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Manchester United have made contact regarding an experienced left-back who could be brought in to boost their numbers in the position before the transfer deadline, according to reports.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils have a shortage at left-back following injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia and it looks like they could enter the market for another body to help remedy their current situation, as per 90min.

Several players have been offered to the club to accommodate their wish for a new left-back to come in and provide cover. Contact has been established between the Red Devils and Chelsea involving Marc Cucurella, while Tottenham Hotspur outcast Sergio Reguilon and Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso are two potential alternative solutions.

Free agent Ryan Bertrand has been placed on a shortlist as another option who could potentially provide depth on the left-hand side of defence, as per The Daily Express.

Bertrand has been available for nothing since leaving Leicester City at the end of last campaign and talks took place last week, albeit they were believed to be at the early stages of negotiations.

Brandon Williams would've potentially been in line for an opportunity to shine at Manchester United due to their dearth of available left-backs to call upon; however, he has since joined Ipswich Town on a loan deal for the duration of 2023/24.

Real Madrid youth product Alvaro Fernandez, who is a left-back, featured on the bench last weekend in Manchester United's 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford, though was an unused substitute as the hosts clawed back a two-goal deficit to secure a dramatic victory, as per BBC Sport.

Do Manchester United want to sign Leonardo Spinazzola?

According to Gianluca Di Marzio in the last 24 hours, Manchester United have initiated contact with Roma over 30-year-old defender Leonardo Spinazzola as their search for a new left-back continues to widen.

The report states that Spinazzola has also had a proposal from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Shabab, providing competition for the Red Devils that they may need to overcome to complete any prospective deal.

Spinazzola, who has been labelled as "fast" and "technical" by Fiorentina full-back Fabiano Parisi, cited by Gazzetta dello Sport via Football Italia, has made 117 appearances for Roma during his time at the Stadio Olimpico, registering six goals and 17 assists in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Italy international has fared exceptionally well in comparison to his positional peers from Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, having made an average of 5.39 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Providing a valuable attacking outlet down the left-hand side, Spinazzola, primarily right-footed, has already made his influence known this campaign in Serie A, producing around one completed dribble and one key pass in his opening two appearances, according to WhoScored.

Manchester United will need to act fast to ensure that their injury situation involving Shaw and Malacia doesn't turn into a bigger issue than it already is, so bringing in someone like Spinazzola could be an excellent way to bolster the ranks and it looks as if t is one to watch.

Everton are now "weighing up a bid" for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who could be available for a relatively low fee, as reported by Daily Express journalist Charlie Gordon.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

In a recent interview with GiveMeSport, journalist Rudy Galetti has claimed that Everton are still "pushing hard" for Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto, who is Sean Dyche's priority target this summer, with the manager focused on signing a new attacker.

Gnonto is clearly thought of in very high regard by those at Goodison Park, as they are now weighing up making a new and improved £30m bid for the Italian, who is keen on a move away from Leeds this summer, so he can be considered for his country's European Championships squad.

The Toffees are closing in on a deal for Southampton striker Che Adams, having made progress towards finalising a £15m deal with the Saints, and he has now been given the green light to head up to Liverpool to complete his medical.

Adams is not Dyche's only target at striker, with Troyes striker Mama Balde recently being named as another potential option, although journalist Paul Brown is of the belief he may be viewed as a back-up, in case anything goes wrong with a move for someone else.

According to reliable Daily Express journalist Gordon on X, Everton are also "weighing up a bid" for Hudson-Odoi, who has also been of interest to Premier League rivals Fulham, but the Cottagers have been unable to get a deal over the line.

Fulham and Chelsea are deadlocked over the proposed £8m price tag, despite signs of a breakthrough earlier this month, meaning the Toffees could have a chance to hijack the deal, should they be willing to stump up what the Blues are asking for.

Nottingham Forest are also interested in signing the 22-year-old, but there has been nothing concrete from the Reds at this stage, so it could be a two-way race for his signature.

Read The Latest Everton Transfer News HERE

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

It would be fair to say the Chelsea ace is yet to fulfill his lofty potential, having failed to break into the first team on a consistent basis at Stamford Bridge, before being sent out on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, but he is still very young and has time on his side.

FourFourTwo Writer Mark White lauded the Englishman just over a year ago, saying:

"Hudson-Odoi is special. He can breeze past full-backs and has unbelievable vision. But what was mad about him from a young age was the sheer mentality. The confidence. The control. He exuded a vibe like nothing ever seen in English football."

Having been lauded as a "talent" by other members of the media, it is clear the left-winger can still make a huge success of his career if he gets his next move right, after making it clear that he wants to leave Chelsea.

A fee of just £8m for a player with the potential of Hudson-Odoi could be a real steal, and Everton should seriously consider targeting him instead of Gnonto, given that he is available for far cheaper.

A copy of the incoming FTP shows that 41 out of 81 Test series between May 2019 and May 2023 will be two-Test series

Osman Samiuddin14-Dec-2017How often have you been left frustrated by a great Test series that ended too soon, and without a decisive result because there was no third Test? Well, be prepared to get used to that feeling because at least half of all Test series in cricket’s new calendar will likely consist of just two Tests.A copy of the incoming Future Tours Programme (FTP) obtained by ESPNcricinfo shows that 41 out of 81 Test series between May 2019 and May 2023 will consist of just two Tests. For a number of countries the two-Test series will be the predominant type of bilateral contest.The FTP is not final yet and could still be subject to change, but this is the model to have emerged from the latest scheduling workshop undertaken by members earlier this month in Singapore. It may yet undergo tweaks before it is presented to the ICC board in February, and voted on at the annual meeting next summer.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn one sense, the FTP will only be formalising a distinct modern-day trend. More and more Test nations have opted for two-Test series in recent years – New Zealand, as just one example, recently dropped one Test from their series hosting West Indies.Still, there will be fewer two-Test series in the current FTP – from May 2014 to May 2019. If there is no further change to the existing FTP, there will have been 34 two-Test series by the cycle’s end, though tellingly ten of those will be between now and May 2019, when members have in any case been keen to start replicating the format of the next FTP.Indeed, the new Test league is essentially built on the two-Test format. Of the 57 Test series that constitute two cycles of the Test league in four years, near enough two-thirds (36) will be two-Test series.The four-year calendar shows 81 Test series in all, meaning that there are 24 Test series outside the league structure. For the most part these will involve Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, who are not part of the nine-team league. But they also include a number of one-off Tests (and five two-Test series) that countries within the league – such as Australia, England and Bangladesh – play against the three non-league sides.New Zealand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and West Indies are the countries that play the most two-Test series. Ten out of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh’s 12 Test commitments in the league are two-Test series (and for Bangladesh, a further three outside the league are scheduled to be two Tests). For West Indies that number is nine.Meanwhile, 11 of New Zealand’s 12 are two-Test series. “It’s far more logical for us to play two-test and even one-test series, and certainly no more than three,” NZC chairman Greg Barclay was quoted as saying by in October, just ahead of ICC meetings. “All the smaller Full Member countries won’t get penalised for playing shorter series.”The biggest casualty in all this is the three-Test series, hitherto the cornerstone of the modern calendar. In the current FTP, there will have been 34 three-Test series in the five years to May 2019 – the same number as two-Test series. In the new four-year FTP, there will only be 14, less than half. .There are 19 one-off Tests scheduled for now in the new FTP – almost three times as much as the current FTP – most of them involving the three non-league teams, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. None of these Tests will be part of the Test league. In addition, there are three four-Test series and four five-Test series, all played between the Big Three (India, Australia and England) and South Africa. In the current FTP there were 13 Test series of four or more Tests.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly closing in on their fifth summer signing, as Steve Cooper looks to bolster his squad with the 2023/24 Premier League campaign underway.

The Reds claimed their first three points of the season on match week two, beating Sheffield United at the City Ground thanks to a last-gasp winner from Chris Wood, who made his move to Nottingham permanent.

After the first taste of success this term, Cooper looks set to delve back into the market to add further reinforcements to his side, as they hope to move away from the shackles of being on the fence between the top-flight and the Championship.

Who could Nottingham Forest sign this summer?

After capturing Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner in their most recent market swoop, the Tricky Trees could be close to welcoming another new addition, if latest reports are to be believed.

As reported by renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Reds have “confirmed” a deal for Sevilla full-back Gonzalo Montiel, with the Italian transfer guru relaying that a medical has been completed.

The structure of the deal is said to be an initial loan with a buy clause of €11m (£9m), in a move that would undoubtedly strengthen the depth of the squad on show at the City Ground.

What is Gonzalo Montiel’s style of play?

Deployed exclusively at right-back, the 26-year-old could be the perfect acquisition for Cooper to integrate into his team, with the player having the ability to compete with and match the style demographic of Serge Aurier.

Once described as a defender ‘active in transition’ by scouting site Target Scouting, the Argentine could be the ideal figure to chop and change with the Ivorian, who is similarly dynamic on the flank.

The former Tottenham Hotspur ace showcased just how effective he can be in the advanced positions on the right side against the Blades, assisting both goals and putting in an impressive defensive display.

In Montiel, Cooper could have strong competition for the 30-year-old, in a talent that could one day succeed him at his role in the side, as supported by his numbers relative to progressive play last season.

As per FBref, the World Cup winner averaged 3.37 progressive passes and 2.01 progressive carries per 90 in La Liga, as well as delivering an average of 1.18 key passes per 90 to reinforce just how dangerous his presence can be in the final third.

Such numbers were not met by Aurier in the Premier League last campaign, however, they were close in proximity to highlight the calibre of talent Forest could capture.

The Ivorian recorded an average of 3.29 progressive passes and 1.71 progressive carries per 90, making far less of an impact with his distribution by recording 0.46 key passes per 90 for the Reds, via FBref.

While being competent on the overlap and in the final third is a must for full-backs in today’s game, the 26-year-old is just as impressive defensively, seeing him once lauded as an “animal” by former coach Julen Lopetegui.

Averaging 1.54 tackles and 1.12 interceptions per 90 for Sevilla last season, the right-back brings assurance at the back as well as a threat going forward.

Identified as being a potentially “tremendous” asset to Forest’s squad by journalist Nathan Joyes, Cooper could land a valuable and cost-effective acquisition this window, in a move that could take the club to further success.

Cape Town dealt almost exclusively in hair-raising action. The day began with three wickets in the first six overs. And it ended with three more in nine. The fast bowlers, from both teams, had fun

The Report by Alagappan Muthu05-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details (Viewers in the Indian subcontinent can watch highlights of the Test here)Drama, thy name is Test cricket. At Newlands. On a pitch with a bit of spice. With a build-up that did not lack for shots across the bow.Faf du Plessis confessed he had a score to settle, and so he armed himself with four fast bowlers the envy of the world. Virat Kohli saw Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander during warm-ups. His only comment with regard to that was “we knew they were going a batsman short and we want to get at them with the new ball”.South Africa 12 for 3, India 27 for 3

39 – Runs aggregated by first three wickets for both sides in their first innings – 12 for South Africa and 27 for India – is the lowest in any Test in South Africa since their readmission. The previous lowest in South Africa was in their first Test after readmission – between the same two sides in Johannesburg in 1992-93.

22 – Runs scored by the openers from both sides in the first innings of the match, the least in a Test in South Africa in the last ten years and the fourth-lowest overall in the country.

2 – Instances of four India fast bowlers picking wickets in the same Test innings in the last 10 years – this Test and the other against Australia at the WACA in 2011-12. Overall, this is only the 11th such instance for India.

2013 – The last time South Africa’s Nos. 4 to No. 9 all scored 20-plus runs in a Test innings, as was in their first innings of this Test. The previous instance was also against India, in Durban in 2013-14.

114 – Runs added by AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis for the fourth wicket – the most for South Africa after being three down for less than 15. This was the first 50-plus stand between de Villiers and du Plessis in 11 innings and in the last four years.

But really, how could anyone avoid the temptation of unleashing that attack, in any condition let alone a surface with both pace and lateral movement. Given 11 overs to turn the game, Philander dismissed M Vijay, Steyn claimed Dhawan to move into the top-10 wicket-takers in Test history and Morkel lured Kohli into a familar trap behind the wicket. India bowled South Africa out for 286 but then they limped to stumps at 28 for 3.Cape Town dealt almost exclusively in hair-raising action. Bhuvneshwar Kumar began proceedings by spiriting three wickets in his first three overs. To ensure there wasn’t one-way traffic, AB de Villiers produced a half-century that was downright delectable. He had total control of the game and the opposition at his mercy when the debutant Jasprit Bumrah – who played his last first-class game almost a year ago – knocked back the off stump.India’s hold-one-end-up bowler Hardik Pandya got rid of du Plessis for 62 mere moments after a remarkably tight lbw call went against the visitors. Kohli probably had that running in his head – and the South African captain’s pre-series comments about revenge – when he indulged in a send-off and was soon cautioned by the umpires.Worried that things had calmed too far down, Quinton de Kock played like he was the action hero who always gets shot at but never gets hit. He just looked so cool.1:19

Cullinan: India will have to come out playing positively

Now, it is more than fair for a home team to play to its strengths but that didn’t mean batting was a treacherous exercise. The outfield was lightning. The ball came on even better than expected. Fields were up. And fun was had. The run-rate through the first two sessions was 4.3Dean Elgar might not be too happy with how his day went though. Having finished 2017 as South Africa’s highest Test scorer, his first innings in the new year lasted only three deliveries. It wasn’t entirely his fault though. India had probably done their homework and realised that of his 44 dismissals to pace, 30 of them have been caught behind or in the cordon. So Bhuvneshwar forced him to deal with a back-of-a-length ball pitching on off stump and seaming away. He had to play. Then he had to go.Aiden Markram was lbw not playing a shot. Okay, that’s not quite true. He was trying desperately to bring his bat in line with a good length delivery pitching outside off and jagging back in but he just wasn’t quick enough. The young opener basically strung himself up with his habit of shuffling across and playing around his front pad.The third wicket of this phenomenal spell was probably the most important of them all. But it was the least sexy. Hashim Amla poked well away from his body and Wriddhiman Saha picked up his second catch of the first half hour, much to the cacophonous delight of the slip fielders beside him. Oddly, Ajinkya Rahane was not among that number with India choosing to go in with Rohit Sharma, a man in better recent form, and Hardik Pandya.With the new ball and the outside and inside edges hogging the limelight, the middle of the bat was off sulking somewhere. De Villiers found it and made sure it was front and centre for the entire time he was at the crease. He sent his first delivery through midwicket for a crisp boundary. He struck India’s best bowler of the day for four fours in an over. He played late. He met the ball close to his body. He used soft hands. And he punished anything even remotely short. In essence, de Villiers’ innings was an exhibition of how to bat on a difficult pitch. Playing only his third day of Test cricket over the last two years, he made 65 off 84 balls.Du Plessis was, as ever, scoring runs by simply making sure he was at the wicket. He waited for the wide ones to hit through cover and point. He feasted on the straight ones, that strong bottom hand coupling very nicely with a fast outfield. But the cut shot to get to a half-century in his comeback Test – he missed Boxing Day with a viral infection – was basically a dare. Try stopping that.India might have done even better if Mohammed Shami had found his rhythm sooner but he probably did not enjoy bowling into the wind; his run-up noticeably affected. It took 10 overs and three spells for his first wicket of the tour. It was one his team was hunting for though. Philander, in his pre-match comments, had indicated that he did not believe India were better travellers now. And while he did play some of the best cover drives in the match, helping string a vital 60-run stand for the sixth wicket at more than run-a-ball with de Kock, he left the field with his defences and his stumps shattered.Bhuvneshwar had the opportunity to take a fifth wicket just before tea was taken, but India’s old problem of having a porous slip cordon put paid to those plans when Dhawan dropped Keshav Maharaj on 0. The batsman had made 35 in enterprising fashion before he was dismissed, run-out by a direct hit from R Ashwin at mid-on. Later, the offspinner picked up his first wicket in South Africa, Rabada caught behind. The innings ended in the 74th over when Morkel was lbw to the same bowler for 2. The hosts’ last five wickets added 144 runs – that’s two more than the first five.

Rain doused any hopes Tasmania or Victoria had of pushing for a win on the fourth day in Melbourne

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2017
ScorecardGetty ImagesRain in Melbourne doused any hopes for either Tasmania or Victoria to press for victory on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the MCG.Set to resume at 2 for 67 in pursuit of another 386 to win, the Bushrangers’ overnight pair of Glenn Maxwell and Peter Handscomb were made to wait through morning showers before an early lunch was called.When play finally did commence, Handscomb was soon out to Gabe Bell, and the further losses of Aaron Finch and Dan Christian left Maxwell running out of partners. As it was the captains agreed to call off the match with more showers circling.Maxwell’s patient and unbeaten 45 arrived after the national selectors has chosen their team for the first Ashes Test but before it is announced on Friday morning. Alex Doolan won the match award for his second-innings double-century, which allowed the Tigers to dictate terms after a low-scoring first innings.

West Ham are interested in signing Porto winger Goncalo Borges before the end of the summer transfer window, but face competition for his signature from another Premier League club.

Will West Ham make more signings?

The Hammers' season got off to a satisfactory start last weekend, following a 1-1 draw away to Bournemouth. Granted, it was frustrating not to take all three points after taking the lead on the south coast, but the result was still perfectly fine.

It has been an up-and-down summer at the London Stadium when it comes to transfers, with Declan Rice a high-profile departee, having moved to Arsenal in a big-money move. On the plus side, Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse have come in from Ajax and Southampton respectively, filling the void left by the Englishman in the process.

The hope is that there is more business to come at West Ham in the coming weeks, though, giving David Moyes the best possible opportunity to kick on in the Premier League. While last season's UEFA Europa Conference League success was truly memorable, their 14th-place finish in the league was a big disappointment.

It looks as though the Hammers are now eyeing up another signing in that attacking third of the pitch, according to a fresh update.

Will West Ham sign Goncalo Borges?

Writing on Twitter X, Romano claimed that Borges is wanted by West Ham in the summer transfer window, but Everton are also providing competition:

"West Ham and Everton are interested in Porto winger Gonçalo Borges as deal for final days of the transfer window. 2001 born winger, attracting interest as could be on the move."

There is no doubt that West Ham could do with more attacking reinforcements this summer, having been a little goal-shy in the Premier League last term, only scoring 42 times in 38 matches.

There is arguably a little too much onus on Jarrod Bowen to provide the spark out wide, as he showed by finding the net at Bournemouth last Saturday, but in Borges, the Hammers could have an intriguing young option to bring in.

At just 22 years of age, the Porto man does admittedly only have 23 appearances to his name for his current club, not scoring and assisting in that time, but he is a raw talent who could thrive under Moyes, should the Hammers manager believe he can get the best out of him.

For Porto's B team, Borges registered 19 goal contributions (11 goals and eights assists) in 78 appearances, and he has been capped at international level for Portugal for the Under-16s, Under-17s, Under-18s and Under-21s.

Read the latest West Ham transfer news HERE…

The Portuguese starlet wouldn't come in as a definite starter for West Ham, considering his lack of senior experience to date, but squad depth is absolutely vital moving forward, and he is someone whose attacking threat off the substitutes' bench could be a potent weapon.

Borges will hopefully continue to mature as a player at the same time, gradually becoming more of a key man, and if the Hammers can pip Everton to his signature, it will show that they are a more exciting proposition than the clubs around them.

Celtic kicked off their 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign with a 4-2 win over Ross County on Saturday and supporters were able to see some of the new signings for the first time.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

Central defender Maik Nawrocki started the match after his permanent move from Polish side Legia Warsaw and he was joined on the pitch by Hyun-jun Yang and Odin Thiago Holm for their debuts.

Hyeok-kyu Kwon arrived from Busan IPark during the summer transfer window and was an unused substitute on the day, whilst Australia international Marco Tilio missed out on the matchday squad due to an injury.

This means that Brendan Rodgers has made five additions to his first-team squad so far and there could be more on the horizon as the Hoops have recently been touted with an interest in West Ham United centre-forward Michail Antonio.

How good is Michail Antonio?

The £69k-per-week attacker has proven himself to be a reliable Premier League goalscorer for the majority of his time with the Hammers in England and could come in as an upgrade on Hyeon-gyu Oh for the Northern Irish head coach.

Some supporters may be put off by his unimpressive return of five goals in 33 top-flight games last season but the Jamaica international's form in Europe and in previous league campaigns suggest that he has the quality to be an excellent addition to the squad.

West Ham won the Europa Conference League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and Antonio played a major part in their success. He averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.43 across nine appearances in the competition as the 33-year-old marksman scored six goals and provided one assist.

Meanwhile, Oh scored seven times in 21 appearances for Celtic and failed to register a single assist. This came after the South Korea international managed 14 goals and three assists across 53 outings for Suwon Samsung Bluewings prior to his move to Scotland in January.

The 22-year-old striker averaged a Premiership Sofascore rating of 6.81.

This was the 21st-highest score within the Hoops squad and significantly worse than Antonio's rating of 7.43 in Europe, which would have placed him second for the Bhoys – only behind Jota (7.45).

West Ham's number nine may not have enjoyed a prolific 2022/23 Premier League campaign but he did rack up ten goals and eight assists in 36 top-flight clashes during the 2021/22 season, which was his third straight year of scoring ten league goals for the Hammers.

This suggests that Antonio – when you consider he was playing in a major European league – could be an excellent scorer for the Hoops if he can rediscover his best form, whilst his ability to assist his teammates on a regular basis could make him more useful than Oh in build-up play.

The former Nottingham Forest man, who teammate Thilo Kehrer claimed works "like crazy", would also be able to offer a level of physicality that the South Korean finisher is unable to.

Antonio won 1.5 aerial battles per Premier League match last term, whereas Oh only came out on top in 0.6 per Premiership game, which means that he could provide the team with an out-ball in European clashes when they may not be able to dominate possession.

Therefore, the 5 foot 10 gem could be an upgrade on the current Hoops striker in terms of what he is able to offer from a technical – in goals and assists – and physical perspective.

Australia’s spearhead is intent on “terrorising” England’s top order in the forthcoming Ashes after the fashion of Mitchell Johnson in the 2013-14 series

Daniel Brettig03-Oct-2017England can challenge without Stokes – Starc

Mitchell Starc is not convinced England’s challenge for the Ashes will be derailed in the event that Ben Stokes does not make it onto the plane for the tour of Australia. As parallel police and ECB investigations continue into events outside a Bristol nightclub involving Stokes and Alex Hales last week, Starc said Stokes greatly aided England’s balance but was not their only key player.
“I’m sure they can [challenge without Stokes],” Starc said. “They’ve got those experienced guys up the top, he probably makes their team a bit more balanced but he’s not the be all and end all of their team. There’s plenty of other guys we need to worry about, some experienced bowlers, some experienced batsmen up the top, they bat quite deep as well when you’ve got Moeen Ali coming in at No. 8 and [Chris] Woakes at No. 9.
“I think everyone in world cricket knows how good Ben is, it’s yet to be seen whether he’s on a plane. If he does come then we know how good a player he is and how he makes that team much more balanced. So if he’s not there it’s a big blow for them, good for us, but I’m sure we’ll assess that when they get on a plane.
“It’s not for us to worry about, I’m sure they’ll deal with it whichever way they choose, whether he’s a part of the group or not, but for us it’s getting some good cricket leading into the summer and hopefully playing some decent cricket heading into that Test selection.”

Australia’s spearhead Mitchell Starc is intent on “terrorising” England’s top order in the forthcoming Ashes after the fashion of Mitchell Johnson, as he reaches the end of an injury rehabilitation far less rushed than his previous spell on the sidelines.Following the emergence of a foot stress injury during the Test tour of India in March, Starc was placed on an expedited recovery programme to ensure his availability for the Champions Trophy in England in May, whereupon the still-healing foot was aggravated – though not re-fractured – by the rapid return. By Starc’s admission, that decision followed plenty of “risk versus reward” discussions between himself, Cricket Australia medical staff and selectors, but this time around he has enjoyed more leisurely progress.It’s been around two weeks now since Starc first started bowling off his long run in the SCG nets for New South Wales, and he is set to take his improving rhythm and swing to Hurstville Oval on Friday to turn out in the domestic limited-overs tournament. That appearance will be Starc’s first on his road to the Gabba, where he quite likes the idea of emulating Johnson’s feats in 2013-14.”It’s a very different Australian team and an opportunity for a few of the younger, less experienced guys to get on top of them much like Mitch did to some of their batsmen through that series [in 2013-14],” Starc said in Sydney. “They’ve got [Joe] Root and [Alastair] Cook up the top who’ve played a lot of cricket and probably their main guys with the bat, the guys in the top order around them are pretty inexperienced and hopefully we can exploit that in our conditions and if we can, really get on top of them in the first Test like Mitch did a couple of years ago.”This time we’ve got a few guys who can bowl pretty quick and bowl some good bouncers, and we’ve got a really solid attack who complement each other. If it’s not me, you’ve got Pat Cummins bowling fast bouncers, you’ve got Josh Hazlewood bowling consistent line and length, so much like that attack did when Jono took all those wickets, I think we complement each other really well. You throw in Jackson Bird, [Nathan] Coulter-Nile’s bowling well as well, so five really good guys there, Patto [James Pattinson] if he’s fit to go.”We’ve got a really good attack there, it’s not down to one person, everyone will like to bowl like Jono and terrorise the Poms like he did and take 1000 wickets in a series, but the great thing for us is we’ve got a young group that complement each other really nicely.”Starc provided an insight as to the sometimes elusive nature of bowling fast when he said he was not sure how quick he would be to begin with for NSW, but he has no qualms about charging in to the crease after a sturdy rehabilitation period.”It’s been great to have the time to progress it really nicely and gradually rather than having to throw all these things in over four weeks and having to get back to play,” he said. “I’ll be trying to bowl fast. Whether that happens straight away is yet to be seen, but I won’t be holding back. Looking forward to playing cricket again and trying to terrorise a few batsmen, take a few wickets and contribute to a few NSW wins.”Heading into England we knew there was still some stuff going on with the foot, it hadn’t healed properly. It didn’t re-fracture so it was a good result in the end, but I still had a lot of pain in there. This time it’s feeling really good, it’s feeling strong, there’s no pain in there doing any bowling, and that extended time to make sure it was right and progress through different stages of running and strength stuff before having to bowl has really left me in a good position heading into the summer, which I’ll hopefully play a big part in.”If it was a Test series I probably wouldn’t have played [Champions Trophy], the fact it was England and one-dayers in a major tournament … there were a lot of conversations with the medicos about risk versus reward, it didn’t re-fracture but there was a bit of pain in there. We needed the break after, but it’s worked out really well to be 100% heading into the summer. It didn’t go to plan in the Champions Trophy but it’s good to go now.”Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesA few questions surround the makeup of Australia’s Test XI for Brisbane, not least the middle order where major doubts surround the No. 6 batting or allrounder position, and the identity of the wicketkeeper. While adamant that Nathan Lyon had to play as the nation’s No. 1 spin bowler, Starc suggested there might be room to squeeze himself, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson into the same team, provided all were performing with the bat.”I think you’ve got to pick him [Lyon], it’s just whether you can balance a team with four quicks around him and whether guys like Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and myself can bat well enough to fit us all into the balance of the team,” Starc said. “You’ve got to pick Nathan, he’s bowling so well and he’s a big part of our team, not only with experience but his numbers speak for themselves as well. I don’t think you can’t play him. You’ve got to play him in all the Test matches.”There’s always been chats about it, not so much the batting to squeeze us all in the team, just to help the team out whether you end up with a collapse at the top, or a bit like Mitch and Hadds [Brad Haddin] had to do in the last Ashes a few times was bat really well to put big totals on the board, that’s what the conversations more so are about, contributing with the bat because we do have the ability to do that. That does help being able to squeeze the four bowlers in when we can bat. Maybe we can get to the point where we can squeeze in.”Sadly for Pattinson, his recovery from recurring back trouble has struck another hurdle, placing his availability for the three Sheffield Shield rounds before the Ashes opener in considerable doubt. “Three of them we know are on track, but James Pattinson’s had a little bit of a setback,” the fast bowling coach David Saker said in India. “We’re not sure how bad it is at the moment.”Starc indicated he had been pencilled in to play the first two of those Shield rounds if fit, with the third to depend upon how much bowling he had been required to do up to that point.

A round-up of the National Cricket League matches that ended on September 18, 2017

Mohammad Isam18-Sep-2017Tier 1Rain in Cox’s Bazzar meant that play was possible only on the second day in the match between Dhaka Division and Barisal Division. Play was eventually called off early on the fourth day with the game predictably ending in a draw.The second day, which allowed 90 overs, saw opener Rony Talukdar (121) and No.3 Saif Hassan (106*) hit centuries to guide Dhaka to 309 for 2. Talukdar struck eight fours and six sixes in his 195-ball knock, while Saif hit nine fours and five sixes off 193 balls. The pair added 141 runs for the second wicket after Abdul Mazid was dismissed in the 28th over by Tanvir Islam. Monir Hossain was the other wicket-taker for Barisal.Rain also affected the Khulna Division-Rangpur Division match at the Shiekh Abu Naser Stadium and ensured another draw. Play was called off on the fourth day at 2.40, about two hours before the scheduled time for stumps.Mashrafe Mortaza, who returned to first-class cricket after three years, claimed match figures of 4 for 73, including 3 for 12 in the second innings, but Anamul Haque made a bigger impact, scoring his maiden first-class double-hundred.In reply to Rangpur’s 471, Khulna enjoyed an excellent start with Anamul and Robiul Islam Robi putting on 251 for the first wicket. The stand ended when Robiul was pinned lbw by Nasir Hossain for 100, but Anamul went onto make a big one. He struck 18 fours and two sixes during his 512-minute knock. The marathon innings came 10 days after BCB president Nazmul Hassan had made a recommendation to the selectors by asking them to consider Anamul as an opening option for the South Africa Test series later this month.Nasir took 5 for 70 before Khulna declared their innings at 495 for 9 on the fourth day. Mashrafe and Al-Amin Hossain reduced Rangpur to 37 for 4 in eight overs before rain forced a premature end.File photo – Mohammad Ashraful struck his 19th first-class ton, and first in four years•BCBTier 2Farhad Hossain’s 70 in the fourth innings – the only fifty of the match – proved the difference in a low-scoring clash as Rajshahi Division chased down 212 beat Sylhet Division in Rajshahi.Rajshahi lost their openers Mizanur Rahman and Jahurul Islam early in the chase, but Junaid Siddique, who made 46, and Farhad, who cracked 11 fours and a six in his 99-ball innings, lifted their side. Farhad fell when the hosts were nine away from the target, but Myshukur Rahaman and the other Farhad – Reza – wrapped up a six-wicket win on the final day.This after Rajshahi had been shot out for a mere 79 in reply to Sylhet’s 128. Offspinner Sayem Alam’s 6 for 32 proved vital in Sylhet securing a 49-run first-innings lead.Sylhet were then reduced to 22 for 4 in their second innings but a series of cameos from the middle order and the lower-middle order helped the side to 162, setting Rajshahi 212. Farhad and Junaid then gave the chase direction and set up the win.Rain thwarted Dhaka Metropolis’ push for victory against Chittagong Divison at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. After opting to bat, Dhaka posted 344 on the back of Mohammad Ashraful’s 19th first-class hundred, and first since 2013. He struck 12 fours and two sixes and added 148 for the fifth wicket with Mehrab Hossain jnr, who made 66.Nihaduzzaman’s 5 for 45 built on their good work and skittled Chittagong for 130 in 50.5 overs. After securing a 214-run first-innings lead, Dhaka scored 169 for 6 before declaring their second innings. Captain Marshall Ayub and Asif Ahmed hit fifties, setting Chittagong a target of 384.Dhaka had Chittagong at 193 for 4 before rain stopped play on the fourth day at 2.30pm. The rain refused to relent, and the match was ultimately called off at 4.02pm.