Chelsea's American winger Christian Pulisic is expected to force his way out of Stamford Bridge in the summer after an underwhelming campaign for the 24-year-old.

Will Pulisic leave Chelsea in the summer?

Pulisic made the move to Stamford Bridge in January 2019 for over £57m from the Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund where he was immediately loaned back until the end of the season.

However, he has certainly endured his struggles in England having failed to nail down a consistent spot in the starting XI at Stamford Bridge.

His struggles have even seen his father hit out through social media last year over his own frustration regarding the winger's lack of game time.

And speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the expectation around west London is for the £150k-per-week winger to move on in the summer:

"I think he will leave Chelsea. This was already in the plans, from what I understand, in January – then, the transfer didn't happen because of the injury, but it was already a possibility for Pulisic to leave in January.

"I think this summer is going to be the opportunity for him to go to try something different."

Who could Pulisic move to?

There are reports suggesting the American does have interest from within the Premier League from the likes of Newcastle United and Manchester United.

Chelsea have spent massively on attacking options over recent months which has meant the American's competition for a spot in the starting XI has been enormous.

However, it would be interesting to see whether he would be open to a move to a side who have outperformed the Blues in the Premier League this season.

Both Newcastle and the Red Devils are fighting for a spot inside the top four so it would be no easy ride for the 24-year-old to break into their respective sides.

There have to be injury concerns over the winger who has never been able to play more than 27 league games for Chelsea since landing in England (via Transfermarkt).

But the "magician" – according to reporter Al Butler – has shown he is capable of performing in the Premier League having returned nine league goals and six assists in his season at Stamford Bridge.

With this in mind, perhaps a move to Old Trafford or St. James' Park could prove an attractive proposition for the winger given the record of Eddie Howe and Erik ten Hag with their respective wingers.

On Tyneside, Howe has transformed Miguel Almiron into the side's top scorer this season with an impressive return of 11 league goals.

And in addition, Ten Hag has brought Marcus Rashford back to the best version of himself with the England international having netted 27 goals across all competitions.

It certainly hasn't been plain sailing for Pulisic recently, but perhaps a change of scenery will see him return to his best.

Australia are likely to tour Bangladesh in 2017 to play a two-Test series that had been postponed last year due to security concerns.

Mohammad Isam27-Apr-2016

Australia are likely to tour Bangladesh in 2017 to play the two-Test series that had been postponed last year due to security concerns.The teams were set to play in Dhaka in October 2015, but Cricket Australia received a government advisory about threats to Australian interest in Bangladesh two days before the players’ departure. The BCB promised VVIP security in an effort to salvage the tour, but were unsuccessful. The Australian Under-19s had also withdrawn from the World Cup that was held in Bangladesh at the start of 2016.On Tuesday, Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, who had made the pull out public last year, said they were keen to resume ties. “We’ve had discussions offline with the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They know and understand that we’re absolutely committed to playing that [postponed] tour, obviously subject to security matters that we need to go through in preparation for that tour. But we’re very much looking forward to getting back to Bangladesh and playing cricket over there.”BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury also told ESPNcricinfo that, “after discussions with Cricket Australia, we are at the final stages of finalising the commitment for their tour to Bangladesh next year, and we will announce the tour dates once everything is confirmed.”It is understood that the two Tests could be held immediately after the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, which runs from June 1 to 18, although cricket in Bangladesh is not usually played in the months between May and October.

Charlotte Edwards is a Southern Viper, Katherine Brunt a Yorkshire Diamond and Sarah Taylor will rumble for Lancashire Thunder. Not an ECB marketing gimmick but confirmation of the allocation of England players to teams in the inaugural Women’s Super League.The six teams have been assigned between three and four players from the England Performance Squad, with overseas signings to come further down the line. The T20 tournament is scheduled to take place in July and August and is aimed at increasing the standards and opportunities for the women’s game in England.

WSL England allocations

Lancashire Thunder Kate Cross, Sarah Taylor (capt), Danielle Wyatt
Loughborough Lightning Georgia Elwiss, Rebecca Grundy, Amy Jones, Beth Langston
Southern Vipers Charlotte Edwards (capt) Natasha Farrant, Lydia Greenway
Surrey Stars Tammy Beaumont, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver (capt)
Western Storm Heather Knight (capt), Anya Shrubsole, Fran Wilson
Yorkshire Diamonds Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Danielle Hazell, Lauren Winfield (capt)

Edwards, the England captain, has just returned from India were her side were knocked out in the semi-final of the Women’s World T20. She has long played for Kent and will lead the Southern Vipers – who are based at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl – in the WSL.”With three or four England players, plus three overseas players, per squad the standard of the Kia Super League is going to be very high; exactly what’s needed to take our game forwards,” Edwards said. “I’m really excited and happy to be a Southern Viper. The Ageas Bowl is somewhere that I’ve always enjoyed playing and I have particularly fond memories of winning the Women’s Ashes there in 2013.”I’ve also done a lot of work in the area with the Hampshire Cricket Board and Chance to Shine, so it’s somewhere that I already feel really at home. I cannot wait to play there as a Viper this summer.”Among other key England players, Nat Sciver will continue her Surrey association with the Stars, and Heather Knight will captain the Western Storm – a partnership between Somerset, Gloucestershire and University of Exeter. Yorkshire Diamonds and Loughborough Lightning are the two teams with four England players.Jo Kirk, the WSL general manager, said: “The key considerations when initially approaching the player allocation process were to ensure an even balance of talent across the six teams, alongside factoring in the local allegiances of the players as much as possible.”Each of the teams will have a squad of 15 players, which will consist of a maximum of four centrally contracted England women’s players, three overseas players, and a maximum of three England Women’s Academy players. The remainder of players will come from the England Women’s Development Programme and a comprehensive county talent identification process.”By the end of this process, the ECB will have collaborated extensively with the six hosts to select 90 players from a talent pool of nearly 200 from this country and across the world. Players will receive a standardised match fee for each game that they compete in, plus expenses will be paid to all players throughout the preparation and competition phases.”The six WSL teams have been awarded hosting rights for a four-year period from 2016-2019 inclusive, with the competition set to expand from T20 only in its inaugural year to both T20 and 50-over cricket in future seasons.

Chelsea are having a season to forget and new interim manager Frank Lampard will be hoping he can at least salvage European football, although even that isn’t looking likely.

January singings Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk have so far failed to improve this Chelsea side too much, despite costing nearly £200m to sign and whoever gets the managers job ahead of next season, must find a way to allow them to demonstrate their incredible talent.

Another key area that needs to be improved is that of the goalkeeper, with Kepa Arrizabalaga enjoying a less-than-productive campaign, conceding 27 goals and keeping 12 clean sheets in 30 matches.

The £150k-per-week Spaniard has been an inconsistent figure for a while now and was notably criticised by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright on the Wrighty’s House Podcast.

He said (via Daily Mail): "I’m looking at Kepa and I’m sorry man but it’s not working out. The man makes too many mistakes. He looks very nervy."

Could the club turn to another Premier League keeper as a replacement for Kepa? David Raya looks to set to leave Brentford this summer and with Chelsea interested, he could well be their new number one.

Will David Raya move to Chelsea?

Fabrizio Romano stated that Raya could cost any potential suitor around €40m (£35m) and considering the Blues' vast spending of late, this fee is like loose change for Todd Boehly, who could get a more than able replacement for Kepa.

The Brentford shot-stopper has been excellent this season, helping the club enjoy another impressive top-flight showing as they currently occupy ninth spot in the league table.

The 27-year-old has been an integral part of this success, averaging a 7.1 rating via Sofascore, ranking him as the club’s second-highest rated performer while he is even rated as the second-best goalkeeper in the entire division, proving exactly why the likes of Chelsea are interested in signing him.

Across 31 matches, the “incredible” gem – as dubbed by Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi – has made 4.1 saves per match and has succeeded with 100% of his run-outs while keeping nine clean sheets also.

Raya has made the most saves in the division (124), indicating that Brentford’s defence could perhaps improve, however when he is called upon, he rarely lets the team down.

Boehly will be expecting the Stamford Bridge outfit to challenge for trophies next term, especially if they can hire an experienced coach who will be given time. With Raya as the number one goalkeeping option, they will have a player who is dependable and eager to impress.

Australia captain Steven Smith singled out a good opening partnership as the key to Australia’s success in the Caribbean ahead of their tri-series opener against West Indies on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2016Australia captain Steven Smith has singled out a good opening partnership as the key to success in the Caribbean ahead of their tri-series opener against West Indies on Sunday.

Davison has been massive for me – Lyon

Nathan Lyon has credited mentor and Cricket Australia spin coach John Davison for being a huge influence on his game. Lyon praised the former Canada allrounder for being approachable and was sure that he would be able to use his guidance to good effect during his time in the Caribbean. “For me, John Davison has been a massive player. He’s someone that I can pick up the phone anytime and anywhere and give a call and throw back ideas,” Lyon said.
“I’m lucky enough to have some really good mates in and around the squad here who have played in a lot of spinning conditions and they give me a fair amount of feedback here and there, but Davis is probably the one I can pick up and call just about any time. And I know he’ll be at home watching closely and if he sees anything, he’ll send me a text or give me a call the next day.”

Unlike the faster pitches at home, the surfaces in the Caribbean are expected to become slower as the innings progresses, and how Australia handle the new ball could determine how they fare in the tournament. The Providence Stadium in Guyana stayed true to reputation during West Indies’ four-wicket triumph over South Africa on Friday, with both sides finding run-scoring difficult.”My thoughts before yesterday’s game was that it wasn’t going to be a high-scoring game,” Smith said on the eve of the match. “It’s about being smart, particularly through the middle overs against the spinners, making sure we’re able to rotate the strike, and if we get a bad ball, put it away. Whereas in Australia, the bounce is consistent, the ball doesn’t spin a great deal, so you can hit through the line and take the game on a little bit more.”I don’t think you need to tell Davey Warner or Aaron Finch how to play too much. I think that’s just their natural instinct, to play their shots, which hopefully will get us into a good position. It looks as though it might be one of those wickets where the new ball is the easiest time to bat and then the wicket slows down, making it harder to score. If we try and make the most of those first six to ten overs, hopefully we can hold ourselves in good stead for the rest of the innings.”Smith’s observations were along the lines of how South Africa’s innings panned out. They made a solid start after choosing to bat and were 52 for 1 in the 10th over. By the time AB de Villiers fell in the 31st, they were scoring at less than 4.5 runs an over. Sunil Narine, on international comeback, then wrecked the middle order to finish with career-best figures of 6 for 27 as South Africa lost eight wickets for 58 runs.”I think it’s about each individual batter having a plan against him,” Smith said about facing Narine. “Obviously, he’s a quality bowler with a different set of skills than we’re used to seeing. I think most of our guys have seen him play in the IPL or for the West Indies and know what he brings to the table. It’s just about going out and executing our skills against him.”As for Australia, Adam Zampa will likely have a big role to play, although with Glenn Maxwell’s offbreaks and the presence of a senior spinner in Nathan Lyon, a final call will only be taken after pitch inspection on match day. Smith had words of praise for the young legspinner.”He has a lot of confidence. I think he’s come a long way in the last couple of years. He’s confident in his skill set and what he brings to the table,” Smith said. “He knows what he’s trying to do, reads the batsman very well, and I think his control has improved a lot as well.”I was really impressed with how he bowled in New Zealand in the one-dayers, and throughout the T20 World Cup and the IPL in India. He’s come on a long way, and hopefully can continue to improve and get better as well.”Lyon felt it was the confidence in his ability and the knowledge of what he’s trying to do that has elevated Zampa to the next level. “I’m not sure if I’m the senior spinner. We (he and Zampa) are really good mates, that helps,” Lyon said. “I’ve known him for a fair few years now, he’s developing into a great spinner. It’s been a privilege to work with him in the nets, and hopefully, if we get the chance to play together, we can win a couple of games for Australia.”I think he’s backed himself. He understands where his game is at the moment. He trusts his spinning ability. It’s exciting to see an upcoming legspinner, especially in the one-day format.”Maxwell has spoken in the past of the difficulty of him and Lyon playing in the same Test XI as both spin the ball the same way. But this tri-series could well see the two of them playing together and Lyon didn’t believe it was impossible. “Maxi bats in the top-five, doesn’t he? He’s a batter who can bowl offspin pretty well, so there’s definitely room for two spinners, especially given Maxi’s skill with the bat. So I don’t see a problem playing with Maxi.”A regular feature of the Test team, Lyon has made only sporadic appearances in the shorter format – he has played 10 ODIs and one T20I – and he felt every opportunity would be a chance to make the spot his own. Having made two trips to the country also helped his case as he has knowledge of the conditions. “It (the Providence pitch) looks like a typical Caribbean wicket. I’ve been fortunate enough to be over here a couple of times now, so hopefully understand the wicket here. But it looks like it’s going to be a tough one-day series. Every bowler is going to be a threat, it’s just about bowling in partnerships and attacking and defending at the right time.”Lyon also dismissed notions that bowling in the shorter format may affect his performance in Test cricket. “It’s definitely not going to damage my bowling. I’m confident in my skills to get the job done in any format. It’s just about being able to adapt – the best players in the world adapt – and that’s one of my goals.”

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal right-back Ben White is "underrated" by those who do not watch the Gunners closely.

What's the latest on Ben White and Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and his team took one step closer to securing the Premier League title at the end of the season with a vital win over Leeds United on Saturday.

Playing host to the Whites at the Emirates, Arsenal scored four goals and conceded just once as they thumped their opponents 4-1.

England defender White played a key role in the victory as he scored the second goal of the game and completed the full 90 minutes.

While speaking about the defender on his own YouTube channel, Watts couldn't help but sing the praises of the right-back.

Indeed, the journalist insisted that the £120k-p/w star is completely underrated, saying (11:02): “I love Ben White. I think he's so so good.

"He's such an underrated player outside of Arsenal. I think everyone at Arsenal knows how good Ben White is, how good a season he's had.

"But outside of Arsenal, I think a lot of people just don't really appreciate him. And they should because he's one hell of a player.”

Is Ben White underrated?

It seems international manager Gareth Southgate certainly doesn't rate him that highly. After all, he didn't pick him in the latest England squad – although that could be down to a non-footballing issue, as White left the Three Lions camp early during the World Cup for unspecified reasons.

So is White underrated? Well, when compared to other England right-backs, he seems to do pretty well. Indeed, as per FBREF, the Arsenal man has two goals and three assists in the Premier League this term.

This is one more goal and one more assist better than any of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, and Kyle Walker have managed – not bad considering White played last season as a centre-back and isn't known for his attacking prowess like the others.

He has also made more blocks, attempted more tackles, and completed more take-ons than any of the other three – although he has played that most minutes. The 25-year-old is also yet to make an error leading to a shot at goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for instance, has made two.

Perhaps the stat the most stands out is the simplest one. White is the first-choice right-back at the best team in the country right now, having started 27 league games for the Gunners, losing just twice.

With all that in mind, he's clearly one of the best, if not the best right-back in the league right now. So it's fair to say he probably is a bit underrated.

Sixteen-year-old batsman Jason Sangha has become the youngest player ever contracted by New South Wales after he was handed a rookie deal for the 2016-17 season. The Blues have finalised their squad list for next summer and another teenager, the 18-year-old spinner Arjun Nair, who last season made his state debut aged 17, has received a full contract.Wicketkeeper-batsman Jay Lenton and top-order batsman Ryan Gibson have earned full contracts, while offspinner Chris Green and fast bowler Liam Hatcher have been handed rookie deals. Opening batsman Daniel Solway, who held a rookie contract last season, has missed out on this year’s list.The inclusion of Sangha came after he enjoyed a meteoric rise through the junior ranks last summer, starting the season in the New South Wales Under-15 Schoolboys team before also being picked in the Cricket Australia Invitation sides for both the Under-17 and Under-19 National Championships.A batsman from Newcastle, Sangha was also picked in Australia’s Under-19 team in January and scored 102 on Youth ODI debut against Pakistan in Dubai. He will juggle his training with the Blues and his Year 11 high-school commitments throughout the rest of 2016.”New South Wales has a long tradition of backing young talent and we are delighted to be able to bring Jason Sangha, Arjun Nair, Liam Hatcher and Chris Green into the Blues squad this summer,” Andrew Jones, the Cricket New South Wales CEO, said.”Along with Mickey Edwards, Jonte Pattison and Henry Thornton, these rookies have a tremendous amount of potential and we look forward to seeing them develop under the guidance of the Blues coaching staff and senior players.”The Blues had a solid summer in 2015-16, winning the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup and achieving the best win-loss record in the Sheffield Shield. The squad also supplied the majority of the Australian Test team. Our challenge now is to build on this momentum, to defend the Matador Cup and win the Sheffield Shield.”New South Wales squad Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Ed Cowan, Pat Cummins (Cricket Australia contract), Ben Dwarshuis, Ryan Gibson, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Nick Larkin, Jay Lenton, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Arjun Nair, Peter Nevill (CA), Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Steven Smith (CA), Will Somerville, Mitchell Starc (CA), David Warner (CA).
Rookies Mickey Edwards, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Jonte Pattison, Jason Sangha, Henry Thornton.

HLTCO host Dan Cook has claimed that there must have been "sizeable" issues at Crystal Palace under former boss Patrick Vieira following the club's sudden change in form.

What's the latest on Roy Hodgson and Crystal Palace?

In the Premier League this weekend, the Eagles stunned many as they cruised to a 5-1 win against relegation rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.

Indeed, Jordan Ayew stole headlines as he netted a brace, but goals from Marc Guehi, Eberechi Eze, and Odsonne Edouard helped new manager Roy Hodgson make it two wins from two since returning to Palace.

Considering the club were sliding towards the bottom three, on a run of 12 games without a win, before sacking Vieira, such a quick turnaround in form has been quite remarkable.

Of course, changes at the top often do cause a bit of a new manager bounce but while speaking about it all on the HLTCO podcast, Cook has suggested that something must have been amiss behind the scenes under their former head coach.

He explained (2:04) “I think at this stage, we have to look and say that there cannot have been any smoke without fire. You know, there must have been pretty sizeable things wrong behind the scenes.

"Because the way that Roy Hodgson and Ray Lewington have come into the squad and galvanised it, the joy that these players are playing, with the smiles on their faces, the freedom in an attacking sense that we are suddenly seen, is not something you can just click your fingers and cultivate.

"It has to have come because of a release of a pressure valve, because of a difference in the way that the coaches have approached things, because of a structural differentiation when it comes to training and the way that we are going about things.”

How many goals have Palace scored since Hodgson returned?

Hodgson certainly has been in good form in his press conferences after returning to the South London club he managed prior to leaving in the summer of 2021.

Indeed, he eloquently told The Independent about how he and his coaching team must act as "orchestra leaders" to get his players to play hit the right notes and perform with real quality for the rest of the season.

He certainly got things right on the weekend and it does feel as though a weight has been lifted off the Palace squad. Indeed, the Eagles have seven goals in their last two games since Hodgson arrived. Prior to that, they had one in their last five.

That doesn't reflect too well on the now-departed Vieira. No wonder, Cook suspects something was a little off behind the scenes.

Justin Langer, Australia’s coach for the West Indies tri-series, said that he’s in awe of the young fast bowling talent he saw in the West Indies

Brydon Coverdale28-Jun-20162:47

Langer hopes for no more ‘dead’ WI pitches

West Indies cricket would go a long way to reaching its potential if Caribbean pitches regained the pace and bounce of yesteryear, according to Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer. After Australia won the tri-series final against West Indies on Sunday, Langer said he had been in awe of the talent he had seen among local net bowlers over the past month.However, the pitches offered up during the series tended to be on the slower side, as has been the case in the region for many years. Langer said he found it baffling that pitches were prepared that would help spinners such as Sunil Narine, who he said was “still going to be a star” on any surface due to his natural talent, instead of fast bowlers who could rattle opposing batsmen.”There is so much fast-bowling talent here,” Langer said. “You’ve got big, tall, beautiful athletes, and they run in and bowl fast and they keep bowling all day, but I don’t understand why they play on such dead, low, lifeless wickets. It doesn’t make any sense to us.”If you could harness the natural ability you’ve got in the West Indies with those tall fast bowlers … it would get the batsmen more used to facing fast bowling, more used to facing short-pitched bowling. And with the natural talent they’ve got it won’t take long. But you’ve got to face it. You’ve got to be exposed to it.”There’s so much natural talent. We’ve seen it in the net bowlers. I’m in awe of how many young fast bowlers you’ve got in the West Indies. We’ve seen it in Guyana, we’ve seen it in St Kitts, we’ve seen it in Barbados, and yet you play on wickets that bounce about this high. It doesn’t make sense to me.”The 19-year-old Leeward Islands bowler Alzarri Joseph was one such talent who impressed Langer with his work in the nets against the Australians during the St Kitts leg of the tour. Joseph was part of the West Indies side that won the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh earlier this year, and Langer said he was seriously impressed by what he saw at training.”He reminded me of Andre Russell,” Langer said. “He bowled fast, beautiful yorkers – and what an athlete. I reckon I’ve seen four or five who have really, really raw talent, and they just kept bowling. That’s what I kept loving. They just kept running in and bowling all day.”In a lot of parts of the world now it’s so structured with workloads and bowling loads. These kids just kept running in and bowling fast, and it was bloody hot … I do know they gave our batsmen a workout, and there was talent. The talent is very obvious.”Langer, in charge of the Australian squad while Darren Lehmann had a break at home, emerged from the tour with a series win to his name, but he said West Indies should have a bright future judging by their performances this year.”West Indies cricket is so exciting,” he said. “They won the T20 World Cup, they’re so dangerous. They’re like a boxer who’s got the big right hook and could knock you out at any time. They’ve got so much talent.”I really respect and admire the guys who are playing, Jason Holder and Darren Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite to name a few – Narine, Pollard is always dangerous. [Johnson] Charles is a very dangerous player. Until we got him out I was nervous for the game, because he’s a serious player. He whacks it – not a lot of foot movement but he’s a dangerous player. If he could harness his ability and go out and score more hundreds … Darren Bravo got a brilliant hundred the other day.”There’s a lot of talent and I think they’re playing really well. They made the final, they beat South Africa very well, who are on paper an unbelievable cricket team. West Indies have a lot to look forward to.”

The attention was on Durham’s Scott Borthwick but he ran himself out for 2 and Steven Patterson then drove home Yorkshire’s advantage with 6 for 56

David Hopps at Chester-le-Street20-Jun-2016
ScorecardSteven Patterson recorded career-best figures•Getty Images

At a time when a potential home Test debut for Scott Borthwick against Pakistan has been widely floated, it is perhaps inevitable that the Durham wicket that gained most attention was the one where Steven Patterson just vaguely stood there at the end of his run and happened to get in the way.Borthwick, who began the match with a Championship average top side of 80, has had a prolific season, in contrast to the current incumbent as England’s No. 3, Nick Compton, who has mustered 151 runs at 16.77 in a troubled season for both Middlesex and England.Patterson, one of the stingier bowlers around, was probably silently berating himself for allowing Borthwick something as self-indulgent as a front-foot drive when the ball was parried at mid-off by the diving Andrew Gale. Borthwick first held the pose – as if displaying his England credentials for a dozing photographer – then sensed a single, aware that Gale is carrying a few niggles and is a bit exposed in the field these days.But there was a Patterson roundabout to negotiate and Borthwick was still a foot short of the crease, sliding in on his knees, when Gale’s direct hit struck the stumps. The physio had to come on to give Gale attention, but it was only a graze and he was safe in the knowledge that he had pronounced he has not become an automatic single just yet.That was England affairs done and dusted, Borthwick left to curse a scorecard showing two runs in six balls. Attention turned to the Championship, the arena in which, day in day out, Patterson proves his worth. This time, with career-best figures of 6 for 56 to celebrate, and Durham dismissed for 172, he might get a share of that headline.Chris Rushworth, who two seasons ago took nine wickets in an innings, did his best to upstage Patterson late on, serving up a draught of local defiance. Shaven pate shimmering in rare evening sunshine, he claimed all four Yorkshire wickets to fall, including Alex Lees for 71 and Patterson, loping out as nightwatchman, for a second-ball duck, to leave Gale and Gary Ballance playing charily for the close.With the bat, Jack Burnham stuck it out, his 49 from 134 balls representing a mature contribution in a decent first full season, showing the sort of resilience that is expected from this Durham side, no matter how inexperienced. He drove pleasantly at times, but he never drove Patterson, wisely settling for suspicious pushes into the leg side.”Patto does what Patto does,” his coach, Jason Gillespie, is fond of saying. He does not so much hit a length as beat it into submission at speeds just above the motorway speed limit, but not quite fast enough to make the camera flash. But when he hits the seam he can change lane as sharply as the best of them. On a nibbly Chester-le-Street seamer, he was a permanent irritation: as nagging as a wasp in the kitchen, the thing you can’t quite remember, the noise in the car you can’t quite place.Every team needs a Patto, someone to throw the ball to when the pressure is on, and for Yorkshire the pressure was at maximum. They have four senior pace bowlers absent – Jack Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom, David Willey and Liam Plunkett (the latter with England) – their hugely promising fast bowler, Matt Fisher, is plagued by hamstring trouble, and England have also called up the legspin of Adil Rashid.Add Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root, and Yorkshire had eight missing in all. Two seamers were on Yorkshire Championship debut, Ben Coad and Josh Shaw, although Shaw had at least had some experience at Gloucestershire, where he has been called back from an intended season’s loan.With one point separating Lancashire, Durham and Yorkshire at the top of Division One, the table is a triumph for the north, although this being the north, the did curb its regional pride with the observation that Lancashire are in a false position.Durham were reasonably placed at 74 for 2 when Patterson struck for the first time with his second ball after lunch, having Mark Stoneman lbw, pushing well forward. Then came a run of 3 for 8 in 18 balls: Michael Richardson edged a brute of a ball which spat off a length; Paul Collingwood, who seemed intent on breaking him early, managed one cover drive but then mistimed a wide one to backward point; and Ryan Pringle’s off stump was removed as he groped forward.Coad and Shaw both acquitted themselves well, and Tim Bresnan produced a decent delivery of his own to have Usman Arshad caught at the wicket, but Gale ran Patterson for 14 overs in all, a spell broken by lunch, his value never more apparent. A brief second spell went unrewarded before Gale turned to him again after tea and he ended the innings courtesy of two off-side catches. A bowler just doing his job, and doing it well.