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Arsenal "might look at" Torino centre-back Perr Schurrs "as a backup option for their defence", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Arsenal transfer news – what's the latest on Perr Schurrs?

It looks to be a busy summer for Arsenal this year, with a deal for Jurrien Timber looking more likely as time goes on and the club now all but set to land West Ham United's Declan Rice.

The newest name added to the North London side's ever-growing shopping list is Netherlands U21 international, Schurrs.

In an article for GIVEMESPORT last week, Dean Jones confirmed that at one point, the Gunners had, in fact, 'scouted him' and that if plans for some of their other targets don't work out, Schurrs 'is a left-field name to look out for.'

However, Edu and Co. will want to get a move on if they're serious about landing the former Ajax man, as they aren't the only ones monitoring his situation.

According to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, the 6 foot 3 titan has a few other suitors interested in his services, including Newcastle United, Napoli and Crystal Palace.

The price touted for the 23-year-old is €40-50m (£34-43m) according to Italian publication Tuttosport, which considering the North London club's other spending plans this summer, might just prove to be a bridge too far.

What has Dean Jones said about Perr Schurrs to Arsenal?

Jones quickly highlighted that Arsenal's interest in the player was primarily as a potential backup option for their new defence.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He was talked to me most recently as the type of player that Arsenal might look at as a backup option for their defence if they needed a new centreback."

Would Perr Schurrs be a good signing for Arsenal?

The defender, who played with Jurrien Timber at Ajax, has been hailed as a "mountain".

Hailed as a "great Dutch talent" by former Arsenal star Marc Overmars, Schurrs would make a great backup signing for Arsenal – but not at the price reported.

He had a strong season for Turin's second team last year, averaging a decent match rating of 6.67 across his 30 Serie A games, even picking up a couple of assists along the way, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers are also respectable, if not outstanding.

According to FBref, the player averages 1.97 tackles, 1.08 interceptions, 1.08 blocks and 3.95 clearances, all per 90.

However, the Gunners already have a defensive unit packed with stars, and with the potential addition of fellow Dutchman Timber in the coming weeks, dropping another £34-43m on a player that might not start and hasn't got outstanding numbers to back him up might not be the best use of money.

That said, if Overmars rates him as highly as he appears to, there might just be something there for Mikel Arteta to work with.

Alastair Cook served up his tenth career List A century to guide Essex to their third win in three Royal London Cup matches this season

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2017
ScorecardAlastair Cook recorded his 10th List A hundred•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook served up his tenth career List A century to guide Essex to their third win in three Royal London Cup matches this season.Cook paced his innings with some devastating hooks and pulls, to go with well-judged nudges, accelerating from the halfway point to reach 127 as Essex posted a formidable 315 for 8 from their 50 overs. Although Phil Mustard and Ian Cockbain laid the platform for Gloucestershire’s reply with a third-wicket stand of 95 in 15 overs, they eventually fell 29 runs short after a late clatter of wickets.Cook’s first fifty took 65 balls, his second 20 balls less, while at the same time his boundary tally went up from three for the first to six for the second. When he was finally out, he had faced 134 balls and hit 12 fours.Cook shared partnerships of 82 with Nick Browne for the first wicket, 99 with Varun Chopra for the third and 57 in six overs with Ravi Bopara for the fourth. Bopara marked his 32nd birthday with a 23-ball 37 during which he passed 9000 career List A runs, before taking three wickets to help finish Gloucestershire off.As Essex chased late runs to pass 300, left-arm seamer Chris Liddle came back to claim three wickets in his last 20 deliveries to finish with 4 for 54.Gloucestershire’s requirement started at nearly six-and-a-half an over and had hit 10 with 10 overs to go, but Mustard (90) and Cockbain (79) traded big hits before the wicketkeeper departed after slamming seven fours and two sixes. Jack Taylor also joined the party with a six in his 25-ball 34, but it was not enough as Gloucestershire lost 4 for 29 in 5.3 overs at the death.Essex were put in and Browne took the opportunity to bat himself back into form in his 40-ball 42. The left-hander survived a sharp caught-and-bowled chance to Liam Norwell before he was the first to go as he clipped Benny Howell off his legs to Michael Klinger at midwicket.Cook settled and accumulated steadily but, the ball after he reached his half-century with another single into the covers, he lost his second partner when Tom Westley chased one outside off stump from Liddle and was caught behind for 5. Cook was dropped on 67 when he pulled Norwell to the midwicket boundary where Jack Taylor not only floored the catch but helped it over the ropes.Having moved Essex from 101 for 2 to bring up 200 with Cook, Chopra took an ill-advised run to Chris Dent at mid-on on 41 and was three yards from home when the direct throw broke the wicket. Cook and Bopara then kicked on before the younger Taylor, Matt, claimed a catch low down at deep midwicket off Tom Smith to send back the allrounder.Cook followed three runs and five balls later when he drove Liddle uppishly to Kieran Noema-Barnett at extra cover. The same Gloucestershire partnership accounted for Ashar Zaidi before Ryan ten Doeschate went lbw to Howell. Simon Harmer brought up the 300 with an extravagant reverse-sweep for four before Adam Wheater was caught behind from the final ball of the innings.The Gloucestershire openers had put on 74 in 17 overs when Harmer turned one away from Klinger and Zaidi tumbled backwards in taking the catch at short third man. The batsmen had become bogged down and Dent underlined the frustration when he tried to hit Harmer over the top and found sub fielder Callum Taylor at long-off.With the required rate rising, Mustard decided to chivvy things along and pulled Harmer for six to bring up his fifty from 63 balls. Cockbain then deposited ten Doeschate for a huge six over cow corner and Mustard hit another out of the ground at midwicket to ruin Harmer’s figures, the offspinner ending with 2 for 69.The return of Matt Quinn broke the third-wicket stand when Mustard sent a leading edge high to deep extra cover, where Cook claimed it at the second attempt. Noema-Barnett didn’t last long before holing out to Taylor on the midwicket boundary, but Cockbain kept up the tempo and reached his fifty from 51 balls.Jack Taylor and Cockbain slammed straight sixes in the 42nd over, as Wagner made a costly return that leaked 21 runs and ended with Cockbain being caught off a free hit. But after helping put on 70 in nine overs, Taylor tried to hit Quinn over wide mid-off and was pouched by Harmer.Cockbain finally departed, caught at deep cover by Cook off Bopara, who then claimed the wicket of Howell, caught at short third man by Zaidi, to finish with 3 for 34. Finally Norwell went down the wicket to Zaidi and was stumped.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their attempts to add a new centre-forward to their squad during the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Sunderland striker transfer news?

According to The Sun, the Black Cats are eyeing up a deal to sign Everton striker Tom Cannon ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign.

The report claims that they are plotting a bid of £3m plus bonuses as Kristjaan Speakman looks to tempt the Premier League side into parting ways with the young forward.

It states that newly-promoted Luton Town and Preston North End, who he spent the second half of last season on loan with, are also interested in signing the Republic of Ireland youth international.

Tony Mowbray is said to want him on a permanent deal rather than on loan as the head coach views the player as a solid investment for the future.

How old is Tom Cannon?

The Everton centre-forward turns 21 in December and would arrive at the Stadium of Light as a young prospect with the potential to improve over the years to come.

He showcased his ability at Championship level with Preston last season and could come in as Ellis Simms 2.0 for Sunderland, after the now-Coventry ace's impressive spell on Wearside.

Simms scored seven goals in 17 league outings for the Black Cats on loan from the Toffees as he proved himself to be a reliable goalscorer in the second tier of English football. The 22-year-old also created five 'big chances' for his teammates and registered two assists.

Despite returning to Goodison Park in January, the 6 foot 3 finisher still ended the campaign as Sunderland's fourth-highest scorer – behind Ross Stewart, Amad Diallo, and Jack Clarke.

Speakman can now repeat the masterclass he played with Simms by securing a deal to sign another impressive marksman from Everton – Cannon.

The 20-year-old dynamo scored eight goals and created four 'big chances' for his teammates in 19 league starts on loan at Preston last term, which shows that the exciting youngster already knows how to be a reliable scorer at that level.

Cannon enjoyed his loan spell at Deepdale after an outstanding EFL Trophy campaign during the first half of the season with Everton's U21 side. He plundered five goals and three assists in five appearances in the competition to go along with an average Sofascore rating of 8.00.

The Irish talent produced 51 goals and 14 assists across 97 matches for his club at U21 and U18 level combined. These statistics highlight his ability to be a prolific scorer and he showed glimpses of that during his time at Preston earlier this year.

North End boss Ryan Lowe hailed him as a "fantastic talent" and the lethal number nine's aforementioned form backs that up. Cannon is a player with the quality to be a huge threat in the final third while also having plenty of time left ahead to develop as he gains more experience.

Therefore, the Everton prospect could be a terrific signing for Sunderland as they would be signing a striker with the quality to replicate Simms' success at the Stadium of Light whilst also investing in his exciting potential.

It has been a summer of significant change for Celtic since they beat Inverness at Hampden to secure the domestic treble for the 2022/23 campaign at the start of June.

Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou decided to depart shortly after the end of the season to join Tottenham Hotspur and has been replaced by Brendan Rodgers, who is now in his second spell at Parkhead.

There have also been alterations within the squad as Jota completed a permanent move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, whilst Aaron Mooy confirmed his retirement from football.

The club have reacted to those departures by completing deals for a host of fresh faces, including Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, and Odin Thiago Holm who bolster their options in midfield and out wide.

Another change that could take place heading into next season is a switch from Postecolou's preferred 4-3-3 system to Rodgers' favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

This could open up the door for Scotland international David Turnbull to return to prominence as the 24-year-old, who is a number ten by trade, only started six Scottish Premiership matches throughout last season.

The ex-Motherwell ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 – the highest at the club – during the 2020/21 campaign as he produced nine goals and 12 'big chances' created whilst mainly being deployed in his favoured position.

Further to this, the 4-2-3-1 set-up could also provide a pathway for B Team star Rocco Vata to make his breakthrough at first-team level as an attacking midfielder and ultimatelly Turnbull's heir.

What is Rocco Vata's style of play?

The 18-year-old maestro, who has been capped by Ireland's U19 side, is a number ten who likes to find the back of the net on a regular basis, whilst also being able to play out wide or through the middle as a number nine.

Vata has been in senior training with Celtic this month and Rodgers commented on his talent by stating: "He's strong, quick, he wants to score goals."

This is backed up by the teenage wizard's form for the academy team last season. He racked up nine goals alongside one assist in 16 Lowland League matches, which proved that the promising technician can compete against senior professionals, albeit at a fifth-tier level.

His B Team form caught Postecoglou's eye as the Australian handed him four Scottish Premiership appearances last term, in which the Hoops prodigy was able to showcase his creative ability with two 'big chances' created in just 44 minutes of action.

Youth coach Dara O'Dea claimed that Vata has a "killer attitude that never stops" which bodes well for his chances of eventually breaking into Rodgers' squad on a regular basis with it looking as though he boasts the mentality ito keep pushing himself to develop.

Therefore, the Irish youth international, who talent scout Jacek Kulig stated has an "exciting future", could grow into a dream Turnbull heir for Rodgers at Celtic.

Indeed, the potential is there for Vata to be an attacking midfielder who can make a big impact at the top end of the pitch as a crative magician possessing the quality to score goals and create 'big chances' week-in-week-out for his side.

England are in the unusual position of entering an ODI match against Australia as favourites. But their upsurge owes much to a common adversary

Melinda Farrell at Edgbaston09-Jun-2017So far, Australia’s Champions Trophy campaign has run about as smoothly as a three-wheeled cart on gravel.The players are in the middle of a fractious employment dispute with Cricket Australia, with David Warner going so far as to question CA’s desire for a successful campaign, and they could effectively be unemployed in three weeks’ time. To top it off, they haven’t played a single full match in this tournament.And now they find themselves in the position where they must beat England; tournament favourites, already secure of a semi-final berth, playing at home and on a ground that has brought success and joyful memories.It has clearly been a frustrating tournament for Australia, providing a challenge for Steven Smith to keep his players focussed on the elements they can control. But while he is adamant the MoU discussions haven’t clouded the team’s preparations, it can’t be helpful to have the topic raised at every media appearance and dominate their social media landscape. Nor can it be easy to forget the more literal clouds that have doused their first two matches.But Smith hopes the tribulations and the knockout pressure of this match will bring out the best in his players and see them emerge as cornered kangaroos, if you will.”Obviously, a must-win match for us,” said Smith, speaking at Edgbaston. “Yeah, it usually does bring out the best of the Australia cricket team in big tournaments. So let’s hope this is the case tomorrow.”It’s not ideal we haven’t got through a full fixture yet, but we can’t control the weather. We can only control what we’re doing, and we’ve prepared really well in the nets.”The guys are looking forward to tomorrow. It’s essentially a quarter-final for us, so we’re ready to come up against a good England outfit.”Steven Smith and his team have spent much of the tournament watching from the sidelines•Getty ImagesWhile Australia’s batsmen have struggled to find either time or many runs in the middle, Smith can at least take encouragement from the improvement shown by Mitchell Starc. After a wicketless innings in his first match back from a foot injury, Starc was menacing at The Oval, taking 4 for 29 as he tore through the Bangladesh tail.A new pitch has been prepared at Edgbaston and, while there has been much anticipation to see Australia’s four quickest bowlers in the same side for the first time, John Hastings has strong claims for inclusion. He was in the team selected for the eventual washout against New Zealand at Edgbaston, in which he took two wickets.”I’m sure he’ll be talked about, particularly as there’s a new wicket,” said Smith. “He’s a guy that bowls that little bit slower and can hit the seam and generate, or get, whatever’s in the wicket.”Being a fresh wicket, there could be a little bit there, and he’ll certainly come into contention, I’m sure.”It must almost be a relief for Smith to ponder selections and contemplate how the pitch might play. It the midst of the nagging MoU uncertainty, those thoughts provide a slice of cricket normality and, once they walk onto the Edgbaston field, it will become clear whether the obstacles have been a distraction or a means of galvanizing the players.”I think the players have been really united through everything that’s going on with the MoU back home,” said Smith. “So the guys are in a good place. There hasn’t been that much talk about it as a team.””I said at the start before we got here, this is an ICC tournament. It only comes around every four years, the Champions Trophy, and it’s the second-biggest tournament after the World Cup.”So we’ve got to be focused on that. It’s a very sort of cut-throat tournament with only three pool matches. So you’ve got to be switched on for each and every one of those, albeit we’re only going to be getting through one potentially.”I made sure that coming over here, that we’re completely focused on this tournament and getting the job done at hand.”

Southampton return to Championship action for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign when they travel away to face Sheffield Wednesday next week on the opening day.

How many points did Southampton get in the 2011/12 season?

Nigel Adkins led the Saints to promotion that year as his team finished second in the division, one point behind winners Reading on 88 points.

Only three points separated the top three as the club narrowly beat West Ham United to second place and the side's attacking firepower played a huge role in their success.

Southampton's 85 goals led the league and centre-forward Rickie Lambert was vital to that achievement as the former Bristol Rovers marksman plundered 30 goals and 13 assists in 45 outings.

Russell Martin could now land his own prolific no.9 to help fire the south coast outfit back to the Premier League this season by signing one of the club's mooted transfer targets.

The Sun on Sunday [16th July 2023, page 61] reported earlier this month that they will consider a move for Sunderland forward Ross Stewart if one of their current strikers moves on, amid interest from Fulham and Crystal Palace in Che Adams.

How many goals did Ross Stewart score last season?

The Scotland international scored an outstanding ten goals in 13 Championship appearances for the Black Cats, whilst he also provided his teammates with three assists.

Injuries prevented him from being able to add to his tally as the ex-Ross County ace missed 36 matches due to a hamstring issue and then a long-term Achilles problem.

His sensational form when fit, however, suggests that the potential is there for him to be a phenomenal centre-forward for Martin at St. Mary's – if he can avoid further injuries.

Like Lambert, who scored 29 goals in 45 League One matches for Rovers before his move to Southampton, Stewart also proved himself to be prolific in the third tier of English football, with 26 strikes in 49 games for Sunderland during the 2021/22 campaign.

The Black Cats titan, who stands at 6 foot 2, was directly involved in a goal every match on average for the club last season in the Championship, which suggests that he could emulate and even surpass the former Saints striker this term.

Lambert, who also stands at 6 foot 2, produced a goal contribution every 1.05 clashes on average throughout the club's 2011/12 promotion, with 43 goals and assists in 45 appearances.

This indicates that Stewart has the potential to provide a similar level of quality at the top end of the pitch in terms of the regularity with which he chips in with goals and assists from a no.9 position at that level.

The 26-year-old frontman, who was once hailed as "unbelievable" by teammate Alex Pritchard, has been prolific in League One and the Championship, which could now allow him to follow in Lambert's footsteps to be Southampton's talisman next season.

He could lead Martin's side to an instant promotion push with his ability to punish opposition teams on a regular basis with his clinical finishing and his knack for setting up his teammates, which is why the Scottish head coach must push for a deal to be completed this summer.

Cricket Australia has proposed independent arbitration with the Australian Cricketers’ Association if the ongoing pay dispute is not resolved by early next week

Daniel Brettig and Brydon Coverdale27-Jul-20172:27

Brettig: CA under pressure from lot of sectors

Australia’s cricketers have been offered rollover contracts under the previous MoU as well as a process of independent arbitration to end a bitter pay war, which might ultimately help secure the status of future series against Bangladesh, India and the home Ashes.In a dramatic departure from Cricket Australia’s (CA) stated policy of keeping pay negotiations private, the board’s chief executive, James Sutherland, laid out the proposal on Thursday afternoon in the hope of sidestepping a looming firestorm of commercial and cricketing chaos.”What we’re proposing out of this is that we do go into some intensive discussions over the next few days that will hopefully see the matter come to resolution,” Sutherland said. “Failing that, we believe that the best course of action is to get the matter resolved through arbitration, get the show on the road and move on.”I think what we’ve put forward here is a good solution. It’s a fair-minded solution. It highlights where we’re up to. There’s no doubt there’s a bit of an impasse here, but I believe that with positive intent and the right people in the room, we can get this sorted in the next few days. Failing that, we’re prepared to say that we’ll put the issues to arbitration, we’ll accept the umpire’s decision, and the game goes on.”Critically, CA is prepared to pay male players under the terms of the most recent MoU while remunerating the women under the vastly improved financial terms of their recent proposals. It is not yet decided whether back pay would be given to more than 230 players, who were left out of contract when the previous agreement expired on July 1. Similar uncertainty looms over what will happen to more than A$58 million in adjustment ledger payments due to all past and present male players, who held contracts between 2012 and 2017.In proposing a short period of intensive talks, Sutherland also revealed CA’s preference for independent arbitration should these discussions fail. It was the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) that first proposed mediated negotiations between Sutherland and his opposite number Alistair Nicholson on May 12, the same day CA sent out a letter, warning that players would be unemployed if no deal was reached by June 30.CA does not want the arbitration to be conducted by the Fair Work Commission, Australia’s official industrial relations umpire. They prefer an eminent individual, agreed upon by both parties, who, in Sutherland’s words could be “someone like a retired supreme court judge”. At the same time, the contract rollovers would remove the threat of further tour cancellations, which is both the players’ strongest point of leverage but also the source of the most long-lasting damage to the game.Both parties came close to agreement recently, but CA’s continued reluctance to accept the concept of revenue sharing led the ACA to take their own “peace plan” to all contracted players and the public; in turn CA floated their counter-proposal via a report in the . CA has grown increasingly worried by the rapidly shrinking amount of time available to solve the impasse without major dislocation. Sutherland, on his part, suggested the ACA had been stalling in order to enhance its bargaining power.CA chairman David Peever and CEO James Sutherland (file photo)•IDI/Getty Images”I think the concern that I’ve tried to reflect in talking today is that we seem to be bogged down at times in process and strategies that are perhaps designed to slow things down,” Sutherland said. “Certainly from our perspective we see the urgency and I think cricket fans see the urgency. I think cricket fans are probably tired of talking about it and reading about it in the newspaper. We need the show to get back on the road.”I’m raising the fact that I have increasing concerns about timelines. We’ve got a tour coming up against Bangladesh, and I think it’s really important that this issue is resolved right now, or in the short term. What we believe is we’ve got a fair mechanism to do that. Best intents and compromise on both parts will see the matter resolved in the next few days.Both parties involved in the debate have consulted with figures steeped in Australian industrial relations law. Greg Combet, the former Labor government minister and former head of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, has advised the ACA. CA’s negotiation team has included the former IR commissioner, Ken Bacon, who has also consulted for the mining company Rio Tinto, where the CA chairman David Peever worked as managing director. The seriousness of the dispute has been underlined by the fact that the federal sports minister, Greg Hunt, contacted both CA and the ACA to urge a swift resolution.Sutherland said that the game could not be placed in a state of paralysis by the stand-off. The ACA’s most recent submission to CA included a prospective heads of agreement and draft versions of short-term contracts for the Test squad for Bangladesh, where the customary pre-tour security visit by CA and ACA representatives is currently taking place. Sutherland said these contracts, in particular, left room for considerable doubt about the tour’s status.”I don’t want to go into specific detail except to say that it leaves unresolved issues in such a way that the players may choose to not tour. Clearly we don’t want that situation. The Australian team is about to tour Bangladesh. It’s a very important tour. It’s very important for Bangladesh, it’s very important for Australia. We need that tour to go ahead, and we also need to start proper preparations for the summer of cricket ahead, both for domestic players and international players as well.Responding to CA’s offer, an ACA spokesman criticised the board’s late realisation of the need for urgency. However, he indicated the ACA would examine CA’s terms and maintain talks between Sutherland and Nicholson.”In the spirit of doing all we can to resolve the dispute, the ACA will examine the correspondence provided by CA and any suggested parameters for arbitration before making further comment. And will continue to work intensively in the CEO-to-CEO negotiations which are currently taking place with a view to achieving resolution.”

An update has emerged on Southampton and their plans to bolster their set of defensive options ahead of the start of the 2023/24 season…

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Saints have made contact with Everton to enquire about a possible swoop for central defender Mason Holgate this summer.

The report claims that the Championship side are eyeing up a deal to sign the £72k-per-week enforcer on loan and that Sean Dyche has agreed to allow him to move on.

It states that Premier League side Sheffield United and fellow second tier outfit Leeds United have also contacted the Toffees to explore a move for the 26-year-old ace.

How good is Mason Holgate?

The Everton enforcer is a player with the potential to be an excellent performer for the Saints if Russell Martin can help him to rediscover his best form.

It has been reported by the Daily Mail that Holgate is being targeted by Southampton as a possible replacement for Duje Caleta-Car, who is attracting interest from Ligue 1 side Lyon, and his displays at Goodison Park in the past suggest that he has the scope to become a dream heir to the Croatian titan.

The English gem has averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.65 or lower over the last two Premier League seasons but his form throughout the 2019/20 campaign suggests that the quality is there for him to be a superb player.

Holgate averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 that year, which would have placed him third in the Saints team last term, as he made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game and won 63% of his individual duels at the back, whilst the talented battler did not make a single error leading to a shot or goal for the opposition.

This shows that the ex-West Bromwich Albion loanee does have the ability to deliver consistently brilliant performances at Premier League level, which suggests that the potential is there for him to be an outstanding performer in the Championship.

A drop down to the second tier could help the defender to get back to his best and a loan would mean that Southampton are not burdened with him in the long-term if he fails to recapture his previous form.

Holgate could, therefore, be a dream replacement for Caleta-Car if the former Marseille colossus joins Lyon as his statistics during the 2019/20 season are more impressive than the current St. Mary's defender's from last term.

The 26-year-old warrior averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across 13 league matches for the club and won 57% of his duels, although he did make one mistake that led to a shot for the other team.

Only four Saints players averaged a higher Sofascore rating and this suggests that the £52k-per-week "leader" – as once hailed by the Liverpool ECHO journalist Sam Carroll – was one of the team's top performers, which is why it is crucial for Martin to bring in a quality replacement for him before the deadline.

Holgate's form for Everton in the past shows that the potential is there for him to be that player, which is why the Southampton head coach could land a dream heir to Caleta-Car at centre-back with this possible swoop for the English talent.

Derbyshire put up a much better fight in their second innings and Durham were grateful to their part-time bowlers for a couple of breakthroughts

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2017Luis Reece stood firm for Derbyshire•Getty ImagesLuis Reece’s second Specsavers County Championship century of the season kept Derbyshire afloat on the third day of their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street.The former Lancashire left-hander batted until the 73rd over to make 106 as the visitors reached 305 for 6 after following on 316 behind.Derbyshire found conditions more favourable under clearer skies than when they were dismissed for 164 in two sessions in the first innings, and they were also able to take advantage of the absence of Paul Coughlin.The allrounder went for a scan on a side injury and with 18-year-old Matthew Potts unable to replicate the rich promise of his first four appearances Durham lacked resources.He did, however, take his first wicket of the match six overs from the close when he swung one in to have Alex Hughes lbw for 39.There was a period in early afternoon when Reece began to play with almost casual elegance, often stroking the ball straight to fielders. But any hint of lack of application proved misleading as he accumulated patiently to reach his century off 215 balls.He got there by pulling Potts behind square for his 12th four, having been struck on the helmet when trying the same shot on 69. That was a rare moment of discomfort at a time when Potts appeared to have been told to bowl short, which suggested Durham were running short of ideas.They might have been encouraged when two balls from Graham Onions shot along the deck in early afternoon, but there was no repeat on the placid surface.Reece finally pulled Keaton Jennings straight to midwicket and there was a wicket for another occasional bowler when Cameron Steel’s legspin accounted for Wayne Madsen with his third ball.Madsen contributed 48 to a third-wicket stand of 106 before being caught behind by Michael Richardson when attempting to sweep.Good running was a feature of an opening stand of 99, in which Ben Slater made an attractive 57, his first half-century of the season. He was yorked by a ball from offspinner Ryan Pringle, which drifted in to hit the off stump.Then for the second successive day Derbyshire lost a wicket two balls before lunch as Billy Godleman shuffled across and inside edged Chris Rushworth via his box on to the leg stump.Only one wicket fell in the second session, followed by three in the evening. Reece’s exit left Hughes and Matt Critchley to face 16 overs of the new ball, but in the sixth Critchley played back to a ball from Onions which moved in sharply to have him lbw.Hughes was beaten several times and lost his early fluency before Potts snared him to expose a tail which Durham should knock over on the final morning.

India took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series after their six-wicket win on an evening that was marred by crowd trouble

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:39

‘Have to keep evolving’ – Bumrah

Sri Lanka’s on-field embarrassment became their off-field shame, as a bottle-flinging Pallekele crowd caused a 35-minute disruption before India were allowed to knock off the final eight runs that won them the match and sealed the series. Plastic bottles began to be flung from the two grass embankments during the 44th over. Riot police were eventually required to clear those areas before play could continue.The incident came at the end of another one-sided match, even if it did have one tense period. For 40 minutes, after the seamers had struck, and Akila Dananjaya was threatening to make a charge, Sri Lanka were in the hunt – India hemmed in at 61 for 4. But as has been the case right through the tour, the visitors needed to only withstand that brief period of pressure. Their batsmen soon broke the siege, and then set about cruising, risk-free, towards the target. Having sewed up the series now, India are free to trial new combinations, or pursue a 5-0 result to go with their whitewash from the Tests.On Sunday, it was Rohit Sharma who made short work of another modest target, hitting an unbeaten 124 off 145 balls, and forging a 157-run unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership with MS Dhoni in the process. Earlier in the day, it had been Jasprit Bumrah – full, fast and deceptive – who made the greatest dents in Sri Lanka’s own innings, claiming 5 for 27 – his first five-wicket haul in internationals. All this added up to another thumping. India sauntered to the target of 218 with six wickets and 4.5 overs to spare. The last seven balls – which were played out after the crowd had been dealt with – were little more than mere formality.Sri Lanka will rue their batting most – their score seeming perhaps as many as 70 too few – but when their bowlers began with a little menace, they inspired a little hope. Lasith Malinga got a short ball to dart back into Shikhar Dhawan – the ball rebounding off the under-edge into the stumps. Three overs later, Vishwa Fernando had Virat Kohli out by a diving Dushmantha Chameera at long leg. When Dananjaya removed KL Rahul and Kedar Jadav in his first seven balls, Sri Lanka were ascendant; India in danger of suffering another big middle-order collapse.But at the crease was Dhoni – the master defuser – who picked Dananjaya’s variations perfectly, and Rohit, who appeared almost as assured. There was a period of 32 balls that cost two wickets and brought only 11 runs, but soon enough, the tough times ended. Rohit slapped Chameera for three consecutive leg-side boundaries in the 19th over. After that, even Dananjaya didn’t seem so much of a threat.Jasprit Bumrah finished with career-best figures of 5 for 27•AFPThe pair collected canny runs into the outfield, reserved their big strokes only for the bad balls for the most part, and it was not until after the 35th over that Rohit’s effortless boundary-hitting made an appearance. He reached his century – his 12th in ODIs – off the 118th delivery he faced, and struck 16 fours and two sixes in all. Dhoni progressed to an unbeaten and unflustered 67 off 86 balls. He was even seen sleeping near the pitch while the authorities tried to calm fans down during the delay towards the end of the match.In their own innings, Sri Lanka coughed, spluttered, tripped and stumbled their way through 50 overs, and like a two-stroke trishaw trying to scale a Kandy hillside, at no stage were they able to build momentum. Their progress was forever frustrated by another indiscreet stroke, and the latest misjudgement of line and length. Only Lahiru Thirimanne managed to rise above mediocrity, hitting 80 off 105 balls, relying largely on placement and field manipulation over ambitious stroke-making or power. That he seemed the top order’s most natural accumulator of runs was an indictment on his team-mates: this was Thirimanne’s first ODI innings since January 2016.While Bumrah’s lines and lengths were often good, the menace in his bowling was enhanced by his mixing of pace. His first wicket, in fact, had come under somewhat strange circumstances. Niroshan Dickwella missed a full, straight delivery in the fourth over, and was adjudged lbw, only for the ball to have been proved to pitch outside the leg stump when the batsman reviewed. Three balls later, Bumrah pitched another full ball on the stumps, Dickwella missed again, and though given not out initially, India overturned that decision with a review of their own.Kusal Mendis soon edged Bumrah to a diving Rohit at second slip. The two-stroke trishaw had backfired twice in quick succession, and though Dinesh Chandimal would join Thirimanne for a third-wicket stand worth 72, no one else could muster a partnership. Towards the end of the innings, Bumrah bowled Dananjaya and Milinda Siriwardana in successive overs, as both batsmen attempted to play aggressive strokes. In between, he had had Thirimanne caught at short cover.