West Ham United are now reportedly closing in on another summer signing after reaching a three-year agreement to welcome an experienced defender.
Latest on West Ham incomings
After losing Mohammed Kudus, West Ham instantly reacted by signing El Hadji Malick Diouf. The former Slavia Prague winger arrives with big shoes to fill and for around £19m, but is well aware of how he could slot straight into Graham Potter’s plans.
The versatile 20-year-old told West Ham’s official website: “I’m really happy to be here and to make a progression for my career. I’m looking forward to working hard and joining my new team-mates.
“There were a lot of teams [who wanted to sign me], but I chose West Ham United first and I spoke with the coach [Graham Potter] and it was a good plan for me.
“Everyone wants to come here to play in the Premier League. I think it is a dream for everyone. When they are here, they want to make everything good. I think they also have the personality to play here and if you are young, you want to continue your progression.
“If you are young, you have to keep your personality. It’s about the team. The most important thing is the team, not the player. I want to say to the West Ham supporters I’m very happy to be here with them. I think we’ll make a very good season this year.”
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Amid links to the likes of Jack Grealish and now one other player with plenty of Premier League experience, however, it’s clear that West Ham aren’t done there on the transfer front after Diouf, Daniel Cummings and Jean-Clair Todibo.
West Ham reach agreement with Walker-Peters
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have now reached a three-year agreement with Kyle Walker-Peters. The right-back became a free agent when he left Southampton at the end of last season and is now set to join up with Potter at the London Stadium in a bargain deal.
In a quickfire transfer, the Hammers look to be welcoming a replacement for Vladimir Coufal and impressive competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka down their right-hand side.
Even as his tenure ended in failure at Southampton, Russell Martin was often full of praise for Walker-Peters – highlighting his quality for all to see. The former Saints boss told reporters last season as transfer rumours commenced: “He’s still here. So, I hope he’ll still be here in a few weeks’ time.
“But whilst he is here, we had the chat and we need him to help us because he’s a really top player. He was great and he’s a fit, fit boy. He’s trained so well.”
Celtic have moved quickly to bolster their playing squad during the summer transfer window and several moves have officially gone through on Tuesday.
Kieran Tierney agreed to return to Parkhead earlier this year, and his move has finally gone through upon the expiry of his contract at Arsenal, which came to an end on Monday.
The Scotland international, who left the Hoops to sign for the Gunners back in the summer of 2025, is not the only player officially arriving on Tuesday, though, as Ross Doohan has also joined on a free transfer from Aberdeen.
Celtic have also taken advantage of a contractual situation to snap up a deal for 19-year-old centre-forward Callum Osmand, whose deal with Premier League side Fulham expired on Monday.
The teenage striker has joined from the Cottagers’ U21 side, but has taken the first-team squad number of 19, and is set to compete for a place in the squad.
What Callum Osmand's role at Celtic will be
The young striker could arrive at Parkhead to fulfill the role that Johnny Kenny played for the Scottish Premiership champions in the second half of last season.
Brendan Rodgers decided to integrate the Irish forward into the first-team squad after his loan spell with Shamrock Rovers, and the 22-year-old forward scored one goal and provided one assist in eight Premiership outings, starting one game.
Celtic have already rejected an offer of £500k from Bolton for the Irishman, and it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at Parkhead by the end of the summer transfer window.
An exit from Glasgow for Kenny in the coming weeks would open the door for Osmand to take up his role as the back-up centre-forward in the squad.
24/25
22
11
4
23/24
29
21
6
22/23
21
11
2
21/22
1
0
0
As you can see in the table above, the Welsh striker enjoyed a prolific career at youth level for Fulham, scoring 54 goals for the U18 and U21 sides combined.
However, he is yet to make a senior appearance for any club to date, which means that it remains to be seen how he will adapt to first-team football. This is why a back-up role initially could make a lot of sense for the teenage talent.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
Osmand, though, may not be the only centre-forward to come through the door this summer, as the Hoops may also look for a long-term replacement for Kyogo Furuhashi as an immediate starting-calibre option.
Celtic opted against signing an immediate replacement for the Japan international in the January window, but they should now swoop for a senior addition, and Bojan Miovski is a player who could make a lot of sense.
Why Celtic should sign Bojan Miovski
The Daily Record recently reported that Celtic have shown more interest in signing the Macedonia international than Rangers in the past, and that they would be a more likely destination for the forward.
They have been linked with an interest in signing the former Aberdeen star, who is valued at £9m, from Girona, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will press ahead with a swoop for his services.
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski.
The Premiership champions should pursue a deal for the £9m-rated striker because he is a proven performer in Scotland who could hit the ground running as a starting-calibre option, competing with Adam Idah for a place in the starting XI.
This would leave Rodgers with Idah and Miovski as his two senior options, with Osmand as a back-up, and that would free up Daizen Maeda to play out wide.
Miovski’s form during his time at Aberdeen in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns suggests that he has the quality to come in as a better striker than Osmand, who is yet to make his senior bow.
The 26-year-old star’s return of four goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for Girona may not excite supporters, but a poor year in the Spanish top-flight does not paint the full picture.
Bojan Miovski for North Macedonia.
Miovski plundered 44 goals in 98 outings for Aberdeen in all competitions during his two seasons in Scotland, which included a haul of 32 goals in the Premiership.
The left-footed marksman, who was once dubbed a “complete number 9” by journalist Josh Bunting, is a proven goalscorer in the Premiership, which suggests that he could provide an instant threat in front of goal for the Hoops next season.
Appearances
37
38
Goals
16
16
Conversion rate
23%
15%
Minutes per goal
181
197
Big chances created
6
4
Assists
2
2
As you can see in the table above, the Macedonia international was a consistent performer in front of goal for the Dons in the Scottish top-flight, firing in 16 goals in both of his seasons at Pittodrie.
Daizen Maeda, with 16 strikes, was the only Celtic player who scored more than ten league goals last season, which suggests that Miovski would be one of the biggest goal threats, if not the biggest, within the Hoops squad if he can get back to that form.
The Girona forward also has a record of four goals in nine games against Rangers in his career to date, which suggests that he could be a fearsome opponent in the big games for Rodgers next term.
Overall, Miovski is a proven Premiership performer in the prime years of his career, at the age of 26, which is why he would come through the door as a much better striker, in the here and now, than Osmand, who has not proven himself in any league at senior level to date.
More exciting than Inamura & Osmand: Celtic could sign "jaw-dropping" star
Celtic could land a signing that is more exciting than Callum Osmand and Hayato Inamura with this star.
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This is why Celtic should swoop to rescue the centre-forward from Giorna before the end of the summer transfer window, to provide Osmand with a fantastic attacker to learn from next term.
A “special” Liverpool player has now been linked with a shock move to a Premier League rival this summer, following an on-air claim by Sky Sports News.
Liverpool set to sell first-team stars this summer
So much focus is on the players the Reds could sign before next season, from Florian Wirtz to Milos Kerkez, but there are also a host of players who could leave Anfield.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has already departed for Real Madrid, while on the opposite flank, Kostas Tsimikas could be the man to make way at left-back, assuming Kerkez arrives from Bournemouth. Caoimhin Kelleher is also reportedly closing in on a move to Brentford, as he searches to be a No.1.
Liverpool's CaoimhinKelleher
Further up the pitch, Harvey Elliott has been linked with a move away, even potentially being part of a swap deal involving Bayer Leverkusen superstar Wirtz. The 22-year-old Liverpool attacker has struggled for playing time this season and may feel a new challenge is best for his development.
While Mohamed Salah has committed his future to the Reds, all of Arne Slot’s other attackers – Federico Chiesa, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez – have all seen their futures thrown into doubt to differing extents, ahead of potential big changes to the squad. Now, another exit update has dropped regarding another player.
Everton want Liverpool winger Ben Doak
According to some “breaking” news on Sky Sports on Monday morning, Everton are interested in signing Liverpool winger Ben Doak in the summer transfer window, in a move that would cause some shock waves across Merseyside.
Seeing a player move from Liverpool to Everton, or the opposite for that matter, is so rare, which is why this Doak update comes as a surprise. The Scotland winger spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Middlesbrough, in order to aid his development, and he bagged 10 goal contributions (three goals and seven assists) in the Championship. He is a huge young talent, being hailed by Jurgen Klopp during their brief time together.
For that reason, Liverpool selling the £30m-rated Doak, especially to their local rivals, would have to be considered a risk, given how high his ceiling could be.
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That said, if Slot and Richard Hughes don’t feel he has it in him to make the grade at Anfield, they need to be trusted, even though it would be preferable to sell him to someone else other than Everton.
Celtic are already probing for reinforcements this summer and have now set their sights on a talented gem who could offer a towering presence at Parkhead, per a report.
Celtic look to kickstart summer transfer business
The Bhoys are marching towards the end of the season in style and could finish the campaign with a domestic treble should they defeat Aberdeen at Hampden later this month.
Brendan Rodgers has once again shown his managerial prowess, domestically and in the Champions League, which he will hope can help his case in earning significant backing from the Hoops’ hierarchy this summer.
Celticmanager BrendanRodgerscelebrates with the trophy after winning the League Cup
Looking ahead to the window, Celtic could make a surprise move for Aberdeen goalkeeper Ross Doohan to help fill their homegrown quota for European competitions next term.
Scott Bain could leave Parkhead in search of first-team football, and the Lennoxtown academy graduate fits the bill as a club-trained asset ready to step in.
Sarpsborg winger Sondre Orjasaeter is also on the list at Parkhead, though it remains to be seen whether Celtic will firm up interest in the Norwegian once the window opens for business.
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Despite excitement over potential arrivals, Celtic aren’t assured of their place in next year’s Champions League league phase and need to navigate the final qualifying round to certify a spot in the competition.
Nevertheless, speculating to accumulate has to be the aim for the reigning Scottish Premiership champions. They have enough money in the bank to make a statement, so expect some exciting new faces to strengthen Rodgers’ talented group.
Casting an eye to the continent, Celtic are now in the mix to sign a towering young defender who could add further strength to their backline.
Celtic very interested in signing Veljko Milosavljevic
According to Max Sport, Celtic are ‘very interested’ in giant Red Star Belgrade defender Veljko Milosavljevic as Rodgers looks to add further solidity heading into next season.
For now, the Bhoys have been told the 17-year-old isn’t for sale, which is a stance that could change as clubs from England and France position themselves to sign the Serbia Under-19 international, who stands at 6ft 4.
Veljko Milosavljevic’s season for Red Star Belgrade – all competitions
Appearances
28
Goals
0
Assists
3
Prioritising the future, Celtic are always in the market for talent with sell-on value. While experience is always a bonus, the scope to develop stars of the future is a major avenue towards the club earning significant capital to reinvest.
Carrying the ball from deep, Milosavljevic has completed an average of 1.9 dribbles per match in the Serbian top-flight, illustrating a degree of comfort in possession that would fit Rodgers’ high-octane tactical framework.
Nevertheless, growing competition for his signature will leave Celtic with work to do as they look to convince another prodigious star to commit their future at Parkhead.
The thought of winning regular silverware and competing in European football may well be a tempting one for Milosavljevic, but you get the impression he will also need first-team guarantees.
Chelsea are now eager to sign a £40k-a-week full-back who’s “one of the best” in Europe, but there is set to be fierce competition from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.
Pressure building on Maresca
Fans are starting to lose patience with Enzo Maresca, given that performances have fallen way short of expectations in recent weeks, drawing 2-2 at home to Ipswich Town before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Legia Warsaw at Stamford Bridge.
However, the manager is likely to have bought himself some more time with the 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with Tyrique George and Pedro Neto striking late to secure a comeback victory at Craven Cottage.
By and large, the Blues’ backline has not been the issue this season, retaining the joint-fourth best defensive record in the league, and Maresca is likely to be far more concerned by the performances of his strikers.
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After once again drawing a blank on Sunday afternoon, Nicolas Jackson is without a goal in his last 12 Premier League games, while Christopher Nkunku has just three league goals to his name all season.
As such, bringing in a new striker may be a priority for Chelsea this summer, but they are also keen to strengthen in defence, according to a report from Caught Offside, which has revealed they are now eager to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina.
Nottingham Forest's OlaAinacelebrates after the match
Aina’s performances this season have attracted serious interest from a whole host of Premier League clubs, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen, and the latter two clubs are set to open agent talks soon.
Forest are eager to tie the full-back down to a new contract, which could see his £40k-a-week wages increased, but a free transfer is possible, should an agreement not be reached, with the 28-year-old’s contract set to expire this summer.
Aina enjoying impressive campaign at Forest
The Nigerian has been an indispensable member of the starting XI for Forest this season, making 30 Premier League appearances prior to recently sustaining a calf injury, and his side have gone on to lose both of the games he’s missed.
Having performed very well for the Tricky Trees, the London-born defender received high praise from Zach Lowy last month, with the journalist saying: “Ola Aina has genuinely been one of the best fullbacks in Europe this season. So effective going forward but above all, rarely drops anything less than a 7/10. Forest are lucky to have him.”
Not only has the former Chelsea man impressed on the front foot, but his ability to win back possession has also been on display regularly throughout the campaign.
That said, Chelsea are already well-stocked at right-back, with Reece James and Malo Gusto on the books, so Aina may not be a necessary signing unless one of Maresca’s current options moves on this summer.
Runners-up of last year’s T20 World Cup have had to reboot with impetus on data a part of it
Shashank Kishore03-Oct-2024Laura Wolvaardt was an epitome of calm. On captains’ day in Dubai, she was unmoved by the commotion that’s not unusual during pre-tournament media drills, sitting in a quiet corner and soaking in the magnitude of what she’s likely to experience over the coming three weeks.The calmness remained through some intense questions on pay parity, the game’s administration, the weight of expectation and captaincy. The only ever time she hesitated was when asked to sit on a camel for the grand photo shoot.Over the past week, Wolvaardt has spent considerable time in the team room – with South Africa’s coaches, pouring over various data points, plans and strategies around spin and powerplay scoring among other things. Beyond the team’s meeting room, there has been plenty of media commitments. All of this packed around two intense practice games.Related
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“At the last World Cup, I remember speaking to her [then captain Sune Luus] and she said that it was a lot of extra stuff that she had to do off field; I never really believed her, but I’ve seen it first-hand now,” Wolvaardt said. “It’s been a lot this week. A lot of interviews and appearances and a lot less free time than I’m used to heading into a competition.”But yeah, I think it comes with the job. It’s just going to be a very busy two or three weeks and if I can give it all my focus in these three weeks, then I can have some time off after that. So it’s all good. It’s good to have other senior players around me as well to help integrate coaching staff and management too. So, I’m not all alone in the meetings, it’s been good to have the support.”Earlier this year, South Africa’s long-standing coach Hilton Moreeng stepped away after 11 years in the role. Dillon du Preez, the former Free State fast bowler, is now steering the ship. For the first time, the team also has full-time batting and fielding coaches. This has obviously meant a slight reboot in terms of methods, which, coupled with Wolvaardt being a first-time captain at a World Cup, has meant slightly longer hours of planning.”Yeah, it’s obviously a bit different now,” Wolvaardt said about the change in coaching setup. “I think most players have never played under anyone besides Hilton. But Dillon, who has over, has been with us [in the system] for four or five years [as Moreeng’s assistant]. So he still kind of knows how things were.
“I think our domestic setup at home isn’t quite at the level yet where you can sort of just seamlessly make the transition into the national side. So, I think wherever we get the chance in a series, we need to try and play youngsters.”Laura Wolvaardt
“And we’ve actually got a batting coach and a fielding coach now this season for the first time officially as well. So, everything just feels really well organised at the moment. And it’s been great just getting a lot of information from a lot of different coaches. So it’s been good. We usually just had a coach and assistant. Even just to have the extra hands in training, just to have specific groups doing specific things, has been awesome.”Du Preez has impressed upon CSA to bring a software partner on board, to help facilitate easy access to data to help with the planning. This data has helped identify areas to improve on and, coupled with fresh ideas on the coaching front, has helped the team go in the direction they’ve wanted to take; a number a players last year expressed a desire to CSA for change on the coaching front, which eventually played a role in Moreeng’s exit. One of the ideas has been Luus turning to offspin (from her current legspin) in a bid to manage herself better and stave off injuries that have hampered her over the years. And it has fitted organically into the team’s plans.”I think it’s good. I think even better than expected with Sune’s offspin coming out really nicely,” Wolvaardt said. “I think that’s sort of been something that we’ve been lacking in the past two years, an offspinner that’s sort of in the side regularly.”And just to have that offspinner in the top four or five, it just gives us that different dynamic if there’s left-handers [in the opposition], just helps a bit with match-ups, because previously we’ve sort of just had the two left-armers and makes it difficult if there’s two left-handers in, for example. So yeah, it’s nice to have that option.”I know she’s been working very closely with Paul Adams who’s come on board a couple of months ago. They’ve been working pretty closely, and they’ve been doing a lot of real technical sessions. And yeah, I think, obviously, she’s been a spinner her whole life, so the switch shouldn’t be too big. I think she understands angles and game-plans and stuff like that. So yeah, it’s been a really good addition.”Another aspect to South Africa’s planning was to integrate talented players from their age-group setups and give them exposure on senior tours. For this World Cup, they handpicked legspinner Seshnie Naidu and seamer Ayanda Hlubi straight out of the Under-19s; the pair played the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup last year and both of them were part of the senior team’s recent Pakistan tour.The captains of the ten teams at the T20 World Cup strike a pose – with Laura Wolvaardt on her camel off to the left•ICC/Getty Images”I think obviously there’s nothing that sort of beats international experience,” Wolvaardt said. “I think our domestic setup at home isn’t quite at the level yet where you can sort of just seamlessly make the transition into the national side. So, I think wherever we get the chance in a series, we need to try and play youngsters because at home the level at domestic cricket is not quite where it should be yet. But it’s definitely being worked on.”They’ve introduced new contracts, but it’ll take a year or two before it gets to where it needs to be. So yeah, just giving them exposure, giving them a feel for conditions, for what it’s like playing international cricket. I think the more that we can do that, the better. I think we’ve given a lot of opportunity to youngsters this past season, which has been really good for our development.”Ringing in a shift in mindset and plans have of course led to a few mistakes and, as a result, losses. However, since taking over the captaincy, Wolvaardt’s own form and numbers have skyrocketed.In 19 T20Is since taking over the captaincy, she’s made 686 runs in 17 innings at an average of 45.73 and a strike rate of 127. This is a marked improvement from her previous numbers: average 30.82 across 49 innings with a strike rate of 109.”I just don’t think about my batting as much [after taking over the captaincy], which is a good thing,” Wolvaardt laughed. “I tend to be a bit of an over-thinker in my hotel room. So I think it [captaincy] just distracted me a bit on the field and sort of made me think about the game in a different way. I think more about bowling plans and conditions and that sort of thing.”On Thursday, against West Indies, and beyond that, Wolvaardt and South Africa will hope all the work that has gone into their reboot will bear fruit. They’re in Dubai and Sharjah with added expectations, having finished runners-up at the 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup. It may seem like all this adds up to big pressure but, in Wolvaardt, South Africa have a calm leader capable of riding out the storm.
“We ebb and flow at times really well,” Carey says of his association with Cameron Green after they put together their latest big partnership
Alex Malcolm28-Dec-2022There was a telling moment when Alex Carey brought up his first Test century.While Carey had his head down, sprinting for the first of three runs after square-driving Marco Jansen, his batting partner Cameron Green had both his arms aloft in celebration. Carey’s own celebration was fairly understated, especially when compared to David Warner’s on day two. But Carey had much to be proud of. He was the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century since 2013 and just the seventh overall.But showmanship and self-adulation are not in Carey’s DNA as a cricketer. He is more likely to boast about his highlights as a one-time professional Australian Rules footballer. Understated is who he is as a cricketer. He has become the drummer in Australia’s band and an incredibly reliable and much-loved one at that.Related
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There were concerns about how Australia would replace Tim Paine ahead of last year’s Ashes. There was even an undercurrent throughout Australian cricket querying whether Carey was the right choice despite being the long-time understudy, given the raw talent of Josh Inglis or the consistency of Jimmy Peirson. And that undercurrent has remained even after a year in the job.But it will have disappeared now after a classy century that has all but put the MCG Test in Australia’s safekeeping. In reference to replacing Paine specifically, for the quality of Paine’s glovework and his performance as leader in a difficult period, Carey always represented a significant upgrade as a batter both in his record at first-class level and his skillset.Carey’s first Test century showcased all those skills. His elegance, power, and wide array of strokes were all on display.Carey unfazed as wickets fall around him
Admittedly, he had the benefit of feasting on a weary South African attack. He had walked out at 363 for 3 in the 85th over at the end of a 37-degree day with Australia leading by 176. But there was a point early on day three where Australia’s innings might have fallen in a heap. Anrich Nortje ripped through Travis Head and David Warner in consecutive balls and then Kagiso Rabada had Pat Cummins caught behind four balls later. Carey was just 16 not out as he watched it all unfold, with Australia 213 in front.But Carey was unperturbed and unfurled one of the shots of the match. It was a part-Gilchrist, part-Lara flashing square drive with anchored feet, off a Nortje rocket at that. From there he produced the full array. There were uppercuts over third, controlled check-drives down the ground, reverse-sweeps and sweeps off Keshav Maharaj, and pulls and cuts galore.He formed a superb partnership with Green, who fought bravely with a fractured finger to post an unbeaten half-century and share a 117-run stand with Carey to demoralise South Africa.Alex Carey celebrates after scoring his first Test century•Getty Images”I actually didn’t think he was going to walk out the race today,” Carey said of Green after play. “But to see him put on a brave face, bat beautifully and allow me at the other end to bat as well… allowed us to put on a really good partnership.”The two complement one another beautifully and it shows. In ten innings together at Test level, they have combined for 511 runs at 51.10 per stand with two century partnerships. It is the perfect blend of yin and yang. A shorter left-hand batter and a tall right-hand batter make them a difficult duo to bowl at. But their personalities and game styles blend very well. Green is a worrier, constantly asking questions of his partner about what the bowlers and the pitch are doing. Carey is the complete opposite, keeping things simple and keeping Green calm. But Green’s attention to detail keeps Carey locked in. Carey’s busyness and intent to rotate and score brings Green out of his shell. The quality and stubbornness of Green’s defence at times reminds Carey to find the right Test-match tempo to his batting and that he doesn’t need to score off every ball.”I think we ebb and flow at times really well,” Carey said. “Today it was probably on me to score a bit (and) more on him to grit through and he did that amazingly. I don’t really know how to explain it. I think just with certain guys, you just have that calmness and confidence. It’s been fun so far, and hopefully a few more big partnerships and no doubt he’ll get his ton.”They produced match-winning stands in Lahore and Galle earlier this year and this, too, while not the defining partnership of the match, is still likely to result in an Australia win.The stroke that took Cameron Green to his half-century•Getty ImagesCarey remains team-first, and the team loves him for it
It is those shared partnerships that led to Green’s spontaneous celebration for his mate’s milestone. But also, there is a recognition of how unselfish Carey has been as a Test batter. People have been quick to point to his average at times as a measure of why Carey’s place as Australia’s wicketkeeper should not be assumed, particularly as there have been critics of his glovework.But Carey’s unselfishness with the bat has not gone unnoticed within the team, even if it has elsewhere. Four times in his first 12 months of Test cricket, he has sacrificed his wicket cheaply trying to advance the game for his team. If you remove those innings from his record, he would average over 40.And his glovework remains his number-one priority. Prior to day three at the MCG, even though he was not out with the bat overnight, he spent the first part of his warm-up doing specific keeping work catching spin in the nets in preparation to keep long periods to Nathan Lyon in the second innings.Carey later took an excellent catch down the legside off Cummins to remove Dean Elgar. But his century now gives Australia options given they are set to lose Green at No. 6 for the Sydney Test.Three of Carey’s first-class centuries have come batting in the top six as has his lone ODI century. He has a first-class century batting at No. 5 for South Australia against a New South Wales attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Lyon. Australia haven’t had a wicketkeeper picked specifically to bat at No. 6 since Matthew Wade nearly a decade ago.”Whatever opportunity I get for the Australian cricket team I’ll put my hand up to do,” Carey said.He remains team-first at all times, and his team is grateful for that.
The men do know what they need to do – if only they did it often enough
Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jan-2021Batting conscience: All right, we’ve got a lead of 37. Nice one. I mean, it could have been more, but in these conditions, 37 is nothing to scoff at. They’ll be worried. Lasith Embuldeniya only needs stare at their openers for them to wet themselves. Most of their batting order doesn’t look too comfortable. But there’s that bloody Joe Root. Getting outside the line, sweeping the offies, reverse-sweeping the left-arm spinner like a demon, using the depth of the crease. Fu! He’s in ridiculous touch, and we have to make sure we put the lead beyond him. Let’s get ourselves in, get some partnerships going. Really knuckle down today. I’m feeling good. We’ve got this.Batsman: Hahah yeeaah, s***w you, I’m not doing any of that.Conscience: Uhh, what?Batsman: Look, buddy, I’ve listened to you for the last two innings. We’ve passed 350 twice. We’ve applied ourselves just like you said and very seriously blocked out James Anderson and, oh, so carefully batted longer than a day and gritted it out and showed restraint and ohmygod I’m falling asleep just thinking about it. But I’m sick of that negative approach trash. It’s “me” time now.Conscience: Got to say I’m a bit surprised. You do know the Test and the series are on the line, right? And that they won the first Test, and they’ve won their last four in a row in Sri Lanka? Do you really want to be the team that gave up five Tests out of five to England?Batsman: Wow, look at Mr Booksmarts over here. Lighten up, bro. Hahah.Related
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Dom Sibley breaks out of slump to help see England home
Dickwella's dance of destruction. Or creation. Or whatever it is
Embuldeniya's unsexy virtues put him on the right path
Conscience: I feel like you’re really not listening to reason. But ok, look, just to get on the same wavelength, I’ll cut you a deal. What if you get out there, and play your first 30 balls normally? Once you’ve got yourself going and are feeling good, then we can talk about aggressive shots.Batsman: Man, 30 balls! Are you joking? That’s like, six overs or something, right? Like a whole powerplay? You want me to bat out a powerplay? It’s not the year 1900.Conscience: [Sighs deeply] First of all this is a Test match. Secondly 30 balls is just five ov….Batsman: Gaaaaaaawd listen to yourself talk, Grandpa. Live life. You’re in Galle, bud. Look at that ocean, those coconut trees swaying. Smell the flowers man like the hummingbirds in the garden over there…Conscience: Ok but Sri Lanka has no hummingbi…Batsman: And another thing. How are you gonna tell me to be worried when their spinners are Jack Leach and Dom Bess, man? They’re playing at Galle and couldn’t even get a single wicket in the first innings.Be a bit more like Joe Root? Sure, reverse sweep coming up…•SLCConscience:They literally got 14 wickets between them in the last match, which they won.Batsman: Oh, but that was a fluke. You know it was a fluke. I know it was a fluke. Everyone knows it was a fluke. You can’t read into that. We just batted reeeeaaally badly in that first innings.Conscience: What do you think I’m trying to stop you from doing again?Batsman: Whoa, hey. This is your problem. You’re so tense all the time. You saw how Joe Root scored all his runs yesterday, he was loose and positive and fun. And he swept the ball. Did you see those sweeps? I’m definitely going to get me a piece of that. Anyway, you should be more like Root.Conscience: No, should be more like Root you idio… [Inhales] Look, so if you’re going to sweep, can you promise me that you’re not going to try the slog sweep too early, and that you’re going to sweep with the turn?Batsman: Sure.Conscience: Really?Batsman: Haaaah, ok, you got me. No, not at all. I’m just going to sweep, man. With the spin, against the spin, non-slog, slog, what’s even the difference?Conscience: There’s a GIGANTIC difference!Batsman: Uhhh, only if you’re not very good at executing your shots, duh. Did I mention we scored 350-plus in the last two innings?Conscience: [Sighs] Against my judgment, I’m going to try one more time. Your poor team-mate Lasith Embuldeniya has bowled 42 overs in the first innings, which just wrapped up this morning. He’s probably going to be our main threat again in the second innings. If for no other reason, then just for him, can you please make sure the team bats a couple of sessions?Batsman: For Embula? Sure, I’ll bat carefully for him.Conscience: You won’t, will you?Batsman: Nope. Not at all.
The Mets struck first in their critical Thursday night matchup against the Cubs, thanks to a rather unusual play in the top of the opening frame. Mark Vientos hit a pop up into foul territory, which was pursued by Dansby Swanson.
Swanson made an incredible play on the ball, securing it in his mitt as he crashed into the stands. Unfortunately for Chicago, because Swanson ended up fully in the first row, all of New York's baserunners were awarded a free base. Thus, the runner on third, Francisco Lindor, scored.
Per MLB rules, if a player makes a catch in the stands, the play is ruled dead and all active baserunners are awarded one base. So, despite Swanson's incredible effort, his catch enabled the Mets to take an early 1–0 lead.
New York would tack on another run to end the first inning up 2–0.
The Cubs, of course, have clinched a playoff berth already, though the Mets are still fighting for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Reds won against the Pirates earlier Thursday, so the onus is on the Mets to make sure they get the job done at Wrigley Field.
استطاع نادي برشلونة مواصلة نتائجه الرائعة خلال الفترة الأخيرة، وتمكن من تحقيق الانتصار على حساب ريال بيتيس اليوم السبت في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.
برشلونة اكتسح ريال بيتيس بخمسة أهداف مقابل ثلاثة، لحساب الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى، حيث لعب البلوجرانا اللقاء خارج ملعبه.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | 8 أهداف وهاتريك.. برشلونة يتصدر الدوري الإسباني مؤقتاً بخماسية أمام ريال بيتيس
وابتعد برشلونة في صدارة الدوري الإسباني وبفارق أربع نقاط عن ريال مدريد صاحب المركز الثاني. موعد مباراة برشلونة وفرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا
يستضيف برشلونة نظيره آينتراخت فرانكفورت يوم الثلاثاء المقبل على ملعب كامب نو، وذلك في إطار الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الانتصار على فرانكفورت من أجل تحسين وضعه في مرحلة الدوري في دوري أبطال أوروبا، عقب الخسارة في الجولة الماضية ضد تشيلسي بثلاثة أهداف دون رد على ملعب ستامفورد بريدج.