclusion.

With the transfer window now well and truly shut, as the international break prolongs their wait for another Championship fixture, the German will likely be working night and day to conjure up a style that can keep them dominating the ball and forcing the issue, but add the cutting-edge that they have been somewhat lacking in key moments.

How many goals are Leeds conceding?

The Whites have averaged 59.4% possession and 15.4 shots per game in the league, yet only have seven goals in just five matches, four of which actually came in just one game, via Sofascore. This has led to a sole win thus far.

However, as if to propose a counter-balance for their profligacy, the defence has instead drawn praise, despite also conceding seven. That admittedly remains a far more favourable figure given they shipped 78 in just 38 Premier League clashes last term, but again Farke will continue to strive for perfection.

This slight upturn in solidity can be largely attributed to the emergence of Joe Rodon, having joined in that aforementioned summer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Given how he has started life at Elland Road, already this looks like a shrewd piece of business.

With a team-high 91.7% pass accuracy, 1.3 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game across the squad, it seems the Wales international could be the rock that they build their success off this campaign. That is unless their club captain makes a triumphant return to fitness.

When will Liam Cooper be fit?

As they battled with Cardiff City in their Championship curtain-raiser, the clash was marred by Liam Cooper's substitution following another unfortunate injury.

The Scotland international has been plagued with various ailments for many years now, with this marking the latest in a long line of frustrating moments in his career.

When fit, the 32-year-old has been one of the Whites' most important players, but the issue remains that luck never seems to be on his side.

He has missed the bulk of the last two seasons, both of which saw the club desperately scrapping for survival. What his leadership on the pitch has offered in the past could have been invaluable in that battle, with Javi Gracia outlining this: "He can do many things on the pitch but he’s very important as well out of the pitch: his personality can help us in this moment. He’s ready."

With Leeds' official website ruling him out for up to eight weeks at the start of August, this international break has eased that figure by hopefully bringing them halfway towards his return. Fans can now start harking back to his finer years at the club as a measure of what they could finally be getting.

21/22 Hamstring Injury

99

18/19 Knee Injury

40

23/24 Foot Injury

27*

20/21 Chest Injury

25

20/21 Groin Injury

22

All stats via Transfermarkt

After all, his displays in their first season back in the top flight were exceptional, as the £25k-per-week titan maintained a 7.10 average rating, the fifth-highest within his squad that year.

This was a figure buoyed by his 86% pass accuracy, alongside his 75% dribble success rate, merging his comfort on the ball with a steely 2.4 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 2.7 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

When fit, there are few around that boast not only his defensive impact but also the support he distils to his teammates. Cooper's return will mark a triumphant one, that could see him usurp Rodon and take the Championship by surprise with a run of games free from injury.

Karachi Whites chased 282 with ease to beat Peshawar by five wickets in the first semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2018
Khurram Manzoor made 100 off 70 balls•PCBA century from Khurram Manzoor guided Karachi Whites to a five-wicket win over Peshawar in the first semi-final on Thursday. Peshawar, who had decided to bat first after winning the toss, posted 281 before they were bundled out in the final over.Eight of the top nine batsman reached double figures, with captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with 72. Regular wickets in the final third of the innings derailed Peshawar in their quest for a 300-plus score. Anwar Ali and Mohammad Asghar were the pick of Karachi’s bowlers, taking three wickets each to chip away at Peshawar.Karachi Whites led an impressively strong reply, with an 80-run opening partnership between Manzoor and captain Asad Shafiq setting them on course. Akbar-ur-Rehman, at number three, linked up with Manzoor in the match-defining partnership. The pair contributed 113 runs for the second wicket as Rehman scored 82, with the game effectively done.Quick wickets made it a tense affair towards the end, but Danish Aziz ensured the good work of the top order would not go to waste. He hit two sixes and a four in an 8-ball 20 to see his side home with five balls to spare.

Liverpool have been given a major update in their pursuit of an exciting new forward, as a key figure overseas has detailed the latest on the player's future.

What's the latest transfer business at Liverpool?

Over the summer, FSG and Jurgen Klopp recruited four fresh faces in the form of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, but whilst club chiefs were busy bolstering their midfield ranks, they were also sanctioning the sales of several players.

In terms of outgoings, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho completed permanent switches to Saudi Arabia, whilst the likes of Roberto Firmino and James Milner departed for free, alongside Fabio Carvalho and Nathaniel Phillips who were sent out on loan for the remainder of the season, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite not bringing him to Anfield before the deadline, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams is someone to have since been linked with a move, as sources in Spain report that the Reds have asked for the conditions of a deal for the right-winger ahead of January.

The Spain international’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year so he could be available for a cut-price at the start of 2024, even though his current deal has a €50m (£43m) release clause, therefore handing FSG the perfect opportunity to secure their target and get him to the Premier League for less.

Are Liverpool signing Nico Williams?

Speaking to Movistar, Athletic’s president, Jon Uriarte, has revealed that Bilbao are currently in talks with Williams and his loved ones regarding signing a new contract at the San Mames Stadium. As quoted by Football Transfers, he said:

“Both Nico Williams and his family are very happy in Bilbao and with Athletic. We’re working on both sides so that he can stay for many years.”

How many goals has Nico Williams scored?

Since the start of his career, Williams has racked up 44 contributions (23 assists and 21 goals) in 116 appearances, including four assists in the same number of games this season in La Liga, so the fact that he’s expected to put pen to paper on fresh terms will come as a huge blow to Klopp and FSG.

The Pamplona native also ranks in the 90th percentile for successful take-ons so loves to dribble past his marker and whip balls into the box – he’s so far recorded 14 crosses this campaign which is the joint third-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

Furthermore, Bilbao's 21-year-old has the ability to operate out wide on the opposite right flank and slightly deeper in the midfield alongside his usual role on the left, but this versatility is yet another attractive attribute that the boss will have to do without as he is likely to miss out on bringing his target to Merseyside.

Whilst Williams, who has been labelled an “incredible” player by his brother Inaki Williams, has attracted interest, it's clear to see from the above update that he feels his future lies with Ernesto Valverde's side, therefore, prising him away in the new year feels like a pretty much impossible task.

The fast bowler took the wickets of Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh on the second day at Newlands to reach the milestone in his 85th Test

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town23-Mar-2018Morne Morkel has become the fifth South African bowler to 300 Test wickets, after taking three wickets on the second day of the Newlands Test against Australia. Morkel’s milestone came up in his 85th Test; at tea, his tally stood at 300 at an average of 28.07, in his final series as an international cricketer.Morkel will retire at the end of the ongoing series, and there is no guarantee he will feature in the fourth Test which has only made reaching the landmark all the more important. He was dropped for the second Test at St George’s Park after a poor start in Durban, where he took three wickets but bowled better as the match went on, and is competing with Lungi Ngidi for a place in the starting XI.Morkel may not even have played at Newlands, but Ngidi suffered a toe injury, which allowed the lanky quick the opportunity for a farewell in the city he has called home for the last three years. Morkel moved from Pretoria to Cape Town in 2015, and though he does not play for the Cobras domestic franchise, with no fixture at SuperSport Park, Newlands is the closest he will get to a home goodbye.And he made sure it will be one to remember.Bowling first change, Morkel replaced Vernon Philander shortly before lunch and took a wicket with his third ball. The Wynberg End offered extra bounce and Morkel found some immediately; Usman Khawaja had not made allowance for the lift and pulled straight to Kagiso Rabada at fine leg to send Australia into the break at 67 for 2.Morkel continued after the interval and in his second over after lunch got the big fish. Australian captain Steven Smith was also undone by extra bounce and fended a catch to Dean Elgar at gully, to be dismissed for 5 and become Morkel’s 299th victim.Then came a wait for Morkel. He bowled four more overs in that spell without adding to his wicket tally, before returning for a new spell and striking with his third ball. Shaun Marsh chased a wide ball and nicked off to Quinton de Kock, prompting animated celebrations from the usually reserved Morkel. He screamed in delight before acknowledging an appreciative crowd. Among those cheering him on was his wife, the Australian journalist Roz Kelly, and their two-year-old son Arias.

The games will be played in Dehradun, a north Indian city that has not hosted international cricket before

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018Ahead of their highly anticipated Test debut against India next month, Afghanistan will also host Bangladesh for three T20 internationals in Dehradun, the capital of the state of Uttarakhand in north India.The matches are all day-night fixtures beginning at 8pm IST and will be played on June 3, 5 and 7. They will be the first significant fixtures held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.”From the report I got, the ground looks fine and there are enough facilities. The hotels are also quite good,” Akram Khan, BCB’s cricket operations chairman, said. The only slight problem being the hotel is about 45 minutes from the ground. Otherwise everything seems fine. I think we will also be playing a practice match ahead of the three-match series.”The two countries have played each other only once previously – at the 2014 World Twenty20 in Dhaka – where hosts Bangladesh routed Afghanistan by nine wickets. Afghanistan are currently ranked eighth on the ICC T20I team rankings, and Bangladesh are tenth.The Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Shafiq Stanikzai said: “The ongoing training camp in India in which players from the national and U-19 teams as well as top performers from domestic cricket will help the selection committee to select a strong side for the T20I series against Bangladesh. These matches will be important for both sides to gain valuable points in the ICC rankings and the lead up to the 2020 ICC World Twenty20″.”This promises to be a very competitive series,” BCB chief executive Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said. “Afghanistan have some fine players for this format and they will have the advantage of familiarity with the conditions in Dehradun. However, the Bangladesh team is a confident and experienced unit and we are really looking forward to the matches.”Afghanistan’s one-off Test against India begins in Bengaluru on June 14.

Chelsea transfer chiefs appear set to be thwarted by European champions PSG in their pursuit of a top target, with Enzo Maresca dealt his first summer blow as he looks to reshape the squad in his image.

"Huge fan" – Maresca really wants Chelsea to sign £68m Real Madrid target

The Italian views him as a top transfer priority.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 21, 2025

Despite possessing a squad rich with youthful quality, their 3-1 Club World Cup defeat to Brazilian side Flamengo indicates there is still plenty of work to be done on the squad, with Maresca also looking to transform Chelsea into genuine title challengers.

The Italian, speaking in a press conference after Chelsea’s damaging loss – which now makes their next game against ES Tunis an absolute must-win – admitted that he’s currently experimenting with his system and tactics in preparation for 2025/2026.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

“Unfortunately, we conceded two goals in a very short period, a very short moment — and then the red card,” Maresca said.

“Then it’s very complicated to come back into the game. We tried, but congratulations to them. I think we tried to do something different during the game, also for next season, but congratulations to them. Now we have one more game, and we are going to try to win the next one.”

Off the field, one of many items on Chelsea’s to-do list when it comes to summer recruitment is the addition of a new central defender – which has long been rumoured as a priority.

Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Wesley Fofana face uncertain futures, according to some reports, with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande among the names on Chelsea’s centre-back shortlist this summer.

However, Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi won’t be moving to west London.

Chelsea target Illia Zabarnyi agrees to join PSG

Zabarnyi was called the Premier League’s most “underrated” defender recently by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, and Chelsea recently knocked on the Ukraine international’s door in their pursuit of another option for the heart of Maresca’s defence.

“He is probably the most underrated player,” said Redknapp.

“I also spoke with Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko, and he mentioned that Illia has everything it takes to reach the next level. Everyone is talking about Dean Huijsen. Yes, he is a fantastic young player, but Zabarnyi plays very aggressively in defense as well. I was genuinely impressed by him. He shows remarkable calmness on the pitch.”

Bournemouth are demanding around £51 million to let the 22-year-old leave, but according to journalist Graeme Bailey, Zabarnyi has agreed terms to join PSG despite Chelsea’s attempts to sign him.

“He really is only focused on PSG,” Bailey told TBR Football.

“I am told that he has agreed personal terms in principle, but there is still some way to go in terms between Bournemouth and PSG. Bournemouth are not too happy with how this is going, but they know the player wants the move and has made that clear.

“When a team like PSG comes calling, even when there is no release clause – it is tough. I can confirm even in the last few weeks since it emerged about PSG, that Chelsea and Newcastle again asked the question, but were also told that he only wants PSG.”

The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman has played 86 ODIs and 68 T20Is, and was the match-winner for Western Storm in the final of last year’s Kia Super League

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2018New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Rachel Priest has joined Wales women as their first-ever overseas signing, ahead of their 2018 English domestic campaign. She will look to spur Wales’ bid for promotion to Division One of both the Women’s County One-Day Championship and the Women’s County T20.Priest, who last played for New Zealand at the 2017 World Cup last June, has played 86 ODIs, scoring 2119 at an average of 28.35 with two hundreds, and 68 T20Is, in which she has made 714 runs at a strike rate of 106.02. She was part of the Western Storm team that won the second Kia Super League in 2017, and scored a match-winning 72 off 36 balls in the final against Southern Vipers.”It’s amazing to have a player of Rachel’s calibre in the team,” Wales head coach Aimee Rees said. “We are still a very young squad, so it will be brilliant for our Welsh girls to gain such invaluable experience from playing and training alongside an international cricketer. It will also hopefully help inspire the next generation of welsh female cricketers.”