Tag Futebol

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Cuca deve usar força máxima para enfrentar o Ceará, neste domingo, às 18h15, na Vila Belmiro, pela 27ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O Santos precisa da vitória para se manter perto do G-4 do torneio nacional.

A tendência é Soteldo voltar ao meio-campo do Santos para o ataque ser formado por Lucas Braga, Kaio Jorge e Marinho. Diego Pituca e Sandry também devem jogam ao lado do camisa 10.

Os desfalques certos são Pará (edema na coxa), Jobson (tendinite no tornozelo) e Fernando Pileggi (infectado pela covid-19). É pouco provável a escalação de Lucas Veríssimo, pois o zagueiro ainda negocia sua ida ao Benfica, de Portugal. Madson, com desconforto muscular, está fora. A informação foi inicialmente publicada pela “Gazeta Esportiva” e confirmada pelo LANCE!.

Um possível Santos é: John; Balieiro, Luan Peres, Laércio (Luiz Felipe) e Felipe Jonatan; Diego Pituca, Sandry e Soteldo; Lucas Braga, Kaio Jorge e Marinho.

RelacionadasSantosNo Santos, ‘aposta’ de Cuca testa positivo para Covid-19Santos26/12/2020SantosSantos vê semana decisiva para acertar acordo com Bruno MarquesSantos26/12/2020

O Santos também não corre risco do desgaste dos jogadores. O próximo jogo será somente no próximo dia 6 de janeiro contra o Boca Juniors, pelo jogo de ida da semifinal da Copa Libertadores

Kent need another 52 with six wickets left to strengthen their hold on the top two and end Middlesex’s challenge in the process

ECB Reporters Network11-Sep-2018
ScorecardA thrilling third day finish could be in prospect at Lord’s where Division Two rivals Kent and Middlesex continue to cross swords in an action-packed Specsavers County Championship match.After the loss of 19 wickets on day one, this low scoring clash continued with a further 15 falling on an enthralling second day that ended through bad light at 6.20pm with Kent on 104 for four – requiring another 52 runs with six, second innings wickets intact to secure their fourth successive championship win and strengthen their hold on a top-two place.With a potential 39 overs remaining in the day, Kent looked to make an ultra-positive start to their run chase but paid the price with the loss of four cheap wickets.Zak Crawley was superbly caught by Dawid Malan off Ethan Bamber, then an over later, Matt Henry – promoted to pinch hit at No3 – skewed his second ball to mid-off to gift his wicket to Steven Finn.Sean Dickson and Joe Denly added 33 for the third wicket until Denly went leg before to James Fuller, then Dickson’s stay for 32 ended when he prodded at the first ball of a new spell from Bamber to be caught low at second slip.The umpires took the players off nine balls later for a 20-minute break for bad light, after which Daniel Bell-Drummond and Heino Kuhn emerged to add 50 runs in positive fashion before the gloom descended again.Kent took a stranglehold on proceedings during the mid-session when New Zealand strike bowler Henry bagged four for 40 to inspire a Middlesex collapse that saw the hosts lose eight wickets for 88 runs.In taking five victims in this game Henry, the championship’s leading wicket-taker, took his season’s tally to 66 at less than 15 apiece as Middlesex succumbed in 60.2 overs.It was Kent’s 42-year-old all-rounder Darren Stevens who started the home demise by breaking a useful opening stand worth 59 between Sam Morgan and Nick Gubbins.Robson and Gubbins rode their luck under the floodlights as Henry and Harry Podmore beat the outside edge on numerous occasions. Yet, within 10 overs, Middlesex had wiped out the first innings deficit of 31 as the pair went on to record only their third 50-run first-wicket stand of the championship summer.Stevens, fresh from signing a one-year contract extension to keep him at Kent for a 14th season, then struck at the double. Robson edged an away-singer to second slip then, four runs later, left-hander Max Holden fell leg before to an in-swinger that pitched on leg and middle to beat Holden’s airy, leg-side flick.Middlesex lost three wickets for one run in the space of 13 balls after lunch after resuming on their interval score of 98 for two. Gubbins, off balance and working across the line, departed lbw to Podmore, then Henry swung the very next delivery back in to end Dawid Malan’s innings of 32.Podmore’s slower ball off-cutter, which turned into a dipping, low full-toss, was scooped straight to mid-wicket by Eoin Morgan and the procession continued when Martin Andersson, in crab-like defence, played inside the line to Podmore’s in-ducker to be given lbw.Stevie Eskinazi went in the same fashion to a shooting off-cutter from Stevens and Henry returned to polish things off with a 20-ball stint of three for seven. The slippery Kiwi got one to lift and leave Oli Rayner for a regulation catch at second slip then, in his next over, swung a full one away from Bamber for Sam Billings to snaffle a diving catch in front of slip.Henry trapped Finn lbw for his 66th wicket of the championship campaign to leave Kent with a potential seven sessions of the match to secure their ninth win of the campaign.The second day started with Kent completing their first innings. It lasted only another 11 deliveries as they added only three to their overnight score to miss out on a batting bonus point by eight runs.Grant Stewart, the Australian-born all-rounder, was Kent’s last man to go for a battling 63, bowled by Fuller when playing across the line of a very full delivery. Fuller, the pick of the home attack, finished with four for 49 as Kent secured a modest 31-run lead.

Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson all made starts in their chase of 322, but they fell short by 65 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Sep-2018
Getty ImagesA volcanic century by Matthew Wade in an opening stand of 170 with Ben McDermott set Tasmania on the path to a match-winning total against Victoria in the domestic limited-overs match in Townsville.Wade’s 117 from 74 balls featured six sixes and included particularly severe punishment of the sometime international paceman Chris Tremain. His partnership with McDermott, who made a relatively sedate 56 in a supporting role, occupied a mere 22.5 overs, but ensured a mighty Tasmanian total even if Victoria’s bowlers recovered.This they did, restricting the rest of the Tigers’ batting line-up to 8 for 151 from the remaining 27.1 overs of the innings, notwithstanding swift cameos from George Bailey and Simon Milenko, but the final tally was still steep. The youthful Victorian pair of Will Sutherland and Tom O’Connell both bowled serviceably for their captain Peter Handscomb.The Victorian chase began promisingly via an opening stand of 72 between Marcus Harris and Seb Gotch, but neither batsman would be able to go on to the score managed earlier by Wade. Tasmania were duly able to make regular breakthroughs as the required run rate steadily climbed, largely through the bustling seam of Tom Rogers.Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson all made starts, but were confounded by Rogers and also the left-arm spin of the former Victorian Clive Rose, who in taking 4-42 delivered the best figures of his domestic 50-over career.

Tottenham Hotspur will be without another injured Spurs star against Luton Town this weekend amid the serious blow to winger Manor Solomon.

Luton Town vs Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou's high-flying Lilywhites side travel to take on Luton this Saturday, which will mark their final Premier League game before another international break commences. Both sides are currently at opposite ends of the spectrum, with Tottenham currently loving life under their new head coach after a brilliant start to the season.

Spurs have won five out of a possible seven league matches under Postecoglou; scoring 17 goals and even matching last season's treble-winners Man City in that regard. Victories over Bournemouth, Man United, Burnley, Sheffield United and Liverpool have displayed both Tottenham's newly-found winner's mentality and exciting style of 'Ange-ball'.

Meanwhile, Rob Edwards' struggling Luton side have won just once so far, losing five and drawing another – with only Bournemouth and Sheffield United scoring less goals than the Hatters. They've been widely tipped to go straight back down to the Championship after securing promotion via the play-offs last term, and it's highly likely this will be another routine win for Postecoglou's in-form Spurs.

Spurs team news

The north Londoners currently have Ivan Perisic out through injury and he is likely to miss the majority of the campaign, with the Croatian suffering a complex ACL problem in training recently. The issue required surgery and Perisic is now set to undergo rehabilitation.

Rodrigo Bentancur is another long-term absentee after his own ACL problem earlier this year, while the likes of Bryan Gil, Alfie Whiteman, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have also been on the treatment table recently. Solomon, who is expected to be out for at least two months after a serious knee injury this week, can now be added to that list of absentees as well.

To make matters worse, according to journalist Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, Postecoglou will be without Brennan Johnson for their clash against Luton this weekend as he still hasn't recovered from a hamstring problem, which kept him out of Spurs' win over Liverpool. Johnson also didn't get the nod for Wales' Euro 2024 qualifiers as a result, with Postecoglou set to offer an update on Friday.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

The winger has started just once for Spurs this season but there is reportedly hope within the club that he'll become an "important" player for them. Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, speaking during the last international break, offered a glowing assessment of his international teammate.

"He's an unbelievable talent and has shown over the last year or so at Forest what he's capable of doing," said Ramsey.

"Hopefully he can take another step going forward, and hopefully for Wales he can be a main part of that for many years to come. He has so much ability, it's about us now just linking him and getting our front three really firing, playing together, giving each other opportunities and asking questions of the opposition."

Ishan Kishan has replaced Sanju Samson in the India A squad for the 50-overs tri-series in England, which also features England Lions and West Indies A. A BCCI release stated that Samson failed a fitness test prior to the squad’s departure, but did not mention any further details.A report said Samson had failed the yo-yo test. In recent months, India’s team management has used the yo-yo test as a benchmark, setting a minimum score of 16:1 as a prerequisite for players to be eligible for selection.A BCCI official has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Samson failed the test. It is understood that his yo-yo reading was well short of the benchmark of 16:1.Samson isn’t the first Indian player to fall short of the yo-yo standard in the last year; Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh were the first high-profile players who failed to meet it, after it was introduced. In October 2017, the teenaged allrounder Washington Sundar failed it and missed out on selection for a T20I series against New Zealand.5:39

Taking on the Yo-Yo Test

Samson, 23, had been chosen as a specialist batsman for the England tour, with Rishabh Pant taking the wicketkeeping gloves. His selection came on the back of a strong IPL season for Rajasthan Royals, in which he made 441 runs at an average of 31.50 and a strike rate of 137.81. He has been capped once for India, in a T20I against Zimbabwe in July 2015.Kishan, 19, was India’s captain at the Under-19 World Cup in 2016. He had a productive IPL season too, finding a settled place in the Mumbai Indians top order and scoring 286 runs at an average of 22.91 and a strike rate of 149.45. He is also a regular wicketkeeper; at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup, however, it was Pant who took the big gloves ahead of Kishan.India A squad for tri-series: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Shubhman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Vijay Shankar, K. Gowtham, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Prasidh Krishna, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shardul Thakur

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City were both founded in the 18th Century, so naturally, they've played each other a fair few times.

The pair will once again meet on Saturday afternoon, and ahead of their clash, Football FanCast has taken a look at the fixture's history and any key stats that stand out.

Wolves vs Man City: Who has the better head-to-head record?

Manchester City only just edge the overall head-to-head battle, which is rather surprising given their dominance over the last decade.

Though, Wolves themselves were one of the best sides in the country once upon a time, too. The West Midlanders won three league titles in the 1950s and have four FA Cup triumphs to their name.

It's easy to forget that prior to City's 2008 takeover, they weren't the superior force that they are today.

Wolves wins

48

Draws

26

Manchester City wins

53

Wolves vs Man City: Who has more wins at Molineux?

Wolves' home record against the Citizens is pretty strong, having won 33 of the 63 meetings at Molineux. Though, this century, they've only won three times against City on their own patch.

City, on the other hand, have claimed seven victories in the West Midlands since the turn of the century, and with their ever-growing dominance, one would expect that tally to continue to increase.

Wolves' last home win against Saturday's opposition came almost four years ago, on December 27, 2019, when the hosts fought back from two goals down to beat the 10-man Citizens 3-2, thanks to an 89th-minute Matt Doherty winner.

Wolves wins

33

Draws

13

Manchester City wins

17

Wolves vs Man City: Who has more wins at the Etihad/Maine Road?

Unsurprisingly, it's Manchester City who win this head-to-head battle, securing victory in 36 of the 63 meetings at the Etihad/Maine Road.

City haven't lost against the West Midlanders on their home turf since October 6, 2019, when Adama Traore netted a brace to seal a memorable 2-0 win.

Not many sides nowadays will have any confidence on their travels to the Etihad, and whilst Pep Guardiola is still at the helm, their home record against much of the division will only continue to improve, such is the genius of the Spaniard.

Wolves wins

14

Draws

13

Manchester City wins

36

Wolves vs Man City: Who has the better cup record?

It's Wolves who have the better cup record, but only just. These two sides appear to play out a very even contest when they meet across the two domestic cup competitions, as only one win separates the pair.

And that was evinced in their last cup meeting almost six years ago, when Wolves, who plied their trade in the Championship at the time, held Guardiola's side to a 0-0 stalemate, thus forcing a penalty shootout.

Claudio Bravo's shoot-out heroics sent City through to the quarter-finals of the competition, which they went on to win after defeating Arsenal 3-0 in the final.

Wolves wins

4

Draws

2

Manchester City wins

3

Wolves vs Man City: Who has scored the most goals?

Across the 127 meetings between the pair, there has been a total of 482 goals, which averages out to 3.7 goals per game. So if statistics are anything to go by, it should be a pretty goal-flooded encounter on Saturday.

City have scored more goals than their opposition, and it'll probably turn out like that on the weekend, as they look to extend their 100% record.

Meanwhile, the hosts, who occupy 16th, will be in search of their second league win of the campaign.

Wolves goals

233

Manchester City goals

249

Wolves vs Man City: How have the last 5 meetings played out?

22nd January 2023 – Manchester City 3-0 Wolves: Erling Haaland netted his fourth City hat-trick as the hosts cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over The Wanderers.

The Norwegian's three goals came within 12 minutes, either side of half-time, and took his tally to 31 for the season across all competitions.

The defeat for Wolves left them in 17th place, only above the drop zone on goal difference.

17th September 2022 – Wolves 0-3 Manchester City: The reverse fixture saw Jack Grealish, Haaland and Phil Foden all on the scoresheet as Pep Guardiola's side moved to the summit of the Premier League table with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Wolves.

Defeat sunk the home side to 16th, two points above the relegation zone.

11th May 2022 – Wolves 1-5 Manchester City: Kevin de Bruyne scored four and Raheem Sterling added a fifth to thump Wolves on their own patch. Guardiola's men restored their three-point lead over rivals Liverpool at the table of the table heading into the final two games of the season.

Despite a disappointing evening for Wolves, they remained in eighth, though their slim European aspirations took a huge blow as they were cut five points adrift of seventh-placed West Ham United.

11th December 2021 – Manchester City 1-0 Wolves: Raúl Jiménez received a red card on the stroke of half-time, having picked up his second booking of the game.

Raheem Sterling broke the deadlock against the 10 men of Wolves in the 66th minute through a controversial penalty to reach 100 Premier League goals.

City recorded 24 shots to Wolves' three and were the far superior side throughout the contest.

2nd March 2021 – Manchester City 4-1 Wolves: Another Wolves thrashing ensued in this encounter, though the hosts only led 1-0 up until the 80th minute. Gabriel Jesus netted a brace late on whilst Riyad Mahrez also got himself on the scoresheet as Wolves unravelled.

City extended their remarkable winning streak to 21 across all competitions and moved 15 points clear at the top of the table. Meanwhile, the West Midlanders remained in 12th on 34 points.

Who has played for both Wolves and Man City?

Joleon Lescott (Wolves 2000-2006; City 2009-2014): Birmingham-born defender Joleon Lescott graduated through the Wolves academy and made a whopping 227 appearances for the club before Everton snapped up the 23-year-old for £5m.

A successful three-year spell at the Toffees prompted City – who had been taken over by Sheikh Mansour the year prior – to outlay a hefty £22m to sign the England international.

Lescott made 160 appearances for City, winning two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and one League Cup before completing a free transfer to West Bromwich Albion in 2015.

Steve Daley (Wolves 1971-1979; City 1979-1982): Steve Daley made 212 appearances for Wolves, scoring 38 goals before Manchester City signed the midfielder for a British record transfer fee worth £1.4m.

He went on to make 53 appearances for the Citizens before departing for Seattle Sounders in 1982 for £300,000.

Keith Curle (City 1991-1996; Wolves 1996-2000): Three-cap England international Keith Curle made 181 appearances for City before Wolves signed the defender in 1996 for £650,000.

He racked up 157 appearances and became a solid captain for the West Midlands club, helping his side reach the FA Cup semi-final.

What is Wolves' biggest victory over Man City?

23rd Decemeber 1933 – Wolves 8-0 Manchester City: Wolves' biggest win over City came back in 1933, as they thumped their away opposition 8-0.

Given it was such a long time ago, there isn't much data on the game, but we do know that the hosts finished in 15th that year, whilst the Citizens placed in fifth, so it was quite the upset, all things considered.

What is Man City's biggest victory over Wolves?

18th December 1909 – Manchester City 6-0 Wolves: City's biggest win over Saturday's opposition came over a century ago in 1909.

City went up as the second tier Champions that season whilst Wolves finished in eighth.

Wolves vs Man City: When is it?

Wolves play host to Manchester City on Saturday, September 30th, at 3pm UK time. The away side will certainly be heavy favourites heading into this encounter, as they look to claim a seventh consecutive league win and ninth in all competitions.

Gary O'Neil's side are without a victory in their last three fixtures, having conceded defeat to Crystal Palace and Liverpool before picking up an away point at Luton last weekend.

Pedro Neto broke the deadlock in the 50th minute before Carlton Morris netted a penalty 15 minutes later to share the spoils as the hosts got off the mark for the season.

City could make substantial changes to their 11 this weekend, as they face Newcastle United in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday and RB Leipzig in the Champions League the following week, so Saturday's fixture will be sandwiched between two important games.

Wolves, on the other hand, will travel to the high-flying Championship outfit Ipswich Town on Tuesday, who will be keen to upset Premier League opposition. So depending on where their priorities lie, it could be a changed 11 for both sides.

Key threats: Hwang Hee-chan is Wolves' leading goalscorer this term, despite only starting three of their opening six league games. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is the division's top scorer and will be eager to add to his tally of eight.

Newcastle United did not win at the San Siro this week, but the goalless draw against AC Milan marked a return to the forefront of the European game following so many years mired in mediocrity.

Indeed, the Magpies had spent two decades away from the Champions League before the PIF club takeover rewrote the narrative on Tyneside, with the subsequent appointment of manager Eddie Howe proving to be a masterstroke of equal distinction.

While a fleeting trip to continental competition did occur in 2012, built on the unforgettable 2011/22 campaign under Alan Pardew, with Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse wreaking havoc on hapless Premier League defences, this proved to be a one-time date and the subsequent campaign proved unsuccessful, finishing 16th.

The Magpies would suffer relegation before seeing the upper echelon of the English top flight again, but now, the club are poised for a lasting position among Europe's elite, boasting affluence and diligence to ensure the increments continue to be made.

It all could have been so different, however, with one Luka Modric nearly signing for the Toon way back when, before joining Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur instead.

Had the Croatian midfielder made the move, it all could have been so different, with years of malaise replaced by a sustained spot in and around European contention.

Did Newcastle nearly sign Luka Modric?

According to former Magpies manager Sam Allardyce, he was pushing to sign Modric from his homeland outfit of Dinamo Zagreb before despised owner Mike Ashley pulled the plug in 2008, citing concerns over the somewhat exorbitant price tag.

He said: “I was then on the way to getting Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb, but by then, Mike saw the scale of the full debut and put the clamps on, so I had to make do with Geremi from Chelsea.”

Geremi, aged 28 at the time, joined the Magpies in his stead and proved to be a colossal failure, notoriously receiving harsh rebuke from an angry St. James' Park faithful against West Ham United in 2009 before joining Besiktas for just £1.5m after failing to impress.

Modric would likely have been a transformative signing, stopping the club from suffering relegation in 2008 and instead instilling confidence and quality throughout the squad.

Ultimately, it was Tottenham that won the race for the highly-rated prospect, beating competition from Newcastle – as well as Arsenal and Chelsea – for his signature and completing a £15m transfer in the summer of 2008.

How good was Luka Modric at Tottenham?

Today, Modric is a prominent name and one of Europe's foremost midfielders, but when Spurs took a punt on his precocious skill set, he was an unknown, if talented, commodity.

Across four campaigns, the ace would make 160 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 17 goals and supplying 25 assists, integral for his side and praised by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2009, who said that "he could play in any team."

The 168-cap international (staggering numbers, right?) never saw his Premier League match rating drop below an impressive 7.30 across his final three campaigns in English football, as per WhoScored, with his pass success rate always above 86%.

Chelsea attempted to sign him in 2011, with Modric even handing in a transfer request to force through a move, but Daniel Levy proved characteristically obstinate, refusing to allow him to join such a heated rival.

However, this ended his Premier League career, with the calling of pre-eminent European juggernauts Real Madrid resulting in his £30m sale, beginning an illustrious journey that has yet to drape the curtain.

Is Luka Modric one of the greatest midfielders?

Undoubtedly, Modric is not just one of the finest midfielders of his generation, but one of the greatest players across any position, captivating in his seamless, effortless ball-playing skills.

A player of superlative technicality and undeniable class, he has been heralded as a “legend of the game” by the likes of writer Usher Komugisha.

Despite now perching in his twilight years, aged 38, the phenom still ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 2% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

A maestro and bona fide prodigy, in 2018 Modric proved to be the first man not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or since Brazil icon Kaka gleaned the prestigious honour in 2007.

Luka Modric honours, via Transfermarkt

Team

Individual

Champions League (x5)

Ballon d'Or (x1)

LaLiga (x3)

FIFA Best Men's Player (x1)

Copa del Rey (x2)

UEFA Best Player in Europe (x1)

FIFA Club World Cup (x5)

Croatian Player of the Year (x5)

Spanish Super Cup (x4)

UEFA Super Cup (x4)

A born leader and a "world-class" sensation – as he was dubbed by journalist Liam Canning – Modric was the centrepiece, winning the Player of the Tournament, as Croatia came second at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and was once again integral last year as the European nation came third in Qatar.

Had Newcastle succeeded in securing Modric's signature, they might have nurtured a star with a bigger legacy than Paul Gascoigne, who is revered as one of the finest players to ever don the Toon shirt.

'Gazza', as he was affectionately known, was one of the most exciting, mercurial players to have ever graced the English game, with Barcelona legend and current manager Xavi once saying he's "one of the best midfield players" he has ever witnessed.

Born of ridiculous talent but plagued by off-field troubles, Gascoigne completed 104 matches for Newcastle, his boyhood club, before departing for Tottenham in 1988, where his career really took off.

Winning only one FA Cup with Spurs and several honours in Scotland with Rangers, the one-time England international might be held in the highest regard by those on Tyneside but given Modric's tremendous career, awash with honours of all shapes and sizes, he might just have eclipsed Gascoigne had he joined the club, especially as he might have kept the club up and contributed instrumentally on the European stage.

It's a career soaked in success, having won countless club honours with Los Blancos, catalysed Croatia's exploits in the most prosperous era of the nation's history and even been the man to halt the unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from adding to their abundant Ballon d'Or accolades, Modric is truly a legend.

It's a shame Ashley didn't see the value in securing his services all those years ago. Just imagine what might've been…

Leicestershire have swooped to grab Matt Mason as their new bowling coach as Worcestershire’s reshuffle plans run into trouble

David Hopps26-Jan-2018

Getty Images

Matt Mason has left Worcestershire weeks after being demoted in a reshuffle to take up the role of Leicestershire bowling coach.Mason lost his Worcestershire bowling coach role following the appointment of Matt Rawnsley as chief executive. Alan Richardson’s return to his former club saw Mason put in charge of the 2nd XI in addition to overseeing a number of outreach coaching programmes involving young player and coach development.Mason, though, has quit before he had a chance to take up the post. He has played a central role at Worcestershire in developing some of the brightest young seam bowling talents in county cricket, including Josh Tongue, who has attracted England Lions, and Adam Finch, who won England honours in the ongoing Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.He also has extensive experience with the ECB and is currently working as a coach with the Pace Programme in Potchefstroom, South Africa where George Scrimshaw, another young Worcestershire quick, is under scrutiny. He has also worked with England Women at senior and junior level, as well as coaching England’s Elite Fast Bowling group.Worcestershire hoped that the appointment of Kevin Sharp as head coach – in succession to Steve Rhodes, who was removed as director of cricket for failing to report an allegation of rape against one of his players – would help restore stability in the county. Mason’s departure means their challenge is far from over.Mason’s appointment completes a round of county ring a ring o’ roses which began at the end of last season when Graeme Welch, who had fulfilled the role of Leicestershire bowling coach, returned to Edgbaston to replace Richardson. Richardson replaced Mason; Mason now replaces Welch.Leicestershire, meanwhile, who first advertised their bowling coach role in November, will feel the reshuffle at New Road could not have been better timed.Leicestershire’s new head coach Paul Nixon said: “Matt is a very good bowling coach with lots of experience of both county cricket and working with the ECB. He has helped to develop a number of very good young seam bowlers in his time at Worcestershire CCC. I know that he is Matt is the perfect fit for our coaching team.”

The BCCI has appointed Tufan Ghosh as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Ghosh has served in the healthcare and hospitality industries for 29 years, including a stint as CEO of the private healthcare group Columbia Asia in 2005.”The BCCI now owns a consolidated 40 acres of land at Arebinnamangala village near the Aerospace Park region in Bengaluru where it wishes to set up the new NCA. Ghosh will play a key role in setting up the facility and creating a Centre of Excellence,” a BCCI press release said.The appointment comes after a deliberate search for a professional with management experience from outside cricketing circles by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).”We have got a master plan, vision and concept for the NCA ready,” CoA chairman Vinod Rai had said in an interview to ESPNcricnfo in November. “We identified that we needed to find a project manager to realise the vision. The ideal person will not be a cricketer because we felt such a large project needed someone with management experience.””In the short term – first three to five years – the person we are looking for is one who has the experience of having built such similar, big projects. It is a full-time position and he would be in charge of the NCA. But this person will not deal with the cricketing element of the NCA,” Rai had said.

Newcastle United's transfer activity might not be done yet, despite Eddie Howe's declaration that business has been concluded following the signing of talented youngster Lewis Hall from Chelsea.

Who could Newcastle sign?

According to Portuguese outlet Record – via Chronicle Live – the Magpies are closely monitoring the progress of Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United.

This follows the 21-year-old's contractual renewal with the Primeira Liga side, who have raised his release clause from €45m (£39m) to €60m (£51m).

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Having signed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Tino Livramento and now Hall this summer, it's understandable that the St. James' Park side have depleted their war chest, but they consider the availability of Inacio regardless.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

The Newcastle ship is oiled, bolstered and ready to emulate last season's success and forge a bid for top-four once again, and having dismantled Aston Villa 5-1 in the Premier League season opener, there is certainly little sign of ring rust.

Howe's system is built on unity and togetherness; the Magpies have risen so emphatically up the divisional ladder after astute transfer work dovetailed with the actual implementation on the pitch.

The defence was one of the meanest around last year, with Newcastle in fact concluding the 2022/23 league term with the Premier League's joint-best defence (alongside champions Manchester City), with such defensive resilience merely a by-product of this immovable cohesion.

Adding Inacio to the ranks could prove to be a masterstroke; the 21-year-old defender is swiftly establishing himself as one of Europe's finest ball-playing centre-halves, having earned an average Sofascore rating of 7.01 in the league last term, completing 90% of his passes, hailed as "immense" and as a "dominator' at the back by analyst Raj Chohan.

In fact, Inacio ranks among the top 2% of central defenders across Men's 'Next Eight' divisions over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Simply superlative, and an illustration of just why this prodigious talent would be an absolute credit to Howe's burgeoning side, especially given the 46-year-old manager's preference for his players to utilise crisp passing to bide their time and pounce, weaving the ball through the thirds like a controlled, calculated pinball.

Taking such skills into account, Inacio could prove to be the instant answer to Manchester City's £78m acquisition of Croatian central defender Josko Gvardiol, who has been described as a "Rolls-Royce" by journalist Zach Lowy.

Gvardiol, also 21, ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for goals, the top 20% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.

He has been instrumental for both club and country over the past several years and has played starring roles in both Croatia's third-place finish at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in the gleaning of successive DFB Pokals with Leipzig.

Inacio looks to be every bit the technical whiz as his positional peer, and if Newcastle do manage to secure his services, be that during the current window, in winter, or even in one year, Howe would wield a defensive force capable of losing the gap on England's most imperious outfit.