Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise

Umar Farooq07-Apr-2017Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise. He is likely to feature for the team as a player, too, in the third edition of Pakistan Super League in 2018, though this is yet to be confirmed; the PSL’s trading window ahead of the next edition is yet to open. Last month Afridi had announced on Twitter that he had left Peshawar Zalmi after two years with the franchise.ESPNcricinfo understands that Afridi is likely to be traded between Peshawar and Karachi as part of the formalities later this year. For now, Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Afridi had joined his franchise as president.Afridi had tweeted on March 25 that he was “announcing my end of service as president & player of Peshawar Zalmi Team due to my personal reasons”. He said it was “time for another” team. Following his tweets, Peshawar’s owner, Javed Afridi, told ESPNcricinfo that he was “clueless” in the matter. Later, it was learnt that Afridi had parted ways from the franchise over disagreements with the owner.”There are things that I don’t want to bring in media but Javed’s vision has changed with the time,” Afridi said on a TV show on Geo News. “I don’t want to become a hindrance to Javed’s goal and vision, because I have my own foundation and a lot of other things. So I can not fullfil his commitments and want to focus on my things as well. I wanted to announce it after the PSL final, but I had couple of commitments with Zalmi, so I waited for the right time.”Afridi, who is based in Karachi but was born in Khyber Agency, had talked about the importance of Peshawar Zalmi to his local region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day before his Twitter announcment. “We have not created the Peshawar Zalmi team to play just a month’s cricket in the PSL and then sit at home,” Afridi had said. “Our work goes beyond the cricket field and we want to change the lives of the underprivileged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”Peshawar Zalmi won the PSL title in 2017, defeating Quetta Gladiators in the final held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Afridi had missed the final with a finger injury that he picked up during the playoffs in the UAE. In all, in ten matches in PSL 2017, he had scored 177 runs at 25.28 with a strike rate of 173.52, and taken two wickets with an economy rate of 6.75. He had captained the franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament, before handing over to Darren Sammy this year.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season's successful promotion-winning campaign.

With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.

Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.

It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.

Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?

City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.

Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.

"I consider myself versatile. I'm available for whatever the coach asks," he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. "At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I'd always played right wing, and he likes me to play there."

It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.

Indeed, FBref's comparison model lists Liverpool's Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.

The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).

Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.

With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.

But as someone described as "a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.

A five-wicket haul from Bhuvneshwar Kumar won Sunrisers Hyderabad a tight game against Kings XI Punjab despite a 50-ball 95 from Manan Vohra

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy17-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:05

Agarkar: 160 was gettable without Bhuvneshwar

Manan Vohra defied a pitch of inconsistent pace and bounce and a situation stacked against his team to produce one of the IPL’s great backs-to-the-walls innings. His 95 off 50 balls revived a floundering chase, taking Kings XI Punjab to within 15 runs of victory, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar would ensure he wouldn’t be able to finish the match, taking two wickets in the 19th over to finish with 5 for 19.In the end, neither of them would be involved in what became the nerviest finish of the season. Eleven off six balls usually favours the chasing side, but seldom is a chasing side nine down at that stage. Siddarth Kaul conceded four off the first two legal balls, slipping in two wides, but pulled himself together to send down the perfect yorker with six needed off three. Ishant Sharma couldn’t put bat to it, and Sunrisers just about held on to their undefeated home record this season.Difficult pitch, quiet PowerplayA pitch full of cracks turned out slower than is usually the case in Hyderabad, with some balls skidding through and others stopping with tennis-ball bounce. Kings XI’s seamers looked to exploit this by bowling at the stumps and pitching just short of a good length.Denied the drive-able ball, the batsmen couldn’t play square with too much confidence either – given the line and the tendency of the ball to keep low. Sunrisers only scored 29 in the Powerplay, hitting just one four and losing the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, caught behind off the glove looking to pull Mohit Sharma.Warner adapts and prospersSpin came on for the first time in the seventh over, and David Warner immediately picked up his first boundary with a reverse-sweep off KC Cariappa. In his next over, he switch-hit him for six. By the end of Sunrisers’ innings, all but two of Warner’s nine boundaries would come behind the wicket.Wickets kept falling at the other end – Axar Patel dismissed Moises Henriques and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls in the 10th over – but Warner, with a bit of help from Naman Ojha, ensured Sunrisers reached a competitive total. Having scored only 6 off his first 16 balls – all in the Powerplay – Warner went at a strike rate of 168.42 thereafter to finish unbeaten on 70 off 54.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act 1Interviewed between innings, VVS Laxman, the Sunrisers mentor, felt 159 was a match-winning total given the conditions and his team’s bowling resources. As it happened, it wasn’t the pitch that gave Sunrisers an early wicket but Bhuvneshwar’s swing and full length, trapping Hashim Amla lbw first ball. Glenn Maxwell promoted himself to No. 3 for the first time this season, and Bhuvneshwar dismissed him as well. This time it was the slower ball, coupled with a change of field – he brought third man into the circle, pushed mid-off back, and Maxwell took him on, unwisely.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Those skiddy Afghan spinnersFor the first time this season, Sunrisers were playing both Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. They bowled expensive first overs – Vohra and Eoin Morgan took 29 off the fifth and sixth overs of the chase – and Warner had to pull both out of the attack. After a quiet over each from Moises Henriques and Kaul, he brought them back.Nabi struck immediately, bowling Morgan with one that skidded on, and skid would give Rashid two wickets in the next over – bye bye, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha. Kings XI were 62 for 5 after 10 overs, and an offbreak from Nabi at the start of the next over could have easily had them 62 for 6. Vohra, though, was saved by the umpire Anil Dandekar, who saw or heard an inside edge when there was none. At that stage, he was batting on 32. In the last ball of the same over, Nabi dropped the simplest of return catches off Axar Patel.Vohra unrolls his own pitchEven in the early part of his innings, Vohra had timed the ball better than anyone from either side. What he was also doing, better than most batsmen this season, was picking Rashid’s googly out of the hand. Having brought up his fifty in the previous over, the 15th, Vohra went after Rashid again, pulling and lofting him for 4, 0, 6, 6, 4. Suddenly, Kings XI only needed 35 from 24 balls.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act IIKings XI, however, had already lost six wickets, and they lost a seventh when Mohit Sharma sliced Bhuvneshwar straight to deep point in the 17th over. Two balls later, Vohra timed a back-foot punch so sweetly that he hit it to the same fielder on the full, only for Shikhar Dhawan to drop it. A big six off Kaul in the next over brought the equation down to 16 off the last two, but Bhuvneshwar wasn’t done yet.KC Cariappa, for reasons unknown, decided to slog rather than give Vohra the strike, and Bhuvneshwar went through him with a yorker. Another yorker – or near-yorker – followed when Vohra got back the strike. It struck Vohra on the ankle, on the full, right in front, as he walked across to flick, and Bhuvneshwar had bowled the most important ball of the match.

Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKusal Mendis overcame a scratchy start to hit nine fours and two sixes in his 107-ball 102•AFP

The second ODI between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was called off due to incessant rain in Dambulla. Play was called off at 8.45pm, an hour and 15 minutes before the cut-off time.It was an anti-climax after the game was shaping up to be an intense contest. Kusal Mendis’ maiden ODI hundred took Sri Lanka to a formidable 311, but Taskin Ahmed’s hat-trick in the last over capped off a fine last 10 overs for Bangladesh.Taskin first had Asela Gunaratne caught at mid-off off the third ball of the final over. Suranga Lakmal was the next to go when he holed out to midwicket. Nuwan Pradeep, having the unenviable task of keeping out the hat-trick, was bowled off an inswinging yorker.That meant Taskin was the fifth Bangladeshi after Shahadat Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain and Taijul Islam to reach this milestone, which he celebrated with his typical spread-eagle celebration.A win for Bangladesh would have given them their first bilateral ODI series win over Sri Lanka, but that was always going to be tough given no side had ever chased down over 300 to win in Sri Lanka.That Bangladesh got into the game was thanks largely to a lower-order collapse from the hosts – they lost their last six wickets for 40 to end up at least 20 short of what they looked set to get. Mendis built the platform through two vital stands: 111 for the second wicket with Upul Tharanga and 83 for the third wicket with Dinesh Chandimal before the collapse.Tharanga, playing in his 200th ODI, steadied Sri Lanka after they lost Danushka Gunathilaka in the third over. He struck Mehedi Hasan, the offspinner, for two fours in the eighth over before leaning into a beautiful cover drive off Mustafizur Rahman in the 10th over.Mendis was scratchy to begin with, a healthy edge flying between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah at a wide slip position to reprieve him early on. Having scored just seven off his first 25 deliveries up until then, the boundary released the pressure. From there on, though, he was a different batsman.The control with which he was batting resulted in Tharanga slipping into the role of an accumulator. The pair raised the century stand and looked good for more, but Bangladesh had a breakthrough in bizarre circumstances. Tharanga, trying to steal a run after Mushfiqur half-stopped a Mustafizur beamer, was run-out for 65 at the bowler’s end through a direct hit from Mahmudullah at short fine leg in the 25th over.Mendis hammered the next ball, a free-hit, for a six and then reached his fifty with a boundary off the fifth delivery. Mustafizur conceded 20 off the over, with Sri Lanka showing no signs of slowing down. He reached his century in the 36th over, thereby raising the possibility of hauling his side close to 330. But the dismissals of Chandimal and Mendis in successive overs set them back.Mendis’ dismissal – taken off the rebound by Taskin on his followthrough – left Sri Lanka at 216 for 4 in the 38th over. Milinda Siriwardana and Asela Gunaratne then patched things together with a 55-run stand for the fifth wicket.Mehedi who dropped Siriwardana on 24 at midwicket had the last laugh when he bowled him in the next over. Gunaratne though continued to bring out his paddles and the big heaves to hit a 29-ball 39 to take Sri Lanka past 300 before Taskin took centrestage in the final over. However, rain had the final say.

West Indies’ batsmen need to find an answer to teenage legspinner Shadab Khan if they are to keep the series alive

The Preview by Danyal Rasool31-Mar-2017Match factsApril 1, 2017
Start time 12:30 local (16:30 GMT)Will West Indies find an answer to Shadab Khan?•Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty ImagesBig PictureThe 2-0 scoreline may suggest more of the same from the remaining T20 matches this series, but the manner in which Pakistan sneaked over the line in the second game brought the tour to life. It was an encounter West Indies looked to have wrapped up a number of times, only to let it slip through their fingers during a frenetic last over. Even so, West Indies have shown they’re up to the task of challenging the visitors, and on the evidence of Thursday’s showing, a long-awaited limited-overs win against Pakistan might not be far away.The hosts’ primary headache is the lack of form for many of their key T20 players. Lendl Simmons has scored just 21 runs in his last five T20I innings, while Keiron Pollard has not scored more than 26 in a T20I since July 2013, and has a disappointing (by his standards anyway) strike rate of 103.9 since then. Captain Carlos Brathwaite is yet to regain the touch that blasted West Indies to the World T20 title, and the openers lack experience. In addition, the previous game saw one of the worst fielding displays from West Indies in recent times, multiple schoolboy errors gifting Pakistan extra runs in a match they only won by three.Pakistan, for their part, will recognise that they made off with a win they barely deserved, relying heavily on their 18-year old legspinner Shadab Khan, who, besides Wahab Riaz, was the only player to walk away from the game with any credit. Pakistan’s batting is at the same, maddeningly inconsistent level it’s been at for a number of years now, and West Indies have a bowling attack to exploit that weakness. However, with West Indies appearing to have what can only be described as a mental block against Sarfraz Ahmed’s men, Pakistan may walk away with a series win that will, on current evidence, only paper over the cracks.Form guideWest Indies LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWWWWIn the spotlightThe second T20 was as close to a one-on-one match-up as cricket could hope for, with the result of the match looking like it hinged on the duel between Marlon Samuels and Shadab. After a lean period, which saw the West Indies batsman being dropped from the ODI series against England, he was at his expansive best on Thursday. Imad Wasim went for consecutive sixes in an over Samuels took 19 from, and two cover drives in a Hasan Ali over showed Samuels was as much at home with finesse as he was with force. He looked like he might drag West Indies over the line on his own, and his failure to do so may well see him hungry to make amends in the upcoming encounter.The fire was back in Wahab Riaz’s belly during the second match after a disappointing opener. At the Queen’s Park Oval, Wahab combined the two things that so often fail to go hand in hand for him: raw pace and accuracy. The penultimate over of the West Indies’ innings – bowled by Wahab – was riveting viewing, with the ball at times coming in as fast as 95mph, beating the batsmen for pace. It also accounted for the crucial wicket of Brathwaite, whose presence, as everyone knows now, always means West Indies are always in with a chance. If Wahab can find that sort of performance consistently, he can ensure the hosts have one more thing to worry about.Carlos Brathwaite is yet to regain the touch that fired West Indies to the World T20 title last year•AFPTeam newsWest Indies didn’t make any changes after a dismal performance in the first game, so they are likely to stick with the side that so significantly improved four days later. The only question mark may be over the inclusion of Rovman Powell, who fell for a first-ball duck, with Jason Mohammad a possible replacement. The hosts otherwise named the same 13-man squad for the last two T20s.West Indies (probable): Evin Lewis, Chadwick Walton (wk), Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Keiron Pollard, Rovman Powell/Jason Mohammad, Carlos Brathwaite (capt), Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, Samuel Badree, Kesrick WilliamsPakistan’s top order was ordinary yet again, but with no obvious replacements, they may stick to the same eleven that edged the second game in Trinidad. However, replacing Kamran Akmal with Mohammad Hafeez might be a possibility, if only for the extra bowling option he gives them.Pakistan (probable): Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal/Mohammad Hafeez, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Hasan Ali, Wahab RiazPitch and conditionsThe pitch at the Queen’s Park Oval, as was witnessed during the second T20, is expected to favour the slow bowlers and offer plenty of turn. There is cloud cover expected in the evening, which might offer movement to the faster bowlers, but no rain.Stats and trivia Marlon Samuels has now played 51 T20I innings without ever being dismissed for a duck in the format. Only Angelo Mathews has played more innings (54) in the format without falling for nought. Shadab Khan is only the third player to have won the Man-of-the-Match award in his first two T20Is, after Sanath Jayasuria and Ajantha Mendis.

Chelsea's need for a new goalkeeper has been apparent for a while now, with Kepa Arrizabalaga's ability constantly being questioned pretty much from the day he arrived from Athletic Bilbao in a mammoth £72m deal five years ago.

Edouard Mendy appeared to be the solution to Chelsea's problems, but he struggled for consistency and is now on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

Are Chelsea going to sign a new goalkeeper?

Chelsea have been linked with their fair share of goalkeepers this summer, including the likes of Leeds United's Illan Meslier, Andre Onana of Inter Milan and Porto stopper Diogo Costa.

AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan is another who has been mentioned, with Matt Law detailing in a report for The Telegraph that he remains 'under consideration'.

Is Mike Maignan an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga?

Whether it is Onana, Maignan or any other high-profile goalkeeper, bringing in a new number one this summer has to be high on the list of Pochettino's priorities.

Kepa had an upturn in form midway through last season, but he otherwise underwhelmed – again – and came in for criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp following Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Everton in March.

"The keeper is so poor [for Ellis Simms' goal]. He doesn't make nearly enough saves… The keeper should do better."

Redknapp is not alone in questioning Kepa, with Gary Neville previously stating Chelsea "will not win a league with a goalkeeper that is letting goals in from outside the box and doesn't dominate his area."

That is not quite as strong as what former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot said in 2020 when labelling the Spain international "a liability". All this for the most expensive goalkeeper in history, too.

Kepa conceded at a rate of 1.17 goals per 90 minutes across 39 matches in all competitions last season, as per FBref, which compares to 0.92 for Maignan in 32 games for Milan.

That can be down to factors out of Kepa's control, of course, such as a poor defence – which would not be wrong in Chelsea's instance – but he is also outperformed in a number of other metrics.

For example, Maignan kept a clean sheet in 34.4% of matches last season, compared to 30.8% for Kepa. Maignan also saved two of the six penalties he faced, including one from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in Milan's Champions League quarter-final win against Napoli, whereas Kepa saved none of the three he faced.

Kepa is often praised for his shot-saving ability, though even that is pretty much on a par with Maignan – 73.8% of shots saved for the Spaniard compared to 73.7% for his potential future rival.

Perhaps more tellingly, Maignan is also better with the ball at his feet, completing 30.7% of his passes to Kepa's 28.5%.

Signing a player of Maignan's quality will not come cheap, with Italian outlet Corriere della Sera suggesting any possible move will cost around €70m (£60m), but Chelsea must surely now end the Kepa experiment if they are to re-establish themselves as one of the Premier League's elite.

Chelsea are edging closer to signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo following a recent update by renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

The Stamford Bridge outfit could now finally see Caicedo at the club sooner rather than later, with the Italian now tweeting:

“Chelsea are set to open talks with Brighton for Moisés Caicedo as negotiations between clubs starting within 24/48h.

“Personal terms, not as issue — now Chelsea prepared to ‘attack’ the deal.

“Never easy or fast negotiations with Brighton. Chelsea, on it.”

Chelsea had a £55m bid rejected in January, and he will cost a lot more now should the Blues get a deal over the line in the coming weeks, with some reports suggesting that the Segulls will demand in the region of £80m.

Will Moises Caicedo join Chelsea?

It looks as though Chelsea have beaten off competition from Arsenal and Manchester United for the Brighton starlet as evidenced by the Romano update and the £60k-per-week gem could be a dream signing for Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to form a new-look midfield ahead of next season.

The Ecuador international could link up in the middle of the park with Enzo Fernandez as N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both departed west London recently.

Caicedo could enjoy success at the heart of the Chelsea midfield as he completed 2209 passes last season, the seventh most in the Premier League while ranking second in the top flight for tackles, making 100 over the course of the season and Pochettino would be signing a tenacious player who will fight for every ball while also being able to dictate play with his excellent passing ability.

It’s no wonder that he is being courted by a plethora of teams this summer, as he could improve pretty much every side in the division, perhaps aside from Manchester City and the Argentinian will be desperate to get a deal over the line soon.

A move from the South coast to the big city lights shouldn’t faze Caicedo, especially with his experience at the World Cup last year with Ecuador, and it appears as though he is ready to take his game to the next level and challenge for trophies.

If he continues his current upward trajectory, could he even become one of the finest players that Ecuador has ever produced? Historian Enrico Castro-Montes certainly thinks so, dubbing the 21-year-old as being a “crown jewel of a new generation” and this wonderful praise goes to show just how highly regarded he is.

Finally securing his signature would ensure Pochettino gets his business off to a wonderful start, especially as Chelsea will have beaten off clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United, who both could offer the Brighton gem Champions League football next term.

It shows the appeal of Pochettino and the project he is clearly trying to build at the Stamford Bridge side, and with Caicedo the beating heart, it could be a dream move for all parties.

Part-time legspinner Joe Denly was the unlikely bowling hero as Kent opened their Royal London Cup win account with a 46-run victory over South Group rivals Middlesex in Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network07-May-2017
ScorecardSouth Africa’s Wayne Parnell was Man of the Match•AFP

Part-time legspinner Joe Denly was the unlikely bowling hero as Kent opened their Royal London Cup win account with a 46-run victory over South Group rivals Middlesex in Canterbury.Having failed to defend 330-plus scores in their previous two games, Kent managed to protect a modest all out total of 200 with Denly bagging 3 for 20 to secure his side’s first win in four starts and inflict a third defeat on Middlesex. Needing to score at a shade over four an over to record their second win of the campaign, Middlesex committed cardinal one-day errors in losing cheap wickets at regular intervals to fall woefully short.The visitors lost Dawid Malan in the third over when the left-hander sparred outside off against Wayne Parnell to nick to second slip. Four balls later, Parnell, in his last home game of his current spell as Kent’s overseas allrounder, ran one back up the Canterbury slope to trap Nick Gubbins lbw for a single.Adam Voges and Nick Compton added 47 before Kent struck through Darren Stevens, who belied his 41 years by taking a stunning return catch from a Voges’ drive to make it 49 for 3. Eleven runs later and Kent were celebrating again when a direct hit from 12th man Will Gidman, substituting for the injured Matt Coles, ran out John Simpson after Nick Compton had called for a sharp single to the cover fielder.Coles returned after treatment for a sore shin to pocket a comfortable catch off the bowling of James Tredwell that ended Compton’s 85-ball stay for a painstaking 37 and left Tredwell with 1 for 29 from his 10 overs.Keeping pace off the ball, Denly struck to have Ryan Higgins caught behind and then, in his next over, he trapped Toby Roland-Jones lbw when working across the line. Middlesex, with only three wickets remaining, still required 78 going into their final 10 overs when Denly, leaping full-length to his left caught a rasping James Franklin drive one-handed to send the visiting skipper packing for 33.Mitch Claydon replaced Denly to have James Fuller caught off a skier leaving Parnell to finish it with another reflex return caught-and-bowled catch that accounted for Ravi Patel and gave Parnell, the Man of the Match, deserved figures of 3 for 33.Kent’s day started badly when they again lost the toss in overcast conditions and were duly invited to bat with the floodlights already on. Their gloom deepened after only two deliveries when Daniel Bell-Drummond, fresh from scoring back-to-back hundreds in losing causes, feathered a defensive push against Roland-Jones into the gloves of Simpson to depart without scoring.Home skipper Sam Northeast and second-wicket partner Denly, batting against his former county, steadied Kent with a stand of 52 that ended in the 13th over when Denly pulled a short one to midwicket where Voges held a stinging overhead chance.Northeast, who enjoyed a life when on 24 after Voges downed a regulation slip chance, posted his 13th List A half-century from 73 balls and with six fours. He and Sean Dickson added 44 before the latter miscued his attempted pull against Franklin to mid-on to go for 29.Northeast followed, sweeping against Patel to give a catch to the keeper for 55, having spent almost two hours at the crease. Alex Blake lasted only five minutes, tamely hanging his bat out to dry against Franklin, the left-hander went for 2 after edging a third catch to Simpson behind the timbers.The procession of Kent batsmen to the pavilion continued when Stevens miscued to extra cover to gift Patel a second scalp, bringing together Adam Rouse and Parnell for a face-saving seventh-wicket stand worth 34. .With little to lose Parnell went for his strokes only to smear Malan’s first ball of the day, a low full-toss, straight into the hands of Tom Helm at deep midwicket.Coles edged an attempted drive against Helm to slip where Voges took off to hold a stunning overhead catch diving to his left, then, to the first ball of the third and final Powerplay, Rouse nicked an attempted cut to his Middlesex counterpart Simpson to give Helm a second wicket.With four of their 50 overs still to be bowled, Kent’s last man Claydon, who had just hooked the only six of his side’s innings, was yorked by Roland-Jones, the pick of the Middlesex attack with 3 for 35 from his 10 overs.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing both Kalvin Phillips and Conor Gallagher on loan this summer, as they look to bolster their midfield options.

Are Newcastle signing more midfielders?

The Magpies enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 season, qualifying for the Champions League and arguably finding themselves ahead of schedule under Eddie Howe.

This is not a time for Newcastle to rest on their laurels, however, and a number of new signings are required this summer with Champions League football sure to be taxing on the squad, as Sandro Tonali is now the first major capture of the summer.

Midfield is clearly still an area of the pitch Howe has identified as in need of strengthening however, as the Magpies have also missed out on bringing in James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai, who have joined Tottenham and Liverpool respectively.

Are Phillips and Gallagher joining Newcastle?

According to The Irish Independent, Phillips and Gallagher have emerged as potential targets for Newcastle this summer, with loan moves being mooted:

"Newcastle United are looking into possible loan signings this summer with Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher both of interest."

The report claims The Magpies are keeping a "close watch" on Phillips, who wants to fight for his place at Manchester City but may find out it's simply not going to work come pre-season. Gallagher meanwhile has been a target in "each of the past two transfer windows", although he too could look to stay and fight for his place with his current club.

Phillips and Gallagher would represent exciting additions for Newcastle's midfield before the new season gets underway, with the pair both England internationals with plenty of Premier League experience, despite their inability to force their way in with their current squads.

The former may have had a tough first season at Manchester City, suffering injury problems and only starting two Premier League matches, but he is still a top-level midfielder who Barcelona legend and one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Xavi, has described as "superb".

Meanwhile, Gallagher could be a strong link man between the midfield and the attack, and he has already shone on loan away from Chelsea in the past, scoring eight goals and registering three assists in the league for Crystal Palace.

Whether City and the Blues are willing to let them leave could be an obstacle, but if the chance to sign them temporarily emerges, Newcastle should jump at it, with the moves potentially becoming permanent further down the line.

Dale Steyn has been named in the South Africa A four-day squad for the tour of England with a view to proving his fitness for the Test series which begins in July

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2017With a view to proving his fitness for the Tests against England which begin in July, Dale Steyn has been named in the South Africa A four-day squad that tours England before the series.Steyn has been out of action since November when he injured his shoulder in the first Test against Australia in Perth. He has been building up his rehabilitation programme in the early part of the year and the plan is for him to be available for two of the three four-day matches South Africa A play in June.If he comes through those matches he would put himself in the frame for a spot in the Test squad for the four-match series against England which begins on July 6 at Lord’s. Steyn is five wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading Test wicket-taker.”The shoulder rehabilitation has been good. It feels stronger every week,” he told ahead of the squad being named. “I want to play cricket for South Africa. I am nearly ready.”The A squad for the four-day matches will be captained by the highly-rated Titans batsman Aiden Markram while Khaya Zondo, who captains Dolphins, will lead the one-day side. Temba Bavuma, who will be part of the full Test squad, is included in both the one-day and four-day squads along with the recently capped Duanne Olivier, Lungi Ngidi and Theunis de Bruyn.”The four-day series will give us an opportunity to see how some of the players who are on the fringes of the Test squad perform in England ahead of the four-test series,” Linda Zondi, the convener of selectors, said. “We still have time to finalise the Test team so that series can give us some pointers before we finalise the Test squad.”South Africa A one-day squad Khaya Zondo (capt), Reeza Hendricks, Jon Jon Smuts, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, , Heino Kuhn, Dwaine Pretorius, Mangaliso Mosehle, Sisanda Magala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Junior Dala, Dane PatersonSouth Africa A four-day squad Heino Kuhn, Aiden Markram (capt), Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma, Khaya Zondo, Jason Smith, Heinrich Klaasen, Dwaine Pretorius, Rudi Second, Dane Piedt, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Duanne Olivier, Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Dale Steyn