An update has emerged on Burnley and their plans to bolster their defensive options ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Cody Drameh to Burnley?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Clarets are in the race to land Leeds United full-back Cody Drameh and are plotting talks with the Yorkshire-based team over a deal for the ace.

Luton Town, who have also been promoted to the Premier League ahead of next season, are set to compete for the right-back's signature after he spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Kenilworth Road.

"Burnley and Luton are prepared to open talks over the permanent transfer of Cody Drameh in the coming days," he tweeted.

However, the reporter has added that the Whites are hoping to convince the starlet to remain at Elland Road next term after they appoint their new head coach.

How did Cody Drameh perform this season?

The 21-year-old dynamo enjoyed a terrific campaign with the Hatters in the Championship and his performances for Rob Edwards suggest that he would be a dream heir to the departing Matthew Lowton.

It has already been confirmed that the veteran defender is leaving Turf Moor on a free transfer this summer after eight years at the club and Drameh could come in as an ideal replacement.

Lowton made eight appearances in the second tier during the 2022/23 season and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.72.

The 33-year-old offered little in the way of creativity as he made 0.5 key passes per game and, therefore, could have been a liability to the side from an attacking perspective in the top-flight due to his lack of quality in possession.

Whereas, Drameh, who averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.09 across 16 outings in the division, created 1.6 chances per match for Luton and showcased his ability to burst forward from right-back to open up the opposition and provide his teammates with opportunities to score in the final third.

The young full-back, who was once hailed as a "Duracell bunny" by former Cardiff City boss Steve Morison, also displayed his defensive quality as he made 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game and won 55% of his duels in the Championship.

Lowton, meanwhile, did not offer as much protection to his team at the back.

The Englishman made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match and won 54% of his battles, which shows that he did not make as many interventions for his team as Drameh did for his and, therefore, did not stop as many opposition attacks from leading to chances.

These statistics suggest that the £4.4k-per-week talent could come in as a dream heir to the departing Burnley veteran as the 21-year-old is 12 years younger and his form in 22/23 indicates that the ace would offer more quality at both ends of the pitch.

Arsenal are reportedly ready to rival their north London foes for the signing of Galatasaray defender, Victor Nelsson, according to reports coming out of Turkey.

What's the latest on Nelsson to Arsenal?

As per transfer insider Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, writing on Twitter, both the Gunners and rivals Tottenham Hotspur are said to be in the race for the 24-year-old's signature, albeit with the likes of Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund also tracking the Dane's progress.

The Turkish journalist also revealed, however, that the centre-back's "first choice" is to seal a move to the Premier League, having spent the last two seasons with the Istanbul outfit.

This comes amid reports that Spurs – now led by new boss Ange Postecoglou – have lodged a big of around €22m (£19m) for the former Copenhagen ace, albeit with the Super Lig giants said to be holding out for closer to €25m (£21m) if they are to sanction a sale.

Should Arsenal sign Victor Nelsson?

It would no doubt be a real delight to Arsenal supporters if the club could get one over on Postecoglou and co by snapping up Nelsson this summer, with the ex-Celtic boss having seemingly already been dealt a blow amid reports that the Lilywhites are likely to lose out to Newcastle United for the signing of James Maddison.

Further reports have suggested that the 57-year-old is eyeing a new centre-back addition as he seeks to strengthen his defensive options at N17, hence the apparent interest in a coveted talent such as Nelsson ahead of next season.

The signing of the 6 foot 1 ace would not merely be a way for Mikel Arteta and co to frustrate their neighbours, with the ten-cap rock having also showcased himself to be quality asset in his own right, having enjoyed "exemplary" development in recent years, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Lauded as a "great mix of a pure defender and ball-playing centre-back" by Kulig, the one-time Nordsjaelland ace could well represent a dream upgrade on long-serving Gunners man, Rob Holding, with Arteta believed to be open to offers for the Englishman.

The former Bolton Wanderers man has failed to prove himself as a reliable option in recent years, with club legend Emmanuel Petit stating that: "If you want to win titles I think it’s difficult for Holding to play every game".

The 27-year-old was notably "exposed woefully" in the defeat to title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad back in April, according to GOAL's Charles Watts, with that a marker that he is perhaps not the best understudy to the likes of Gabriel and William Saliba.

As such, bringing Nelsson into the fold could well allow Arteta to finally show Holding the door, with the difference in quality between the pair seemingly stark.

That is shown by the fact that in 14 league appearances for the Emirates outfit in 2022/23, the current Arsenal man failed to keep a single clean sheet and averaged just 0.2 interceptions and 0.6 tackles per game, while his Danish counterpart, by contrast, help to record 15 shut outs in 33 league outings, while averaging one interception and 0.8 tackles per game.

That superior defensive quality is also shown by the fact that while Holding won just 56% of his aerial duels in the most recent campaign, Nelsson was far more dominant having won 65% of his aerial duels, proving just why he is something of a "pearl" at the heart of the defence, as per Kulig.

It is then plainly clear why Arteta would be interested in snapping up the latter man over the coming weeks, with the Gunners not wanting to allow the aforementioned Postecoglou to acquire such a quality option as part of his Spurs summer rebuild.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been dealt renewed hope in their bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mason Mount to Liverpool?

That's according to Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg, who has stated that while favourites Manchester United are "pushing" to sign the England international for €45-€50m (£39m-£43m), Liverpool are very much still in the race.

Ultimately, it is believed to be the player's decision, and with Liverpool waving goodbye to midfield trio James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer, Mount might be the perfect star to add energy and dynamism back into the centre.

Liverpool have maintained an interest in the 25-year-old across the latter stages of the campaign and, while maybe dissuaded by Chelsea's initial £70m valuation, the recent depreciation makes a move far more plausible for Klopp and co.

How good is Mason Mount?

Unequivocally, Mount has not been at the races this season, but football is a fickle sport and those involved are quick to condemn the stragglers, leaving the past success in absent memory.

This is not entirely unfair, and with the Blues finishing 12th in the Premier League this year after an abject and discordant campaign, the players should rightfully be lambasted after reaching the finals of both domestic cup competitions the previous term and undergoing a £600m transfer transmutation across the past two windows.

However, the "special" – as hailed by Alan Shearer – Mount is of a calibre that must not be forgotten and there is every chance and more he can return to past heights with a move to Merseyside, providing a prominent role as Klopp looks to reconstruct his own team after a lacklustre season.

As per FBref, the £80k-per-week ace ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90, having before been praised as a "generational" talent by journalist Benjamin Lynch.

Given his similarities to the playing style of Liverpool's Harvey Elliott, a move may not bode well for the 20-year-old prospect as he looks to continue his own ascent to the forefront of the Premier League talent poolll.

Indeed, in comparison the one-time Fulham youngster ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90, coincidentally likened to Mount by FBref's 'similar players' tab.

While Elliott will still expect to be provided opportunities to impress regardless of who the Reds bring in this summer, he has only started one of his team's last 11 matches of the campaign, and with that coinciding with Liverpool's late-season purple patch, it might just be that Klopp has deemed the 5 foot 6 dynamo is not quite ready for a regular starting berth with a renaissance anticipated.

And in Mount, Klopp could unleash a "superstar" – as lauded by Adi Joseph – one who could utilise his progressive prowess and ball-playing capabilities to return some of the robustness to Anfield, once a staple of the side's fluid system but lacking after a detrimental seasonal slump.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins could sign a new deal at the club this summer, according to a key update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

When is Watkins out of contract at Villa?

The Villans ended up having an excellent season, with the arrival of Unai Emery transforming their fortunes, as they qualified for next year's UEFA Europa Conference League.

There were many players who did their bit throughout the campaign, but Watkins was arguably Villa's star man, producing some inspirational attacking performances. The £75,000-a-week attacker finished the 2022/23 season with a tally of 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League and the hope is that he stays put for years to come.

The 27-year-old's current deal expires in the summer of 2025, meaning the club may just start to be growing a little twitchy about nailing him down to an extension, with his price tag possibly diminishing the closer his contract gets to ending.

Could Watkins sign new Villans deal?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Watkins could well extend his stay at Villa Park in the near future, acting as a potentially huge boost for the club:

"I think after [Youri] Tielemans, the forward line is what's going to become very interesting. There's potential for Ollie Watkins to get another contract soon."

This would be an enormous positive for Villa if Watkins commits his long-term future to the club – it would arguably be as important as any new summer that arrives during the summer transfer window.

The Englishman is at the absolute peak of his powers right now, having been hailed as "outstanding" by former Villa manager Dean Smithy recently, and there is no reason why his game can't reach another level under Emery over the next two or three years.

Many top strikers don't hit their prime until around 30, with the likes of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski going strong well into their 30s, among others, and Watkins could grow even more with superior players alongside him, assuming some exciting additions come in this summer.

The hope is that the Englishman is only getting started at Villa Park, in a career that has already seen him rack up 43 goals and 13 assists in 116 appearances to date, and it would be a surprise if he even considered leaving in the near future, considering what a thrilling time it is at the club with Emery at the helm.

A round-up of the fourth day of Group A matches in the eighth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2016Uttar Pradesh bowled Railways out for 155 in Rajkot to complete a comprehensive 221-run win that lifted them out of bottom place in Group A.Railways were dented late on the third day, having been reduced to 35 for 5 after being set 377 to win. They lost overnight batsman Mahesh Rawat (19) with the score on 56. Partnerships of 46 for the seventh wicket and 53 for the eighth kept them afloat for a while. However, those weren’t enough as left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav wrapped their innings up with figures of 4 for 33.Madhya Pradesh needed to bowl just two balls on the fourth day to remove Baroda’s final wicket to bowl them out for 114 and win by 232 runs. Medium-pacer Chandrakant Sakure took the wicket to complete his third five-wicket haul of the season.Jiwanjot Singh’s eighth first-class century helped Punjab take one point despite being made to follow on by Gujarat in Belagavi. Jiwanjot had walked in late on day three, at 36 for 1, with Punjab still trailing by 341. He remained unbeaten through the final day, finishing on 101 off 261 balls (15×4), having added an unbroken 165 for the third wicket in 66 overs with Uday Kaul, who made 64 (178b, 7×4).Jasprit Bumrah took the only wicket of the day, striking in the eleventh over of the morning to have Manan Vohra caught behind for 47. Struggling for wickets thereafter, Gujarat used ten bowlers to try and break the Jiwanjot-Kaul partnership, with only their wicketkeeper Dhruv Raval not getting a bowl.Mumbai batsman Shubham Ranjane, who was playing only his second first-class match, and veteran allrounder Abhishek Nayar soaked up 268 balls and grafted 112 runs for the the sixth wicket to hold off Bengal’s push for an unlikely comeback win in Nagpur.Mumbai eventually walked away with three points thanks to their first-innings lead of 130 and consolidated their position at the top of the Group A table, while Bengal had to settle for one point.Chasing 308, after Bengal, following-on, were dismissed for 437 from an overnight 433 for 8, Mumbai lost their top three to Ashok Dinda in 11 overs. Suryakumar Yadav and captain Aditya Tare contributed twenties, before falling to seamer Mukesh Kumar and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha respectively. Ranjane and Nayar came together at the end of the 28th over and did not budge until the 73rd over.The defiant stand ended when Dinda had Nayar caught behind for 51 off 135 balls. Ranjane and Dhawal Kulkarni then batted out 86 balls as Mumbai closed the day at 203 for 6 to earn a draw. Dinda was named Man of the Match for his haul of 9 for 162, including 4 for 74 in the last innings.

Match facts

Monday, 21 November
Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)Upul Tharanga and Sri Lanka’s middle order need to step up on Monday•Associated Press

Big Picture

In cricket, ‘momentum’ is a lot like religious faith. Some people believe in it, and some don’t, but either way it seems to be part of the general milieu. Another way of putting it could be: whether you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you’re probably right. Sri Lanka’s momentum will have been dented slightly by their unravelling against West Indies in Harare, and Zimbabwe will believe in themselves a little more after their stunning comeback.Neither team is without its worries: Sri Lanka’s inexperienced middle order has not quite clicked yet, while Zimbabwe slipped from 190 for 3 to 257 all-out against West Indies. Their performance in the field was also not quite up to scratch, and in that department coach Heath Streak has said: “we know we’re better than what we showed.” The result of this game will depend on which team plays to potential and seizes the momentum, and who has more belief on the day. With Zimbabwe currently at the bottom of the points table, with two points from their tie, this is a must-win game for them.The background hum outside of the cricket in Zimbabwe is somewhat depressed, and an upturn in the cricket team’s fortunes would help to brighten what could be a somber festive season. The country is on the brink of introducing ‘Bond notes’, a form of currency meant to ease the crippling cash liquidity crisis, but not everyone is for it. While the cricket has been going on, activists have been arrested and allegedly assaulted by security forces in Harare, and some fans entering Queens Sports Club on Saturday weren’t allowed to bring Zimbabwe flags into the ground, as the flag has recently been used as a symbol of protest. Zimbabwe could do with a little cheering up.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: TLLLL
Sri Lanka: LWLLLElton Chigumbura has managed only nine runs in two matches in the tri-series•Associated Press

In the spotlight

Zimbabwe’s top order helped to set up an almost defendable total against West Indies, while the bowlers showed grit.Yet their fielding left much to be desired. Three chances to dismiss eventual centurion Shai Hope were missed, and sloppiness in the field dissipated pressure. Heath Streak will want a cleaner effort from his men in the field.The match between Zimbabwe and West Indies on Saturday showed that, on a slow, gripping surface, the best time for batting is between overs 10 to 35. That will make the contribution of Sri Lanka’s middle order vital to their final result. Untested in their series opener against Zimbabwe, the Sri Lankan middle order then stumbled against West Indies, with Nos. 1 to 6 contributing just 69 runs.

Teams news

Elton Chigumbura’s form with the bat will be a worry for Zimbabwe. He has managed only nine runs from two innings, but his level head and more than 200 ODIs worth of experience will continue to add value, and Zimbabwe might not want to upset the XI that clicked on Saturday.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Brian Chari, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sikandar Raza, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 PJ Moor (wk), 8 Graeme Cremer(c), 9 Donald Tiripano, 10 Tendai Chisoro, 11 Chris Mpofu.Of the three squads, Sri Lanka have the most depth in the spin department and they may look to swap one of their seamers for a spinner. Lakshan Sandakan is a left-arm wristspinner, and the sort of bowler the Zimbabweans will very rarely have faced. With the ability to turn the ball both ways, as well as skid it in to the pads, he would be a handful on a traditional Bulawayo track.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dhananjaya de Silva, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga (c), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Shehan Jayasuriya, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Suranga Lakmal.

Pitch and conditions

Monday’s pitch should play much the same as Saturday’s, without much lateral movement for the quicks while slowing up and offering something for the spinners later on. While there is cloud around, Monday should be mostly warm and dry. Late afternoon storms are always a possibility at this time of the year.

Stats and trivia

• Craig Ervine played his 50th ODI on Saturday, passing 1,500 runs in the format during his 92. Ervine has had a good year with the bat – in seven international matches in 2016 (four Tests and three ODIs), he has scored 497 runs at 45.18.
• Sri Lanka have played six ODIs at Queens Sports Club, and have only lost once, to India, in 2010

Quotes

“It’s a big game on Monday, but we’ve just got to take it one over at a time, one ball at a time.”

يعمل الفرنسي كيليان مبابي على التحرك للانضمام إلى ريال مدريد الإسباني، حيث من المنتظر أن يغادر صفوف باريس سان جيرمان بنهاية الموسم الجاري.

وينتهي عقد مبابي مع باريس سان جيرمان بنهاية الموسم الحالي، والمتوقع انضمامه في صفقة انتقال حر لريال مدريد، بعد سبعة مواسم قضاها مع النادي الفرنسي.

وكشفت صحيفة “ليكيب” الفرنسية، أن مبابي يناقش انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد، مع قائد الفريق السابق سيرجيو راموس.

وأشارت التقارير إلى أن مبابي أبلغ باريس سان جيرمان بقرار رحيله في نهاية الموسم الجاري، واستعدادًا لهذه الخطوة تحدث مبابي مع راموس والذي يلعب الآن لصفوف إشبيلية.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماكرون يوضح هل تناقش مع مبابي بشأن مستقبله خلال عشاء الإليزيه

ويوضح التقرير أن الثنائي كانا يتحدثان منذ أسابيع ويتناقشان حول مسألة انضمام مبابي لريال مدريد، ويقوم راموس بمساعدة مبابي في البحث عن منزل في العاصمة الإسبانية.

ويمتلك راموس العديد من العقارات في العاصمة الإسبانية، ووفقًا لصحيفة ليكيب، يمكن للمدافع بيع عقارًا لمبابي.

Everton are preparing a £20m transfer offer to sign Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye, according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon.

What’s the latest Everton transfer news?

The Toffees managed to remain in the Premier League on the final day last season following a 1-0 win over Bournemouth and appear to be in the market for attacking reinforcements ahead of Sean Dyche’s first full season in charge.

That’s because the club scored just 34 goals in 38 top-flight games last season, with Wolves the only side to score fewer in the league.

Star forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin started just 15 Premier League games last season, missing large parts of the campaign with knee and hamstring issues. Meanwhile, Neal Maupay scored just once in 29 games in all competitions, and it looks as if Ndiaye is a player of interest to those at Goodison Park.

According to Nixon, writing for The Sun, Everton and Marseille are battling it out for the Blades forward, who is seen as a priority target

Jordan Pickford, Demarai Gray, Maupay, Mason Holgate and possibly Amadou Onana could all be sold this summer to raise cash, and funds could then go on Ndiaye, with Everton planning to go to £20m.

Who is Iliman Ndiaye?

Ndiaye, dubbed a “FIFA cheat code” by his former teammate Tom Graham, is 23 years of age and is primarily a centre-forward but can also play in a second striker or attacking midfield role.

The Senegal international has enjoyed a brilliant 12 months which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation increasing from €1.5m to a career-high €18m. He represented his country at the World Cup in Qatar last year and helped Sheffield United win promotion to the Premier League.

Playing a whopping 52 times in all competitions last season, Ndiaye, called “incredible” by Oli McBurnie, scored 15 goals and registered 12 assists playing in a variety of attacking roles.

He’ll soon be entering the final 12 months of his Bramall Lane contract as well, so Everton may feel they can persuade him to move to Merseyside, should his situation remain the same. It looks as if a transfer could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, but as mentioned, Everton will need to battle interest abroad for their top target.

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,

Will Lockie Ferguson make his ODI debut against Australia on Sunday? His net sessions may suggest so, but the SCG surface will decide the final New Zealand XI

Brydon Coverdale03-Dec-20161:57

‘We can beat anybody’ – Williamson

On the eve of the first match of New Zealand’s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy defence, captain Kane Williamson would not divulge whether express bowler Lockie Ferguson would be unleashed on the Australians.The series begins at the SCG on Sunday and Williamson said New Zealand wanted to wait until the day of the match to assess the pitch and decide whether Ferguson would make his debut. At the very least, Williamson was impressed by what he saw – and faced – from Ferguson in the nets on Saturday.”He sent a couple of messages at training,” Williamson said. “He bowled really nicely so we’ll have to wait and see. He bowls quick and runs in and bumped me a few times which was great. It’s what you want to face and it’s fantastic preparation. The Australians will do the same…He’s a one in 14 chance, I suppose.”Whatever XI New Zealand choose, they will have no more than four of the same players who secured the trophy in the third ODI in Hamilton earlier this year: Williamson, Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls and Matt Henry. And it is possible that Nicholls could yet miss out, with suggestions that New Zealand would give themselves ample bowling options by including both allrounders Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme.”We want to have another look at the surface tomorrow,” Williamson said. “There’s a little bit of uncertainty about what the surface might do. It has spun here in the past. It looks a good surface, it’s quite hard, they might have rolled in perhaps some old grass clippings to get a little bit more grass on it, maybe to add a bit of pace.”New Zealand begin this series ranked third on the ICC’s one-day international table while Australia are on top. Even if New Zealand were to win all three games they would not gain a position, though it would be enough for Australia to drop below South Africa and into second place.”It’s an enjoyable series, it always is, and they’re always tough opposition and a very strong side so you don’t need more motivation to get up to play your best cricket against the best in the world,” Williamson said. “The focus is for us to play our best cricket and if we do that we know we can beat anyone.”