Durham shrugged off a week of woe by easing to a four-wicket win with 14 balls to spare against Warwickshire in the Royal London Cup tie at South Northumberland CC in the Newcastle suburb of Gosforth

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2016
ScorecardPaul Collingwood hit a quick fire fifty to push Durham towards victory (file photo)•Getty Images

Durham shrugged off a week of woe by easing to a four-wicket win with 14 balls to spare against Warwickshire in the Royal London Cup tie at South Northumberland CC in the Newcastle suburb of Gosforth.A day after taking over the one-day captaincy from the departing Mark Stoneman, Paul Collingwood took his team within sight of victory by thrashing 53 off 33 balls. It ended a run of four one-day defeats, culminating in Sunday’s 170-run hammering at Northampton prior to the announcement that Stoneman had signed for Surrey and Phil Mustard had gone to Gloucestershire on loan.Put in on an excellent pitch, the visitors were on course for 300-plus while century-maker Sam Hain was sharing a third wicket stand of 143 with Tim Ambrose. But good bowling at the end of the innings by Usman Arshad, with 3 for 50, held them in check and they fell short on 292 for 7.Hain continued his fine one-day form with a cultured 107 off 115 balls and Ambrose hit two sixes in making 86 off 89 balls before Laurie Evans cleared the rope three times in a quickfire 30. Despite those sixes, Warwickshire would have hoped for more late momentum had Hain not played on in the 42nd when trying to run Keaton Jennings to third man. Ambrose then miscued a drive off Arshad to extra cover as the 46th over yielded only two runs.Stuart Poynter, making his debut in competitive cricket in place of Mustard, took the catches which brought the only two wickets to fall in the first 41 overs, Will Porterfield falling to Chris Rushworth in the third. Ian Bell unfurled some elegant cover drives as he contributed 31 to a stand of 72 with Hain before his first attempt at a big hit brought his downfall when he edged the first ball of Scott Borthwick’s second over.Stoneman laid the platform for Durham’s chase with a solid 56 then Borthwick built the momentum with two sixes in his 66 off 67 balls. Victory looked a formality when Collingwod pulled Chris Wright for two sixes and drove him for two fours in the 40th over to reduce the target to 61 off ten.The captain went for one big hit too many in the 44th, slicing a Rikki Clarke slower ball to short third man. But Michael Richardson was equal to the task of gathering the remaining 40 runs with an unbeaten 32.

Arsenal have reportedly opened preliminary talks to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice, who has "made it clear" he'd prefer a move there.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta's side were dealt a hammer blow in their race to seal a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, anf it looks like their hopes are all but gone, following a dismal 3-0 home defeat to Brighton.

Title rivals Man City, after their victory over Everton at Goodison Park, have one hand on their third-successive domestic crown and could seal it with a win over Chelsea this weekend.

For Arsenal, it could be back to the drawing board as sporting director Edu prepares transfer plans for the upcoming summer window.

Preparing for a title challenge next season could now take centre stage, with reports heavily indicating that a central midfield signing is on their agenda despite bringing in Jorginho.

Arsenal have been heavily linked with moves for forwards as well, including the likes of Jonathan David and Lois Openda, as the north Londoners look to Ligue 1 for more back-up.

Going back to the midfield, one name who has been repeatedly mentioned as a transfer target is Rice, who seems likely to leave West Ham.

Even though some reports have suggested that they have dropped out of the race lately, the vast majority say Rice is still a firm target for Arsenal, with Football Transfers sharing some information.

According to the outlet, Arteta's side have opened preliminary talks to sign the England international, who has already made it clear he'd prefer a move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have apparently taken iniative in the race for his signature by contacting West Ham ahead of time, who could demand a British record fee.

Arsenal could apparently drive his price tag down through a potential swap deal, as it's known the Irons are looking for a striker and Moyes is a big fan of Folarin Balogun.

What could Rice bring to Arsenal?

The 24-year-old averages more interceptions per 90 than any West Ham player and stands out as their best-performing Premier League player overall, according to WhoScored.

Rice has also been praised for his form in the top flight this season, with Sky pundit Alan Smith recently claiming he is like two midfielders rolled into one.

Smith said on Sky (via The Boot Room):

“Declan Rice, He’s like two players for West Ham. He’s unbelievable, world-class and he is starting to add goals to his game as well.”

Valuation and the difficulty of this deal will be Arsenal's main obstacles, but if they can seal him, there is no doubt Rice would serioisly reinforce Arteta's midfield.

Aston Villa could be set for a massive summer as they prepare to compete in the Europa Conference League next season, and now it has been reported that the club are preparing an ambitious move in the transfer window.

What's the latest on Aston Villa's interest in Kalvin Phillips?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are keen to secure the signing of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips should he become available this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed that the Midlands club are not put off by Phillips' comments about wanting to stay with the Premier League champions and have no intentions of giving up hope that they could snap up his services as they believe that City will be open to offers for the out of favour player in the summer transfer window.

This comes amid claims that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also eyeing a £35m move for the Englishman.

Would Kalvin Phillips be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Despite winning his first Premier League title and remaining in contention to complete the treble, Phillips has made no secret about his struggles over his first season with the Sky Blues.

The former Leeds star spoke out last weekend to Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News) about his lack of confidence and concerns about game time since joining in a £45m deal last summer:

"It’s been unbelievably tough."

"It’s probably been one of the lowest moments in myself confidence-wise in my career, but with the guys around me like Kyle [Walker], they’ve kept me going, told me I’ll get my chance and it’ll come."

Amid the depth of midfield talent at Man City – with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne all in the mix for a starting berth – Phillips has been unable to compete comfortably for a spot in the super team, making just his first start at home to Chelsea last week.

As a result, Villa could offer the England star – hailed an "absolute beast" by Nigel de Jong – an opportunity to move to a club where he can earn much more game time and play a more key role in the success the club will be striving for in Emery's first full season in charge.

In fact, the former Villarreal boss could form an incredible partnership between Phillips and Boubacar Kamara as the pair together could dominate the centre of the pitch and cause non-stop problems for opponents.

The two men could well thrive due to their ball-winning prowess, with Phillips having notably averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game for Leeds last term in the league, while young Kamara has averaged a solid 2.4 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game this season.

Both Phillips and Kamara also boast an incredible passing range and unrivalled accuracy in their positions, with the City man having an average pass completion rate of 92% in the top-flight this term, while the latter man is only slightly lower at 85% for the same metric.

That is something that could be a huge asset for Emery in his pursuit to transform and improve the team's overall ball possession next season to align with one of the key components of his footballing philosophy.

With that being said, the signing of Phillips would be a major coup for Villa if they could pull it off this summer and the Man City star is certainly the perfect profile of player to help Emery achieve his goals for the team.

Aston Villa have made contact regarding a potential summer deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hwang Hee-Chan, according to reports.

Who is Hwang Hee-Chan?

Hwang is a South Korean international who permanently arrived in the Premier League from RB Leipzig last summer following a successful loan period at Molineux the season before, as per Transfermarkt, where he’s since clocked up 63 appearances across both spells to date.

The Old Gold forward still has another three years remaining on his contract, but having established himself as Julen Lopetegui’s third best-performing offensive player this campaign, has caught the eye of Unai Emery.

The Midlands outfit comfortably secured their safety in the top-flight weeks ago now, but as a result of experiencing issues with Financial Fair Play, they could be forced to cash in on some of their most prized assets to help balance the books during the upcoming window, the 27-year-old being one of them, which has alerted the manager to his potential availability.

Who is signing Hwang?

According to The Mirror, Aston Vila have “registered an interest” in landing Hwang alongside AS Roma, with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also “monitoring” his situation in the Premier League. Wolves are “under pressure” to decrease the size of their squad in the weeks and months ahead with it being stated that some players “will have to be sold”.

Lopetegui is “loathe to lose” the striker, but he wants all of his transfer business to be completed “as quickly as possible”, so NSWE will therefore have to “show their hands” soon should they want to reach an agreement.

Would Hwang be a good signing for Villa?

Aston Villa will know that Hwang only made 12 Premier League starts in 2022/23 due to sustaining a hamstring injury earlier in the term, but he’s still shown what a “dangerous” poacher he can be when fit, as hailed by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell, so he has the potential to be a great addition for Emery.

The World Cup participant, who currently pockets £30k-per-week, posted seven goal contributions (four goals and three assists) across all competitions this season, but he’s also capable of getting stuck in defensively, ranking in the 99th percentile for most tackles and blocks.

Finally, Hwang would add wonderful versatility to the Spaniard’s squad with his ability to operate in five different positions over the grass, including out wide on both flanks and even deeper in the midfield alongside his natural centre-forward role, and he would only develop even further under the guidance of Emery at Villa Park.

Arsenal's starting XI has proven its ability to battle with anyone this season, and had they have all remained fit there was reason to believe that Mikel Arteta would have led them to the Premier League title.

However, as is always the way with these arduous campaigns, things did not go to plan.

Losing one or two key men makes it somewhat possible to account for, however, when the alternatives are so poor, it makes for a frustrating viewing. For example, given William Saliba's absence, the next-best alternative then became Rob Holding, who has never really been at the required level to play regularly for the Gunners.

Some roles are more bolstered than others, but with reports linking Kieran Tierney with an exit from the Emirates, perhaps the Spanish boss and Edu will seek to offer Oleksandr Zinchenko some ample competition in the form of Ferland Mendy, whom they are set to be offered the chance to sign according to reports.

Given their unbridled success in prying Martin Odegaard from Madrid's grasp, with the Norwegian having been dubbed surplus to requirements in Spain, perhaps they could gladly welcome another Real Madrid outcast who can blossom into a similarly important player as their current captain for just a £17.5m fee.

How has Ferland Mendy played at Real Madrid?

To emphasise his importance to this current side, the creative 24-year-old boasts 15 goals and eight assists in a league campaign in which they are set to just fall short of Manchester City.

Everything good offensively within this team often comes through their midfield magician in Odegaard, and in Mendy, they could find a defensive alternative.

Having enjoyed a tumultuous time in Madrid since moving from Lyon, the 27-year-old is now a well-established star who would upgrade most teams. Although this season has not been his best, just last year he proved imperative for Carlo Ancelotti's Champions League and La Liga-winning side.

Starring in the latter, the left-back retained a 7.00 average rating in which he scored twice and maintained a 92% pass accuracy, 0.9 key passes and 1.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

It seems that even strong showings of this ilk do not make you immune from the chopping block at a club the size of Real Madrid, as even Odegaard maintained a 7.23 average rating in his final full season before moving to north London on an initial loan. Despite this, their loss would definitely be Arsenal's gain.

Given the remarkable care he takes of the ball, whilst also being branded a "1v1 beast" by writer Raj Chohan, it seems Edu is set to once again prey on the Spanish giants' reject pool, which has already proved profitable once before.

Tottenham Hotspur have endured a disappointing season and will need to carry out an inquest into why they have come up short in the race for Champions League football.

Underwhelming recruitment, the famous exit of Antonio Conte and the uncertainty over the future of Harry Kane has led to a hostile atmosphere around the club at the minute, with the Lilywhites being in danger of missing out on continental football entirely as they sit eighth in the Premier League table heading into the final day.

In the summer, additions will be needed to help combat their demise as they try to move forward. However, the fact the north London outfit still don't have a new manager, although Feyenoord boss Arne Slot looks to be a serious contender for the role, has soured relations between the fans and the Spurs' hierarchy.

One reported target that could help to revive their fortunes on the pitch is Villarreal defender Pau Torres, who may "welcome a new proposal from Tottenham" following Spurs' bid of £42.6m last summer that was rejected by the La Liga side.

What's the latest news involving Pau Torres and how has he faired this term?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown thinks that Torres would be a step up in quality from some of their current defenders after the rumours emerged.

Brown told FFC: "I think he would be an upgrade. Whether he fits with the defenders who are already there, I have my slight doubts about. I'm not sure they're a good mix of profiles, he also has quite a high escape clause and I think Spurs probably need to do business in other areas ahead of that position. On paper, he is a better defender than some of the ones they've got."

Torres has a release clause worth €50 million (£43,548,551) and there is a feeling that Villarreal would accept an offer in this region due to their culture of selling their products to recoup handsome transfer fees.

Of course, there would be questions as to who he could compete with for a starting place and Cristian Romero naturally comes to mind straight away. Comparing the two in their respective leagues, as per WhoScored, Torres edges Romero in clearances completed this term, managing an average of 4.1 to Romero's 3.6 in 2022/23.

Regarding tackle success rate, FBRef shows that Torres also holds a slight advantage, scoring 64.3% compared to Romero's slightly inferior record of 63%.

The Villarreal defender has also carried out more long ball passes than Romero per fixture, making 5.4 per game pitted against Romero's three, though the clashing styles of play between Tottenham and Villarreal will have contributed to this differential.

Of course, this is not to say that Torres is necessarily a better defender than Romero; it is just to illustrate a point that is worth bearing in mind heading into next season, especially when Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is considering factoring in a more data-based approach to transfer activity to try and maximise the output of players in N17, as per The Daily Mail.

In total, €73,077 (£63,677) per week earner Torres has made 36 appearances for Villarreal in all competitions this term, notching one goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Last year, the 26-year-old earned the praise of BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves via quotes transcribed by United In Focus, who said: “He’s a fantastic player. I’m quite surprised he’s still at Villarreal. English teams were looking at him. I think everyone was talking about Man United and even Real Madrid, I think his potential is literally that high. He’s got a fabulous left foot, he’s great in possession. A fantastic player so I don’t think he’ll be at Villarreal very long.”

The fact Torres is left-footed may play into Spurs' hands quite nicely, offering some balance in the backline come 2023/24 as they look to get themselves back on the canvas.

Who knows, maybe Torres and Romero could form a solid partnership at the heart of the Lilywhites' defence next term. Stranger things have happened in football and it may turn into an eventuality if recent reports are to be believed.

أعلن نادي بلدية المحلة، عن ضم عبد الله جمعة ظهير أيسر الزمالك السابق، لصفوف الفريق بشكل رسمي، خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية.

وكانت إدارة الزمالك قد بدأت في تسويق اللاعب بعد استطلاع رأي الكولومبي خوان كارلوس أوسوريو المدير الفني السابق للفريق، وتأكيده أن اللاعب خارج حساباته.

ومنح مسؤولو الزمالك عبد الله جمعة الاستغناء الخاص به، وأبلغوه بإنهاء التعاقد معه بالتراضي، قبل غلق سوق الانتقالات.

طالع أيضًا | فيديو | “من غزة الزملكاوية إلى ميت عقبة”.. الزمالك يُعلن رسميًا ضم ياسر حمد

ونشرت الصفحة الرسمية لنادي بلدية المحلة عبر “فيس بوك” صورة تقديم اللاعب الجديد كتبت عليها: “اللاعب الدولي عبد الله جمعة ينضم للنادي الملكي”.

ورحل 8 لاعبين دفعة واحدة عن الزمالك وهم، عبد الله جمعة – حاتم سكر – عمرو السيسي – أحمد زكي – مصطفى شكري – محمد طارق – محمد حسام – كريم عبد الحق.

While all eyes are on the pitch for Durban’s first-ever Test match in August, peripheral vision will move to the outfield which has failed to recover completely since being relaid last month

Firdose Moonda18-Aug-2016While all eyes are on the pitch for Durban’s first-ever Test match in August, peripheral vision will move to the outfield which has failed to recover completely since being relaid last month.After a limited-overs series between both teams last year, members of both sides had complained about the condition of the outfields in Durban and Centurion. They found the ground uncomfortable because it was too hard and asked if something could be done to soften it ahead of this year’s Test series. CSA agreed to decompact the outfield at both venues, which essentially involves removing sand and grass and relaying it. However, the process took place too late in Durban and the outfield was too deeply dug up to be ready in time for the Test. As a result, the outfield is an eyesore: patchy with several areas of scant grass and significant sand.”The digging happened too deep and too late and that’s why it looks the way it does now,” an insider told ESPNcricinfo. “Overall, it may be softer, but it’s definitely not pristine.”Work was done at SuperSport Park as soon as the season ended in April, but could not get underway in Kingsmead at the same time because it is the end point of the Comrades Marathon, which was run on May 29. “There would have been no point doing it when you are just going to have 18,000 runners’ feet on the ground a few weeks later,” the source said.Instead, the process only began in mid-June and was completed by July 1, seven weeks before the Test. More than 40 tonnes of sand and grass were removed from the outfield and new grass was grown. “It was a bit of a gamble to start that late, but they thought with the warmer climate, the outfield would recover and it was on its way.”At the end of July, Durban was hit by severe floods, and the outfield “was like a lake.” Since then, intermittent drizzle and insufficient sunshine, partly caused by the shadow the grandstand casts over part of the outfield at this time of the year, did not allow the grass to grow as much as it should have.While this will have no impact as such on the pitch, which had a significant grass covering on it the day before the match, it could still play a part in the Test. On rougher ground, the ball will scuff up quicker which may assist in getting reverse-swing.

ScorecardMichael Hogan stood in as Glamorgan captain•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Glamorgan would have been in deep trouble had Australian born Nick Selman not scored 101, almost half the team’s total, in an attacking innings.Selman, who last month carried his bat for an undefeated hundred against Northants, looked as if would emulate that performance until he was bowled the delivery after reaching his century. He will hope that this innings will not start a run of poor form- following his first century he suffered a run of four ducks.After an uncontested toss, Mark Wallace – in the absence of Jacques Rudolph, who had a sore neck – opened the innings with Selman, but Wallace was out in the seventh over, leg before to David Payne, which prompted a spectator to shout behind the arm” that was a poor decision umpire”.Selman had started with a flurry of boundaries, and although Will Bragg and David Lloyd were both out cheaply, Glamorgan had reached 130 for 3 at lunch, with Selman and Aneurin Donald in full flow.The fourth wicket pair had put on 65, before Donald, who was only four runs short of his 1,000 first-class runs for the season, top-edged an intended pull to mid-on. Kieran Carlson, playing his second championship game, was out with scoring, and after Selman was dismissed, Craig Meschede was also dismissed by Matt Taylor.Graham Wagg, meanwhile, played a watchful innings on a pitch that was seamer friendly, and had to contend with some accurate bowling from the Gloucestershire seam quartet. Wagg and Timm Van Der Gugten added a useful 38 for the ninth wicket, enabling Glamorgan to gain a batting point, before they were both dismissed by Craig Miles who, with Taylor, took four wickets.Gloucestershire had to face 31 overs after tea, but soon lost Gareth Roderick who edged Van Der Gugten’s fifth ball to second slip. The Glamorgan seamers also bowled a tight line, but it was a short delivery that undid Chris Dent, who tamely guided the ball to square leg.Will Tavare, who had laboured 67 balls for his 18, was the next to go when he was lbw to Michael Hogan, who was leading Glamorgan in Rudolph’s absence. Hamish Marshall and George Hankin, who was the Player of the Tournament in the recent Under-19 series against Sri Lanka, guided Gloucestershire to the close at 62 for3, a deficit of 158.

Arsenal's longstanding pursuit of Moises Caicedo drags on, however a recent update is suggestive of a breakthrough that could fast-forward this deal to completion.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who spoke to GIVEMESPORT about Mikel Arteta's desperation to sign the Brighton and Hove Albion star.

Having failed in his push for the Premier League title, attention can seemingly now turn to bolstering their already impressive squad, in an effort to bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City.

The Italian journalist claimed: "It’s not going to be easy for sure because, for Caicedo, there is a lot of interest. All the top English clubs are working around Moises Caicedo, so it's not easy.

"This is why Arsenal tried to sign him in January. They wanted to be fast because they knew it would be complicated to attack the Moises Caicedo situation in the summer.

“But, for sure, there is Arsenal interest, and there has been a conversation with the player’s side."

Reports elsewhere are suggesting that it will take a fee of £90m to lure him from the Amex, £20m higher than what the Gunners saw rejected for the midfielder in January.

Could Moises Caicedo mimic Oleksandr Zinchenko?

Although many might naturally assume that the Ecuador international will be recruited for the engine room, his recent exploits at right-back under Roberto De Zerbi is suggestive of a fresh idea that Arteta could employ should he tempt him to the Emirates.

Only last week, the youngster shone in that role against none other than Arsenal, winning a truly ridiculous haul of 13 ground duels, five of which were successful tackles as he shut down Gabriel Martinelli.

Given Arteta's success in forging Oleksandr Zinchenko's role as an inverted left-back, perhaps the arrival of the 21-year-old would see his perfect counterpart brought in, to add further defensive security to the right flank alongside that youthful exuberance and creative excellence.

After all, his 7.10 average rating is largely underpinned by statistics that align with the Ukraine international's starring assets.

Caicedo's 89% pass accuracy, 1.2 key passes and 2.8 tackles per game (via Sofascore) offer a vast upgrade on the former Citizens defender, who instead has maintained an 88% pass accuracy, 0.7 key passes and 1.5 tackles per game.

Journalist Andy Naylor sought to laud the exploits of Brighton's midfield monster just last month, suggesting his relentless work rate made him something of a "machine". Adding this kind of energy to the right flank could stretch their opposition further, whilst essentially having a midfielder at full-back, akin to Zinchenko or Trent Alexander-Arnold.

With Granit Xhaka seemingly heading for an exit, fans might question why Arteta would sign the £15k-per-week midfielder only to play full back. However, the domino effect his acquisition could bring would bolster various areas of the team in one fell swoop.

With Caicedo at right back, it would free up Ben White to add some requisite competition for William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at centre back, rendering Rob Holding redundant. This would also mean another midfielder needs to be acquired, paving the way for the true big-money deal: the signing of Declan Rice.

Should this potential new man have an impact anywhere near that of Zinchenko in his debut year in north London, he could well be the catalyst for further progress under this stunning regime.