All posts by h716a5.icu

Dominic Sibley starred with bat and ball as Surrey moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast South Group by thrashing Hampshire by 80 runs at a packed Kia Oval

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2016
ScorecardDominic Sibley starred with bat and ball on his T20 debut•Getty ImagesDominic Sibley starred with bat and ball as Surrey moved to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast South Group by thrashing Hampshire by 80 runs at a packed Kia Oval.Sibley, a 20-year-old making his T20 debut, took 2 for 33 after scoring a fine 67 in a second-wicket stand of 114 in 10 overs with Kumar Sangakkara, whose 72 off only 35 balls featured two sixes, nine fours and a balmy evening’s most memorable strokeplay.Surrey’s 188 for 5 proved too much for Hampshire, who were already struggling at 38 for 4 after the initial six-over powerplay and eventually subsided to 108 all out. Zafar Ansari hastened Hampshire’s demise by dismissing Will Smith and Darren Sammy in successive balls at the end of the ninth over.There was no Shahid Afridi for Hampshire, either, with the Pakistan T20 specialist pulling out of the game through illness. Surrey, though, hardly needed any contribution from their own second overseas player, West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who was making his debut for the club and only delivered four balls right at the end of the game – one of them a no-ball bouncer.It was Surrey’s third win in four group games but, for Hampshire, it was a fourth defeat from five matches and quarter-final qualification already looks a difficult task for them as they bid for a record seventh successive appearance at Finals Day.Despite this match starting soon after the opening day’s play between England and Sri Lanka ended at Lord’s, six miles to the north across the Thames, a crowd of almost 17,000 turned up – with a few spectators no doubt managing to attend the two matches. Either way, the fact that around 45,000 people watched international and county cricket in London on the same day proves the continuing popularity of the game at both levels.Jimmy Adams uppercut the third ball of Hampshire’s reply for six over backward point but dragged Sam Curran’s next ball on to his stumps and Adam Wheater departed for 8 when he was bowled trying to make room to hit a leg break from Sibley square on the offside.Sibley had figures of 2-0-9-1 after bowling the second and fourth overs, and both the fifth and sixth overs brought further Hampshire wickets as Sean Ervine edged a drive behind off Ravi Rampaul and Liam Dawson was also out for 1, bowled as he heaved at Tom Curran.Ansari reduced Hampshire to 52 for 6 by having Smith held in the deep and Sammy caught by keeper Ben Foakes for a first ball duck, and when Sibley returned to the attack he had Lewis McManus caught at deep square leg for 41 one ball after being struck for six.After that, there were some defiant blows from Gareth Andrew in a 22-ball 31, ended by an athletic leaping boundary catch by Bravo, celebrated by an impromptu jig facing that section of the crowd, before Bravo followed that up by having Ryan Stevenson caught behind with his second ball and last man Tino Best held at mid off from his fourth ball.Jason Roy fell for 9 in the fourth over of the game, caught at mid-off from a leading edge as he aimed something violent at Sammy’s medium pace.Surrey’s innings was soon galloping along, however, as Sangakkara and Sibley matched each other stroke for stroke until the great Sri Lankan surged ahead to reach his half-century first from a mere 24 balls.Sibley soon followed his partner to the landmark, from 35 balls, and his fifty included sixes flicked over mid-wicket off an Andrew over costing 16 and lofted straight against Dawson’s left-arm spin.Sangakkara, who earlier clubbed Smith’s off-breaks for six, slog-swept Sammy for his second maximum before, later in the same 14th over, mis-hitting to long on.Bravo edged Stevenson to the keeper after making only 3, and Sibley’s fine innings ended in the 17th over when he was held on the ropes attempting to swing fast bowler Best beyond the mid-wicket boundary.Tom Curran fell cheaply to Stevenson, but the seamer – also making his T20 debut – conceded two legside sixes in the 20th over with Ansari clearing long on and Rory Burns producing a superb pick-up over mid-wicket as 16 runs came from the final six balls of the innings.Hampshire’s players wore black armbands in memory of Hamza Ali, who made a first-class appearance for the county earlier this season and who has tragically drowned at the age of 20.

Celtic defender Alistair Johnston could miss the remainder of the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season with an ankle injury, according to reports.

What's the latest injury news on Johnston?

The Hoops right-back only arrived in Glasgow from Montreal back in January, but during his 18 appearances to date, has flourished under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou having already become his top-performing defensive player at Parkhead.

The Canadian international, however, sustained an ankle injury during the 1-0 Scottish Cup victory over Rangers last weekend and was spotted in a boot on crutches following the conclusion of the game which will have no doubt caused plenty of concern among supporters.

The Australian boss revealed after the game that he was unsure of the specific extent of the 24-year-old’s problem but admitted that it was likely to be “significant” having needed to be substituted, and an unfortunate in-depth update on his situation has now emerged.

According to Daily Record Sport, Johnston is set to be ruled out of action for “three to four weeks”, with a best and worst case scenario in place dependent on how he “reacts to treatment”. The Bhoys star will definitely be unavailable for the potential title-decider vs Hearts on Sunday and there’s a chance that he “could miss” the “bulk” of the four remaining league games of the campaign after that, but he is expected to be “pushing” to return for the Scottish Cup final vs Inverness on June 3.

Will Johnston's absence be a blow for Celtic?

Celtic have Cameron Carter-Vickers also ruled out for the rest of the season to undergo surgery, and Johnston could be set to follow in his footsteps so it’ll definitely be a blow for Postecoglou to have to end the term without two of his best defenders.

The Vancouver native, who is renowned for putting in “blood and thunder” performances according to journalist Chris Smith, was averaging 1.8 tackles and 1.2 key passes per league game prior to his absence, via WhoScored, but is also capable of contributing to his side’s efforts in the final third.

He has posted three goal contributions (two assists and one goal) since joining and has whipped a total of 36 crosses into the box so is always looking to create chances for his attacking teammates when bursting down the flank, therefore, it will be a massive boost when he stages his comeback.

Manchester United are reportedly well-placed to sign AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi this summer.

What’s the latest news on Man United and Disasi?

The Red Devils look set to be busy in the transfer market ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge, with a new midfielder and forward also on the wishlist.

The club could also be under new ownership, and there has been plenty of speculation over a move for Disasi. Reports have suggested that the Red Devils are in pole position to sign the France international, who has been described as a "complete" defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and a further update has now emerged.

Sport Witness relayed an update from L’Equipe in the last 48 hours regarding Disasi, claiming that the Red Devils could be on the search to replace Harry Maguire after ‘some rather dire performances at the back of late’, with the defender, on £200,000-a-week, linked with a move to top-four rivals Newcastle.

They stated on Disasi that he is certain to leave Monaco this summer, with United well-placed to secure a transfer. Talks were held with the player’s representatives a month ago, with a fee in the region of €35m-€45m possibly enough to get a deal over the line.

Is Disasi an upgrade on Maguire?

Maguire has struggled in recent weeks and was labelled as a walking disaster by Samuel Lukchurst against Nottingham Forest earlier this month.

Statistically, the 30-year-old has been United’s 14th-best player in the Premier League this season and as per WhoScored, Disasi has outperformed the Englishman during the current campaign for overall match rating as well as tackles, interceptions and clearances per 90.

Disasi also appears to be at the peak of his powers at the age of 25, holding a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation, showing how he could be a shrewd replacement for Maguire.

The 6 foot 2 colossus would also bring a goalscoring threat to United after scoring 12 times in 123 games for Monaco, with five of those coming in 2022/23, more than Maguire’s seven in 172 in Manchester, and it looks as if an Old Trafford transfer may well be gathering pace.

Manchester United will be seeking to pile the pressure onto Tottenham Hotspur by adding another embarrassing defeat to their recent results.

With a new man in the dugout, as Daniel Levy scrambles for something to ease his issues, there is little expected to change in the four days since their 6-1 mauling at the hands of Newcastle United now that Ryan Mason is in charge.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils have just booked their place in a second cup final of the season and will seek to solidify their spot in the top four with a win today against the vulnerable hosts.

The returning Spurs team will surely be greeted with disdain from the home support after such a performance, in which the players were forced to reimburse fans who had travelled. They were defensively anonymous, and whether it was down to the formation or not, the attitude throughout the whole squad was so toxic.

Of those who started for the Lilywhites, few stood out quite like Eric Dier for being a defensive liability. His 5.9 rating gave way to a 75% pass accuracy, as the versatile dud made just two tackles, via Sofascore.

However, that is not a new development, with the 29-year-old having played 358 games for the club, despite pundit Frank McAvennie claiming he was "awful" and "not good enough" back in 2021.

It seems the England defender remains around the starting squad regardless of form, so Erik ten Hag could seek to exploit this glaring weakness by unleashing the hulking Wout Weghorst on the Spurs liability.

How has Wout Weghorst played this season?

Having spent 120 minutes battling for a first goal that never came, it was not a day for the strikers on the weekend at Wembley. A 19-minute cameo for the Dutch forward only really allowed him to take a penalty in the shootout, which he scored, however, he always captures the imagination for his immense work rate despite his 6 foot 6 frame.

This combination of tireless pressing, which actually have led to him being branded a "pressing monster" by journalist Scott Saunders, alongside his unique physique will give Dier a huge headache tonight. The England international looks shaky at the best of times, but seldom has he come up against such a physical marvel who won't give him a moment's peace.

In turn, this will afford the creative assets around him space to pose the real danger, with Weghorst keen but often unable to get on the end of such chances.

Despite scoring only twice in a Red shirt, Ten Hag remains faithful to the £33k-per-week ace, outlining the positives his main marksman brings: "I think he has intelligence from positions, he is a very good anticipator.

“Of course I tell him to [help] linking up there, which he is also doing as a high striker. But in that position, [he is] linking up and getting in front of the goal when crosses are coming in. As for the rest, there is the defending part which he is also very good [at]."

Seeking to bully Dier into submission in the same way Alexander Isak did last weekend, but again with that touch of class that will knit everything together, Weghorst will hope to spearhead another embarrassing loss for the hosts tonight.

Everton have made contact to enquire about a deal to bring Juventus defender Federico Gatti to Goodison Park, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gatti to Everton?

Sean Dyche already has six centre-back options at his disposal, but Yerry Mina and loanee Conor Coady will both be out of contract at the end of the season, so replacements of some form will likely be needed in that department.

Italy international Gatti arrived at the Allianz Stadium back in January 2022, but has only made 15 appearances under Massimiliano Allegri and is significantly out of favour. Therefore, he could be looking for a move elsewhere during the upcoming window.

It had recently been reported that the Toffees and Premier League rivals West Ham United were both contemplating making an offer for the 24-year-old, who is valued at €30m (£26m) by Juventus, and it sounds like the Everton hierarchy have taken the next official step towards completing a deal.

According to Tutto Juve (via Sport Witness), Everton have now “asked for information” on Gatti to discover his availability ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. However, Juventus have “no intention” of letting the centre-back leave as it stands, and it’s stated that it would take an “indecent proposal” to even make them consider a change of heart. The Old Lady would indeed require the aforementioned £26m to sanction his sale, but it’s claimed that the Merseyside outfit may only “offer around €10m”, which is a figure that they would be highly unlikely to sell for.

Should Everton splash the cash on Gatti?

Everton won’t yet know their summer budget as that’s all really dependent on whether they are able to maintain their Premier League status, but should they be able to afford him, Gatti has to be a player that they target to shore up the backline.

Standing at 6 foot 5, the defender clearly adds a strong physical presence to the heart of the defence and currently averages 3.4 clearances and 1.8 aerial wins per league game, as per WhoScored.

The Adidas-sponsored star can also be a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having posted 11 goal contributions (nine goals and two assists) in 108 career appearances which is an impressive return for a player that operates in his position. Meanwhile, with Champions League experience also under his belt, we think he would be the perfect fit to put pen to paper at Goodison Park.

Manchester United are seemingly set to bolster their centre-forward ranks this summer, with manager Erik ten Hag likely to be craving a long-term solution in that role, following years of stop-gap signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo and – more recently – Wout Weghorst.

The acquisition of the latter man has only further showcased the need for a new, reliable goalscoring option to lead the attack, with the towering Dutchman having scored just twice for the club to date following his January arrival.

While the former Ajax boss has also suggested that United play their "best football" with current number nine, Anthony Martial on the field, the Frenchman is among those who could well be allowed to leave this summer, having been hampered by injury yet again this term.

Although the name on everybody's lips at present is that of England captain and Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Harry Kane, recent reports in Spain have suggested that Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins could also be a possible target, with the 27-year-old having been on a real hot streak of late after bagging 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League games.

The former Brentford man has undoubtedly been in red-hot form since Unai Emery's arrival at Villa Park earlier in the campaign, with that glut of goals sparking suggestions that the Englishman could command a sizeable fee this summer, as journalist Pete O'Rourke told Football FanCast that the marksman's price tag could be around £70m.

Would Watkins be a good signing for Man United?

The hope would be that the in-form Watkins would be able to emulate the success of another striker to trade the Villans for Old Trafford in the form of Dwight Yorke, with the prolific ace having been snapped up by Sir Alex Ferguson and co on a £12m deal in the summer of 1998.

Having proven himself more than capable of making the difference in the Premier League during his time in the Midlands – after bagging 80 goals in 255 games in all competitions for the club – the Trinidad and Tobago international was able to continue that golden touch at the Theatre of Dreams, having made an instant impact in his debut campaign at the club.

The now-retired ace would prove instrumental in United's remarkable treble success in that 1998/99 season, having bagged 29 goals and provided 19 assists in 52 games in all competitions, forming part of a mouthwatering centre-forward pool involving Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham.

That stunning first season with the Red Devils helped to solidify Yorke's cult status at the club, with the enigmatic talent ultimately departing Manchester in 2002, after having scored 66 goals in 152 games across all fronts.

While Watkins may not be expected to help lead a charge towards a treble next term under Ten Hag, the 5 foot 11 speedster – who has reached double figures for league goals in each of the last three seasons – could well follow in Yorke's footsteps in making a smooth transition from Villa to United.

The one-time Exeter City ace has also showcased his class at Old Trafford this season after netting in the League Cup clash back in November, having burst clear of Harry Maguire before expertly dinking the ball over the onrushing Martin Dubravka.

As analyst Michael Lahoud noted, the dynamic marksman simply left the United skipper "exposed" due to his ability to run in behind and stretch the defence, with such characteristics likely to be appealing to Ten Hag and co.

With the case of signing Yorke having been such an overwhelming success, it could prove another transfer masterclass with the addition of Watkins.

Journalist Nathan Judah has been left optimistic after filming Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes walking fairly freely amid injury concerns.

What’s the latest on Matheus Nunes and Wolves?

It was a superb day for Julen Lopetegui and co in the Premier League on the weekend as they gave their survival hopes a big boost.

Indeed, they played host to Chelsea at Molineux and managed to come away with all three points in a 1-0 win.

In fact, it was Nunes who scored the only goal of the game with a stunning volley but the player later came off with an injury.

Amid fears of something serious, Judah was able to film the midfielder leaving the pitch after full-time and he seemed to be walking without any notable issues.

On Twitter, he wrote: “Matheus Nunes had to be helped off the pitch in the closing stages after a crunching tackle.

“Lopetegui said they will assess on Monday.

“But this is surely a good sign.”

Is Matheus Nunes injured?

After leaving the pitch before the final whistle, it’s easy to see why some fans might be concerned about a long-term injury. And with Wolves set to asses the player after the weekend, it remains unclear how bad this issue could be.

However, seeing as he left Molineux without any visible strapping and wasn’t on crutches of anything like that, it seems as though he has likely avoided a major setback.

After his performance on the weekend, this will be a big boost for Wolves. Indeed, £100k-p/w Nunes showed just how important he is to the club with his goal against Chelsea.

For instance, in the player ratings for Birmingham Live, journalist Joseph Chapman gave him a 9/10 and wrote: “Impressive direct early running through the heart of the Chelsea half in the early stages lifted Wolves fans off their seats. Range of passing was often excellent, as was his work-rate and efforts to get into dangerous areas. As for the goal, it’s at the very least a contender, if not the outright winner, of Wolves’ goal of the season competition. Was winning tackles at the end.”

With all that in mind, if Wolves are to avoid the drop, they’ll likely need Nunes fit and it sounds as though he may well be fine despite the recent concerns.

Leeds United loanee Weston McKennie could be set to return to Juventus in the summer regardless of whether the Whites survive the drop.

Could Leeds sign McKennie in the summer?

The American midfielder joined the Premier League side in the January transfer window on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season.

However, it is believed the Whites have a buy-clause included in this deal which could see them make his stay permanent in the summer for a fee in the region of £30m.

But with the Yorkshire club still battling away at the bottom end of the table, there may be serious question marks as to whether it is a move either party would like.

Indeed, speaking on SiriusXM, insider Pete O'Rourke has been claiming regardless of Leeds' fate, McKennie could find himself jetting back off to Turin at the end of the season:

"If Leeds do go down and suffer relegation from the Premier League there's no chance that Weston McKennie joins Leeds. That's for sure. I think he would have to return to Juventus.

"And again, I think there will be question marks whether he would join Leeds on a permanent basis if they stay up because he is a high earner and he will cost close to £30 million as well."

Is McKennie worth the £30m buy clause?

After making the move to England in January, the £40k-per-week midfielder has gone on to make eight appearances in the Premier League where he is still waiting to net his first goal and provide his first assist (via Transfermarkt).

And Leeds' form has not exactly improved since his arrival with the Yorkshire side having only picked up eight points from those eight league games.

When McKennie joined, he was brought in by Leeds' former boss, Jesse Marsch, who had the American connection with the 24-year-old midfielder.

However, Marsch has since departed with Javi Gracia coming in at Elland Road and it will be interesting to see whether the Spaniard has been impressed with what he has seen so far.

McKennie has been awarded four yellow cards in his 581 minutes of Premier League action which is unlikely to have gone down well (via Transfermarkt).

And he has not particularly shone across the season for either Juventus or Leeds with his most impressive return being for blocks made which lands him inside the top 12th percentile across the top five leagues (via FBref).

Clint Dempsey labelled McKennie "dangerous" earlier in the season, however, he is yet to show that in a Leeds shirt which could well be a deciding factor when Leeds have the option to purchase him for £30m.

Exciting young midfielder Romeo Lavia has given Southampton a ‘real hope’ of surviving in the Premier League, says reporter Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lavia joins Saints…

The Belgium international put pen to paper on a deal at St. Mary’s last summer coming from league champions Man City with a big reputation and comparisons to Fernandinho.

Lavia was highly rated at Eastlands with fellow English giants Chelsea even taking an interest last year, but alas, it was Southampton who won the race for his signature.

The 19-year-old joined in a near-£14 million move, which at the time could’ve been seen as a real gamble considering he hadn’t even played a single minute for City in the league.

Since his move, barring some injury lay-offs, Lavia has been sensational with Saints reporters like Jacob Tanswell calling him ‘so crucial’ to the team.

Former Man United star Paul Scholes even raved over his huge potential and style of play earlier this season, saying:

‘He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there.’

The Latest: Jones makes exciting Lavia claim…

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, reporter Jones has weighed in on the hype surrounding Lavia and just how high his ceiling could be.

The journalist says he could even hand Southampton a real hope of top flight survival this year, such is his quality, with the teenager ‘destined for greatness’.

He said:

“Lavia is a player who, let’s be fair, is kind of on the verge of greatness. You’ve got somebody who a lot of other Premier League teams will be crying out for. It’s not only impressive, but it gives Southampton a real hope this season.”

The Verdict: Very exciting…To to be accomplished in England at such a young age seriously indicates there is a potential future superstar in Ruben Selles’ ranks.As per WhoScored, Lavia stands out as one of their best players in terms of distribution – averaging a higher pass accuracy (86.7%) than any current Southampton squad member.His composure and poise in midfield can be seriously impressive to behold sometimes, as explained by reporter Alfie House, who also called Lavia a ‘classy player’.One major worry for Southampton is keeping hold of the starlet with major top flight clubs apparently circling for his signature.

Aston Villa return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they host relegation-threatened AFC Bournemouth at home.

The Villans will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run to four matches in the division heading into the international break after winning two of their last three games.

Unai Emery's side were, however, held to a draw by West Ham United in their last match as a penalty from Said Benrahma cancelled out Ollie Watkins' opening goal.

Will Leon Bailey start against Bournemouth?

Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey should be ruthlessly dropped from the starting XI after his performance against the Hammers and the head coach should look elsewhere in the squad to fill the right-wing position in the team.

The Jamaica international started on the right against West Ham and endured a rough 64 minutes on the pitch before being substituted. As per Sofascore, the forward only completed 11 passes and created one chance, whilst losing five of his six individual duels and failing to complete a single dribble.

Bailey was also at fault for the penalty that Villa conceded as his "clumsy" – as described by journalist Ashley Preece – challenge on Lucas Paqueta allowed the Brazilian to make the most of the contact in the box, with the resulting penalty costing the club two points.

Preece also stated that the winger has been "struggling" of late – citing his zero away goals in 21 Premier League away matches – and that is backed up by the £100k-per-week dud's statistics.

The attacker has scored four goals and provided two assists in 25 top-flight appearances for the Villans this season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64 – placing him 16th in the squad.

This comes after the 25-year-old scored once and assisted two goals in 18 outings in the Premier League last term, which suggests that his struggles are not a flash in the pan as he has been disappointing in front of goal for the majority of the last season-and-a-half.

Bailey, who has only created 0.8 chances per game for his teammates this season, has not done enough in the final third to warrant a regular starting position in the side and his poor display against West Ham last time out should see him moved out of the XI.

Emery must ruthlessly ditch the winger and offer an opportunity to another member of the squad to see if they are able to offer more than the Jamaican dynamo.