Tottenham Hotspur could hijack Nottingham Forest’s move for an “unbelievable” forward, amid the fall-out surrounding their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White, according to a report.

Forest considering legal action after Spurs approach Gibbs-White

Spurs’ pursuit of Gibbs-White has proven to be controversial, with Forest ceasing all communication after alleging that an illegal approach had been made for the midfielder, which means the deal has now stalled.

The Tricky Trees have reported Spurs to the Premier League, and it is currently unknown whether the transfer will be blocked entirely, although super agent Sky Andrew has suggested Daniel Levy may have to simply pay more to get a deal over the line.

Andrew said: “If it goes to arbitration, where it must go within the football rules and regulations, then Forest will have to prove that the club went directly to the player or to the agent. Most clubs know that it is very difficult to prove.

“So, this is a case now of how much will the buying club pay for the player. It won’t be £60 million, it will probably have to be more.”

Related Chief flies to London for transfer talks with £100k-per-week Tottenham star

He could leave Spurs this summer.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 13, 2025

The Lilywhites will no doubt have been left frustrated by the deal stalling, but they could now have an opportunity to get one-up on Forest, with a report from The Standard revealing they are in the race to sign one of their Premier League rivals’ major targets.

Tottenham reportedly remain in the race for Brentford star Yoane Wissa, having submitted an enquiry earlier in the transfer window, at which point they were told that it would take an offer of £50m to tempt the Bees into a sale.

Forest have also set their sights on the forward, having recently had a £20m bid knocked back, indicating Spurs could hijack the deal if they are willing to put a higher offer on the table.

That said, Brentford have made it clear they are unwilling to sell both Bryan Mbeumo and Wissa in the same window unless they receive a huge bid, so it could be difficult to get a deal done.

"Unbelievable" Wissa emerged as Premier League star last season

The 28-year-old was one of the best-performing forwards in the Premier League in the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 19 goals, the sixth-highest tally in the top flight, while also providing five assists in 35 outings.

Courtesy of his performances last term, the DR Congo international was lauded for his “unbelievable” quality by former manager Thomas Frank, and it is an added bonus that the Spurs boss knows the forward very well.

As such, Wissa could be a solid signing for Tottenham this summer, with the France-born forward’s goal and assist tally suggesting he could justify a £50m price tag, although the fact his contract is set to expire next summer means a lower fee would perhaps be more fair.

Ben Stokes is a major doubt for England’s first Test against Sri Lanka after retiring hurt with a hamstring injury while playing for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred on Sunday evening. He is set to undergo a scan on Monday which appears likely to rule him out of the three-match Test series.He ended the night on crutches, and was being assessed by medical staff on Sunday evening. “It doesn’t look great, unfortunately,” said Harry Brook, the Superchargers’ captain and Stokes’ England team-mate, after their win against Manchester Originals at Emirates Old Trafford. “I think he’ll be getting a scan tomorrow and we’ll see how he is.”Stokes ran through for a quick single early in the Superchargers’ chase and pulled up injured after completing the run. He was helped off the field by their medical staff and was seen clutching his hamstring on his left leg. He was at the non-striker’s end when Ollie Robinson, his Superchargers team-mate, attempted a scoop which he mistimed into the leg side, and scampered through for a single.He appeared to pull his muscle as he made his ground then collapsed to the ground and threw his gloves off in frustration. Harry Booker (strength and conditioning coach) and James Pipe (physiotherapist) immediately ran on to provide treatment. After Booker and Pipe helped him back to the Superchargers dugout, supporting his weight, Stokes was placed onto a stretcher and wheeled towards an ambulance.Related

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Around an hour later, Stokes was back in the dugout but had to use crutches when shaking hands with the Originals squad after Nicholas Pooran snatched a seven-wicket win with his innings off 66 not out. A Superchargers spokesperson said: “Ben Stokes is having his hamstring assessed. Further updates will be available from tomorrow [Monday].”The injury appears to put Stokes’ chances of playing in the first Test – which starts on August 21 in Manchester – in significant jeopardy. He has managed a chronic left-knee injury throughout the second half of his international career but returned to bowling earlier this year after undergoing surgery over the English winter.Stokes was due to play four group-stage games in the Hundred between England’s series against West Indies and Sri Lanka, with the possibility of staying with the Superchargers if they qualified for the knockout stages. He was dismissed first-ball by Tim Southee in his first appearance, made 2 off four balls in a rain-ruined match in Cardiff on Thursday, and now appears certain to miss their final group fixture against London Spirit on Tuesday.Stokes went down clutching his left hamstring

England are already missing Zak Crawley for the Sri Lanka series due to a fractured finger. Dan Lawrence is set to open the batting in his absence, with Jordan Cox called into their squad as batting cover last week. Ollie Pope is their vice-captain, and would be the strong favourite to lead England for the first time in international cricket in the event that Stokes is ruled out.The Sri Lanka series is squeezed into a short timeframe, with two three-day gaps between Tests. England are then due to arrive in Pakistan in early October ahead of a three-match series which starts in Multan on October 7.

Century stand for second wicket books reigning champions a return trip to Finals Day

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2024

Somerset 215 for 3 (Banton 75, Kohler-Cadmore 63) beat Northamptonshire 198 for 5 (Willey 57) by 17 runsTom Banton smashed 75 off just 43 balls to set up a Somerset victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks and book the reigning champions a place at Vitality Blast Finals Day.Banton made hay against an often-wayward Northamptonshire attack, hitting five sixes and six fours as Somerset racked up an intimidating 215 for three at a sold-out Wantage Road.Banton was the dominant partner in a stand of 125 in 11.3 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore who at first struggled to get going before finding his groove and registering 63 off just 43 balls with two fours and five sixes.Steelbacks captain David Willey led a spirited run chase, contributing 57 off just 39 deliveries (two fours, four sixes), finding good support from Saif Zaib, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Justin Broad to keep the hosts in the hunt. But with Somerset’s skipper Lewis Gregory taking three wickets for 35 the target ultimately proved beyond their reach as they closed 17 runs short..Earlier Willey struck in the second over having Will Smeed (6) caught behind, but both Willey and Ben Sanderson gifted Somerset free runs as they sent down a series of wide legside deliveries.Banton showed early intent, smashing Willey through the covers, but nearly holed out as the ball held up in the wind. Next ball though he crunched one down the ground and hit the next over deep point, Somerset ending the powerplay on 49 for one.With strong winds making it difficult to judge high catches, Gus Miller failed to get into position to take a straightforward chance off a leading edge from Kohler-Cadmore on 7.Banton though had no problem locating the boundary, punishing a loose Freddie Heldreich over with consecutive sixes over deep midwicket, reaching his half-century off 31 balls.Kohler-Cadmore finally hit his stride with a big six over long-off followed by two further boundaries as Australian overseas spinner Ashton Agar conceded 23 off an expensive over. Kohler-Cadmore added two further sixes off the next over, Justin Broad in the firing line this time.Banton’s departure came thanks to some excellent fielding on the boundary as he attempted to hit Saif Zaib for six. First Broad held onto the ball before tossing it to George Bartlett to complete the catch as he stepped over the rope.Kohler-Cadmore survived a strong appeal for a stumping, the third umpire deeming the delivery a no ball because the keeper’s gloves were in front of the stumps. The batter duly put the free hit away for a six, going on to reach his half-century off 38 balls before muscling Agar out of the ground for yet another maximum. It took a spectacular diving catch from Zaib at deep midwicket to finally remove the Somerset man, Sanderson finally getting one in the wickets column.Sean Dickson (33) and Lewis Gregory (20) shared a stand of 44 in the last 3.4 overs, the skipper ending proceedings with an audacious reverse ramp off White for six.Northamptonshire began their innings in persistent rain, losing George Bartlett in Craig Overton’s opening over with a chip to midwicket.Willey though showed real intent against Josh Davey, smashing him down the ground for four and depositing him over long-off for six.Despite a broken hand, Vasconcelos was manoeuvring the ball nicely, ramping Jake Ball for six as Northamptonshire finished the powerplay on 52 for one. Willey got the crowd singing by pummelling Overton straight for six and swinging Gregory over fine leg into the gardens on Wellingborough Road.Vasconcelos (30) was caught at fine leg off Gregory, but after a slow start, Broad (29) hit his straps, scooping Ben Green for six and four off consecutive balls and pulling the next delivery for another boundary.The Steelbacks reached 92 for two after 10 overs ahead of Somerset, but still behind the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern equation.Broad reverse swept Roelof van der Merwe for four and six to keep the scoreboard ticking but fell in tame fashion giving Gregory a straightforward return catch.Zaib (32) picked up the baton, sending a Green delivery over fine leg and dissecting the field with great precision, while Willey brought up his half-century off 35 balls.Northamptonshire started the last five overs needing 79 to win and despite taking a blow to the helmet, Zaib swung Gregory high over fine leg for six before becoming Gregory’s third wicket when he skied a catch to mid-on.Willey continued to press, hitting Ball down the ground before he was caught on the cover boundary.Agar (28*) smashed a four and consecutive sixes off the final over but it was in vain as Northamptonshire fell short by 17 runs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a race to sign a versatile £6.7 million international who could be a replacement for Nélson Semedo, according to a recent report.

Wolves target new midfielder and new striker

Given the fact the Midlands side have already seen Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri leave the club in big-money deals, Wolves have a rather large back pocket full of money. Manager Vitor Pereira will be hoping the club chiefs allow him to spend that money in the transfer market, as they look to avoid another relegation battle.

Wolves make approach for "major talent" also wanted by seven other clubs

The Old Gold are in the market for reinforcements…

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jul 4, 2025

According to a report from Spain, one way the Premier League side want to spend some of their cash is by signing Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid. It is claimed that Wolves are among the teams wanting to sign the midfielder, and they would be willing to pay as much as £43 million to bring him back to England. The Spanish giants could be open to letting the England midfielder leave in this transfer window, as that would allow them to improve their squad in other areas.

As well as a new midfielder, Wolves also want to add more firepower to their team and have made an approach to sign El Bilal Toure from Atalanta. The striker, who scored three goals in all competitions last season, is very much a wanted man this summer, as teams from France, Turkey, and England are all queuing up with an interest.

Wolves in race to sign Tchatchoua to replace Semedo

As well as looking to strengthen their midfield and forward line, the Premier League side may be in the market for a new right-back, and according to Tuttomercatoweb, relayed by Molineux News, Wolves are interested in signing Jackson Tchatchoua from Hellas Verona.

Wolves are still working on a deal to keep Semedo at the club, as his contract expired at the end of June and he has been offered fresh terms. However, they are yet to receive an answer, and now the Premier League side are looking at possible replacements and therefore have turned their attention to Tchatchoua, who is also wanted by Everton, Marseille and Galatasaray.

The 23-year-old, who has earned 10 caps for Cameroon, joined Hellas Verona on loan for the 2023/24 season, and that move was made permanent last summer. He can operate as a right-back as well as a right midfielder, scoring two goals to go with three assists in 36 Serie A games last season.

It has been previously reported that Hellas Verona value Tchatchoua at €8 million, or roughly £6.7 million, which could be an absolute bargain if Fosun can convince his agency, DWMA, to bring him to England. The group also represented Wesley Fofana in his £75m move from Leicester to Chelsea however, so may be looking to drive that price up.

حسم المدرب السويسري لوسيان فافر، المدير الفني السابق لبوروسيا دورتموند ونيس، الجدل حول أنباء دخوله في مفاوضات مكثفة مع النادي الأهلي خلال الساعات الماضية.

وخرجت بعض التقارير الصحفية وأفادت بوجود مفاوضات قوية بين الأهلي ولوسيان فافر لتدريب الفريق في الفترة المقبلة، رغم غيابه عن التدريب منذ رحيله عن نيس في سبتمبر 2023.

اقرأ أيضًا | عمرو الصفتي: لا بد أن يعدم الأهلي هذا المسؤول.. وزيزو لم يكن يومًا أحسن لاعب في مصر

وفي تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، نفى فافر بشكل قاطع صحة ما تردد، قائلاً: “كذبة أخرى جديدة”.

وأضاف: “قلت منذ أكثر من عامين ونصف إن الأمر انتهى بالنسبة لي في التدريب، على أي حال، لم أكن سأذهب إلى هناك أبدًا (الأهلي)، والآن، أنا آسف، لكنني لم أعد متاحًا على الإطلاق”.

وجاء رد المدرب السويسري ليضع حدًا للشائعات التي تحدثت عن وجود ترحيب منه بتدريب الأهلي، مؤكدًا أن مستقبله التدريبي قد حُسم منذ فترة طويلة.

بهذا التصريح، يكون فافر قد أغلق الباب أمام أي احتمالية لعودته إلى العمل من جديد، بعد مسيرة طويلة في الملاعب الأوروبية.

Aston Villa find themselves in the hunt for additions this summer and could now take up an intriguing set of circumstances to land an exciting talent at Villa Park, according to reports.

Aston Villa move on after PSR deadline

Following a trend that Chelsea set, Aston Villa moved to sell a stake in their women’s team worth in the region of £55 million to avoid any threat of a PSR breach.

Providing some leeway in the market, the Villans are now keen to strike while the iron is hot after another productive campaign under Unai Emery that resulted in Europa League qualification, so who could they attract to the West Midlands?

Despite Newcastle United’s advances, Aston Villa are also interested in a swoop for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, though it remains to be seen if they can ward off interest from St James’ Park in the Swedish international.

Reports have claimed that Galatasaray playmaker Gabriel Sara has been the subject of an offer from the Villans. Nevertheless, the Turkish giants want to recoup £34 million and will hope to spark a bidding war amid Manchester City, Manchester United and Leeds United lurking in the distance.

Philippe Coutinho’s long-awaited permanent departure from Aston Villa to join Vasco Da Gama has been confirmed, coming as anothet timely boost on the PSR front with additions now at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Their next Duran: Aston Villa open talks to sign "powerful" £13m sensation

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Most of the bricks are still to be laid for Emery this summer, but there is plenty of optimism starting to grow among supporters that another successful campaign could be on the cards, something that will likely be amplified by recent reports.

Aston Villa hold talks with Besiktas over Semih Kilicsoy

According to reports in his homeland via Sport Witness, Aston Villa have been offered Besiktas forward Semih Kilicsoy and he has held talks with the club over a potential £13 million move.

Tammy Abraham’s arrival in the Turkish capital has loosened their stance on the versatile forward, who registered four goals and six assists in 46 appearances across all competitions last season.

Semih Kilicsoy’s Super Liga campaign in 2024/25 – key statistics (Fotmob)

Chances created

15

Successful dribbles

36

Touches in opposition box

83

Tackles won

90.9%

Successful passes

222

Once dubbed ‘The Next Aguero’ by former EFL Scout Jack McGhee, he still has three years left on his contract at Besiktas, though seems to be available for a relative low fee due to his underwhelming campaign in front of goal.

The 20-year-old has also attracted recent interest from Newcastle United and Leeds United, potentially sparking a battle for his services between Premier League competitors this summer.

While Aston Villa’s search for attacking talent goes on, they could do worse than rolling the dice on someone with Kilicsoy’s potential to develop ahead of next campaign.

Pre-season games often feel like a non-event, but for those packed inside the Singapore national stadium on Sunday evening, they were treated to the arrival of Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal.

The Swede wasn’t in the matchday squad after being confirmed as a Gunners player on Saturday but received a warm welcome nonetheless, unveiled in the Arsenal home strip before kick off.

Once the football got underway, it was a classic Arsenal vs Newcastle match, really. The Toon were missing Alexander Isak but Eddie Howe’s men still had that steely never-say-die nature to their play. They were aggressive and dogged but Mikel Arteta’s men prevailed, winning 3-2.

Anthony Elanga opened the scoring for the Magpies early on but Mikel Merino soon scored against his former employers, picking up where he left off last term.

Arsenal were ahead minutes later courtesy of an own goal but in the second half, Newcastle fought back again as Jacob Murphy squirmed an effort past David Raya.

The win was sealed from the penalty spot late in the day when skipper and second half substitute Martin Odegaard converted his spot-kick.

The main takeaways from Arsenal's win over Newcastle

With Gyokeres unveiled to spectators prior to the game kicking off, it felt like this was a match where Kai Havertz needed to make a statement.

While the German didn’t find he net, going closest when heading over from a Merino cross, his link-up play was exceptional as it always is.

It was Havertz who was the provider of Merino’s equaliser. Leandro Trossard played a neat ball into the forward who set it off for the Spaniard to fire past Nick Pope.

Moments later, Havertz was the provider again as his cross from the left-hand side diverted into his own net by youngster Alex Murphy.

The £65m man is yet to find the net in pre-season but a display like this demonstrated why Arteta is such a big fan.

As they did against Milan a few days ago, the Gunners didn’t have any problems creating chances, registering 15 shots but notable moments went begging, only illuminating the need for Gyokeres.

Elsewhere, we saw a first start in Arsenal colours for new signing Martin Zubimendi who looked tidy in midfield again, completing 91% of his passes.

The biggest concerns, however, will lie in Riccardo Calafiori, who limped off injured in the second half and Trossard.

In both pre-season games now, Trossard and Martinelli have struggled to make an impact from the left wing, showcasing why Arsenal have been linked with several wide forwards during the summer.

One player who could replace them is Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The Gunners may well have found their own version of the England international.

Arsenal already have their own version of Eze

After signing Gyokeres, the word on the street is that the next leading target for the Gunners is Eze.

Talks have reportedly been held to bring him to the Emirates Stadium but it’s widely expected that the north Londoners will need to pay his £68m release clause in order to prise him away from Selhurst Park.

A “Premier League-proven magician” in the words of the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, Eze would give Arteta something his current side lacks; ingenuity. Of course, Arsenal have the likes of Bukayo Saka and Odegaard in their ranks, but Eze is someone who possesses the ability to produce something out of nothing. He’d be a fabulous capture.

Yet, Arteta must be cautious. With Eze most at home as an attacking midfielder, what would his arrival mean for someone like Ethan Nwaneri? The Hale Ender is set to sign a new contract with the club this summer but his game time would be damaged if the Palace superstar does arrive.

It may also dampen the game time of a certain Max Dowman, a player who possesses very similar skills to Eze. He’s showcased that in his first two senior games.

Dowman made his senior debut for the club last Wednesday in the 1-0 win over Milan, completing 92% of his passes and only losing a single duel.

Just 15 years of age, the teenager’s ability to create something with a burst of acceleration and dazzling piece of skill is truly a sight to behold.

In that regard, he’s cut from a similar cloth as Eze and his performance from the bench against Newcastle showcased once again why he’s so highly rated.

Within moments of coming on, Dowman burst forward with the ball through the centre of the pitch before arriving on the edge of the area and forcing a smart save from Pope.

The way he glides forward with the ball and manipulates possession is incredible, even winning the penalty from which Arsenal won the game.

Dowman had Joelinton on toast, skipping beyond the Brazilian before the tough midfielder brought him down by the byline.

Max Dowman vs Newcastle

Minutes played

30

Touches

16

Accurate passes

4/4 (100%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

1/1

Shots on target

2

Shots off target

0

Successful dribbles

2/3

Duels won

6/8

Possession lost

x2

Fouled

x3

Tackles

1

Stats via Sofascore.

It was a near-impeccable cameo from the teen who left the field having completed all of his passes and won six of his eight duels.

Handed a stunning 9/10 match rating by Football.London’s Rob Guest at full-time, the reporter wrote: ‘Almost had his first Arsenal goal but for a Pope save after troubling the Magpies with a brilliant solo run from midway inside their half. Went close with another effort that tested John Ruddy late on and won a penalty following another driving run. Excellent cameo as he displayed his incredible talent.’

While caution must be urged when hyping up someone as young as Dowman, he really does look like the real deal. Not many can remember seeing someone this good come through the academy at his age. He is a special talent. Dare we even say a generational one, too?

Blessed with electric dribbling, creativity and an eye for goal, scoring 19 times in 23 appearances at youth level last season, it looks like Arsenal have produced their own Eze out of Hale End.

Related Bad news for Max Dowman: Arsenal in talks to sign £60m "superstar"

Arsenal are planning to sign one of the Premier League’s biggest talents this summer.

Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 24, 2025

Griffin coached Western Storm to two KSL titles in first of two stints in charge of regional side

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2024Somerset have appointed Trevor Griffin as head coach of their women’s team. Griffin, who has signed a two-year deal, previously had two spells coaching Western Storm in the women’s regional structure.He oversaw Storm’s two Kia Super League successes between 2017 and 2019, before moving on to coach Sunrisers and London Spirit in the Hundred. He also had a four-season spell in charge of Sydney Thunder in the WBBL.A former district sales manager with Nationwide, Griffin took an unusual route into coaching, via the Devon Cricket Board, Chance to Shine, and the University of Exeter. He worked for Canterbury Cricket in New Zealand before being offered the job of analyst and assistant coach at Western Storm, and was subsequently promoted to head coach when Caroline Foster stepped down.Griffin returned to take charge of Storm in 2022 and will now oversee the reintegration between women’s cricket and the county game at Taunton.”I’m absolutely thrilled. To be the first Head Coach and lead Somerset Women into this new era is a huge honour and I’m really excited for the future,” Griffin said. “Women’s cricket is going from strength to strength, and we’ve seen tremendous growth in the southwest in recent years. To be able to build on this as we move forward with Somerset is incredibly motivating for staff and players alike.”Somerset has a great history of supporting women’s cricket, and I can’t wait to share our knowledge and experience and work alongside their staff and players as we build a women’s squad to compete for top honours, inspire others and entertain the fans.”Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said: “Trevor is a coach who has achieved domestic success both in England and in Australia. He has a really strong understanding of our domestic structure which will enable him to lead this team into an exciting new era for the women’s game.”He has built and developed key relationships with players and staff across the region during his time with Western Storm and he is someone who shares the values that we at Somerset adhere to both on and off the field.”Trevor is held in high regard by players and staff alike and we very much look forward to working with him as we commence our journey to build a team and a brand of cricket that competes on all fronts and inspires the next generation of players.”

Liam Dawson returned 50 wickets in a Vitality County Championship season for the first time after scoring an eighth fifty of the season as Hampshire closed in on victory over Worcestershire.Spinning all-rounder Dawson reached a half-century of scalps by adding Kashif Ali and Adam Hose to his tally – in doing so beating the 49 wickets he claimed last season – with no spinner in the country taking more this year.Along with his bowling exploits, no one has passed 50 more times than Dawson in Division One in 2024, as he moved to 907 runs with a 51 which set Worcestershire 394 runs to win.The visitors ended the day five wickets down, still 277 runs short of victory – but with Jake Libby still undefeated on 55.Both sides are now only playing for positions after Hampshire’s improbable title challenge ended with Surrey’s victory over Durham, and Worcestershire’s survival already secured.Having elected against enforcing the follow-on the previous evening, Hampshire’s second innings was ramshackle and lacking in fluency, but still ended up at in the vicinity of the destination they would have aimed.The inability to score runs quickly was largely due to Joe Leach’s expertise with a nipping ball, taking three for 17, with six pressure-building maidens, across his first two spells.The 33-year-old is retiring after next week’s fixture against Lancashire, but proved he was still as skilful as ever to pick up Hampshire’s top three – although none of the wickets were classic dismissals.Toby Albert fell in the second over of the morning when he was strangled down leg and was caught behind, Fletcha Middleton lasted a further four overs before he was caught and bowled while playing across one, and first innings double centurion Nick Gubbins was caught at slip after the ball had looped off the wicketkeeper’s glove.Ben Brown quickly followed when Amar Virdi straightened one to pin him, but James Vince was keeping the scoreboard progressing with an often sketchy, sometimes glorious 44.Vince dragged Virdi onto his own stumps while sweeping but after lunch Tom Prest and Dawson returned with a lucidly attacking game plan to whip up a 72-run partnership at a whisker under a run-a-ball.Dawson followed his first innings century and five-wicket haul with a 63-ball fifty but fell soon after when Logan van Beek destroyed his stumps.Things turned frenetic again as James Fuller swished behind, Prest was leg before when stuck on the crease to Virdi, Kyle Abbott was bowled on the swing and Felix Organ was run out after a strike confusion with Mo Abbas – which prevented Virdi from a second career 10-wicket haul.With an imposing, but not impossible target, Gareth Roderick failed to show the resolve of the first innings by getting bowled by Abbott in the sixth over.Kashif Ali played for turn that didn’t come from Dawson to fall lbw in the 14th over before two fine slip catches from Vince accounted for Rob Jones and Adam Hose – the latter was Dawson’s 50th wicket of the season.Jake Libby had staunchly battled to 49, but when initially trying to reach the milestone, he ran out his partner Brett D’Oliveira, before eventually getting to a 47th first-class fifty with a less risky ambled single off 106 balls.Libby remained unbeaten at close, with Ethan Brookes hanging on alongside him.

Vidarbha’s Aditya Thakare got 4 for 59, as India B folded for 115 in pursuit of 373

Shashank Kishore22-Sep-2024

Arshdeep Singh’s first-class career-best of 6 for 40 helped deliver a consolation win for India D in the final round of the Duleep Trophy 2024-25, in Anantapur. Set 373 for victory in a little over two sessions, India B folded for 115 in just 22.2 overs, with Arshdeep and Vidarbha seamer Aditya Thakare, who got 4 for 59, picking up all ten wickets between them.Arshdeep’s strikes across both innings included the big one of Suryakumar Yadav, who only managed scores of 5 and 16 in his first first-class fixture in over a year. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep, who picked up only his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, finished with a match haul of 9 for 90.India B’s allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was the only batter to offer any semblance of resistance, remaining unbeaten on 40 when Arshdeep fittingly picked up the final wicket to clinch a 257-run victory before tea on the fourth and final day.As well as Arshdeep contributed, it was batter Ricky Bhui who was named the Player of the Match. Bhui top-scored in the second innings with an unbeaten 119, going with 56 in the first, to swell the lead after India D found themselves in trouble at 18 for 3 in the second innings. Bhui, who began the day unbeaten on 90, completed his 20th first-class century quickly as India D added 59 more to their overnight 244 for 5 even as spin-bowling allrounder Saransh Jain didn’t come out to bat due to an unspecified injury.India B’s hopes of going after the target needed a stable base from the top order, but that wasn’t to be, as they quickly found themselves three down inside eight overs. Musheer Khan, who had opened the tournament with a backs-to-the-wall 181, was out for his second duck in four innings since, to end a tournament that had promised much more.Nitish, who himself hadn’t contributed as much as he would have liked with the bat, ended the tournament on a brighter note, albeit in a losing cause. He managed two wickets with the ball during the competition, where he showed the ability to bowl long spells and move the ball both ways at a brisk pace.Arshdeep aside, Saurabh Kumar, the left-arm-spinner, enjoyed a productive outing; his five-wicket haul in the first innings setting up a 67-run lead for India D. In other positives for them, Shreyas Iyer, who was leading the side, hit 50 off just 40 balls in the second innings, while Sanju Samson, the first-innings centurion, played a cameo in the second to set up a total they were able to eventually defend.For India B, Abhimanyu Easwaran was among their bright spots. Having begun the tournament with two very uncharacteristic dismissals, he bounced back with twin hundreds in his subsequent outings. However, a loss in the final game ended his side’s chances of clinching the Duleep Trophy, as India A are all but certain to gain three points from their ongoing fixture against India C.