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Alex Hales delivered a compelling reminder of his international class with a brilliant double-century that put Nottinghamshire in total control of the Division Two match against Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2017Alex Hales took his recent white-ball form into the Championship•Getty ImagesAlex Hales delivered a compelling reminder of his international class with a brilliant double-century that put Nottinghamshire in total control of the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby. The England batsman plundered 38 fours and a six in a run-a-ball 218, which included a century between lunch and tea, and shared a sixth-wicket stand of 204 in 35 overs with skipper Chris Read.Derbyshire’s bowlers contributed 50 extras, including 24 no-balls and 10 wides, to Nottinghamshire’s 508 for 9 declared which left the home side needing 288 to avoid an innings defeat. They started badly, losing Luis Reece to their former fast bowler Mark Footitt in the fourth over, and at the close were 45 for 1, still 243 behind.Derbyshire might have thought it was going to be their day when Tony Palladino deflected a Steven Mullaney drive into the stumps to run out Samit Patel in the fourth over of the morning. When Mullaney sliced Tom Taylor to point, the game was still in the balance but Derbyshire’s bowling lacked the consistency and discipline required to put Hales under pressure.There were 12 fours in his first 50 and he stayed in overdrive for the rest of an innings, which put his team in a dominant position and allowed Read to let his bowlers loose at Derbyshire before stumps.Riki Wessels made only 13 out of a fifth-wicket stand of 80 before he gloved a lifting delivery from Hardus Viljoen, who was straight-driven by Hales for his 20th four to reach his first Championship hundred of the season.With Read scoring freely from the start, 181 runs came in the afternoon session with Hales sweeping a Luis Reece full toss for his 27th four to go to 150. His 200 came from only 201 balls and after Read was caught behind down the leg side for 75, Hales struck two more fours before swinging Wayne Madsen to deep midwicket where Viljoen took a good running catch.There was still more punishment to come as Jake Ball opened his shoulders and smashed four sixes in 43 off 24 balls before Read pulled out leaving Derbyshire to negotiate 12 overs. It was always going to be a tricky period for the openers and Reece did not survive, edging a loose drive at Footitt to give Read his 967th dismissal for Nottinghamshire.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Sporting CP forward Youssef Chermiti, as Julen Lopetegui bids to end his side’s woes in front of goal.

It’s been a busy summer for the Midlands club, who have offloaded ten players ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The latest news has reported a move away for Raul Jimenez, who has been approached by Fulham where a fee has been agreed, giving Lopetegui another incentive to chase a new forward.

Could Wolves sign Youssef Chermiti?

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record last week, Wolves have had scouts present at Sporting’s recent friendly to watch Chermiti.

The 19-year-old could be available for a fee in the region of £17m, with the report claiming that the Portuguese giants expect €20m for their forward.

With a release clause of €80m (£69m) included in his contract, Lopetegui could pounce on the teenager's rumoured availability for a cut-price.

How good is Youssef Chermiti?

Rising through the ranks at Sporting, the academy graduate made a breakthrough last season, recording 22 appearances in all competitions for his boyhood club.

Deployed as a traditional centre-forward, the “very interesting” teen, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, got among the goals last term, scoring three and assisting two in 16 Liga Portugal appearances, via Sofascore.

Lauded as a “superb prospect” by Kulig, Chermiti made a fast start to his senior career, scoring two and assisting once in his first three starts for the first team.

Despite only averaging 58 minutes per game in the league, the 19-year-old needed little time to make an impact, averaging 1.8 shots per game and acting as a strong presence leading the line.

For Wolves, the bright talent could be an encouraging capture this summer, as the club prepares to bid farewell to much-loved striker Jimenez.

The Mexican scored 57 goals in 166 appearances for the Old Gold, including two consecutive rich scoring streaks to get the side comfortable on their return to the Premier League.

Scoring 30 goals over his opening two campaigns in the Premier League, the 32-year-old fired Wolves to claim two consecutive seventh-place finishes to seal the club a place in the Europa League.

Jimenez was the leader of all things positive at Molineux on their return to the top tier, however, the former Benfica forward had his career halted by a life-threatening skull fracture sustained in 2020.

Missing the remainder of that season impacted the Mexico international, who was lucky to play again, however, his form was unable to be recaptured, with him netting just ten goals since his return.

A goalless campaign last term suggests that the 32-year-old’s departure comes at the best time for club and player, with Chermiti posing as a strong candidate to take his throne.

Described as a ‘pure striker’ by The Scouting App, the teenager has had his strengths identified through his ‘physicality, explosiveness, sense of goal and eccentricity’ by the scouting site, making him the perfect fit to replenish Lopetegui’s side in front of goal.

Still very early into his career, the teenager could be given the chance to shine as the leading man at Molineux, in a move that could ease the sadness of Jimenez’s pending departure.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has decided not to sell midfield talent Emile Smith Rowe and will give him opportunities next season, according to journalist Charles Watts.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

The Gunners have already sealed a plethora of marquee additions this summer as sporting director Edu seeks to strengthen Arteta's ranks, coming after they fell just short in the title race last season.

Alongside Germany international Kai Havertz, Arsenal have put pen to paper on deals for Jurrien Timber from Ajax and a £105 million club-record deal for England international Declan Rice.

There are suggestions that Arsenal could add even more players to their squad, despite spending nearly £200 million already, with Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia believed to be on their radar too.

Certain players will need to make way to balance the books, though, with Bayer Leverkusen signing Granit Xhaka recently. Thomas Partey has been linked with an Arsenal departure among others, with midfielder Smith Rowe also previously mentioned as a candidate for the chopping block.

Sharing an update on the latter player's future, it is believed Arteta now has zero intention of letting the 22-year-old leave, with reporter Watts claiming he is set to given a chance next season.

“He’s certainly not on the Arsenal scrapheap,” Watts told TEAMtalk.

“Mikel Arteta has told him that he wants him to stay. I think going into the summer, I thought there was a good chance he could probably go… But by all accounts they want him to stay and are going to give him an opportunity, which I’m really happy with.

“So I just hope that this season is different and he does give him some minutes to try and impress because he’s a hell of a talent. I think a lot of people have forgotten just how good he is. I think he’s really special.”

How good is Emile Smith Rowe?

The Englishman, before his unlucky 2022/2023 campaign, thoroughly impressed under Arteta when given the opportunity.

Smith Rowe, over the 21/22 season, played 20 league matches and ranked among Arsenal's top eight best-performing players by average match rating according to WhoScored.

The attacking midfielder chipped in with two goals and four assists that year and managed to equal Martin Odegaard's number of successful key passes per 90 in the final third (WhoScored).

There is certainly a creative asset there and we believe Smith Rowe should certainly be handed a chance.

The second Test of their tour of Sri Lanka will be Bangladesh’s 100th. Having begun their journey in November 2000, they will have taken little over 16 years to their century

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2017

Bangladesh will play their 100th Test match, against Sri Lanka, on March 15 in Colombo. Having played their first Test in November 2000, Bangladesh will be the last of the Full Members to complete the century, having taken little over 16 years to the mark.The visitors will begin their tour with a two-day practice game in Moratuwa before the first Test in Galle on March 7 and their milestone match at P Sara Oval a week later.The limited-overs leg begins with a warm-up game on March 22, before Dambulla hosts the first and second ODIs on March 25 and 28. The series concludes in Colombo – unusually at the SSC, which has not hosted an ODI since 2011.Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said the decision to play this match – a day game – was made on the basis that Bangladesh were not a major drawcard. The SSC has a capacity of about 10,000.”The reason we don’t host one-day games at SSC when we play other teams, is because we feel we won’t be able to accommodate the crowds there – the capacity is very limited at SSC,” de Silva said. “But when we play against Bangladesh, though there will be crowds, it will not exceed the capacity which can be accommodated as SSC, I’m sure.”When you play at a smaller ground also, it would seem like there are crowds – even for a Bangladesh tour. We can market it better.”The two T20Is to finish the tour, however, will be played at Khettarama.The Bangladesh squad is expected to be announced by February 20, while training begins in Mirpur on February 24. This is Bangladesh’s first bilateral tour of Sri Lanka since 2013, when they drew the Galle Test and also secured a 1-1 result in the three-match ODI series.

With Tottenham Hotspur now plotting to strengthen following the appointment of Ange Postecoglou, one transfer rumour that has particularly caught the eye is the links to Manchester United winger, Jadon Sancho.

According to a recent report from the Daily Star, the Lilywhites are said to be interested in making a £50m move for the England international this summer, with the 23-year-old having initially made the switch to Old Trafford on a £73m deal back in 2021.

The former Borussia Dortmund ace looks likely to be moved on by the Red Devils this summer amid claims that Erik ten Hag is willing to cash in on the 5 foot 11 trickster, with an asking price of around £60m having been suggested.

The one-time Manchester City youth product is currently facing such uncertainty at the Theatre of Dreams having provided just 18 goals and assists in 79 games across all fronts over the last two seasons, although those at N17 may well be hoping that they can revive the £350k-per-week forward's fortunes if he is to make the move to the capital over the coming weeks and months.

Should Tottenham sign Jadon Sancho?

There is no denying that Sancho is not looking like the player who previously burst onto the scene at Dortmund, having notably racked up 114 goals and assists in just 137 games for the Bundesliga side, prior to making his return to England.

That stellar form had unsurprisingly earned the wide man rave reviews, with his compatriot and former teammate Jude Bellingham having dubbed him "frightening" and "scary" back in 2021 due to the sheer scale of his talent.

That version of the London-born whiz would no doubt be a real bonus for Spurs if they could wrap up a deal, with there a potential for Sancho to form a devastating attacking partnership with his England colleague, Harry Kane, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With it looking as if Kane will not be sold by chairman Daniel Levy this summer, the club's record scorer is set to lead the line yet again next term, having only recently ended the 2022/23 campaign with a staggering haul of 30 league goals to his name.

As Sancho's assist record in Germany would illustrate – a total of 64 assists in all competitions – the playmaker could well help to provide quality service to the 29-year-old in attack, while the current United man has also shown a willingness to try and make things happen at the top end of the in recent times, as he ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for touches in the attacking penalty area.

Even amid his current woes, the fleet-footed ace still ranks in the top 20% for shot-creating actions as a further marker of his creative ability in the final third, again suggesting that he could be the man to deliver the goods to Kane on a regular basis.

Of course – as the most recent campaign has shown – the latter man is almost able to make the difference on his own, yet having a fit and firing Sancho alongside him in the attack could be a truly mouthwatering proposition.

Liverpool are in the market to sign another central midfielder despite the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister earlier this month.

Liverpool transfer news – Reds hold Gravenberch talks

According to James Pearce of the Athletic, Jurgen Klopp has a number of new central players on his radar with the transfer window opening for business on Wednesday.

The report details interest in the likes of Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and Gabri Veiga but another option is Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch.

It's claimed that 'positive discussions' have already been held with the 21-year-old's camp, although a deal may well be difficult to conclude considering the Bundesliga champions currently do not want to sell.

Despite that, a rumoured price tag of £25m has been reported elsewhere.

Who does Ryan Gravenberch play like?

The Dutchman has been known as an emerging "top talent" – as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – for some time now.

Gravenberch initially broke through at Ajax where he scored three goals and assisted six throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

That was a breakthrough season for the youngster who eventually signed for Bayern Munich just last summer.

Therefore, it would be rather strange for the German giants to cash in so soon, but if a high enough offer was submitted, there is a feeling they may well sell.

Such a move would undoubtedly benefit Liverpool who need to replenish their midfield ranks following the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.

Another name on Klopp's list is the aforementioned Thuram, and coincidentally, he is just like Gravenberch.

According to FBref's 'similar players' model, the Frenchman is the fifth most comparable midfielder in Europe's top five leagues to the Bayern sensation.

Considering his valuation sits at around the £38m mark, a cheaper alternative could be sourced here.

And what a fine signing he'd be. Although Gravenberch only scored once in his debut term with Bayern, there is a sensational player waiting to be unlocked.

Both of the targets were particularly assured in possession this season, with 15-30 yard pass completion sitting at 91.5% and 89.1% in favour of the Netherlands international, via FBref.

There was little between their goal-creating actions per 90 minutes either with Thuram winning in that metric; 0.25 to 0.16.

Perhaps where they are most alike is in winning duels with Gravenberch making 0.63 tackles in the defensive third to the Nice gem's 0.78 while they made a very similar level of interceptions per 90; 1.41 v 1.34 in favour of the former Ajax man.

Both adept in possession, they carried the play forward along the floor in likeminded fashion with the Netherlands talent only just coming out on top; 47 to 46.7 per 90.

What the above rubberstamps is that although they don't surge forward like a rampant freight train, they are perfect at not just orchestrating the play, but breaking it up too.

That would seemingly be ideal for Mac Allister, with Liverpool's new £35m signing certainly a more attacking asset having contributed to 15 goals in 2022/23, 13 more than Gravenberch and five more than Thuram.

Signing all three would be a dream, but if Jorg Schamdtke cannot secure the latter's services, the Bayern sensation's signature would still be a mighty fine one,

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae this summer – and the South Korean could replace £60m flop Marc Cucurella at Stamford Bridge.

Would Kim Min-Jae be a good signing for Chelsea?

According to 90min, Napoli could be forced to sell the powerful centre-back this summer, with Chelsea among those interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all also thought to be in the running, while Chelsea are said to have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old play this month – and could bring him to Stamford Bridge for as little as €45m (£39m) due to a release clause in his contract, which is only eligible in the first two weeks of the upcoming transfer window.

Since joining from Fenerbahce last summer, the six foot three defender has gone on to make 34 appearances in Serie A for Luciano Spalletti's side, contributing two goals and two assists with a superb 7.10 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Reece James is currently ranked as the top performer at Stamford Bridge with a 7.07 average rating, which emphasises just how impressive Kim has been in his first season in Italy.

He also averaged a 7.20 rating in the Champions League as Napoli reached the quarter-finals, so clearly has what it takes to play at the very top level.

Former Manchester United man Park Ji-sung was full of praise for his compatriot earlier in the campaign, saying:

"Extraordinary, what a talent. He took the right step by going to play in Turkey and showed himself ready to take a step forward. He didn't come directly to Italy but step by step, so he grew up and there is no doubt that he is doing extraordinary things, as a technical leader and personality in Naples".

Teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also dubbed him as an "iron barrel" and described him as one of the best in the world, so he could certainly be a quality addition to Chelsea's squad this summer if he can live up to that praise.

Could Kim Min-Jae replace Cucurella at Chelsea?

One concern for Todd Boehly is the number of defensive options already at Stamford Bridge but if he were able to complete a deal for the former Beijing Guoan star, perhaps it could see Cucurella moved on.

The Spanish defender joined from Brighton last summer but has endured a difficult first season in west London, with WhoScored ranking him as the 15th-best performer in Chelsea's squad.

Often utilised as a left-sided centre-back, Cucurella hasn't looked comfortable at all in recent months and his lack of defensive awareness was cruelly exposed in the Champions League defeat against Real Madrid.

Given the competition for places at Chelsea and Boehly's demands for a better 2023/24 season, the 24-year-old is surely a prime candidate to be moved on this summer, especially if it can fund a move for Kim.

The South Korean has averaged far more interceptions, clearances and blocks per game than Cucurella so far this term, so would be a far more natural centre-back for Mauricio Pochettino to have at Stamford Bridge, making him a fine target Boehly should definitely try to sign.

Manchester United are reportedly keen on raiding one of their Premier League rivals, with Erik ten Hag and co seemingly interested in Arsenal's teenage sensation, Ethan Nwaneri.

What's the latest on Nwaneri to Man United?

According to journalist David Ornstein – writing in his weekly column for The Athletic – the Red Devils are said to be among a handful of top-flight clubs who are 'monitoring' the 16-year-old, alongside Chelsea and Manchester City.

The report suggests that with the England youth international's schoolboy registration coming to an end next month, those raft of suitors are ready to pounce if the youngster does not agree fresh terms with the Gunners.

The London-born starlet notably came to wider attention after making his first-team debut for the Emirates outfit at the age of just 15 against Brentford back in September, becoming the youngest-ever player to feature in the Premier League in the process.

Who is Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri?

That record-breaking, senior bow unsurprisingly catapulted young Nwaneri into the public eye, with the 5 foot 5 dynamo notably earning hefty praise from senior teammate, Granit Xhaka, who lauded him as "very, very special" and a player with a "big future".

While Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping that 'future' lies in north London, as far as United is concerned it would represent a real coup to be able to poach such a talent from one of their long-time foes, with the promising midfielder having only recently impressed after scoring for his country in the ongoing U17 European Championship, taking his total tally at that age group to eight goals in only 14 outings.

The diminutive ace – who also has six goals and four assists to his name for the Gunners at youth level this season – would not be the first highly-rated talent to trade life at Arsenal for the Theatre of Dreams, with the playmaker potentially set to follow in the footsteps of Robin van Persie.

Hope will be that Ten Hag can replicate the club's masterclass with regard to the signing of his compatriot back in 2012, with Van Persie having left the Emirates to join Sir Alex Ferguson's side on a £24m deal.

That controversial switch – which came amid the striker's expiring contract at his previous employers – ultimately paid dividends for both the Dutchman and the Red Devils, as the ruthless marksman bagged 26 league goals during his debut season in Manchester to help fire the club to the title.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by the legendary Ferguson, the former Netherlands international would ultimately go on to net just 22 top-flight goals across the next two seasons combined before departing for Fenerbahce, albeit with his switch from the capital having undoubtedly paid off such was his immediate impact.

While in the case of Nwaneri, it may take time for the precocious teen to make his mark on United's first-team ranks, it would certainly please the Old Trafford faithful to be able to yet again prise a high-profile gem from the Gunners, following the success of Van Persie.

زاد فريق الكرة الأول بنادي النصر السعودي من غلة الأهداف أمام إنتر ميامي الأمريكي بهدف رابع خلال المباراة الجارية بينهما حالياً ضمن منافسات كأس موسم الرياض.

ويلتقي النصر مع إنتر ميامي، على أرضية استاد المملكة أرينا، في إطار المباراة الودية التي تجمعها في كأس موسم الرياض.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة النصر وإنتر ميامي في كأس موسم الرياض

وأحرز تاليسكا الهدف الرابع لفريق النصر في الدقيقة 51 من عمر اللقاء عن طريق ركلة جزاء نجح في تنفيذها.

وكان النصر قد تقدم بثلاثة أهداف خلال الشوط الأول، سجلهم خلال 12 دقيقة فقط.

وافتتح النصر التسجيل في الدقيقة الثالثة من عمر المباراة، بتصويبة سحرية من أوتافيو من داخل منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك.

وسجل تاليسكا الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 10، بعد عرضية سحرية استقبلها تاليسكا في شباك انتر ميامي في الدقيقة العاشرة من عمر المواجهة.

وأحرز النصر بالهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 12 من الشوط الأول، عن طريق المدافع إيميرت لابورتي بعد كرة عابرة للقارات سكنت شباك إنتر ميامي من بداية الملعب وحتى نهايته. هدف النصر الرابع أمام انتر ميامي

Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi, Hampshire’s World T20-winning overseas stars, have echoed Jos Buttler’s criticisms of the NatWest T20 Blast

Andrew Miller06-Jun-2016Darren Sammy and Shahid Afridi, Hampshire’s World T20-winning overseas stars, have echoed Jos Buttler’s criticisms of the NatWest T20 Blast, admitting that the tournament’s once-a-week “appointment to view” format makes it hard for specialist players to maintain their form and focus over the course of an elongated tournament.Buttler, who recently completed his maiden stint in the IPL with Mumbai Indians, told the Daily Mail that English cricket needed a “Big Bash-style tournament” if it wanted to bring out the best in England’s white-ball cricketers.”It’s frustrating for the players and the fans that we don’t have a competition like the IPL,” Buttler said. “It feels as if our domestic players are missing out. After all, we did create Twenty20, but we’ve not taken it on.”Our teams don’t have to have different names, but we should have fewer teams, and go with a Big Bash-style tournament. And if you hold it as a block, you’re going to attract the best players.”His sentiments were echoed by two men who have ruled the world in T20 cricket – Sammy, who captained West Indies to victory in both the 2012 and, most recently, the 2016 World T20, when England were beaten in a thrilling final in Kolkata, and Afridi, who was Man of the Match when Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in the 2009 World T20 final at Lord’s.”It’s a difficult tournament, at least three months, it’s long,” Sammy told ESPNcricinfo. “It can be frustrating playing one or two games every weekend. It’s Twenty20, you’ve got to be playing it fast.Sammy and Afridi both played in Hampshire’s double-header over the recent weekend, at home against Kent and then away against Glamorgan, but their next outing will be a trip to Canterbury on Wednesday, leaving a lot of down-time for the players to fill.”I want my six-pack again,” Sammy joked. “I am probably going to have a set schedule to do some gym. Most of the time the first team is away during the week, so I’ll get some training in with the second team. I’ll probably visit London with my family, and get some net practice in.””England is my second home, I always enjoy my cricket here,” added Afridi. “But I’ve already talked to a few officials, that we should organise it and finish it in a month. It’s not easy playing one game then a four-day game then another T20, but as a professional cricketer you can adjust yourself.”The players’ comments echo the remarks of the ECB chairman, Colin Graves, who denounced the NatWest T20 Blast as “mediocre” before a ball had been bowled in this season’s tournament. For Sammy, who was in England during the inaugural year of the Twenty20 Cup in 2003, the difference between then and now is stark.”I remember back in 2003, when I was here in June, everybody’s on the train wearing helmets, I was like ‘what’s going on?’ It was T20, England started this thing and now, to see it going on all over in that period of time…”But the standard has always been of good quality, and that’s the most important thing,” he added, citing the progression of England’s team to the final of the World T20 in Kolkata, where only Carlos Brathwaite’s astonishing six-hitting in the final over stood between them and a second World T20 title.”I was not surprised they made it to the finals, actually. We played them in the very first match in Mumbai, we defeated them but since then they didn’t look back,” said Sammy. “We met again in the finals, Carlos did his thing in the last over, but it shows England have quality T20 players.”Joe Root is a world-class player, Ben stokes, Jos Buttler – they’ve come through playing T20 in England. The standard is good so I wasn’t surprised to see England play well. They’ve won a World Cup before [World T20 in 2010] and I know they don’t play much around the world, so whatever T20 they are playing here, it’s about high standards. That’s why they are making it to finals of world tournaments.”