Empresários ofereceram ao Palmeiras o centroavante israelense Eran Zahavi, de 34 anos, atualmente no PSV, da Holanda. O jogador virou notícia no futebol brasileiro nas últimas semanas por um suposto interesse do Botafogo em contratá-lo como o primeiro reforço estrangeiro do novo investidor que assumiu o futebol do clube carioca.
> GALERIA: Vidal no futebol brasileiro? Veja 10 astros sul-americanos que estão ficando sem clube em junho
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O LANCE! apurou que houve um contato de representantes do jogador com os responsáveis pelo futebol alviverde durante o final de semana, onde foi exposta a vontade do atleta em atuar no Brasil.
O Verdão, contudo, não se empolgou com a oportunidade. O nome deverá ser avaliado por Abel Ferreira e sua comissão técnica, mas o sonho palmeirense continua sendo Pedro, do Flamengo
Zahavi tem proposta para reforçar o Botafogo. O centroavante estará livre no mercado em junho, quando acaba o seu contrato com o PSV. Contudo ele tenta uma liberação antecipada por ter valores atrasados a receber dos holandeses.
Ele está no clube holandês desde 2020, quando chegou doGuangzhou City, da China. Desde então marcou 30 gols em 68 partidas. Nesta temporada foram 13 tentos em 35 jogos.
O israelensetem uma carreira modesta na Europa, com passagens por equipes como o Palermo, da Itália. No demais, atuou grande parte no futebol de seu país, onde foi artilheiro da liga local por três temporadas. Repetiu o feito no Campeonato Chinês.
Além do Fogão, Zahavi tem propostas para atuar nos EUA e para voltar a Israel, segundo a imprensa carioca.
TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2022 clicando aqui
Southampton knew the step-up in quality moving to the Premier League was going to be challenging, but the start of the season has been nothing short of dismal so far for Russell Martin’s men regardless.
The Saints are stuck at the foot of the division on just four points, with only one meagre win next to their name and a worrying nine losses.
Scoring the division’s fewest on seven is another grim statistic from a sobering return to Premier League life, as Martin and Co know things will have to change and fast for Southampton to pull off a relegation escape.
The January transfer window could well be the oasis in the desert the South Coast strugglers have been searching for, knowing full well that an inspired buy here and there could perk up the camp and send them on their way to staying in the top-flight.
Here is what Martin’s starting XI could end up looking like after some frantic activity in the transfer market, with Cameron Archer dropping out for a fresh new striker to lead the line…
1 GK – Aaron Ramsdale
The first spot in Martin’s XI will be filled by Aaron Ramsdale, who was purchased last summer from Arsenal in a statement move by the newly promoted side.
After all, the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper was a starter week in week out for the Gunners once upon a time, before his shaky performances at the Emirates Stadium got the better of him.
Now, however, he’s attempting to be a safe pair of gloves for the relegation-threatened side and he has succeeded in flashes, with his five saves versus Everton at the start of November helping a 1-0 win to be secured.
Southampton do have Yukinara Sugawara who can play on the right-hand side in defence, but Kyle Walker-Peters takes up this spot here.
The attack-minded full-back was lively in that aforementioned win over the Toffees, with three key passes tallied up alongside six duels being won, and more will be expected of him in his team’s continued fight against the drop.
3 CB – Taylor Harwood-Bellis
Southampton would have been over the moon to snap up Taylor Harwood-Bellis permanently in the summer after an excellent loan spell in the Championship saw him pick up 11 clean sheets.
This season, his level of performances haven’t dropped even as his team sit bottom, with a calmness in this game apparent with 62.2 accurate passes averaged per game, alongside his ability to score coming up from the back.
That was clear for all to see when the ex-Manchester City youngster headed home on his senior England debut, with the 22-year-old understandably confident about his starting spot at St. Mary’s.
4 CB – Jan Bednarek
Jan Bednarek has recently suffered an injury out on international duty with Poland, but the loyal Saints servant should still get plenty of minutes when back to full fitness.
The imposing 6 foot 2 figure has been everpresent at the back in league action, with a mammoth 97 touches averaged per league game.
Therefore, it feels unlikely any new fresh blood would usurp the 28-year-old’s starting spot.
5 CB – Jack Stephens
This final spot in the centre-back department is arguably the most contentious, with Southampton captain Jack Stephens in particular struggling with the demands of the Premier League.
He has also been absent from games this campaign after a reckless red card was handed out to him versus Manchester United, but Martin might still retain his faith in the 30-year-old, having once labelled him as a “real leader.”
6 LB – Welington
Welington for Sao Paulo.
The first change in personnel comes in the left-back area, with Martin’s usual starter here Ryan Manning dropping out for new recruit Welington to shine.
Agreeing a deal in the summer to leave Sao Paulo behind for the South Coast in January, he could surprisingly enter straight into the lineup on his arrival, having tallied up an impressive 11 assists playing in Brazil to date.
He has missed Sao Paolo’s last two games owing to a hamstring injury, but with this left-back area even seeing Martin throw Tyler Dibling into the mix, Welington could make this spot his own very soon.
7 RM – Adam Armstrong
Comfortable playing as a lone centre-forward or down the flanks, Adam Armstrong could be kept on the right wing past the January window.
Armstrong’s only Premier League strike of the season has come from this position, with his numbers overall for the Saints suggesting he loves playing here as much as he does leading the line.
ST
60
16
LW
23
3
RW
17
8
Of course, this versatility present in Armstrong’s game means Martin wouldn’t hesitate to throw him in up top, as the 27-year-old continues to be a useful asset at St. Mary’s.
8 CM – Flynn Downes
Likewise, Flynn Downes is definitely a valued member of the Southampton first team, with his only absence in the Premier League this season coming last time out owing to injury.
He doesn’t have a goal or an assist next to his name yet, but 2025 has the potential to be the year where he returns to his Championship best, where the former Swansea City man managed to pick up two goals and three assists last campaign with some stylish performances centrally.
9 CM – Lewis O'Brien
Downes could line up next to a new partner in the middle of the park in the form of Lewis O’Brien, who has been linked with a switch to the Saints in the past.
This would be harsh on the likes of Adam Lallana, who does have two assists to show for his efforts in the league, but O’Brien could give Martin’s men some needed grit.
During his standout 2021/22 campaign in the second tier for Huddersfield Town, the 26-year-old won a staggering 7.5 duels per match. Therefore, this might be a potential swoop considered to toughen up the Saints in their battle against the drop.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
10 LM – Matheus Fernandes
More known for playing in central midfield, summer recruit Mateus Fernandes has played down the left in recent weeks and it has worked effectively.
His only assist in Premier League action so far came from this spot against Arsenal, with Martin hopeful that the ex-Sporting CP ace can offer lots more to his side past the window closing.
Jess Jonassen believes her Brisbane Heat team-mate Georgia Redmayne should be in the Australia side after another prolific WBBL campaign where she has excelled in front and behind the stumps.Redmayne, who has yet to be capped at international level, made 436 runs at 36.33 in the regular season while claiming a tournament-leading 17 dismissals with the gloves to help Heat into the finals where they will face Adelaide Strikers in the Eliminator on Wednesday.She was part of the Australia squad for the multi-format series against India earlier in the season but could not break into the XI even when Rachael Haynes was ruled out with injury. She will again be pushing hard for inclusion when the selectors pick an Ashes squad in January.”Being a fellow Queenslander, she should be in that side,” Jonassen said. “She was part of the series against India and my opinion she is probably the form keeper-batter in the competition at this stage. It’s no surprise to anyone in the Brisbane Heat set-up with the amount of work she has put in.”Her leg-side stumping to remove Ella Hayward against Melbourne Renegades was one of the standout moments of the competition. Redmayne credited the work she had done with former England keeper Sarah Taylor while with Welsh Fire in the Hundred with Taylor noting her excitement at the piece of work on Twitter.”I was at mid-off and it was incredible. She’s tidied up a few of those balls down the leg side and that stumping was probably one of the quickest I’ve seen,” Jonassen said. “It’s really exciting for us that she’s producing the level of cricket that we know she’s capable of and it’s no surprise.”Heat and Strikers will have to take the long route if they want to claim the WBBL title. The winner of their match faces Melbourne Renegades in the Challenger final on Thursday to decide who takes on Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium on Wednesday. Of the four sides still in contention only the Heat are previous winners.Jonassen had no qualms about facing Strikers on their own patch despite finishing above them in the table. Renegades, who finished second, nominated Adelaide as their preferred venue for the Challenger final with border restrictions meaning Melbourne wasn’t an option.”It’s probably a good thing for us that we will be playing against the Strikers,” Jonassen said. “There will be a really good atmosphere. Sometimes you can use that to your advantage if you are the away side and use it to fuel the drive to come out on top.With South Australia’s borders opening to Victoria on Tuesday it means friends and family of players from the state should be able to travel for the Challenger.”Not being able to get to Victoria wasn’t ideal but with the borders opening, get some family over here and it will feel like home I think,” Renegades captain Sophie Molineux said. “A lot of us haven’t been home for a long time so just being able to see parents, sisters, brothers, partners, it’s a bit of a motivator for us. Will be really cool over the next few days to reengage with them and hopefully have them at the ground.”
A £50 million Premier League player could now join Arsenal in January, with his club potentially willing to sell cash-in on him at the turn of the year amid his growing market value.
Arsenal targeting new striker and midfielder for 2025
Whether it be in the winter or next summer, recent reports have suggested that a new striker and midfielder is firmly on the agenda for sporting director Edu Gaspar.
Arsenal could now consider "monster offer" for £190k-per-week Gunners star
It would take big money.
By
Emilio Galantini
Oct 11, 2024
Kai Havertz’s fine form last season seemingly prompted manager Mikel Arteta and Edu to eventually keep faith with the German and not bring in a new number nine towards the end of the summer window, but it is believed Arsenal could look to sign a partner for Havertz next year instead.
Arsenal had an offer rejected for RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko, with the Gunners making a proposal to sign the Slovenian alongside both Man United and Chelsea, but he snubbed their advances and put pen to paper on a contract extension instead.
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games
Date
Bournemouth (away)
October 19
Liverpool (home)
October 27
Newcastle United (away)
November 2
Chelsea (away)
November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)
November 23
Arsenal are considering a 2025 approach for Sesko, though, considering the player has a “gentleman’s agreement” that he can leave Leipzig within the next two years.
Sesko isn’t their only rumoured striker target, but Edu’s widespread reported attempts to tempt him to the Emirates earlier this year hints he must be pretty high on their agenda.
Meanwhile, the prospect of adding another defensive midfielder is also on the cards. Versatile Italy international starlet Samuele Ricci is being targeted by Arsenal for January, according to some media sources, with the Torino ace turning heads at Man City too, amid their search for a Rodri alternative.
Udinese's Lazar Samardzic in action with Torino's Samuele Ricci
Both Thomas Partey and Jorginho could be leaving for free in 2025, as their contracts expire next summer, so Arsenal need to think about long-term solutions for their midfield as well.
There are reports that Arsenal could reward Partey with a new deal after his fine start to 2024/2025, but until the Ghanaian puts pen to paper, Arteta will still be in need of more options next year.
Jacob Ramsey could join Arsenal in January
Now, as per Spanish media reports, Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey is a target for the Gunners.
Unai Emery’s side are potentially open to offers for the 23-year-old, either next summer or in the winter window, so the prospect of him leaving in January is a real possibility.
It is believed Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign Ramsey from Villa, alongside both north London rivals Tottenham and Newcastle United in England, while Serie A champions Inter Milan also take a firm interest in the Englishman.
His growing market value is making NSWE and Emery consider a sale in the near future, with a £50 million price tag on his head if Villa do decide to sell their “all-round” homegrown midfield ace (Gabriel Agbonlahor).
Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil isn’t exactly enjoying the best of times at the moment with his side slumped at the bottom of the Premier League table having won just one point all season.
He will be counting on the likes of Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Rayan Ait Nouri to lead by example and secure the Old Gold their first league win of the campaign sooner rather than later.
Cunha
For Ait Nouri, if the club are relegated, will this be his final season at Molineux? Especially considering the interest shown in him over the summer?
Rayan Ait Nouri’s season in numbers
The left-back has played every single league match for the club this season, scoring twice and grabbing two assists in the process.
Despite their poor performances, the defender started the current campaign in a similar sort of fashion as how he ended 2023/24, which could see him secure a big money move away from the Midlands sooner rather than later.
Ait Nouri has also created a big chance, averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.1 successful dribbles per game in the top flight, showcasing his attacking qualities.
In terms of his reported salary of £10k-per-week, the youngster is certainly one of the best value-for-money players in the current Wolves squad, that’s for certain.
Rank
Player
Salary
1.
Goncalo Guedes
£90k-per-week
1.
Pablo Sarabia
£90k-per-week
3.
Nélson Semedo
£80k-per-week
4.
Hee-chan Hwang
£70k-per-week
5.
Mattheus Cunha
£60k-per-week
The same cannot be said for another full-back in the first team, who is earning way more than Ait Nouri, but is failing to produce the goods on the pitch – Matt Doherty.
Why Matt Doherty must be sold by Wolves
The Republic of Ireland defender returned to Wolves at the start of last season, making a total of 43 appearances for the club since, scoring three times.
This season, he has made only two Premier League starts under O’Neil, failing to establish himself in the team. During these games, Doherty has lost possession 8.8 times on average, while averaging just a 78% pass success rate.
Going forward, the defender succeeds with just 0.3 dribbles per game while he has delivered zero accurate crosses. It is clear that O’Neil is not a massive fan of the Irishman, and it would make sense for the club to move him on sooner rather than later.
He currently earns a staggering £50k-per-week at the Old Gold, which is 400% more than what Ait Nouri takes home each week. Judging by the performances of both players, it is not a fair reflection on their wages.
Doherty was even criticised on international duty a few weeks ago by Stephen Kelly, who dubbed the current Wolves man as “awful” during the clash against Greece in September.
With 18 months still to run on his contract, there is no doubt that his weekly wage would be best spent elsewhere, either in signing a free agent or investing back in the current squad.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
His recent displays have been poor and O’Neil must look to move him on in January at the earliest.
Wolves star who left in 2023 is now earning £217k-p/w more than Cunha
This former Wolverhampton Wanderers ace is swimming in cash at his new employers.
Stoneman makes duck on debut before century stand between White and Andersson
ECB Reporters' Network30-Aug-2021Middlesex 218 for 5 (White 101*, Andersson 53) vs DerbyshireRobbie White struck his maiden first-class century to rescue Middlesex from a disastrous start against Derbyshire on the opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship clash.The Seaxes stumbled to 14 for 3 – all lbw – after opting to bat at Lord’s as Derbyshire seamers Sam Conners and Luis Reece made the most of the early movement in overcast conditions. But White, who had previously passed 50 six times without registering a ton – including 99 against Kent last year – finally achieved that landmark as he led Middlesex’s fightback, hitting an unbeaten 101 to lift them to 218 for 5.The 25-year-old shared a century stand with Martin Andersson, whose 53 was his highest score of the season, while John Simpson was undefeated on 29 when bad light brought play to a premature close.Middlesex’s decision to bat looked questionable when Mark Stoneman, making his debut after moving across the river from Surrey, lasted only three balls before Conners’ inswinger trapped him in front for a duck. Sam Robson followed later in the same over, the victim of one that stayed low, while Stephen Eskinazi had little chance against a Reece delivery that swung viciously to leave Middlesex reeling.Despite a couple of edges that flew through the slips, White soon settled down to oversee a rebuilding job and weathered the onslaught alongside Max Holden in a partnership of 38.Reece collected his second lbw scalp before lunch, with Holden unlucky to be given out to a ball that looked too high, but Andersson announced his arrival at the crease with a series of sweetly-struck cover boundaries.The fifth-wicket pair made good progress during the afternoon session, with White leg-glancing Reece for four to bring up his half-century and Andersson quickly followed suit, reaching that milestone from 93 balls.With Derbyshire deploying both spinners in tandem, it was Alex Thomson who achieved the breakthrough with his maiden first-class wicket for the county, tempting Andersson forward to nudge to slip. However, Simpson maintained Middlesex’s momentum while White advanced steadily to his hundred, carving Conners over point for four and then taking advantage of a wide ball to punch another off-side boundary that brought him to three figures.That proved timely for White as, with the light deteriorating, umpires Muhammad Syed and Peter Hartley took the teams off just two overs later.
The ex-Reds defender has portrayed the players with expiring contracts as the problem at Anfield when the truth is that the club is to blame
Liverpool versus Manchester United at Anfield – it's always a massive match regardless of the context. But Sunday's showdown is of even greater significance than usual for the hosts. Liverpool are leading the Premier League but their lead could be cut to just three points by the time the game kicks off. Victory is imperative and should be the sole focus – but it's not.
Just as much attention – if not more – will be given to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. Whereas a win over arguably the worst United team of the past decade is considered something of a formality, there is now a very real fear that Liverpool will lose their tug-of-war with Real Madrid for the game's most gifted right-back, while the best player in the world right now has just declared that this will be his final season on Merseyside.
After all, the battle has already officially begun for Alexander-Arnold's services and the mere fact that player contracts are overshadowing the biggest fixture in English football (at least from Liverpool's perspective) only goes to prove that they also have the potential to derail the Reds' title hopes. So, who's to blame here? Alexander-Arnold and Salah? Their representatives? Or is this a mess all of Liverpool's making?
Getty Images SportMadrid make their move for Trent
Liverpool ended 2024 top of not only the Premier League but also the Champions League – and yet they didn't even get to fully enjoy New Year's Eve.
Just a few hours before the clock struck 12 on December 31, Real Madrid made their move for Alexander-Arnold, prompting predictable panic among the club's supporters.
Sooner or later, one way or another, Florentino Perez nearly always gets what he wants (the dreadfully drawn-out Kylian Mbappe saga is a case in point) and it's clear that the president of the most powerful club in football is desperate to sign Liverpool's homegrown hero, who now has less than six months left on his current contract.
The Reds haven't given up hope of holding onto Alexander-Arnold but it now feels as if they're fighting a losing battle. Of course, there's no way they'd even consider losing such an important player at this stage of the season but a free transfer looks like a formality.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'Only a matter of time'?
Michael Owen knows all about leaving Liverpool for Madrid and he is no longer in any doubt that Alexander-Arnold is bound for the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
"The very fact that Real Madrid have now made their intentions clear towards signing Trent Alexander Arnold leads me to believe that it's only a matter of time before he signs for them," the former England international wrote on X.
"If he was going to sign a contract extension, Madrid wouldn't have officially made their move. Secretive talks will have taken place. Huge news."
One of Owen's former team-mates, Jamie Carragher, is just as convinced that the formal New Year's Eve approach to sign Alexander-Arnold during the winter window was all part of the plan.
"I love Trent as a lad [and] a player," the defender-turned-pundit posted on X, "but his team would've told Real Madrid to bid [and] also would've known [Liverpool] would turn it down. It's to try to cover themselves when he leaves for free."
Carragher's appraisal of Alexander-Arnold and Madrid's motives certainly seems spot on, and he was also right to point out that "The most important thing for [Liverpool] in 2025 is winning the Premier League. No-one's contract or future should come in the way of that!"
It's also true that the transfer talk is "something the club/fans don't need with a huge game coming up" on Sunday.
However, the implication that the club deserves as much sympathy right now as the supporters is ludicrous. Liverpool definitely didn't "need" this distraction – but they did allow it to happen.
AFPNot one but three expiring contracts
As if anyone needs reminding, Alexander-Arnold is not an isolated case at Anfield. Liverpool don't just have one key player in a position to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club – they have three. And that's not unfortunate, it's unforgivable.
Let's be honest, if United actually had any players of the calibre of Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Virgil van Dijk and allowed them to enter free agency territory, a combination of INEOS and the Glazers would be getting absolutely slated by supporters and the media right now.
So, why should FSG, Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes be given a pass, particularly after a summer in which only one new face arrived at the club? It's not as if a contingency plan is in place to deal with the potential loss of three men who were utterly integral to the club winning a sixth Champions League, in 2019, and a first English title for 30 years the following season.
It's bizarre, then, that an extremely well-informed pundit like Carragher and many others within the press have attempted to portray the players – and their representatives – as the problem here.
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Getty ImagesIs Salah really being 'selfish'?
When Salah first went public with his frustration over the lack of progress over a new deal, Carragher labelled the Egyptian "selfish", accusing him of thinking only of himself "and not the football club".
But Salah's contract is expiring and he clearly wants to stay. At 32 years of age, is he not entitled to think about his future and push for a new deal? Hasn't he already done enough for Liverpool to deserve an extension? Loyalty should be a two-way street at the end of the day.
Granted, in an ideal world, none of this would be played out in the media but football is a murky business populated by people motivated by making as much money as possible. Pursuing individual interests is very much a part of a team game, and arguably always has been. Did Liverpool really think, then, that the three players' representatives would be happy to let the negotiations play out on the club's terms?
Furthermore, their contractual situations had been a constant topic of debate even before Salah became the first to speak out, while it's also worth noting that Alexander-Arnold – just like Van Dijk – has been true to his word in that he's still said nothing remotely inflammatory to the press about his particular predicament.
Carragher, though, has devoted more column inches and airtime appealing to Alexander-Arnold's sense of belonging in the hope of convincing him to reject Real's advances, than addressing the real root of the problem – the club's lack of foresight, which can be attributed to the recent disruption behind the scenes at Anfield caused by the departure of a succession of influential figures.
Chakabva, Burl and Raza fifties go in vain for Zimbabwe
Mohammad Isam20-Jul-2021Bangladesh 302 for 5 (Iqbal 112, Nurul 45*, Madhevere 2-45) beat Zimbabwe 298 (Chakabva 84, Burl 59, Raza 57, Rahman 3-57, Saifuddin 3-87) by five wicketsTamim Iqbal’s forceful 112 off 97 balls set up Bangladesh’s 299 chase before Nurul Hasan, playing his first ODI in nearly five years, put the finishing touches with his 39-ball unbeaten 45 to give the visitors a five-wicket win. The visitors collected full points for the World Cup Super League from the ODI series by winning 3-0 as Zimbabwe, despite batting well in this game, fell into disarray with the ball, and the chase was completed with two overs to spare.Even after removing a rampant Iqbal and Mahmudullah off consecutive balls, the home side couldn’t stop Nurul and Mohammad Mithun from adding 64 for the fifth wicket, before Nurul and Afif Hossain, unbeaten on a 17-ball 26, finished the job.Iqbal struck his fastest ODI century, his 14th in the format with eight fours and three sixes. His crucial contribution was in the form of three partnerships: he added 88 with Liton Das for the opening stand before adding 59 with Shakib Al Hasan and 57 with Mithun for the next two wickets.Iqbal pushed Bangladesh’s chase into the next gear as early as the eighth over. He struck a six and two fours off Tendai Chatara, who conceded 19 runs in the over. He hammered his second six off a Donald Tiripano free hit, before Das fell top-edging Wessley Madhevere to backward square leg off a sweep, for 32.Shakib couldn’t forgive himself after under-edging Jongwe, having scored a comfortable 30 off 42 balls. Iqbal hardly let go of any scoring opportunities even after Shakib’s dismissal. After sweeping Burl for four, he moved into the nineties with a whip off Jongwe.Iqbal reached his century in the 30th over when his drive off Chatara went through mid-off’s legs for four. But Tiripano removed Iqbal and Mahmudullah off the first two balls following the drinks break, getting both caught behind to loose shots. Two in-form senior batters gone in a matter of minutes must have worried the Bangladesh dressing room, but Nurul didn’t seem too bothered.He opened his account, off the hat-trick ball, with a steered four through point, before hammering Jongwe for two fours – a whip across square leg, and chipped over mid-on. Nurul had another brace of boundaries off Tiripano during his nine-ball over, which ended with wicketkeeper Chakabva dropping Mithun.It didn’t cost Zimbabwe anything as Mithun fell on the same score, 30, by holing out to long-off off Madhevere. Hossain then completed the job by hitting three fours and a six, two of those taking Bangladesh to the target.Zimbabwe’s bowling had fallen apart by then, having conceded 27 extras, apart from missing a few run-out chances and Chakabva dropping a chance. But it was a much improved batting effort from the home side. Chakabva’s career-best 84 kept the Zimbabwe innings together, as he struck seven fours and a six in his 91-ball knock while being promoted to open. He added 71 runs for the third wicket with the rookie Dion Myers, but Zimbabwe were in the middle of a mini-collapse when Chakabva got out.But Raza’s six fours and a six in the next seven overs — sweeping, pulling and driving with class – calmed the home side’s nerves. Burl, who had nurdled 12 runs off 25 balls until the 45th over, then took over with his burst of boundaries.He struck 47 runs off his next 18 balls, that started with two fours off Taskin Ahmed in the 45th over, before flat-batting Mustafizur Rahman for his first six. Next over, he flicked Mohammad Saifuddin for two consecutive sixes on the leg side. When Shakib dropped him at the deep-fine-leg boundary, Burl reached his second ODI fifty, off 38 balls.Rahman stopped the carnage by removing Raza in the 48th over for 57 off 54 balls, with seven fours and a six, before Saifuddin dismissed Burl, Tiripano and Chatara in the following over. This 13-ball phase had a big impact on the game ultimately, as a further 15 runs may have given Zimbabwe a psychological advantage.
Big hundred puts Derbyshire on the back foot in week before Test selection
Alan Gardner14-May-2021
Dan Lawrence drives down the ground during his century•Getty Images
Derbyshire 35 for 3 (Harmer 2-12) trail Essex 412 for 3 dec (Lawrence 152*, Westley 106, Browne 59, Cook 58) by 377 runsA day of sepulchral gloom in Chelmsford, pierced throughout by the ECG floodlights, was lit up by a blazing innings from Dan Lawrence, as Essex attempted to make up for lost time in their match against Derbyshire … and pretty much succeeded. Lawrence’s unbeaten 152 from 133 balls was the batting equivalent of a souped-up Vauxhall Nova revving its way up the main drag, and leaving tyre-marks over a series of beleaguered Derbyshire bowlers.It was bad light that came to the rescue for the visitors, at the end of an over from legspinner Matt Critchley in which Lawrence slammed the first three balls for six and ended up lying on his front after an unsuccessful attempt to club a fourth down the ground. The ball still went for four and Lawrence acknowledged the applause from his team-mates for reaching 150 from his position in the dirt, even if six sixes was now out of the question. “I thought it was on,” Lawrence said with a grin afterwards.Derbyshire’s respite was brief, however, as an Essex declaration followed by an improvement in the light allowed the home side to press their advantage – even while restricted to bowling spin from both ends. Simon Harmer removed Luis Reece lbw, not offering a shot, in his fourth over and Lawrence then bagged himself a wicket, too, as Billy Godleman turned the ball to short leg. Derbyshire’s captain briefly stood his ground, which was about as much resistance as his team put up all day.Essex claimed a third before the close, Harmer having Leus de Plooy taken by Lawrence at gully, as the defending champions began to circle their prey. The threat of more bad weather, following a first-day washout, may still encourage Derbyshire hopes of an escape; those of a more darkly comic persuasion warned that it could all be done and dusted on Saturday.That Essex were in such a commanding position come the close was largely down to a freewheeling third-wicket partnership of 221 in 36.4 overs between Lawrence and his captain, Tom Westley. Essex have not hit their straps yet in this campaign, as Westley acknowledged, but they have given themselves a chance of dodging the elements to record what would be only a second win in six games.”It was disappointing not being able to get out there yesterday in a bit of a must-win game for us,” Lawrence said. “So it was very good from our openers to put me and Tommy in a situation to go and express ourselves. We knew we had to get ahead of the game as quickly as possible.”Having scored three fifties in the opening five rounds of the Championship, with a high score of 90 on a deathly flat surface at Worcester, Lawrence had hinted at good form without making the sort of imposing scores that would guarantee his involvement in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand (selection is due to be announced next week). This was a bristling reminder of his kaleidoscopic talents – albeit against a Derbyshire attack featuring three players making their first appearances of the season – as Lawrence raced to his fastest first-class hundred before coming off in sight of a career best.”It was quite a big thing for me to get to that landmark, because I’ve scored a few runs already without getting hundreds,” he said. “I’ve scored a few fifties – so it was nice to get there and then just play with some freedom. Every batter would know it’s the best feeling in the world batting after a hundred so it was brilliant to have licence.”The first of Lawrence’s 16 fours was driven with a high front elbow through mid-off and he was soon signalling his intent to crack on, windmilling a cut against Fynn Hudson-Prentice over cover point and then taking the same bowler for three boundaries in five balls a few overs later. His half-century came from 66 balls, and he immediately went up a gear, nonchalantly mowing Dustin Melton over midwicket for his first six.Billy Stanlake, who made an eventful Derbyshire debut, was casually flipped into the seats in front of the makeshift press box at deep backward square leg to take Lawrence into the 90s, and he brought up three figures for the first time this summer via a nudge off Critchley, the landmark acknowledged with a curled fist pump before turning to take the applause from his team-mates. Critchley was dealt with more severely as Essex rattled on towards five batting points, one slog-sweep over midwicket reminiscent of Lawrence’s hold-the-pose six on Test debut in Galle earlier this year.Westley also scored a bristling hundred, his third of the season – in reaching three figures from 109 balls, he did so three deliveries quicker than Lawrence – as the pair built on a century opening stand during the morning session. Derbyshire hit back after lunch through Stanlake, playing his first first-class match since the 2019-20 Sheffield Shield season, but were largely left to wonder at the wisdom of their decision to bowl first, taken 24 hours earlier.Lawrence and Tom Westley both made hundreds in a run-laden day•Getty Images
Essex had reached 132 for 0 at lunch, going at more than four runs an over despite a green tinge to the surface and a damp air to proceedings after persistent rain ruined any chance of play on Thursday. The scoring rate was aided by Stanlake’s trouble with front-foot no-balls during his opening spell, as Alastair Cook and Nick Browne took advantage of some insipid bowling to set a belligerent tempo in Essex’s attempts to overcome not only an opponent low on confidence but a poor forecast for the weekend.The sight of Stanlake taking the new ball promised intrigue. The 6ft 7in Australian, capped in both limited-overs formats, had only played eight first-class fixtures across five years but came to Derbyshire professing an eagerness to work on his red-ball game. An initial four overs brought six no-balls and almost as many aborted attempts at running in, prompting the fear that Stanlake’s enthusiasm might be short-lived.However, he discovered a much better rhythm from the River End when returning shortly before lunch, beating Cook with successive deliveries – one of which was too hot for Harvey Hosein to hold on to behind the stumps. He was rewarded for his perseverance after the interval, when Browne drove footlessly to be caught at slip (thus reducing his first-class average against Derbyshire to a mere 213.25). Cook then spooned a drive into the covers: Big Billy had landed Essex’s big fish, but there was the small matter of Lawrence and Westley to come.
New Zealand allrounder to stay in UK following World Test Championship final
ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2021Hampshire have signed Colin de Grandhomme, the New Zealand allrounder, for the second half of the T20 Blast.Having undergone ankle surgery after missing the home international season through injury, de Grandhomme is expected to be fit enough to take his place in New Zealand’s Test squad for their tour of England, which includes the World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl from June 18-22.Related
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He will join up with Hampshire immediately after the WTC final – most likely in time for their fixture against Somerset on June 25 – and is expected to be available for the final eight games of the Blast’s group stage. It is unclear whether he would be available for the knockout stages, with a five-week gap between the final round of group games and the quarter-finals. He has become a specialist at attacking spinners in the middle overs of T20s in recent years, and provides an extra bowling option with his cutters.Hampshire are de Grandhomme’s second county after two years playing for the Birmingham Bears in 2017 and 2018. He is the fifth New Zealand international to sign a contract for this summer’s Blast, following Glenn Phillips (Gloucestershire), James Neesham (Essex), Finn Allen (Lancashire) and Lockie Ferguson (Yorkshire).Hampshire have won the Blast twice, in 2010 and 2012, but have endured a poor run in the competition over the last five seasons: since 2016, they have won only 21 of their 60 completed games, fewer than any other county.