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He and Rabada rescued South Africa from 73 for 7 by adding 70 for the eighth wicket. Roach picked up four wickets for West Indies

Firdose Moonda20-Jun-2021

Rassie van der Dussen celebrates his half-century•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa set West Indies 324 to win the second Test and square the two-match series in St Lucia, and the hosts knocked off 15 of those runs without losing a wicket by the end of the third day. West Indies have successfully chased a score over 300 seven times before, second only to Australia, and twice in the last four years but are yet to cross 200 in this series.South Africa managed 33 more runs than their lowest total against West Indies, 141, a record in danger of being rewritten, when they teetered on 73 for 7. Rassie van der Dussen scored the sixth half-century of his Test career and shared in a 70-run eighth-wicket stand with Kagiso Rabada to save South Africa’s blushes. Rabada finished with a career-best 40, the second-highest score on the South African card.Kemar Roach and Kyle Mayers shared seven wickets between them and asked tough questions of South Africa’s line-up. Despite a heavy morning downpour and high humidity, there was not much swing through the air but the West Indian attack generated movement off the seam and challenged South Africa’s top and middle order.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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The day’s action got underway two hours and forty minutes late, with no play possible in the first session because of a wet outfield. Play was interrupted a couple of times more and only 59 overs were possible in the day. West Indies bowled 53 of them and their attack appeared to tire as the day wore on. Shannon Gabriel, who came into this match having recovered from a hamstring injury, was a particular concern. He bowled just six overs, in spells of three each, and went wicketless. Both Roach and Roston Chase also left the field for periods of time and Chase, who suffered a quad injury while fielding, did not bowl at all.Roach though struck with his third ball when Aiden Markram was forced to play at a delivery that moved away from him only to edge it to Jason Holder at second slip. He troubled Keegan Petersen and then changed ends to remove Dean Elgar, who pushed at a ball that seamed away from him and gave Holder a second catch.Petersen saw off Roach but bottom-edged Mayers onto his stumps as he tried to cut a short and wide delivery. He finished his debut series with a top score of 19.Mayers could have had Kyle Verreynne caught in the cordon when he edged a full delivery between third slip and gully, and then did have him when he was caught behind in the next over. West Indies snared the biggest fish four balls later when Quinton de Kock edged a Holder delivery to Joshua Da Silva. After a hundred in the first Test and 96 in the first innings of this Test, de Kock was dismissed for a duck.Wiaan Mulder attempted to drive a Mayers’ delivery that was pitched on fourth stump he edged it and was caught at gully. With South Africa losing five wickets for 21 runs, the questions about their batting inconsistencies resurfaced. van der Dussen and Keshav Maharaj took South Africa to tea but Maharaj was dismissed 14 balls after the break to what may be remembered as the catch of the series. Holder dived full stretch to his right to hang on one-handed as Maharaj edged off Jayden Seales.West Indies would have wanted to finish off South Africa’s tail quickly from there but Rabada denied them with a display that may earn him a promotion. He drove Gabriel through cover-point for four, hit Mayers over mid-off to take South Africa’s lead over 250, but the shot of his innings was a swing off Roach that went over long-on for the first six of the innings.van der Dussen brought up his fifty three balls later, off 103 balls. His was a demonstration of control, occasionally peppered with an aggressive shot through the covers or with a flick through the leg side. He may have had thoughts of a first Test century but Rabada’s dismissal, when he top-edged a Roach slower ball to the point fielder, would have ended those hopes. Anrich Nortje took South Africa’s lead past 300 and then nicked off before Lungi Ngidi became Da Silva’s first Test stumping when he went down the wicket to hit Kraigg Brathwaite over the top but missed.West Indies had to negotiate a little period of batting before the close and saw off Rabada, Ngidi and Maharaj to finish the day unscathed. A massive job remains for them over the next two days, made more difficult by a potential shuffle to their line-up because of Chase’s injury.

And just like that, the Premier League is back, and while every team has something to play for, that feels especially true for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lilywhites enjoyed a generally positive first campaign under Ange Postecoglou last year, but following a disappointing end to the campaign that saw them slip out of the Champions League places, they need to ensure they go one better in 2024/25.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co have done their jobs this summer with the captures of Archie Gray, Yang Min-Hyeok, and most importantly, Dominic Solanke.

The talented number nine could be a real game-changer for the North Londoners this summer. However, it appears he won't be the only attacking addition this summer, with reports now linking another forward who outscored the Englishman with a move to the club.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from France, Tottenham are 'very interested' in signing LOSC Lille's Canadian striker Jonathan David this summer.

Interestingly, while the report itself seems to believe the 24-year-old will remain in the North of France this year, the message from LOSC's president, Olivier Letang, is far less certain, with him saying: "I'm not going to make promises today that I can't keep."

There have been other stories in the last week or so corroborating the North Londoners' desire to bring the former Gent ace to N17, and a separate report from Football Insider towards the end of last month confirmed that talks had been held and that the player could be available for as little as £20m, likely due to his contract expiring next year.

In all, this looks like a transfer that could go either way at the moment, but at the price reported, bringing in another quality attacker who outscored Solanke last season is a no-brainer.

Why David would be an excellent signing

Fundamentally, there is one primary reason why Tottenham should be looking to sign David this summer: he scores goals, and plenty of them at that.

For example, in 47 appearances last season, the "mind-blowing" poacher, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored a whopping 26 goals and provided nine assists to boot, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.34 games.

In contrast, Solanke, who enjoyed a stellar campaign last year, scored 21 goals and provided four assists in 42 appearances for the Cherries, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.68 games.

Now, we aren't saying that the Canadian international would come into the team and displace the Englishman as Postecoglou's starting striker. That seems incredibly unlikely given his £65m price tag, but he would be an exceptional second choice, and with the number of games teams have to play nowadays, he'd still get plenty of game time.

If some of you are still not convinced by his performances last season, then you only need to look back at his club record between 20/21 and 23/24, as in that period, he was outrageously consistent, scoring 84 goals and providing 18 assists in 183 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.79 games.

Appearances

48

48

40

47

Goals

13

19

26

26

Assists

5

0

4

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.37

0.39

0.75

0.74

Such a record makes it hard to disagree with journalist Tony Marinaro's description of the 54-capped international as "one of the best strikers in the world."

Lastly, according to Understat, he hasn't underperformed his expected goals figure in the league by more than 1.25 in the last four years, suggesting that when he's presented with a good chance, you can be confident that he'll usually put it away.

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Ultimately, Solanke looks set to be Spurs' main number nine next season, but with David supposedly available for just £20m, not signing him feels like an own goal, as he'd bring so much quality attacking depth to Postecoglou's squad.

If there is one area of their side that they could look to revamp this season, Manchester United could well overhaul their midfield. It was a very frustrating season in 2023/24, and their midfield might well need to change in order to provide them with a better platform for the new term.

There are three of United’s midfielders who are seemingly guaranteed to stay at the club beyond this season. Firstly, captain Bruno Fernandes will stay, despite interest from clubs in Europe including PSG, and from Saudi Arabia. Mason Mount will also likely stay, despite a tough, injury-hit first season at Old Trafford, as will his compatriot Kobbie Mainoo, who burst onto the scene last campaign and is now a crucial player.

In terms of players who could leave, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay are all at risk of being sold. It was confirmed by the Daily Mail in April that all three could depart the club. Donny van de Beek has already gone, and Sofyan Amrabat’s loan expired in June.

With all these changes in the centre of the park, United will no doubt need to strengthen in midfield. Recently, they have been linked with one player who could add quality strength and depth.

Man Utd target Ligue 1 midfielder

The player in question here is AS Monaco and France international midfielder Youssouf Fofana. The 25-year-old has been a crucial player for his club side and has now been to two major tournaments with France. He is now wanted by clubs across Europe this summer.

According to a report from Dharmesh Sheth, a highly reputable journalist for Sky Sports, Fofana is one of the players who United are “looking at in the central midfield area”, along with the likes of Manuel Ugarte, Martin Zubimendi and former loanee Amrabat.

However, the Red Devils are not the only side in the race for the experienced France international. Italian giants AC Milan are also thought to be keen on bringing him to the club, and according to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, are thought to have agreed on personal terms with Fofana.

With regards to the price, it is believed that the Rossoneri had a bid of £10.1m plus add-ons was rejected. Instead, Monaco are likely to accept a bid of around £16.9m, after initially requesting £21m for the Frenchman. With sales, this is a figure that United are likely to be able to meet.

How Fofana compares to Ugarte

Fofana was a vital player for Monaco last summer, playing 32 times in Ligue 1, grabbing four goals and four assists. He is a destroyer in midfield, a tough tackling ball-winner who is also a wonderful ball-carrier and a good progressive passer. That is a real feature of Fofana's game, that can go unnoticed, but he screens the back four very well, often winning the ball back and then looking to progress play forward.

Football analyst Ben Mattinson described the midfielder as a "monster" in the middle of the park, and this is certainly reflected in how the 25-year-old plays, given he is such a tenacious ball-winner.

He could prove to be a great alternative to Ugarte in the centre of the park for the Red Devils. United are thought to be targeting the Uruguayan but are put off by his price, with PSG wanting £59m. Both players are tenacious ball-winners, although Ugarte is a more aggressive, front-footed player out of possession. He is similar in many ways to N'Golo Kante, in how front-footed he is when looking to win the ball back for his side.

In terms of their FBref stats off the ball, the PSG midfielder averages 6.42 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to Fofana’s average of 3.27 tackles and interceptions. However, it is far closer when it comes to ball recoveries, with the Monaco midfielder averaging 7.67 per 90 and Ugarte just pipping him with 8.42.

Stat (per 90)

Fofana

Ugarte

Tackles and interceptions

3.27

6.42

Blocks

1.17

1.26

Clearances

1.03

1.16

Aerial duel win %

51.5%

53.8%

Ball recoveries

7.67

8.42

Where Fofana’s quality does shine through over Ugarte is with the ball. He averages 8.3 progressive passes per 90 and 1.77 progressive carries, whereas the Uruguayan midfielder completes half the amount of progressive passes on average, with 4.05 and just 0.74 progressive carries each game.

Why Fofana could be perfect for Mainoo

With that in mind, Fofana could also be the dream partner for Mainoo. The young England international thrives in the middle and final thirds, and having Fofana screening behind him, plus kickstarting attacks with his progressive play, could reduce the defensive responsibility on his young shoulders.

The 19-year-old is also a wonderful ball carrier, who glides past players with ease, able to ride tackles so well and slalom past defenders like they are not there. In fact, last season, the young midfielder averaged 2.70 attempted take-ons and completed 1.46 of those, which ranked him in the top 9% and 8% of midfielders in Europe respectively, as per FBref.

Having someone like Fofana covering behind would allow Mainoo to play much higher, operating in between the lines rather than having to start attacks deeper and carry forward to start United’s attacks. Instead, this is a role Fofana can fulfil.

For a fee of £21m at the most, this could surely be a dream signing for United. Not only is he a cheaper alternative to Ugarte, but he would also allow Mainoo to get further forward, providing excellent cover to the youngster and reducing his defensive responsibility.

It could certainly be a shrewd piece of business from the Red Devils.

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Starc and Sean Abbott had earlier added an important partnership before NSW declared behind

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2021

Mitchell Starc made early breakthroughs•Getty Images

Mitchell Starc briefly threatened to burst the game open in Adelaide after New South Wales had declared behind in a game dominated by batsmen, but South Australia recovered to extend their advantage to 209.The Redbacks are in a similar position to the previous round where they will need to judge a target to set on the final day – last week they were one wicket short of victory at the WACA – although the late loss of Travis Head, edging Nathan Lyon to slip, kept New South Wales in with a chance of bowling them out.After starting their second innings with a lead of 116 they lost two early wickets as Starc, who earlier scored an unbeaten half-century, recaptured the late swing that he has struggled to find consistently this season in the first-class game. He shaped deliveries into the pads of Henry Hunt and Liam Scott to win lbw appeals which left South Australia 2 for 1 in the fourth over.The in-form Head responded aggressively, getting off the mark with a cut over point for six off Starc, and added 77 for the third wicket with Jake Weatherald before a lovely delivery from Lyon found the edge late in the day and was neatly held by David Warner.South Australia had visions of bowling New South Wales out to gain a significant lead when they had them 6 for 259. Kurtis Patterson reached his century before becoming the first first-class wicket for left-arm wristspinner Joe Medew-Ewen when he drove a catch to short cover.Peter Nevill’s half-century was ended when he edged the new ball to second slip straight after lunch before any hope the home side had of rattling through the lower order was halted by Starc and Sean Abbott as the pair added 80 for the seventh wicket following their partnership of 189 against Tasmania earlier in the season. South Australia have still to bowl a side out in this year’s competition.

With their first pre-season under Arne Slot well underway, Liverpool could finally seal their first arrival of the summer transfer window – with an offer reportedly expected in the coming days.

Liverpool transfer news

A new manager, a new sporting director in Richard Hughes and the return of Michael Edwards, combined with international tournaments this summer, was always going to delay the Reds in their transfer business. However, now in August, some may have expected those at Anfield to have had at least one deal over the line. Alas, that hasn't been the case, and it seems as though they won't be rushed into securing incomings that aren't deemed suitable enough.

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The lack of fresh faces hasn't stopped Slot's first pre-season from going to plan, either. The Dutchman has overseen friendly victories over Real Betis and Premier League rivals Arsenal, during which Liverpool fans got a potential glimpse of what he's asking his new side to do.

That's not to say that fresh faces won't be on their way, with fresh reports suggesting the exact opposite. According to Sportmediaset via TuttoJuve, Liverpool are expected to submit an offer for Teun Koopmeiners in the coming days in a deal that would see them sign a midfielder who previously worked under Slot at AZ Alkmaar.

Previous reports indicated that Atalanta have set a hefty price tag of £50m for the Dutchman, which would undoubtedly kickstart the Reds' transfer window just before the Premier League campaign gets underway. Following rumours that Wataru Endo has been attracting the interest of Marseille, who even saw a bid rejected, those at Anfield may well be in need of a midfield addition this summer. And Koopmeiners would certainly be an impressive coup.

"Complete" Koopmeiners can replace Endo

Although Koopmeiners' main position is attacking midfield, his ability to play in both central and defensive midfield means that he could emerge to replace Endo in the long term. The former Stuttgart man even admitted that he is not a long-term solution at the heart of Liverpool's midfield at 31 years old, saying (via This is Anfield): "I don’t care about those reports, but I also think it would be better to get a No. 6 midfielder."

Goals

12

1

Assists

5

0

Ball recoveries

150

108

Tackles won

24

28

The numbers instantly highlight Koopmeiners' versatility, managing to match Endo defensively whilst also adding an attacking element that the current Liverpool midfielder lacks.

Described as "complete" by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Atalanta man could be the final piece of the Reds' midfield rebuild and the key to the perfect debut season for Slot at Anfield. Having worked with the Dutchman before, it would feel somewhat fitting that Koopmeiners emerges to finally kickstart Liverpool's summer less than two weeks until the Premier League campaign gets underway.

All eyes will be on Slot's first Premier League game against Ipswich Town, which may yet feature a fresh face in the form of Koopmeiners.

According to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace are one of two Premier League clubs interested in signing a new £35m forward.

Crystal Palace summer signings so far

The Eagles, sporting director Dougie Freedman and chairman Steve Parish have been making preparations behind the scenes ahead of Oliver Glasner’s first full season in charge at Selhurst Park.

So far, centre-back Chadi Riad is the only signing, with the Morocco international arriving after an impressive season on loan in Spain with Real Betis.

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Next to officially arrive looks set to be Daichi Kamada. The Japanese attacking midfielder will officially become a free agent at the beginning of July after leaving Lazio and has reportedly penned a two-year deal with Palace.

Glasner and Palace will lose Michael Olise, who is joining Bayern Munich in a deal worth more than £50m, and it is believed that Club Brugge forward Antonio Nusa could be the player to replace Olise, with the Norway international valued at £25m.

Meanwhile, another target is Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham, the youngster brother of Jude, with Fabrizio Romano recently saying that the Sunderland gem is a “main target”, whereas Nusa is also among the “priorities”.

Alongside both Bellingham and Nusa, though, it looks as if another attacking target is of interest to Palace.

Crystal Palace want Emile Smith-Rowe – Sky Sports

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, speaking live on Wednesday evening, Crystal Palace are interested in signing Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal this summer.

“We understand that a number of Premier League clubs, including Fulham and Crystal Palace are interested in Arsenal forward Emile Smith-Rowe.

“He is very popular at the club, should be noted, Smith-Rowe. He is very popular at the club with those within the club, he’s very popular with the fans as well – the fans always get behind an academy product. But, he started just three times in the Premier League in the last two seasons, and now he’s in that position in his career where he thinks ‘I want regular first-team football’.

“It’s thought that if a suitable offer was to present itself, that Arsenal would seriously consider that offer. Formal approaches for Emile Smith-Rowe are expected to start coming in over the next few weeks.”

Reports elsewhere have stated that the Gunners could hope to bring in around £35m for Smith-Rowe, so the Eagles may need to make the 23-year-old Palace's most expensive signing of all time if they want to bring him to Selhurst Park.

In total, Smith-Rowe has made 115 senior appearances for the Gunners, scoring 18 times and registering 13 assists. He’s also spent time out on loan with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town after coming through Arsenal’s academy, but by the looks of things, a permanent exit could be on the cards.

West Ham United have reportedly held opening talks to sign a new midfielder who won Player of the Year with his club last season.

West Ham transfer latest

Two new players have put pen to paper with the Hammers since the transfer window officially opened last month. First, Brazilian winger Luis Guilherme arrived from Palmeiras in a £25m+ deal, and more recently, goalkeeper Wes Foderingham signed on a free transfer after he left Sheffield United.

Now, Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten appear to be after a marquee defensive addition, with Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Max Kilman heavily linked to reunite with Lopetegui.

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Should Kilman not arrive, then Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo is seemingly viewed as an alternative, with the Hammers already having a £30m bid turned down by the Ligue 1 side.

A new midfielder also looks to be on the to-do list before Lopetegui’s first season officially gets underway against Aston Villa on August 17th, with Matt O’Riley attracting interest from the Irons.

West Ham hold talks for Matt O’Riley

According to a report from HITC in the last 48 hours, West Ham are one of five Premier League clubs interested in signing O’Riley from Celtic.

It is claimed that the Hammers, along with Brentford, Everton and Fulham, have all held talks with the Denmark international, whereas Southampton are £10m short of Celtic’s £30m asking price.

A £30m exit from Celtic Park would see him become the Hoops’ most expensive departure, and there is also interest from abroad, with Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Lyon and Monaco also named in the update.

After joining Celtic from MK Dons in 2022, O’Riley has gone from strength to strength in Glasgow, winning six major honours with the Hoops and seeing his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing from €2.3m to a career-high €20m.

Primarily a central midfielder, the 23-year-old can also play as a holding or attacking midfielder and starred last season. In all competitions, he scored 19 goals and provided 18 assists in 48 appearances.

O’Riley picked up Celtic’s Young Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Player of the Year as a result of his brilliant campaign and was hailed by Brendan Rodgers, who said in May:

“He has been absolutely phenomenal really in his consistency. I think if we lacked anything as a team, it was probably that.”

Rodgers also added: “He is very humble, there is nothing flash about him. His peers recognise the work he puts in and the mentality that he has. They know when they sit beside him in the changing room, this is a guy that puts in absolutely everything for the team and that is obviously very much respected.”

A move to England could be one to keep an eye on for the London-born star, but it looks as if West Ham will need to beat a number of their Premier League rivals if they want to secure O’Riley’s services.

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