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Manchester United appear to be stepping up their interest in Atalanta sensation, Rasmus Hojlund, according to the latest reports.

What's the latest on Hojlund to Man United?

As per one Italian journalist, writing on Twitter: "#ManchesterUnited will present a first offer of 60 million, today is the first choice. #Atalanta's request will be higher, but the negotiation can get underway."

While it is not stated whether that potential fee is in pounds or euros, Football Transfers have previously suggested that the Serie A side are likely to demand in the region of £60m if they are to part ways with the 20-year-old this summer.

The Red Devils are seemingly looking for suitable striking alternatives to that of England skipper, Harry Kane, amid reports that the Old Trafford outfit are unlikely to make a bid for the 29-year-old due to Tottenham Hotspur's unwillingness to sell.

Would Hojlund be a good signing for Man United?

On the face of it, the signing of a player who scored just nine league goals last season may not appear particularly exciting, although all the signs point to Hojlund simply being a "monster in the making", according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Also lauded as "remarkable" by current boss Gian Piero Gasperini – who has likened the Denmark international to fellow Scandinavian striker, Erling Haaland – the former Sturm Graz ace could be the man to lead the line for Erik ten Hag's side over the next decade or so.

The explosive marksman – who has been lauded as "scary quick" by journalist Sacha Pisani – could well be able to form a devastating attacking partnership with fellow youngster, Alejandro Garnacho at the Theatre of Dreams in the long-term, with the teenage Argentine having enjoyed a stellar breakout campaign last season.

Having scored seven goals during United's FA Youth Cup triumph in the 2021/22 campaign – including bagging twice in the final – the 18-year-old has since gone on to make his presence felt in the first-team, racking up ten goals and assists in all competitions.

Lauded as a "game changer" by Manchester Evening News correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst, Garnacho's rapid rise was notably laid bare following his standout cameo in the FA Cup showpiece defeat to rivals Manchester City, having made a 'real impact off the bench', in the words of the Evening Standard's Dom Smith.

Much like Hojlund, the winger's youth would suggest that he still has a way to go to truly reach his full potential, although again – like the Atalanta marksman – the early signs are so very exciting and promising for those at United.

The hope will be that if Ten Hag is to get his man this summer, the former Ajax boss can build his side around both Hojlund and Garnacho over the coming years…

Manchester United have reportedly identified a potential replacement for long-serving goalkeeper, David De Gea, following an update regarding the club's apparent interest in Yann Sommer.

What's the latest on Sommer to Man United?

According to journalist Alex Crook – in his transfer notebook for talkSPORT – the Red Devils are said to have revived their interest in the Bayern Munich man, with the 34-year-old having reportedly been on Erik ten Hag's 'radar' last summer.

The report suggests that the former Borussia Monchengladbach ace – who only made the move to the Allianz Arena in January – would represent a cheaper alternative to the likes of Andre Onana and Jordan Pickford in the search for a new number one.

As the piece also notes, the aforementioned De Gea has verbally agreed a new contract extension with the Old Trafford outfit, although a formal deal has yet to materialise, amid claims that the Spaniard won't be the first-choice option next season even if he does stay in Manchester.

Would Sommer be a better signing than Pickford?

There has been much talk of late that Pickford could be on his way to the Theatre of Dreams, with the 29-year-old – who only recently signed a new deal at Everton – set to be available for a fee of around £30m this summer.

While the former Sunderland ace remains the undisputed regular for his country having now made 52 appearances for the Three Lions, there are lingering concerns over his consistency at club level, with pundit Chris Sutton stating that the Englishman simply "makes too many errors".

Ten Hag may then be wise to consider a figure such as Sommer to provide at least a strong, short-term solution in the sticks, with the £83k-per-week colossus having been hailed as the "best in the world" by former Gladbach teammate, Joe Scally.

That hefty praise had come following the 82-cap gem's astounding display against his current employers earlier in the campaign, as the 6 foot ace made 19 saves in the 1-1 draw between the two sides back in August – breaking a Bundesliga record in the process.

Having since gone on to replace the stricken Manuel Neuer at Bayern, the experienced ace has particularly impressed due to his ability to play out from the back, as he ranks in the top 4% for touches made among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues – with Pickford ranking in just the top 44% in that regard.

Sommer's innate composure on the ball is also showcased by the fact that he achieved a standout pass accuracy rate of 83% across his 29 Bundesliga appearances in 2022/23, with far better than the at times erratic Toffees asset, who averaged just 52% for that same metrics.

That superior record would suggest that the one-time Basel man – who was also described as "one of the best goalkeepers in Europe" by former boss Marco Rose in the past – could be a perfect alternative to Pickford in Ten Hag's quest to find a reliable number one this summer.

Australia’s inexperienced bowlers face yet another challenge at Wanderers against South Africa, a side brimming with confidence after recent home victories

The Preview by David Hopps01-Oct-2016Match factsSunday, October 2, 2016, Johannesburg
Start time 1000 local (0800 GMT)
Big PictureAustralia were always going to be vulnerable at the start of this stand-alone ODI series in South Africa. Their priority is to restate their Test pedigree during their home summer against South Africa and Pakistan, a need that has grown stronger because of their recent trouncing in a Test series in Sri Lanka.That much became clear from the moment Cricket Australia chose to rest Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the battles to come. Whatever the logic of that, Steve Smith could be forgiven for looking around for them in desperation in the opening ODI at SuperSport Park as Quinton de Kock, destroying good balls and bad, pulverised an Australian attack also missing James Faulkner.De Kock’s 178 from 113 balls – the highest ODI score ever made in South Africa and many more records besides – was an immediate indication of the challenge facing Australia. With the absence of AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – the latter presumably only briefly – from South Africa’s batting line-up, they might have perceived a gentle introduction, but few opening batsmen these days possess the destructive threat of de Kock, and it was not long before sixes were raining down on the leg-side boundary.A few miles down the road in Johannesburg, Daniel Worrall, Scott Boland and John Hastings will hope for a second outing, although South Australia’s Joe Mennie and Victoria’s Chris Tremain are also in the squad and are likely to get an airing at some point in the series. They have all received a warning from Australia’s bowling coach Ryan Harris about the challenge. “National cricket is brutal and if you don’t get it right you get eaten up pretty quick,” he said.Form guideSouth Africa: WWLWL
(last five completed matches, most recent first)Australia: LWWWW
Players to watchAndile Phehlukwayo’s second ODI came against a backdrop of new transformation targets which require the selection of a minimum average of 54% black players – of which 18% must be Black African – across the three formats over the season. He showed good command of length at SuperSport Park and took 4 for 44 off his 10 overs, a sound start for a powerfully-built allrounder.South Australian Daniel Worrall was the second leading wicket-taker in last season’s Sheffield Shield. After a comfortable debut against Ireland in Benoni, South Africa asked tougher questions and it will be interesting to see how he responds in Johannesburg.Team newsSouth Africa are monitoring the fitness of Dale Steyn. Although he completed his full allocation in his first ODI since he suffered a shoulder injury while bowling against England last December, he was below his best, left the field twice and on several occasions looked concerned about the shoulder. It was a far cry from his triumphant Test return against New Zealand on the same ground in August. Hashim Amla, who only joined the squad on Wednesday following the birth of his third child, missed Friday’s match due to illness but he could return.South Africa (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock, 2 Hashim Amla/Rilee Rossouw, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 JP Duminy, 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir.Australia’s captain Steve Smith gave no indication that there might be changes to Australia’s line-up after Friday’s defeat. Even considering the pummelling that Australia’s weakened attack received at the hands of Quinton de Kock, or the failure of the batsmen to take advantage of a run-friendly surface, a 48-hour turnaround between matches leaves little time for reassessment.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Travis Head, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 John Hastings, 9 Adam Zampa, 10 Daniel Worrall, 11 Scott Boland.Pitch and conditionsThere have been water restrictions in Johannesburg, leaving groundstaff hoping for some early spring rain to assist with grass growth. It remains to be seen whether this has a detrimental effect on the pitch or, indeed, the outfield. The weekend has been sunny, with 23C forecast for Sunday.Stats and trivia Quinton de Kock’s 178 in the first match at SuperSport Park on Friday was South Africa’s second highest individual score in ODIs South Africa achieved their third highest successful chase in that game.Quotes”Hopefully there will be a couple more wickets like that in the series. Then we can have some more fun.”
“We got a nice wicket to bat on and we gave some opportunities away… so going forward it’s the responsibility of one of our top four to post a big total, and if we do that then the team total is going to be big as well.”
does the math.

Liverpool need to sign multiple midfielders this summer after a mass departure and have reportedly earmarked Leicester City's Youri Tielemans, who is soon to be out of contract.

What's the latest on Youri Tielemans to Liverpool?

That's according to 90min's Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers podcast, who said that the Belgium international is a player that Reds manager Jurgen Klopp 'loves'.

A few months ago, Football Insider claimed that Liverpool were 'plotting a move' for the 26-year-old, while more recently The Athletic's James Pearce stated that his signing is indeed a possibility.

Tielemans recently posted a heartfelt farewell post to the Foxes confirming his departure at the end of his contract, and with Liverpool's new technical director Jorg Schmadtke seeking reinforcement after James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all concluded their contracts at Anfield, his signature could be a prudent one to procure.

Should Liverpool sign Youri Tielemans?

Tielemans and Leicester have not enjoyed an auspicious season by any stretch of the imagination, having been relegated from the Premier League after a miserable slump of a season.

However, Liverpool have found success in swooping for players confined to the drop before: Andy Robertson was clinched from Hull City and Gini Wijnaldum brought from Newcastle United, both players having fallen foul to the clamp of the bottom three and playing central roles in the most illustrious period in the Merseyside team's modern history.

The £35k-per-week Fox is also one of the most intelligent and dynamic midfielders in the game, once heralded by former Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers as "one of Europe's top midfielders".

Also hailed as "the complete midfield player" by Martin Keown, the one-time Anderlecht youth has still maintained an average Sofascore rating of 7.04 despite his club's woes, completing 82% of his passes, averaging one key pass and 2.1 tackles per game.

And as for the entirety of his career at the King Power Stadium, he has been instrumental in winning the FA Cup and Community Shield, actually scoring a resounding strike against Chelsea in the finale of the former to clinch the trophy, once praised as a "phenomenon" by former pro Par Zetterberg.

He could be the dream Thiago Alcantara heir on Merseyside, with the 32-year-old pass master signing from Bayern Munich for £20m in 2020 and being hailed as "staggering" for his ball-playing prowess by Michael Owen, indeed ranking among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted and the top 4% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Like Thiago, Tielemans is, perhaps, not the most mobile of aces, instead flourishing through his occupation of the half-spaces and indeed utilising his footballing intellect to pick apt passes and exhibit his superlative technicality.

While Liverpool supporters are yearning for a more robust and energetic midfield, and that is not to say Tielemans cannot contribute effectively in this regard, his composure and guile could meld exquisitely alongside the likes of the unrelenting Alexis Mac Allister, who is on the verge of entering the conclusive stage with the Reds from Brighton & Hove Albion.

This is why his role as Thiago's heir could bear fruit for Klopp and co, who would only benefit from a diverse and variegated midfield – aces different in style but all boasting a similar level of quality.

And while Liverpool's Spanish maestro is "a special player" – as proclaimed by Robertson – he has spent what feels like the lion's share of his time at Anfield cuffed to the injury department, indeed missing a shocking 60 matches due to unavailability over three seasons. Hardly evoking confidence.

Tielemans would be a "divine" addition – as he was once lauded by Jaquob Crooke – providing a new dimension to Klopp's squad and without the diminution of the transfer purse, something that could prove invaluable with Liverpool requiring major midfield surgery.

It's a no-brainer, really; Tielemans has proved throughout his Leicester career that he can dazzle with consistency and produce match-winning and trophy-gleaning moments. Just what Liverpool need.

CSA has removed former South Africa batsman HD Ackerman as the host of its upcoming annual awards ceremony in a bid to to avoid “further potential negative comments” around his announcement that he was emigrating to Australia in September

Firdose Moonda15-Jul-2016

CSA has removed former South Africa batsman HD Ackerman as the host of its upcoming annual awards ceremony in a bid to to avoid “further potential negative comments” around his announcement that he was emigrating to Australia in September. Ackerman is the fourth South African involved in the country’s cricket structures to move to Australia or New Zealand in the last two months.”In view of certain negative comments on social media following HD’s Facebook post that he was leaving South Africa for Australia, we have decided to avoid any further potential negative comments around HD hosting the live CSA Awards,” Altaaf Kazi, CSA spokesperson, told “We decided to replace him and have no further comments to make in this regard.”CSA has not revealed who it has appointed as Ackerman’s replacement.Ackerman had announced his decision to emigrate through a post on Facebook: “It is with a heavy heart that I have to let all my friends know that Kerryn Ackerman, James, Tannah and I will be moving to Perth, Australia in September. It has caused many sleepless nights and even more tears but it is a decision that we have reached as a family and feel it is the best one we can make for our little ones at this time.”South Africa has so much potential, however in my entire life I don’t think I have ever seen anything more common than something or someone fail to reach their potential. I fear this may be the case with my beautiful country. I truly hope that the decision we are making is the right one for us and I truly hope that South Africa does go on to reach its true potential and that crime decreases, corruption slows (as all countries have this problem) and an equal opportunity is there for all.”His employer, South African broadcaster , confirmed Ackerman’s departure to take up a role as director of coaching at Guildford Grammar School in Perth. The broadcaster said Ackerman had left open the possibility of freelancing.On Thursday, Ackerman revealed on Facebook that he had been removed from hosting the awards, which he has been part of for several years. “Wow, just been pulled off hosting the Cricket South Africa awards on the 26th because a few people on social media feel my move to Australia is because I’m racist. Forget the fact my wife’s sister had just moved to Brisbane and that my wife’s parents have just moved to Perth, or that I got a job offer in Perth that included a school bursary for my son, those reasons are not good enough. Wow, wow, wow.”Social media reaction to Ackerman’s move was largely encouraging, particularly from former players. Former South Africa fast bowler Brett Schultz said on Twitter: “And SA loses another incredible talent, as a player in his day and behind the microphone in the modern game.”The only post, at the time of writing this article, with a racial undertone came from one user who accused Ackerman of being “anti-transformation”. Ackerman responded by telling the user, “That’s where you are soooo wrong.”Ackerman played 220 first-class and 230 List A games in a 16-year career that included stints at two provincial and four franchise sides. After retiring, he turned to commentary and coaching. He was involved with South Africa A and recently accompanied some South African players on a spin camp to India.While Ackerman is relocating to Perth, three other South African cricket administrators – Dolphins chief executive Pete de Wet, national team logistics manager Riaan Muller, and Titans’ coach Rob Walter – have all accepted jobs in New Zealand.

ECB Reporters Network08-Jun-2016
ScorecardPaul Stirling’s unbeaten hundred made light work of a rain-reduced target•Getty Images

Paul Stirling hit a fluent century as Middlesex inflicted a third Royal London One-Day Cup defeat in as many games on holders Gloucestershire by seven wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis system at Bristol.The home side posted 254 for 8 after losing the toss, Hamish Marshall top-scoring with 74 on the day he announced that his 11-year stint with the county would end when this season is over.Gareth Roderick contributed 64, while Toby Roland-Jones (3 for 36) was the pick of the Middlesex attack. James Fuller claimed 2 for 45 on returning to his former county.Facing a revised target of 208 from 35 overs following a rain break, Middlesex skated to victory with 21 balls to spare, Ireland batsman Stirling reaching his ton off 87 balls, with 11 fours and 3 sixes, before finishing unbeaten on 125.Gloucestershire’s innings had got off to a poor start when Chris Dent miscued Roland-Jones to cover where Nick Gubbins took a comfortable catch in only the second over.Michael Klinger had survived a loud shout for a catch behind in the opening over from Tom Helm, but looked in good touch moving to 20 before edging a defensive shot off Roland-Jones straight to Ollie Rayner at slip.Roderick had made only 13 when badly dropped by Eoin Morgan at point off Helm, an error which allowed the batsman to share the most meaningful partnership of the innings with Marshall.The latter hit a straight six off James Franklin and Roderick followed suit off Fuller to bring up 100 in the 21st over.When both Roderick and Marshall reached 62-ball half-centuries in quick succession the hosts looked set for a big score. Then Roderick overbalanced in making an ugly mishit off Helm and was caught at mid-off by Franklin.That was 150 for 3 and Gloucestershire still looked well placed as 31 more runs were added before their innings turned sour in the 35th over, bowled by Roland-Jones.Rayner did the damage, running out Cockbain for 14 at the bowlers end from short mid-wicket as he was sent back attempting a quick single and three balls later catching Marshall in the same position off a poor shot.Suddenly the home side were 183 for 5 and needed to rebuild. There was never much momentum to the innings after that as Benny Howell, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Craig Miles fell without making much impression.Stirling was dropped on one by Klinger at second slip off Liam Norwell in the third over of the Middlesex reply. The visitors had reached 17 without loss when rain brought an interruption. The revised target left them requiring a further 191 from 28.5 overs under the floodlights.Stirling hit 2 sixes over mid-wicket off Howell in racing to a half-century off 44 balls. Dawid Malan contributed 29 to an opening stand of 84 before being well caught at deep extra cover by Dent off Miles. Gubbins was dropped by Miles at fine leg on 17 off the unlucky Norwell and, with Stirling continuing to play positively, it was a mistake Gloucestershire could not afford.By the time Gubbins, on 37, skied a catch to mid-on off Matt Taylor, Middlesex were 156 for two, needing only 52 off more than 12 overs. Morgan perished at the death, but Stirling batted through and hit the winning boundary.

Chelsea are considering a wide range of world-class manager options as their heir to Graham Potter at Stamford Bridge, yet few would have expected Frank Lampard's name to be in the running to take over.

Could Chelsea re-hire Frank Lampard?

Contenders for the job, Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique, might be keen on waiting until the end of the campaign to start their potential tenures at Stamford Bridge, considering the mess that the Blues currently find themselves in ahead of two games against European champions Real Madrid this month.

As a result, according to talkSPORT, Lampard "is a shock contender to return to CFC if they decide to appoint a caretaker manager until the end of the season."

Since that news, The Athletic's David Ornstein suggested this evening that Chelsea are in fact "close to appointing" their former boss.

Tuesday's stalemate against Liverpool, where the 44-year-old was in attendance, meant that Chelsea have now managed just 29 goals in 29 Premier League games this season, so it is no surprise that they occupy a bottom-half spot in the top flight.

By comparison, Lampard's previous spell at Chelsea was fantastic, especially when you consider that the money that has been spent under Boehly simply wasn't available under the former England international. A lack of funds, and of course, a transfer embargo led to young talents such as Reece James, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham establishing themselves as regular first-team players.

He led Chelsea to a fourth-place finish in the 2019/20 campaign but struggled the following year, and was sacked with the Blues in ninth position.

A move to Everton would follow and he kept the Toffees up by the skin of their teeth last season but looked to be leading the Merseyside outfit towards relegation this year as they sat in 19th position before he was sacked and replaced by Sean Dyche.

Journalist Ronan Murphy labelled the Chelsea legend a "terrible" manager in September 2022 and it certainly feels like his playing career influenced the Blues' decision to bring him in after one season at Derby County.

To repeat that mistake would be unforgivable by Boehly, especially when you consider how dreadful Everton were under his management, as they had managed the fewest number of wins in the Premier League before his sacking, as he earned an average of just one point per game in his spell at Goodison Park.

One of Chelsea's biggest issues this season has been getting the enormous dressing room on the side the manager and Boehly need only to look at Manchester United's experience with caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick to understand that this would be a terrible decision.

Lampard is still regarded as a Chelsea legend by many but for him to return to the club and potentially see them drop even further in the league would surely be a mistake for everyone involved.

HLTCO presenter Dan Cook has praised Steve Cooper amid talk that he could end up replacing Roy Hodgson as Crystal Palace manager.

What's the latest on Steve Cooper to Palace?

Earlier this month, the Eagles made the bold call to sack Patrick Vieira with the club in poor form and edging closer and closer to the relegation zone.

It's now been announced that former coach Hodgson will take charge until the end of the campaign, tasked simply with keeping Palace in the Premier League with 11 games left to play.

In the summer, however, they will likely be on the hunt for a new manager regardless of whether they stay up or not – and it seems as though Nottingham Forest boss Cooper is a primary candidate.

Indeed, as per the Daily Mail, the 43-year-old is someone the club will hope to target at the end of the season.

While talking about all this on HLTCO, Cook offered his opinion on the matter, saying: "You look at Steve Cooper, a man at Nottingham Forest who is seemingly on the verge.

"I mean, I've heard different reports about Nottingham Forest being prepared to part ways with Steve Cooper. I'm not sure how solid those rumours are.

"But of course, he was a manager that was previously linked with Crystal Palace prior to our decision to go with Patrick Vieira.

"And he knows Marc Guehi very, very well from their time together with the England under-17s setup.

"He is, for my money, a fantastic coach and someone that I wouldn't necessarily be against getting in as the new Palace boss for a long-term process."

Would Cooper be a good fit as Crystal Palace manager?

As Cook alludes to, Cooper could soon be leaving Forest. However, it's not necessarily because he's done a poor job there but more because he's a wanted man.

The Daily Mail claims a number of Premier League clubs have been impressed by the work he's done at the City Ground and so he is "currently under consideration" for at least two unnamed sides in the top flight.

With that in mind, it might not be easy for Palace to land him even if they want but perhaps his past relationship with key man Guehi could help in convincing Cooper to join – after all, the 22-year-old centre-back has played 59 times for his former England youth coach already in his career.

This certainly looks like one rumour to keep an eye on.

Joe Clarke’s latest century will have alerted the new England selector Ed Smith, but would a call-up be too much, too soon?

Jon Culley at New Road12-May-20181:59

County round-up: Clarke century rattles champions Essex

ScorecardIf runs scored in a struggling team really do carry extra value, then Joe Clarke has done his statistics no harm in the last few days. After his 157 at The Oval last week helped Worcestershire end the losing run that had made for an unpromising return to Division One cricket, his 105 here was the difference between a hefty first-innings deficit against the defending champions and a workable lead.Both hundreds, incidentally, have come since Ed Smith was appointed as James Whitaker’s successor as national selector, charged with rebuilding the standing of England’s Test team after a depressing Ashes winter. Whether this is significant may become known on Tuesday, when the first England selection of Smith’s tenure is announced.,He is probably an outside bet to be named in the squad for the opening Test against Pakistan but, if Smith is minded to make a statement by stepping away from the usual suspects, then Clarke will surely be one of those whose form has been scrutinised with particular interest.Here at New Road opinion is divided, not on the matter of Clarke’s talent but over whether he is ready to be exposed to Test cricket. Clarke will not be 22 until later this month and with all young players there is a risk that a poor start under the pressure of international cricket will have a negative psychological impact.”Am I ready to step up? Until you play at that level I don’t think you can know,” he said afterwards. “But to show that I can perform in the higher league after a few seasons in Division Two is pleasing. I’ll just try to score as many runs as I can for Worcestershire and let the runs do the talking really.”These last two innings, the latest in particular, have shown a responsible side to his game. With only Daryl Mitchell able to stay with him more than briefly, drawing on his experience to steady a rocking boat after Brett D’Oliveira and Tom Fell had been dismissed within the first three overs of the day, the onus was largely on Clarke to make sure the previous day’s achievement in denying Essex any batting points was not wasted.In that respect, he succeeded impressively. There was a wobble or two at the beginning, but for the most part his judgment of which balls he should attack was sound. Against an attack of this calibre, with Peter Siddle looking to sign off his five-match stint with the county on a strong note, making the correct decisions was essential. Yet when he did put bat to ball he looked in good order. Three of his 14 fours came in one over against Jamie Porter, two with muscular pulls through midwicket, the third driven serenely into the boundary boards at long off.Only the end was disappointing, a push at a ball from Ravi Bopara that beat the bat and punished his tentative footwork. Bopara had also dismissed Mitchell is returning 3 for 30, although Siddle was the best of the bowlers, unlucky to claim only two wickets.Essex overhauled Worcestershire’s lead for only one loss but suffered an unexpected blow when Alastair Cook, looking ominously well set on 66, offered no shot to a ball from Steve Magoffin that came back sharply to clip his off stump.Bizarrely, Essex’s top three batsmen were all bowled by balls they opted to leave, which is an unusual occurrence to say the least. Little wonder that Bopara and Dan Lawrence chose to negotiate a gloomy last hour somewhat cautiously, although for not quite long enough in the case of Bopara, who was caught behind pushing at one from an impressive Josh Tongue just before seven o’clock, with 12 balls left in the day.

A shattering spell of reverse swing by Tom Curran foiled Australia’s chase of a modest total as England took the one-day series 4-1

The Report by Daniel Brettig28-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA shattering spell of reverse swing by Tom Curran foiled Australia’s chase of a modest England total and in turn silenced a West Australian record crowd of 53,781 in the first ODI to be played at Perth’s new stadium. A trio of players from out west – Mitchell Marsh, AJ Tye and Marcus Stoinis – had prospered earlier in the match, but it was the effervescent Curran who had the final say, years after he had been childhood friends with Marsh when growing up in Zimbabwe.Australia seemed to be travelling comfortably in pursuit of 260 for victory, after England’s batsmen had squandered a series of starts, when Stoinis fell within sight of a hundred upon his promotion to No. 3 in the home side’s batting order. Having earlier ended a poor series for David Warner with a lively yorker, Curran was called back by Eoin Morgan and had his second ball curling back to confound the recalled Glenn Maxwell.Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Tim Paine followed, leaving England 4-1 victors in the 50-over series and underlining the fact that Australia are currently a long way from putting together a strong limited overs combination, less than 18 months away from next year’s World Cup. England were also well served by David Willey, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, while Jake Ball overcame considerable physical distress to complete his 10 overs. Winning the match without Mark Wood, Chris Woakes or Liam Plunkett was testament to the depth of the England ODI squad.The visitors had seemed headed for a tall total when Jason Roy was hitting the ball with plenty of power early on, but he, Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales all failed to go on from promising starts to leave Joe Root more or less stranded with the England tail. In the game after taking his first international wickets, Tye used his vast array of pace variations to scoop five, reaping the rewards of some earlier good work by Marsh and also Zampa, who delivered his best spell of the series.Warner again departed cheaply, but his exit provided the chance for Stoinis to demonstrate his combination of poise and power in a way that will put him very much in the mix to be a more permanent fixture at No. 3. A promising stand with Travis Head, again looking comfortable as an opener, was ended by Morgan’s direct hit run out, which found the left-hander to be fractionally short of his ground.Smith has looked out of sorts all series, and did little to change that impression by being nearly stumped off Rashid and then comfortably stumped off Moeen, who drifted one away from Australia’s captain before sliding it past the outside edge and into Buttler’s gloves. Marsh was victim to a simply outstanding return catch from Moeen, who thrust out his right hand and plucked a fiercely struck straight drive just as the umpire was ducking for cover.For a time it appeared that Stoinis and Maxwell would take the Australians home, leaving the hosts needing just 70 from 97 balls with six wickets in hand. But when Stoinis failed to clear long-on when electing to loft Rashid, he opened up an end for Curran, who made the most of it, turning figures of 1 for 23 after five overs into a match-winning 5 for 35 after 9.2.Smith admitted that his decision to bowl first was based largely on unknowns about the stadium’s drop-in pitch, which offered an odd-looking mosaic of dry grass and greener areas. But it played well from the moment Roy flicked Starc’s first ball of the match through square leg, the vast square boundaries for a stadium devised primarily for football matches allowing an all-run four.Having begun the series with a whirlwind 180 at the MCG, Roy seemed intent on ending it in a similar manner, driving powerfully down the ground and through cover across a fast outfield. The ball after hitting Starc back over his head for six, he edged a ball angling across him through to Paine, only to be reprieved by the detection of a no-ball on replays after the event. Starc beat Roy for pace with the subsequent free-hit, but the no-ball looked likely to be costly as England strode to 44 in the first five overs.Some tighter bowling from the West Australian duo of Marsh and Tye forced Roy’s scoring rate to slacken, and ultimately drew his wicket when trying to force the pace once more – beaten by one of Tye’s slower ball variations and skying to mid-on. Bairstow then took it upon himself to drive the scoreboard forward, but he too was dismissed after making a start, dragging an indeterminate prod at Starc onto the stumps after Smith brought back his No. 1 strike bowler.Marsh, who bowled with notable economy, also ensured Hales would not go on from his own start by coaxing a top edge from a short ball, and Morgan swiped unsuccessfully at another ball banged into the pitch, taken by Stoinis running in from deep point. Buttler briefly threatened to go on the offensive before he too was fooled by Tye’s subtle changes in pace, leaving Root to try to lift the tally with the bowlers.He paid a price in pain when one of Tye’s deliveries came through slower than expected, Root through the shot and struck a painful blow in the ribs that he took some time to recover from. None of Moeen, Rashid or Willey could endure, and when Root found Warner at long on, the end was Tye’s. Australia went to the interval with confidence, but they were to be humbugged by Curran, much as they have been by a more focused and tactically alert England throughout this series.