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The fast bowler has given his stamp of approval to the Perth Stadium pitch but has also admitted to being puzzled by its characteristics

Melinda Farrell17-Dec-20182:28

‘Pujara and Rahane are the big wickets, not only Kohli’ – Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood has given his stamp of approval to the Perth Stadium pitch but has also admitted to being puzzled by its characteristics. The pitch has played differently throughout each day of the Test, at times offering considerable assistance to the bowlers – particularly through the aid of cracks and divots – while at others the demons subside and the batsmen regain some advantage.”Yeah it’s a strange one,” Hazlewood said. “You see obviously patches where it’s flying around and hitting the cracks and then for a period it’ll go pretty quiet and it’s manageable to bat.”I think definitely right-armer around the wicket to left-handed batters there’s more cracks on offer. I feel when I’m bowling to all the right-handers it feels a little bit more like a normal wicket, there’s not as many cracks there or up and down but yeah, from time to time it jumps around and then it can calms down.”The morning sessions seems like they’re a little bit better for batting – I’m not sure why – and then as the day goes in I think the cracks might reappear. It’s an interesting one with the drop-in wicket as well so yeah not too sure.”Josh Hazlewood produced a good one to remove Cheteshwar Pujara•Getty ImagesDrop-in pitches have largely been panned in Australia for their homogeneity and the loss of individual quirks that characterised each major ground, in the past giving the Gabba it’s quick and bouncy surface or providing the steady deterioration at Adelaide Oval in the manner of a traditional five-day pitch.While the WACA surface has steadily lost its reputation for fearsome pace, there were questions surrounding the nature of the drop-in pitch and the kind of cricket it would produce.The base elements of the Perth Stadium pitches at Gloucester Park, next to the WACA, are characterised by a high clay content, which helps give the surface its extra bounce.Overall, Hazlewood’s verdict was a positive one, and he agreed that it was a fun surface on which to play.”Yeah I think so,” said Hazlewood. “That’s from a bowlers point of view, definitely. But we’ve seen hundreds as well and quite a few guys getting fifties and it’s obviously gone to the fifth day, so there’s plenty there, and I think it’s exciting that things can happen any time of the day and its pretty competitive with bat and ball.”I think if you’re comparing to the WACA, where its obviously not a drop-in at the WACA and the cracks just keep getting bigger and bigger, these have appeared pretty early and I guess haven’t widened too much, if that makes sense. So yeah, it’s definitely different.”

Also back in the squad are Kesrick Williams and Sheldon Cottrell, while Kieron Pollard and Obed McCoy miss out with injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2018Evin Lewis is back in West Indies’ squad for the T20I series against Bangladesh. The opening batsman hasn’t played international cricket since pulling out of the limited-overs leg of West Indies’ recent tour of India.Also back in the squad are fast bowlers Kesrick Williams and Sheldon Cottrell. Allrounder Kieron Pollard and the left-arm quick Obed McCoy, who were part of the T20I squad in India, miss out with injury. Allrounder Andre Russell and offspinner Ashley Nurse, meanwhile, have not yet fully recovered from the shoulder and knee injuries that cut short their India tours.Sylhet will host the first of three T20Is on December 17.West Indies T20I squad: Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Kesrick Williams, Keemo Paul, Khary Pierre, Evin Lewis, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas.

Arsenal are leading the race to sign an in-demand striker who is at the top of his game next summer, according to a fresh report.

Mikel Arteta's current options

The Gunners have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah as their two natural options at centre-forward as it stands, but Football Transfers have reported that they are open to offers for the latter of the two in order to raise funds to buy a more high-profile talisman.

The Emirates Stadium side have internally discussed moves for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, Brentford’s Ivan Toney and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, but should deals for any of those fail to come to fruition, a big-money alternative has seemingly emerged.

Arsenal eyeing move to sign new forward compared to Erling Haaland

The Gunners have set their sights on a new striker likened to the talisman at Manchester City.

ByChloe Chadwick Dec 4, 2023

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has firmly established himself as Walter Mazzarri’s best-performing offensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Napoli statistics), and the 24-year-old’s impressive form has caught the eye of Edu and Mikel Arteta.

The Nigeria international still has just under two years remaining on his deal (Napoli contracts), but with the player currently refusing to extend his stay, his admirer in the Premier League has been alerted that there could be a potential deal up for grabs.

Arsenal in pole position for Osimhen

According to Italian outlet CalcioNapoli24 (via Sport Witness), Arsenal are leading the race for Osimhen ahead of 2024. The Gunners have "muscled to the front of the queue" to sign the striker at the end of the term, taking over the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid who are also hoping to secure his services.

The Napoli's star agent, Roberto Calenda, has been reluctant to publicly speak about his client's situation after holding a meeting regarding a contract renewal, but even if he was to put pen to paper, he could still be available, just for a much higher fee in the region of €100m (£85m).

Osimhen could be a "machine" for Arteta

During his time at Napoli, Osimhen has racked up a remarkable 81 involvements, 65 goals and 16 assists, in 114 appearances, showing just how prolific he can be in the final third, and he remains a constant threat in the attacking areas of the pitch (Transfermarkt – Osimhen statistics).

The Lagos native currently ranks in the 98th percentile for shots, representing his desire to try and test the opposition’s goalkeeper and hit the back of the net, regardless of whether the end product comes to fruition or not (FBRef – Osimhen statistics).

Arsenal’s target has even been previously recognised for his efforts on an individual level having secured four top goalscorer awards, alongside being named Italy’s Player of the Season, which clearly displays how much of a positive impact he brings to a side.

As dubbed by Josh Bunting, Osimhen is a real “machine” when he has the ball at his feet, and with his versatility to operate in all four positions across the frontline, this is surely a no-brainer of a deal to pursue should the opportunity present itself next summer.

Joan Laporta remains adamant that Xavi could stay on as Barcelona manager despite the Spaniard's recent "won't change my mind" statement.

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Xavi remains firm on leaving BarcelonaDeco also confirmed the same – no change of plansYet Laporta still optimistic about Xavi's stayWHAT HAPPENED?

Xavi announced his intention to depart at the end of the season in January, triggering efforts from the Barcelona hierarchy to persuade him to reconsider his decision. The Blaugrana's fine form since his announcement, including a 12-game unbeaten streak, has added weight to their appeal.

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In a press conference ahead of Barcelona's match against Cadiz last weekend, Xavi reiterated his stance, stating: "I will not change my mind." Despite the emphatic confirmation from the man himself, Laporta remains undeterred and claims that discussions about Xavi's future will take place at the end of the season with everything remaining "open".

WHAT LAPORTA SAID

Laporta said via : "We will discuss this issue at the end of the season. He [Xavi] is doing very well. He expressed himself in the sense in which he expressed himself, I understand that everything is open and everything is revisable. I understood that there have been circumstances that led him to do what he did. But at the end of the season, we will talk. There is time to talk about it."

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DECO CONTRADICTED LAPORTA

Barca's sporting director Deco made a contradictory statement to Laporta a few days ago, insisting there are currently no plans to convince Xavi to change his mind about his departure.

"At the moment there is no plan for Xavi to change his mind; if there is, we will talk," Deco said.

"The peace of mind comes from the results. The team is winning. We have already talked a lot about Xavi. It has been a personal issue. We don't have much to talk about. We have to think about the games."

Leeds United could be set to lose one of their promising talents next month, with a fresh report revealing that he is wanted on a permanent deal in January.

Daniel Farke's attackers at Leeds

The Whites have Georginio Rutter, Joel Piroe, Patrick Bamford, Mateo Joseph and Joe Gelhardt as their natural options at centre-forward as it stands, with Sonny Perkins sent out on a season-long loan to Oxford United over the summer.

Gelhardt was also expected to be given the green-light to leave on a temporary basis having impressed on the road during his time at Sunderland last term, but he stayed in the building and it was instead Sam Greenwood who headed for the exit door as he put pen to paper on a short-team deal at Middlesbrough.

Leeds United's "poor" £60k-p/w player wants to leave on loan in January

The Whites could sanction the exit of one of their senior squad members in the new year.

ByChloe Chadwick Nov 29, 2023

The Elland Road academy graduate, who can play as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, does have a £1.5m buy option included in his agreement with the northeast outfit, but having made a positive start to life under Michael Carrick, Daniel Farke's 21-year-old has attracted interest elsewhere.

According to TEAMtalk, England’s former youth international has emerged as a target for West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brentford and Fulham in the Premier League, alongside Leicester City and Southampton in the Championship, but his current club are keen to retain his services if the following update is to be believed.

Middlesbrough want to recruit Greenwood

According to The Northern Echo, Middlesbrough want to sign Greenwood on a permanent basis, but right now, the chances of that happening are looking very slim.

“Boro have agreed a fee for Greenwood with Leeds, but the forward’s future is complicated by the terms of his current contract at Elland Road.

"Carrick and the rest of Boro’s recruitment team would love to engineer a permanent arrangement ahead of the transfer window reopening in January – something that the terms of their agreement with Leeds would allow – but that would rely on Greenwood signing up to a full-time transfer, something that looks unlikely at this moment as things stand.”

Leeds need to keep "impressive" Greenwood

Since the start of his career, Greenwood has posted 74 contributions at all levels, 49 goals and 25 assists, in 152 appearances, showing how prolific he can be in the final third despite still being at a young age, and he’s comfortable playing in several different areas of the pitch (Transfermarkt – Greenwood statistics).

The Sunderland-born talent is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven various positions over the grass following his arrival on the scene, including everywhere across the frontline and three roles in the midfield, making him a useful option to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur.

Journalist Josh Bunting has been full of high praise for Greenwood who has displayed how “impressive” he can be when he gets regular minutes under his belt, so if the hierarchy were to sanction his permanent sale next year, they would be making a huge mistake.

An unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 88 steered the Vikings home after a 56-ball 74 from Laurie Evans had propelled Rajshahi Kings to 157

The Report by Mohammad Isam23-Jan-2019How the game played outMushfiqur Rahim and Mosaddek Hossain took Chittagong Vikings to the top of the points table with a six-wicket win over Rajshahi Kings. Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 64 off 46 balls, while Mosaddek contributed an unbeaten 26-ball 43, as Vikings completed their chase of 158 with two balls to spare.Mushfiqur and Mosaddek added 88 unbroken runs for the fifth wicket, after coming together in the 11th over with the Vikings in a spot of bother at 71 for four.Put in to bat, the Kings had posted 157 for 5 courtesy a well-paced 56-ball 74 from Laurie Evans. His innings included eight fours and two sixes, and ended just as Christiaan Jonker got going in the last four overs, scoring an unbeaten 36 off 20.Turning points For the second match in a row, the Kings finished their innings strongly, scoring 65 in their last four overs. When the Vikings needed 48 off 30, Mushfiqur and Mosaddek cracked three fours off Kamrul Islam Rabbi in a 15-run 16th over to ease the pressure.Star of the dayMushfiqur, who was playing against his former franchise, struck some well-timed reverse-hits among his six fours and two sixes. He also guided Mosaddek during their partnership, which could pay off in the Vikings’ remaining matches.The big missWhen Evans was on 28, Nayeem Hasan dropped a sitter he offered at deep fine leg. It was his second life after surviving a run-out opportunity in the second over when he had a comical mix-up with Soumya Sarkar.Where the teams standWhile the Vikings move to the top of the table with their sixth win, the Kings remain on eight points after eight matches.

Emma Hayes surprisingly claimed that Chelsea only have a "small chance" of winning the WSL title despite having leaders Manchester City within reach.

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Chelsea trailing City by six pointsHave two games in handMust put their best foot forward to catch up with CityWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues have to stitch together a perfect run of results in the final lap of the WSL campaign if they are to defend their WSL crown. Currently, they find themselves six points behind leaders City and have an inferior goal difference of seven, but do still have two games in hand.

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City have been in marauding form and have scored 20 goals in their last five matches while conceding just three. Hence, Chelsea must not only win their next two matches but beat their opponents by a significant margin which will help them scale down the goal difference margin.

WHAT HAYES SAID

Hayes was pragmatic before facing Liverpool and insisted that Chelsea have put their Champions League defeat to Barcelona in the history books and are focused on the league campaign even though the odds are stacked against them.

“We have moved on [from Barcelona]. We had a day off. We have discussed our objectives, and now focus on this game," said Hayes.

"After any loss, the worst thing you can have is a long period of time off. We have a small chance of winning the league, we have to focus on doing that. We are not in the driving seat, we don’t have the goal difference, we have to catch up."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

While City have third-placed Arsenal and a stuttering Aston Villa to deal with in their last two matches, Chelsea face a bit more formidable lineup of opponents starting with Liverpool, followed by away fixtures to Tottenham and Manchester United. It remains to be seen if the London outfit can shift that extra gear at the business end of the campaign to hand a memorable farewell to Hayes, who is set to take charge of the USWNT in the summer.

The USMNT learned their final opponent in Group A at the Paris Olympics Thursday, with France and New Zealand already qualified.

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Group A in Paris Games setFrance feature in poolUSMNT learn path to gloryWHAT HAPPENED?

A 1-0 victory over Indonesia on Thursday booked Guinea's spot in Group A this summer, where they'll be paired with the U.S., France, and New Zealand.

They will be the third and final Group Stage match for Marko Mitrovic's side as the USMNT look to advance out of their group, although France's team may well feature Kylian Mbappe, with president Emmanuel Macron petitioning his potential new employers, Real Madrid, to allow him to play.

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The Group Stage for the U.S. is now set, and their path to Olympic glory is visible. They're competing for the first time since 2008, and this squad is arguably the most talented Olympic side we have ever seen from the USA. The expectations are higher than ever before.

Their path, however, is as follows:

MatchDatevs FranceJuly 24vs New ZealandJuly 27vs GuineaJuly 30DID YOU KNOW?

The U.S. played France to a 2-2 draw in March in an international friendly – with the match serving as a prelude to what's set to arrive this summer. In the same window, they defeated Guinea 3-0 with alternates in the XI.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE U23 USMNT?

The Games begin July 24, with the opening match being the USMNT vs hosts France. It remains to be seen if Mbappe will be involved.

Left-arm seamer under pressure to make his case in final two matches of England’s tour

George Dobell in St Kitts07-Mar-2019David Willey has appeared to question whether picking Jofra Archer could destabilise England’s World Cup squad.Archer, the Barbados-born fast bowler, is expected to qualify to be eligible to represent England in a few days. But while Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, has already provided a strong hint that he would be given an opportunity in the ODIs against Ireland and Pakistan that precede the final deadline for the World Cup squad, Willey has hinted that bringing in a new player on the eve of a tournament for which England have been preparing for four years might prove unhelpful.”It’s an interesting dilemma for the captain, coaches and selectors,” Willey said. “It’s a group of players that have been together for three or four years now that have got us to No.1.”And there’s a reason for that. Whether someone should just walk in at the drop of a hat because they’re available, whether that’s the right thing, I don’t know.”Willey would appear to be one of those that are particularly vulnerable should Archer win selection. Having not featured in any of the five ODIs played on England’s Caribbean tour, he is probably on the periphery of that 15-man World Cup squad.But he does have an almost unique selling point in the England squad. Not only does he offer some left-arm variation, but he appears to swing the ball – the new ball, anyway – more than any of his team-mates. As a result, he often poses a threat at the start of the innings and, with the World Cup played in familiar conditions and games scheduled to start at 10.30 am, he may gain more than a little help from the conditions.He enjoyed a good 2018, too. He not only produced career-best ODI figures with the bat – he made a fifty against India at Lord’s – but he claimed 4 for 43 against Australia at Chester-le-Street – and conceded just 4.70 runs an over against a strong India line-up in that series.And, as he hinted, his limited-overs record doesn’t compare too badly to Archer’s. Archer has a List A bowling average of 30.71 and concedes, on average, 5.29 runs per over; Willey averages 31.64 and has an economy rate of 5.65. He has played 42 ODIs, however, and 121 List A matches while Archer has played 14 List A games. Willey’s T20 record – a bowling average of 23.42 and economy rate of 7.90 – is also very similar to Archer’s: 22.38 and 8.01.”I don’t know Jofra particularly well,” he said. “I couldn’t tell you if he’s got a particularly good record in white-ball cricket, to be honest. But it [tough selection decisions] is always part of professional sport. You have to accept these things and there’s one way to make sure it’s not you: by performing out in the middle.”I imagine every bowler sat in that dressing room will be trying to do that, to make sure it’s not them that gets left out should that happen. I think I went quite well last summer in English conditions but you never know. There is plenty of competition for places so you don’t quite know where they are going to go in the balance of the squad and bowling attack.”Willey is likely to face a challenge to perform out in the middle over the next few games. The final two games of England’s Caribbean tour take place on a St Kitts ground that might well have the shortest straight boundaries in international cricket. Bowling against Chris Gayle on such a pitch could be demanding. Willey insists, however, that he will continue to pitch the ball up in a bid to generate some swing and catch the edge of Gayle’s bat.”The reason I’ve played as much white-ball cricket around the world as I have done is my ability to swing the ball up front and being a left-armer as well,” he said. “It is a bonus being able to do that and I need to continue to do that and also have an impact in other areas as well.”If you get wickets early on in T20 cricket they have to rebuild and it slows the run-rate. Or they have to take high-risk options and hopefully you can take wickets.”I was very disappointed not to play in the ODIs, but part of professional sport is that you have to accept these things. I was disappointed but I think I’d be in the wrong place if I wasn’t. Hopefully, I’m the first left-armer on the team sheet should there be one.”Willey’s issue could be that, once the white ball stops swinging – and he admits that could be after a handful of overs – he does not have the pace to compensate. As a result, his control has to be immaculate if he is to perform a role later in the innings. But, as he says, he did pretty well in 2018 and has lacked opportunities since.”I’m confident about coming back later in the innings,” he said. “I did quite well back home last summer and I don’t think anything has changed since then apart from opportunities and game time.”

Arsenal now reportedly find themselves in pole position to sign a £60 million star as a report from the English press shares news this week.

Edu's rumoured transfer plans for January

Gunners sporting director Edu and club chiefs are rumoured to be interested in a new striker, midfielder and two full-backs as we approach January (The Independent).

Romano shares "internal" Arsenal talks over signing creator loved by Rice

Club chiefs are discussing a move for him behind-the-scenes.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 20, 2023

However, after spending over £200 million in the summer, Arsenal will have to tread with caution surrounding FFP regulations, and not fly too close to the sun.

It's believed manager Mikel Arteta may be forced to compromise on a couple of the aforementioned positions. Other reports suggest that Arsenal are keen to sign Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, with Thomas Partey proving unreliable when it comes injuries this season.

The Ghanaian will travel to represent his country at AFCON next year, which will leave them a bit short in the middle of the park, while both Mohamed Elneny and Jorginho's deals expire in the summer.

In terms of a striker, Arsenal's main target appears to be Brentford star Ivan Toney. The 27-year-old was one of the Premier League's top goalscorers last season, and Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Arsenal are holding internal talks over signing Toney next month.

Bees director Lee Dykes, speaking to the press recently, has also admitted the Englishman could leave Brentford "very shortly".

"There will be lots of interest in Ivan in January," Dykes told club media (via 90min).

Aerial duels

Offside awareness

Direct free-kicks

Passing

Through balls

Finishing

(via WhoScored)

"Naturally, there should be. He was the third-highest Premier League goalscorer last season – one of them [Harry Kane] has gone to Germany now, so he’s up there as one of the best strikers in the division. He is in the top five in the world, in my opinion.

"So there should be interest, and maybe the time comes very shortly that Ivan moves on to another club. But they will have to pay a decent transfer fee to acquire his services because he is some talent.”

The north Londoners appear a very viable destination for Toney mid-season, with the forward set to return from his ban for alleged gambling breaches mid-way through January.

Arsenal in pole position for Toney

According to The Independent and reliable journalist Miguel Delaney, Arsenal are "leading the chase" to sign Toney in January despite the presence of Chelsea and Tottenham.

In a further boost, Brentford are willing to do business, as highlighted by Dykes' public statement, but interested clubs will have to pay an initial £60 million to sign him – which could rise to £80m with add-ons.

£60m could actually be a reasonable fee where Arsenal are concerned, especially since Sky Sports were claiming he'd cost around £100m. Toney's 20-goal haul last term isn't the only draw for Arsenal either, with Jermaine Pennant even once tipping him to be a "better Ian Wright".

“I’ve said a few times that Toney would be a great signing for Arsenal," said the former Liverpool star (via TEAMtalk and The Express).

"He’d be a newer, better Ian Wright! It would be a walk in the park for him and he’d boost Arsenal."