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Manchester United will allegedly sign Napoli defender Kim Min-jae this summer by triggering his €60m (£52m) release clause.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils could be set for a busy summer in the transfer market ahead of Erik ten Hag’s second season in charge, despite the ongoing off-field saga when it comes to an Old Trafford takeover.

Reports have previously suggested that midfield and attacking reinforcements are high on the club’s wishlist, but it appears as if a new defender is also wanted.

There has been speculation this year that Ten Hag has given the green light to sales for Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, with rumours claiming that United have tabled a contract offer to Kim, having met with the player's representatives a few weeks ago – and a further transfer update has now emerged.

Sport Witness relayed a claim from Il Mattino regarding Kim and United, saying that Napoli want his €60m release clause paid in one single payment, something Red Devils officials are willing to do. It is a big fee for United to make in one hit, as Kim would go into the club's 10 most expensive signings of all time at that price.

The report states Kim ‘will go to Manchester United’, with no United players heading to Napoli as part of a player-plus-cash deal and even referencing previous speculation of the player lining up somewhere to live in Manchester.

Who is Kim Min-jae?

Kim, a South Korea international, is an out-and-out centre-back who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €50m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 26-year-old only joined Napoli last summer from Fenerbahce but has made a big impact, turning out on 44 occasions in all competitions this season, contributing to four goals in the process.

Hailed as "extraordinary" by compatriot and Red Devils hero, Park Ji-sung, Kim has helped Napoli win the Serie A title and has been the club’s top-rated defender with an average match rating of 7.10/10, as per WhoScored – a higher score than any United defender. He has also averaged more clearances, interceptions and passes than any Napoli player, with his completion rate for passes sitting at an impressive 91%.

Therefore, with the Red Devils back in the Champions League next season, a move for a high-quality defender like Kim appears to be a shrewd decision by those at Old Trafford. You’d expect he could battle the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez for a starting spot, with Ten Hag having at least three top options to choose from, and by the looks of it, a transfer appears to be a matter of time.

The durability of the pink ball and its visibility under lights remain concerns among some of the players who featured in the recently-concluded Duleep Trophy

Arun Venugopal16-Sep-2016The durability of the pink ball and its visibility under lights remain concerns for some of the players who featured in the recently-concluded Duleep Trophy. They felt the experiment needed to be carried out further in domestic cricket before India could host its first day-night Test match.In the first match of the tournament, between India Red and India Green, the ball largely passed the visibility test, but the success came with a caveat: the game was played on a grassy pitch and lush outfield.In fact, players admitted to being surprised by how the ball retained its glaze for long periods, and even complained that it took reverse-swing, an integral aspect of seam bowling in subcontinental conditions, out of play. The main issue that came up during the first two games was the ball going out of shape and having to be changed frequently.In the later stages of the tournament, the BCCI decided to try the pink ball on drier and more abrasive pitches more akin to conditions usually found in India. This time the ball didn’t just lose shape, but also colour. India Red’s Abhinav Mukund, who scored a half-century and a century in the first match, said he faced difficulty in sighting the ball once it lost its sheen.”That [visibility under lights] is a big factor,” Abhinav told ESPNcricinfo. “When it is scuffed up, the colour of the ball goes from pink to greyish. When you apply any natural substance on it, like sweat or saliva, it becomes black-ish. And when it hits the boundary ropes, it becomes even more grey-ish and then you have to change the ball.”Dinesh Karthik, who scored 55 in India Blue’s first innings in the final, said he couldn’t pick the scuffed-up ball, and had to ask the umpires to take a look and possibly consider changing it. “I faced Nathu [Singh] and I didn’t pick a couple of balls,” Karthik said. “I couldn’t especially see a full-toss that took the edge of the bat and went for a boundary. I went and asked the umpire and he had a look and realised that the ball was scuffed up and it was really hard to pick.”Both Abhinav and Karthik acknowledged the difficulty in spotting the seam, especially when the wristspinners were bowling. Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored an unbeaten 256 in the final, also mentioned this during the presentation ceremony, saying he had found it harder ot pick the googly.It became quite evident when India Red’s Gurkeerat Singh and Stuart Binny were trying to hit their way out of trouble in the final against the spinners, often struggling to pick Karn Sharma’s googly. Neither batsman, despite scoring half-centuries, was fully in control, and often stepped out of the crease to neutralise the break.As a solution to the problem, Abhinav suggested that the colour of the seam be changed from black to something brighter. “Maybe a different kind of leather, and a different colour of seam – maybe neon or something? Also, maybe you can change the ball at 60 overs instead of 80 overs.”India Blue seamer Pankaj Singh felt replacing the scuffed-up ball owing to poor visibility took reverse-swing out of play. “On [dry] wickets like these [in the final], you try to get the batsman out by reversing the ball, but whether this ball will reverse is difficult [to say],” he said. “If this ball deteriorates or scuffs up too much it has to be changed and if doesn’t scuff you can’t reverse it.”Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps from three games, said the pink ball drifted and dipped, but didn’t turn much. India Blue coach and former India offspinner Aashish Kapoor felt negating the impact of the dew would be the biggest factor in determining the future of day-night Test cricket in India.”In India cricket is a winter sport. If Test matches are going to be held during winter and dew comes in, it’s a big factor,” Kapoor said. “People keep talking but unless you play you don’t realise how wet the ball it gets – it is like a soap bar in your hands. If in a Test match, you are going to play three hours under lights when the dew comes in at 6 or 7 [pm], and you are having a soap bar, your bowlers are out for three out of the six hours of the game.”Gautam Gambhir, the India Blue captain, cited his team-mate Pujara’s experience while suggesting that the ball changed its behaviour under lights. “Pujara thought it behaves differently during the day-time and it behaves differently during the night, especially with the pace of the ball and the ball skidding through [for the seamers],” he said. “The conditions change completely when the game starts at 2 pm, and obviously the conditions are completely different when the artificial lights take over.”Karthik concurred with Gambhir’s view, and said the ball felt heavier while he kept wicket under lights. “During the day, the ball feels a little lighter when it hits the glove, and it doesn’t actually sting as much,” he said. “But, in the evening I did realise that even though there has not been much dew, the ball for some strange reason gets that much harder and hits the glove a little harder for the medium pacers. That’s why you can see there has been a template where short balls have got wickets in the last session because I think the ball skids on a little more.”In the final, Pankaj’s two-wicket burst early in India Red’s first innings featured deliveries that skidded off the surface quicker than expected, under lights. Both Abhinav and Sudip Chatterjee were beaten for pace, and it didn’t appear that the cracks on the pitch had much to do with either dismissal.The ball used for the Duleep Trophy was the pink Kookaburra. Karthik said there was a case for SG, which manufactures the ball used in India’s first-class and Test cricket, developing a pink ball for Indian conditions. “If they can come up with a pink ball which is more suited to Indian conditions, which I am sure they will start trying in time, it will be interesting to see how that ball compares to the pink Kookaburra,” he said. “A red SG ball has more to offer in Indian conditions than a red Kookaburra; the same could be the case with the pink ball.”While night cricket isn’t an uncommon phenomenon for most Indian cricketers, the likes of Robin Uthappa have found playing at night for four or five days in a row physically taxing. “If I had to make a suggestion, if we could play the game more towards the evening, that would make the game more even-stevens,” Uthappa said during the first game between India Red and India Green. “If we can have a specific stop-time… and if you have lost time make sure you start earlier. What I have noticed it is the boys get tired; generally we play from 9.30 [am] to 4.30 [pm], and we have a few hours before going to sleep. In this format, you don’t have time for recovery.”Karthik echoed Uthappa’s views and said playing a day-night Ranji Trophy match, which the BCCI has proposed, would make for an interesting challenge. “Right now we are probably sleeping at midnight and waking up at 10 -10:30 am,” Karthik said. “For that one [day-night] game we can do that, but when you go to the next venue you go to the normal game and you wake up at 6- 6:30 [am] to get ready. So, these are the challenges you need to get accustomed to.”Karthik, however, felt pink-ball cricket was here to stay given the spectator interest it drew – the attendances were upwards of 3000 steadily through the tournament. “If the crowds are a yardstick to go by in day-night matches, we should give that box a tick. I think it is a great way to bring crowds in.”

Russell Domingo has been given the safety of a contract extension until the end of South Africa’s England tour next August

Firdose Moonda26-Oct-20161:44

Firdose: Domingo gets another crack at an ICC event

From having his position as head coach under scrutiny seven months ago, Russell Domingo has now been given the safety of a contract extension until the end of South Africa’s England tour next August. Domingo, whose contract was due to expire at the end of April 2017, will be in charge for the next 13 Test matches and the Champions Trophy in June 2017. Team manager Mohammed Moosajee has been given the same extension.”As part of the domestic cricket review, we are currently evaluating the entire coaching framework in South Africa and the Board believed the best approach at present was to extend the tenure of Mr Domingo until the end of the England tour in 2017,” Haroon Lorgat, the CSA CEO said.”Naturally the performances of the Proteas was a key factor in the Board’s unanimous decision. The recent 1-0 Sunfoil Test Series win against New Zealand and the impressive 5-0 win in the Momentum ODI Series against world champions Australia, resulting in us being the first nation to achieve a clean sweep against them, were noted. In addition, the excellent Proteas discipline and the positive culture throughout the coaching team, the player leadership group and the rest of the players were viewed as exemplary.”The domestic review is separate from the abandoned but soon-to-be resurrected national team review, which was due to take place after South Africa’s World T20 exit. Former national rugby captain Francois Pienaar was the highest-profile person on the four-man panel that was due to begin work in May. When they failed to agree terms with CSA, the committee disbanded and the review was abandoned. However, another process is now underway, which will review the performances of all national teams, which is unconnected from the domestic review that was concluded earlier in the year.Among the domestic review’s recommendations was the formation of an eight-team T20 premier league to revamp the format in the country but, if that suggestion is implemented, it will only happen in the 2017-18 season. It was not known that Domingo’s position was also part of the domestic review panel’s scope; however, there was a pressing need for certainty over Domingo’s future because of the timing of the Champions Trophy.If Domingo’s contract was not going to be renewed at the end of April, South Africa’s new coach would not have enjoyed any game time with the team ahead of the ICC event in England. South Africa do not have any fixtures scheduled between the end of March, when they tour New Zealand, and the England tour in May. As a result, a decision on Domingo had to be made at the earliest opportunity and after South Africa failed to make the final of the Caribbean triangular tournament in June, it was being speculated his time was up.However, Domingo enjoyed the support of Test and ODI captain AB de Villiers and was given the chance to redeem himself in the home series against New Zealand and Australia. A team culture camp preceded those series in which South Africa plotted what they call a new path.Stand-in captain Faf du Plessis also revealed that the coaching staff had been a major part of the discussions over changing the direction and credited them with South Africa’s turnaround. Although they have only climbed to No. 5 on the Test rankings from slumping to No.7 at the end of last summer, they are up to No. 2 in ODIs and have managed that without de Villiers, who is out injured. Importantly, Domingo has embraced the transformation targets and South Africa have unearthed some depth, which has seen them get back on track and earned Domingo a contract extension.

Arsenal have been linked with one of Eredivise’s best midfielders ahead of the transfer window, as Mikel Arteta looks forward to a busy summer.

The Gunners must improve the depth of their squad in the window, after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City, the north Londoners will hope to challenge again next campaign.

Arteta could start his summer dealings by signing one of the most talked about midfielders in Europe to bolster his side.

What’s the latest on Orkun Kokcu to Arsenal?

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record (via The Daily Express), Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu is wanted by Arsenal this summer.

The report comes from the point of view of Benfica, who wish to sign the £35m ace before Arsenal get there first, with the Gunners claimed to ‘still hold the advantage’ over the Portuguese giants.

The Primeira Liga champions may struggle to pay the asking fee for the 22-year-old, which is where the Londoners could capitalise.

What could Orkun Kokcu bring to Arsenal?

Hailed as being a “true leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kokcu could be a huge influence on Arsenal’s midfield.

The Turkey international has contributed to ten goals this campaign, scoring eight himself and assisting two in 32 Eredivisie appearances in Feyenoord’s title-winning year.

While his numbers in the final third are impressive for a central midfielder, the progressive nature of the youngster’s play is one of his greatest exploits, making him a great fit for Arteta’s style.

As per FBref, the Haarlem-born midfielder averages a monstrous 12.65 progressive passes per 90, as well as attempting 83.79 passes per 90, displaying his ability and desire to get on the ball and dispatch to advancing areas.

With such numbers, there’s little surprise that the Feyenoord ace has been likened to former Arsenal magician Santi Cazorla.

Daily Mail journalist Oliver Godden described Kokcu in 2020 as being ‘best’ compared to the Spaniard due to his ability to ‘cut sides open with key passes’, when playing in deep midfield.

Indeed, the reporter stated at the time: "Kokcu is not dissimilar from the man whose shoes he will likely be filling in Ozil, but the best comparison is to former Gunner Santi Cazorla."

Arteta could have his own answer to the legendary midfielder, whom he once praised as having “unbelievable quality”, which is supported by the numbers of the two when the Spaniard was in his prime.

As per WhoScored, in his first season at the Emirates the Llanera-born gem averaged 2.6 key passes per game, which to put into comparison is slightly less than the level Kokcu is operating at this term with an average of 2.8 per game.

For a slim price of £35m in today’s market, Arteta could equip his offensively sublime side with added quality in a player that holds the ‘ability’ to play in the Premier League as claimed by his former boss and Manchester United legend Jaap Stam.

With Benfica hunting the rising star, Arsenal must act fast should they wish to seal the signature of Kokcu, who could be integral to the clubs’ progression in both the league and Champions League next campaign.

Leeds United have a lot of work to do this summer with still no manager or sporting director confirmed and a takeover in the works, however, it hasn't stopped the club from being linked to potential transfer targets.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Harry Winks?

According to Italian news outlet Samp News 24, Leeds are reigniting their interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks, with the Englishman having spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at Sampdoria.

As per the report, the Whites are keen to make a move for the talented whiz after a good temporary spell in Serie A, but will need to compete with the Italian outfit who are interested in making Winks a permanent signing this summer.

Who would Harry Winks replace in the Leeds team?

As expected, Leeds' recent relegation from the Premier League has prompted a surge in interest surrounding the futures of many of their first-team regulars, with Tyler Adams one of the players on the radar of top-flight clubs.

It has been reported this week that Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are both interested in snatching the American midfielder away from the West Yorkshire outfit and whilst the club will want to keep the squad together where possible, it won't be easy to stop some of their high profile players from making a swift exit from what has become a sunken ship at Elland Road.

As a result, an ambitious move for Winks – who has had a reported £22m clause included in his loan deal – would provide the club with a quality midfielder who could be the perfect replacement for Adams this summer.

Whilst Winks struggled for game time and consistency in north London – having made just nine league starts for Spurs last term – the 27-year-old has had the opportunity to come to life whilst on loan with Sampdoria this season and has thrived with more minutes.

Over 20 Serie A appearances, the Englishman – hailed as "unbelievable" by Jan Vertonghen – has tallied up an 85% pass completion rate and successfully completed 78% of his dribble attempts, as well as averaging 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, one clearance and 3.4 duels won per game, demonstrating his sound defensive attributes and ball-winning capabilities in the centre of the pitch.

The ten-cap England international has earned high praise over his career so far, with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino claiming:

"For me, he is the perfect midfielder, who can play box-to-box and like a holding midfielder. He has the quality and the capacity to play and use the demand of the game and read it. He's so clever."

Not only that, Winks and his Leeds positional peer Adams have displayed many similarities in their outputs this season including shot-creating actions per 90 (1.89 v 1.79), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.05 v 0.04), progressive carries (19 v 19) and progressive passes (117 v 136).

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Leeds to sign Winks this summer as his experience and quality could be a huge asset to the Whites next season in the Championship, especially if they lose Adams over the coming weeks and months.

Peter Siddle has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa due to a back injury, which almost certainly means a Test debut for Joe Mennie in Hobart

Daniel Brettig08-Nov-20161:05

‘I’ll just repeat the stuff that got me this far’ – Mennie

Fast bowler Joe Mennie is almost certain to make his Test debut in Hobart after Peter Siddle was ruled out due to a back injury.Australia’s selectors have also called on Jackson Bird as cover for the bowling unit but he is not officially part of the squad, which means Mennie is set to join Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in the pace attack for the second Test against South Africa, starting on Saturday. Mennie was named 12th man for the WACA Test and was then released to play a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia.Siddle was preferred in Perth, where he was making his return to international cricket following a lay-off due to a stress fracture of the back, diagnosed following Australia’s Test tour of New Zealand earlier this year. Australia’s medical staff are hopeful that Siddle will recover quickly, but have taken a cautious approach due to his recent history.”Peter Siddle had some lower back soreness at the conclusion of the first Test match in Perth,” Australia’s team physio David Beakley said. “Whilst we expect bowlers to be sore after Test matches, this was slightly worse than we expected and given that he was returning from a significant back injury, we organised some scans today.”The scans demonstrated some low grade bone oedema around his old stress fracture that is likely to be a flare-up of his previous lower back injury. We are hopeful that this will resolve relatively quickly, but have withdrawn him from the squad for the second Test match in Hobart. We will monitor his recovery and have a better idea of when he will return to play in the next week or so.”Siddle’s injury is yet another consequence to be drawn from Australia’s horrid batting collapse on day two of the WACA Test, sending Australia’s bowlers – Siddle and Starc with limited preparations – back into the field only 24 hours after they had bowled the Proteas out on day one. The coach Darren Lehmann said back-to-back Tests would stretch his men physically after they were made to work hard by JP Duminy and Dean Elgar in particular.”They have bowled four days in a row,” Lehmann said. “They are pretty sore as I would imagine the South African boys would be, the two bowlers that bowled the whole game for them. All bowlers are going to be pretty sore and tight. We’ll just have to see how they pull up and make a call from there. They will have the same issues.”It’s a short turn-around. That’s the nature of cricket in Australia, back-to-back Test matches early on. The good thing, I thought we batted a lot better in the second innings. The disappointing thing is we were off to flyer, obviously 0 for 158, and we lost 10 for 86. That’s the thing that hurts you in a game, as you know. If we had the discipline and that in the first innings that we showed probably yesterday and today, we would have made a better score and a better fist of it in the first innings and had a lead.”That’s the challenge, isn’t it? First innings, they made us pay in the second, Duminy and Elgar batted really well. I thought our bowlers worked hard the whole game and then coming in, if we had batters in in the last session today, well, you never know, do you? We just lost batters at the wrong time.”Asked about Australia’s limited preparation, one Sheffield Shield match, and moving the first Test of summer from Brisbane to Perth, Lehmann said his hands were tied: “Can’t do anything about it. Love to, but we can’t.”The selectors had already added Callum Ferguson and Joe Burns to the Test squad to replace the injured Shaun Marsh (broken finger) and also provide cover for Adam Voges (hamstring). Lehmann confirmed both batsmen would be under consideration even if Voges is passed fit, placing further pressure on the underperforming Mitchell Marsh.”We have known about the broken finger for about three days, which has been very good from our boys not to get out to you guys,” Lehmann said. “We have known the squad is going to be changed in the last three days. I would say every spot is under pressure. That’s the nature of the beast if you don’t have success. I thought he batted quite well and was a bit unlucky with the decision, but that is part of the game as well.”Lehmann acknowledged that the national team were under a rare level of pressure, as four consecutive Test match losses have historically led to a change of the Australian captain or coach. “[We’ll] Try to clear their minds,” he said of the players. “But everyone has pressure. Everyone has pressure when not playing well. But also as a player you always have pressure to perform at international level.”If you have a few bad performances, there is always someone waiting in the wings. And that’s been the case for 100 years, that’s not going to change I wouldn’t think. We try and pick and stick where we possibly can and encourage the guys and we get in trouble when we don’t pick and stick, we get in trouble when do pick and stick with you guys. So then when we add someone, it all changes.”So, there is pressure on players day in, day out for your country and that’s part and parcel of whether you are playing for South Africa or Australia.”

Everton are on the hunt for forwards that can make a huge impact on their uninspiring attacking presence in the Premier League ahead of next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Jean-Philippe Mateta?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Everton could once again rekindle their interest in Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

In a claim made on Patreon (via Inside Futbol), the Toffees were named as a potential suitor for the player who has become a bit-part player at the south London club and Palace are now ready to cash in on Mateta to boost funds for investment in other areas of the squad.

Would Mateta be a good fit for Everton?

Whilst the signing of a striker is much-needed at Goodison Park this summer, the club have plenty of time to identify the right striker to improve the goal contributions in the team and should avoid making the same mistakes of the past by recruiting based on poor profiling and desperation.

As a result, with almost three months to recruit for arguably the most important position on the pitch for Everton, Sean Dyche should not be repeating the same transfer disasters that brought Neal Maupay to the club by rejecting the opportunity to sign Mateta this summer.

The Everton striker joined the club last summer under the management of Frank Lampard, and it was hoped that the Frenchman could use his Premier League experience to make up for the loss of Richarlison, with the Brazilian departing the club in the same window.

However, it is safe to say that the £15m signing has not worked out with Maupay only managing to find the back of the net once in all competitions, contributing to a goal drought that has seen Everton struggle to retain their top-flight status once again this season.

The signing of Mateta – who had his decision-making dubbed "woeful" by writer Raj Chohan – could spell further trouble for Dyche if he puts Everton's goal-scoring responsibility into the Palace flop's hands next season as he has shown a lot of inconsistency in his performances and a struggle to compete for a starting position in their attacking threat.

Over 29 Premier League appearances, the 25-year-old – who has a reported price tag of £10m – has scored two goals, missed three big chances and created no chances for his teammates, as well as only averaging 0.2 shots on target, 10.1 touches and 0.1 successful dribbles per game, proving that he tends to go missing when given game time.

With that being said, Dyche should be focusing his attentions elsewhere this summer to prioritise bringing in a proven goalscorer who can consistently bag double digits in the Premier League as anything short of that would likely see Everton continuing to struggle at the bottom of the table again.

Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket AustraliaEllyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.

Liverpool have made an enquiry to Celta Viga over a potential move for midfielder Gabri Veiga, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Reds and Jurgen Klopp have made a start on their summer transfer business by agreeing a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for Alexis Mac Allister.

The Argentine midfielder was announced as a new Liverpool player earlier this month in a transfer that looks set to be worth an initial £35m.

However, with the likes of James Miler, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving the club as free agents and Arthur Melo ending his loan spell, more midfield additions appear to be on the agenda at Anfield.

Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone, Nice’s Khephren Thuram and Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella have all been named as potential targets, with another name being Veiga.

Reports suggested last month that Liverpool were in pole position to sign the player who Klopp viewed as a ‘star in the making’, with Veiga having a €40m (£35m) release clause.

Romano took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share an update on Veiga, claiming that Chelsea have made an enquiry over a move for the Spaniard. The transfer expert said that Liverpool also made an approach of their own earlier in the week and are following his situation.

“Chelsea have inquired on Spanish talent Gabri Veiga's release clause; conditions, payment terms or chance to negotiate with Celta Vigo. No bid or concrete steps as of now.

“Liverpool did exactly the same earlier this week, he's one of the players LFC are following.”

Romano has since added that no bid has been made so far, with the focus on a more physical midfielder at this stage.

Who is Gabri Veiga?

Veiga is just 21 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in defensive or attacking midfield roles, making 40 of his 55 senior appearances for Celta Vigo last season, scoring 11 times and registering four assists.

The player, who has progressed through Celta Vigo’s academy, has seen his Transfermarkt valuation increase from €3m to €30m over the last 12 months.

Hailed as a "very electric player" by Romano and "dangerous" by journalist Euan McTear, Veiga was one of Celta Vigo’s top performers last season, as per WhoScored, outperforming the likes of Liverpool midfielders Fabinho, Curtis Jones, Jordan Henderson and Harvey Elliott.

Therefore, you could argue that the Spanish talent could be a shrewd signing bot in the short and long run, but with Premier League rivals Chelsea circling, FSG may need to act fast if they wish to bring him to Anfield after making a first approach.

Four Sri Lankans made 50-plus scores on day one of their tour match in South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kusal Perera’s return to No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order•AFPSri Lanka’s batsmen made a bright start to the tour of South Africa, as Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva hit half-centuries on the first day of the tour match in Potchefstroom. The visitors went to stumps at 328 for the loss of six wickets, against a South Africa Invitation XI consisting of well-heeled first-class players and recent graduates of the Under-19 system.Especially encouraging for the Sri Lankans was the 159-run unbroken opening stand between Karunaratne and Silva, each of whom has struggled at various points during the course of the year. Both men were retired out at the end of the 45th over, Karunaratne with 71 runs to his name and Silva with 80.Kusal Perera only hit 25, but his entry at No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order as he had done for much of the series against Australia. This would also allow Kusal Mendis to come in at second drop. Mendis, who was in good form during the back end of the ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, hit 10 fours in his 64-ball 51.Captain Angelo Mathews and vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal, both returning from injury, collected a five-ball duck and 23 respectively, before de Silva ensured the day ended briskly, with five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 57 off 67.The Invitation XI’s batting appears its stronger suit, so it may be that a more thorough workout awaits the Sri Lankan bowlers than the batsmen, so far, have got. Left-arm spinner George Linde took 2 for 72 in the course of the day. Seamers Duanne Olivier and Jason Smith took one wicket each.