ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the fourth day at The Oval

George Dobell and Firdose Moonda at The Oval22-Jul-2012Dedication of the Day
With Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis both starting the fourth day with milestones imminent, emotion was guaranteed. Amla reached 200 with a perfectly-placed back-foot drive and celebrated long, but carefully. Kallis was more emphatic when he reached three figures. With arms raised he soaked in warm applause and then gestured to his eye with a small nod of the head. Although Kallis had pointed to his right eye instead of his left, it was a tribute to his best friend, Mark Boucher, whose left-eye injury forced him to retire at the start of the tour. Kallis and Boucher, friends for almost two decades, were the longest-serving members of the South African squad and also live next door to each other.Achievement of the Day
Before today, no South African batsman had scored 300 runs in a Test match. AB de Villiers’ 278 stood as the tallest mountain and when Hashim Amla went past him, De Villiers was shown on camera cheering him on. It took 35 balls from the time Amla broke that record to the time he brought up 300. There were some nerves when Tim Bresnan trapped him on the pads and appealed vociferously but otherwise his usual calm predominated. The milestone came with a drive through the covers, Amla’s signature shot of the innings. As he jogged down the pitch, he punched the air – a first for a usually understated man. The Oval crowd were on the feet for a full minute.Big call of the Day
Graeme Smith has been criticised for sometimes being too conservative. Today, he went the other way. At tea, with South Africa 252 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand and Jacques Kallis on 182, Smith decided they would bat no more. He gave his bowlers four sessions to bowl England out and left open the possibility that South Africa might have to chase a small target. With a series lead at stake, it was a daring move.Commitment of the Day
The score was 628 for 2 when James Anderson, rushing around the cover boundary, dived full length to turn what had appeared to be a certain four into a two. For a man who had bowled 41 overs – and not taken a wicket since his second – it was a fine effort. While such episodes were of small consolation, this was a day of little joy for England and such a moment at least hinted at the spirit, the fitness and the determination of Anderson and his colleagues.Stat of the Day
By the South Africa declared on 637 for 2, England’s bowlers had taken their last three Test wickets for a cost of 780 runs, in a period stretching back to the Edgbaston Test against West Indies where Tino Best and Denesh Ramdin added 143 for the tenth wicket. For the No. 1 Test side who pride themselves on possessing a fine bowling attack, that is a major stain on their record.Telling moment of the Day:
Some England supporters argued with gateman around the tea interval after demanding their money back. Their point, as far as it was possible to tell through the somewhat inebriated slurring of words, was that they had come to watch a game of cricket but had been bored by the lack of a contest. They argued in vain. While those supporting England might have been disappointed, the pleasure of watching Amla should have provided ample compensation.

В сервисе Steam стартовала бесплатная раздача сразу двух игр — Black Desert (до 18 декабря) и Just Ignore Them (до 15 декабря). Обе игры доступны в России.

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Just Ignore Them — пиксельный инди-хоррор с видом сверху про восьмилетнего мальчика, который оказался в доме с жуткими монстрами. Игра получила 79% положительных отзывов. Её похвалили за неплохой сюжет, приятное музыкальное сопровождение и атмосферу. Страница в Steam.

Ранее мы опубликовали новую подборку игр из Steam, которые стали полностью бесплатными. В неё попали 4 проекта: Chrono Port: Heroes of All Time, Autogiro, Knight Brawler и Geisterbahnhof.

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🐻 Второй фильм по FNAF разгромили критики — сейчас у него 11% свежести на Rotten Tomatoes

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Liverpool have been told that Mohamed Salah is irreplaceable and that there is "no way" reported target Antoine Semenyo, who continues to impress at Bournemouth, is as good as their current No.11. Ex-Reds striker Dean Saunders has been discussing an unfortunate Anfield saga with GOAL after seeing Salah aim an explosive blast at the reigning Premier League champions.

• Exit talk: Why Salah is seeing transfer mooted

  Having found himself benched in three successive fixtures, Salah felt the need to speak out following a frustrating evening in Leeds. He accused Liverpool of throwing him under the bus, as he becomes a scapegoat for title defence struggles, and admitted to seeing his relationship with Reds boss Arne Slot break down.

  Inevitable transfer talk has been sparked, with teams in the Saudi Pro League already being credited with interest in an Egyptian superstar that appears to be pushing for the exits. It may be that Salah, who will soon be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, has played his last game for Liverpool.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Salah replacement: Who should Liverpool look at?

  With the Reds being linked with the likes of Semenyo, West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen and Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, Saunders – speaking via Casino.org, the go-to platform helping British players in finding online casino sites – told GOAL when asked who should be lined up to fill Salah’s boots: "I don’t think you can replace him. Bear in mind, three-and-a-half months ago he won the PFA Player of the Year. He won the league with Liverpool, ended up with 34 goals. I actually said he was the best player in the world, four months ago, because it’s the toughest league in the world and he’s just won the vote of all the players as the Player of the Year.

  "The club does need Mo Salah in the team, it’s so hard to replace him. There is no way Semenyo is as good as Mo Salah. It’s a different level. At one point we thought Son [Heung-min] at Tottenham would probably get a game for Liverpool if [Sadio] Mane went. If Salah goes, who do they get?

  "You look at [Bukayo] Saka, maybe, but they [Arsenal] aren’t going to let him go. It’s players like that. It’s ‘are you going to produce every week, because Mo Salah produces every week?’

  "For whatever reason this season he has not been the player he has been. I think it’s a bit premature at the moment to say ‘let’s get another player to replace him’. They will have to at some point. They will have players lined up."

• Legacy tarnished: Will Salah be welcome back at Anfield?

  Salah – with two Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and 250 goals to his name – stands accused of tarnishing his legacy at Anfield. Saunders added on the 33-year-old burning bridges and what Liverpool need to do next: "I feel like ringing his agent and saying ‘can he not just apologise, say he was emotional after the game, got the hump because he was left out, got the hump because he was never brought on and say sorry, he didn’t mean to offend?’

  "He has offended all of the Liverpool fans who love him. Every week the camera goes on the directors’ box – we see Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Ian Rush, legends of the past. Will he ever be able to do that now? Has he spoiled his legacy?

  "I’m sure if he had said to Arne Slot: ‘Gaffer, I want to leave in the summer, between you and me. Or I want to leave at Christmas because I’m not happy with the way things are going. I’d rather you tell the owners that I want to go to Saudi. Can I leave the club in the best possible way because I love it, I’ve been here eight years and I don’t want to leave under a cloud?’. Trent [Alexander-Arnold] left under a cloud, not all his fault.

  "They are going to have to find a replacement. He’s a good player, Semenyo, he’s doing really well, but it’s a decision they didn’t think they would have to make. They have just spent half-a-billion on attackers. You’d think they would be able to get a front three out of that lot. You are going to have to be shopping in Harvey Nichols or Harrods for the next right winger at Liverpool."

• Getty
  

  Stay or go: When will Salah leave Liverpool?

  It remains to be seen when Liverpool will be forced into the market for a successor to Salah, and if they choose to frequent the most lavish of transfer outlets. For now, the ‘Egyptian King’ of Merseyside remains tied to a contract through to 2027 and may yet be able to talk and play his way back into favour with disgruntled supporters and coaching staff.

ScorecardWorcestershire’s relegation to Division Two was confirmed as they slumped to an innings defeat against Essex at Chelmsford.After Joe Clarke fell to the third ball of the morning, the task was simply to delay the inevitable, and despite Wayne Parnell’s battling, unbeaten 50 taking things into the day’s second session, Essex wrapped things up with time to spare.The damage in this game was done on the first day, when they were shot out by Jamie Porter, and these three days confirmed the pre-season suspicions of many that, despite an exciting crop of young talent, Worcestershire lacked that little bit of quality to keep them in the division.In truth, it was a cruel way for their Championship campaign to end. Their narrow defeats at Southport and at home to both Essex and Surrey were hard-fought games that could easily have gone their way, and in all three, a poor session or two cost them.Here, they were outplayed by an excellent Essex side who may well go into next season as Surrey’s nearest challengers with the bookies.”We haven’t played anywhere near our best in this game,” said Daryl Mitchell, who suffered his fifth relegation today. “We’ve got an absolute pasting this week – we haven’t competed well at all. The rest of the year, there’s been some near misses and we’ve competed really well, but we’ve been completely annihilated here.”It was hard not to spare a thought for Mitchell this afternoon. In the past week he captained the side against the county champions in one of their toughest games of the season, won the Vitality Blast on Worcestershire’s first appearance at Finals Day, played two days of trials for the Hundred, and now he finds himself relegated again.As is often the case for the club, there is reason for optimism yet. Next year they will be strengthened even further by the returning Joe Leach, and with Parnell signing a Kolpak deal to complement the young trio of Ed Barnard, Dillon Pennington and Josh Tongue, their seam attack will be among the best in either division.And with county heads set to vote on a proposal to expand the top division to ten teams next week, the years of lurching between the divisions may soon be over.Mitchell was not the only county stalwart on the mind today. James Foster, who is leaving the club at the end of his contract, was heralded on the pitch during the lunch interval, came on as a substitute fielder for a final Chelmsford outing, and played football with his young family on the outfield as the ground emptied.Tensions have been high in the final phase of Foster’s Essex career. Negotiating with the club has proved tricky: he has not played for the first team since his mid-season coaching stint in the Global T20 League in Canada, and it has been made clear that his contract is expiring rather than him retiring.While this was not the farewell season he would have wanted, it was clear from the club’s presentation that he will go down as a great in these parts; and after 18 years of service, he deserved every last ripple of applause that came his way.Essex go into next week’s game at The Oval needing a win to have a chance of sealing second place, but third should not be seen as some kind of failure.”In the time I’ve been here, barring last year, we’ve never even finished as high as second from bottom in Div One,” said Ryan ten Doeschate, now the dressing room’s senior citizen, during the defeat to Surrey two weeks ago. “It would be jumping the gun to think Championship, Championship, Championship: we need to be realistic.”And this performance showed that all the ingredients of last year’s success are still there. Porter’s 11 wickets in the match will leave him hopeful of a Test debut before long and Ravi Bopara’s hundred gave a reminder of his immense worth to the club.Today, they were not at their best with the ball, but the pressure was off after Clarke’s early departure, and when Simon Harmer wrapped things up with the wickets of Ben Twohig – whose elegant cameo showed promise – and Pennington, it was some time since the game had been won.

In a move that would see David Moyes get one over on his former club, Everton are now reportedly racing to sign a Premier League talent ahead of rival interest from West Ham United this summer.

Picking up where they left off after welcoming Thierno Barry, Everton have also now signed Mark Travers from Bournemouth. The goalkeeper will instantly replace Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia to become Moyes’ No.2 behind Jordan Pickford, as the Toffees aim to add quality in depth to their side this summer.

Starts

22

38

Clean Sheets

5

12

Saves P90

3.82

3.08

Save Percentage

76.9%

73%

Whilst Travers is unlikely to take Pickford’s place, such is the England international’s importance in Merseyside, he will provide Everton with an impressive backup.

On loan at Middlesbrough last season, the Irishman enjoyed an impressive campaign and even earned the praise of former manager Michael Carrick, who told reporters after watching Travers keep a clean sheet against Luton Town: “He’s got a really good character. He’s a good goalkeeper and he’s had to make some good saves for us.

“That’s what we obviously brought him in for and hope for. We don’t want him to have to make saves, but, when needed, and especially today to contribute to a clean sheet, is a big one for us.

Dream Doucoure replacement: Everton open first talks to sign £30m star

After Abdoulaye Doucouré departed Everton following the expiration of his contract, could the Toffees sign a “highly talented” replacement for £30m?

Jul 15, 2025

“Mark made some big saves when we needed him, but he came for some crosses as well, and had a really good presence in the box from set plays and corners, and we needed that. It was a shared contribution and he had to make saves for us which were important.”

As solid as their business has been so far this summer, though, Everton are reportedly not done there. Reports are now suggesting that they’ve joined the race to sign a Premier League rival.

Everton racing to sign Jacob Ramsey

According to The Telegraph, Everton have now joined the race to sign Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa this summer and have been joined by Nottingham Forest and West Ham in pursuit of his signature.

The Villans are reportedly willing to accept just £30m to sell their academy graduate this summer as they look to solve any further PSR problems at long last.

At that price – plus the fact he’s represented by the same agent as Dwight McNeil which could smooth personal negotiations – Everton should not hesitate to make their move ahead of West Ham and Forest. Ramsey is still very much a player full of potential, especially if he moves past his injury troubles.

Hamstring injury

2024/25

9

Muscle injury

2024/25

1

Toe injury

2023/24

17

Hamstring injury

2023/24

2

Foot injury

2023/24

8

Metatarsal fracture

2023/24

9

Missing 46 games across the last two seasons, Everton and other suitors have every right to be concerned about Ramsey’s injury history. At 24 years old, however, he is still worth taking a gamble on.

A player who Steven Gerrard believed would become “terrific”, Everton should now swoop in and help Ramsey realise his impressive potential.

Those of a Liverpool persuasion appear to have come down with a nasty case of Alexander Isak fever, and well, who can blame them?

The bombshell news emerged on Tuesday that, after months of whispers and speculation, the Premier League champions are finally ready to firm up their interest in the Newcastle United man, amid the prospect of a potential £120m bid for the Swede.

That mammoth offer – which would eclipse the Reds’ recent club-record capture of Florian Wirtz – could put the icing on the cake for the Anfield side’s summer business, with Isak fresh off the back of a season that saw him score 23 top-flight goals.

Unsurprisingly, the Magpies are hell-bent on keeping hold of their star man for a little while longer, albeit with Richard Hughes playing the trump card after rivalling Eddie Howe and co in the pursuit of Isak’s heir apparent, Hugo Ekitike. Checkmate?

Either way, it would appear that the Merseysiders are in a strong bargaining position, with optimism growing that the division’s “best striker” – as described by Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson – could be lining up alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah next season.

Isak, as stated, might well be the delicious icing, but Hughes could also sprinkle a little cherry on top by sealing yet another high-profile deal in the coming weeks…

Latest on Liverpool's transfer pursuit

Wirtz. Jeremie Frimpong. Milos Kerkez. Isak next?

It may now be a waiting game to see if the Newcastle marksman will agitate for a move, albeit with Liverpool no doubt keen to pounce on the 25-year-old’s contract uncertainty, with the Daily Mail’s Dominic King outlining that talks have ‘stalled’ over a new deal at St James’ Park.

According to King, Hughes and his recruitment team will officially move for the former Real Sociedad striker if they ‘receive encouragement’, with this game of cat and mouse likely to have a few twists and turns to come.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, Football Insider have reported that Liverpool are expected to soon seal a deal for Crystal Palace skipper, Marc Guehi, with that move looking ‘increasingly likely’ amid developments at Selhurst Park.

Indeed, the report outlines that with the Eagles seemingly closing in on the £45m signing of Sporting CP centre-back, Ousmane Diomande, it would pave the way for Guehi to depart.

The suggestion is that with the England international having just a year left to run on his Palace contract, the south Londoners are keen to cash in this summer, rather than lose him on a free in 12 months’ time.

Why Liverpool could be set to seal another Isak-esque signing

It’s fair to say that after sitting out the recent friendly win over Preston North End, excitement is brewing over finally seeing the aforementioned Wirtz in action in a Liverpool shirt, with the 22-year-old German signing off his time at Bayer Leverkusen with 122 goals and assists in 97 games in all competitions.

That capture is a statement deal, no doubt, but if Isak were to arrive, it would truly take the biscuit, with the 6 foot 4 sensation a Premier League-proven talent, having scored 44 league goals across the last two seasons combined.

The man who helped steer Newcastle to Carabao Cup glory over Arne Slot’s side earlier this year, the £63m goal machine could now be the figurehead of a new era at Anfield, with the rest of the division likely to already be quaking in their boots.

As for Guehi, while such a deal would almost go under the radar amid the current circumstances, there would be shades of Isak about that acquisition, with Liverpool in line to poach another key figure from a fellow Premier League outfit.

Currently captain at Selhurst Park, the 25-year-old has already made 132 appearances in England’s top tier to date, having notably skippered his side to shock FA Cup glory in 2024/25.

Minutes played

61

Touches

17

Pass accuracy

75%

Key passes

1

Possession lost

2

Ground duels won

1/2

Aerial duels won

1/4

Tackles

1

Clearances

4

Like Isak, the in-demand defender – who has also been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer – has more than proven himself against Premier League opposition, with both men also seemingly at the perfect point of their careers. Indeed, with both men still only 25, they have gained notable experience at the top level, but may not yet have entered their peak.

Described as a “monster” of a centre-back by reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi – like Isak – is also “one of the best in the country” in his position, as per scout Mick Brown, with Liverpool able to acquire a player who would slot straight into their starting lineup.

Much like with Isak, there would be no period of transition or adaptation, this is a player who could well hit the ground running on Merseyside.

This is a man who ranks in the top 10% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for key passes per 90, as well as in the top 10% for through balls, as per FBref. In essence, he is a master at playing out from the back.

Having romped to the title at a canter last season, Liverpool are at a point now where they can poach the very best that the Premier League has to offer. In their respective positions, Isak and Guehi would be just that.

Romano: Liverpool plan to submit record-breaking bid to sign Alexander Isak

The Reds could spend big once again…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 15, 2025

Leeds United’s scouts have now reportedly been spotted keeping close tabs on a Champions League talent who just helped shock Borussia Dortmund.

Leeds join the race to sign Tyrique George

The Whites are beginning to turn their full attention towards the January transfer window. With survival in mind, those at Elland Road have already reportedly set their sights on key attacking reinforcements, who could take Daniel Farke’s from a relegation battle into much-needed Premier League comfort.

Whether one of those reinforcements is Tyrique George will certainly be interesting to see. The Chelsea youngster has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge this season and desperately needs a move away from West London to get back on track next month.

The 19-year-old isn’t the only name on Leeds’ reported shortlist, however. Alongside the Chelsea youngster, the Yorkshire club have also reportedly set their sights on Barcelona’s Roony Bardghji in what would be a sensational move.

The young La Liga star is one of the best young talents around recently scored his first league goal for Barcelona since arriving in the summer.

Improving Farke’s frontline seems to be the priority at Elland Road next month and that should come as no surprise after Leeds missed out on a number of attacking targets in the summer.

Whilst the likes of Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have got off to impressive starts, the addition of another consistent goalscorer would certainly do Leeds’ survival hopes no harm. And if it’s not George or Bardghji, then it may well be Jens Petter Hauge who arrives in January.

Shades of Klich & Dallas: Farke's Leeds "monster" must now start every week

This Leeds star has become a key man in midfield

ByJoe Nuttall 2 days ago

The Bodo/Glimt winger is reportedly on Leeds’ radar, with the 49ers joining their Premier League rivals in the race to secure his signature when 2026 arrives.

Leeds scouts spotted watching Jens Petter Hauge

As reported by TeamTalk, Leeds scouts have now been spotted keeping tabs on Hauge ahead of making a potential January move. Joined by Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton in the race for the 26-year-old, the Whites would be landing an impressive coup if they secured Hauge’s signature.

It’s easy to see why there’s so much interest in his signature, too. The Bodo/Glimt star was in clinical form in the Champions League earlier this week, shocking Borussia Dortmund by equalising for his side and securing a 2-2 draw against the odds.

His strike against Dortmund took Hauge’s total for the season to 11 goals in all competitions, which certainly looks good alongside the 11 assists that he’s also provided for the Norwegian side.

Having returned to his best form with a return to Bodo/Glimt in the summer, reports are now suggesting that Hauge wants to complete a Premier League switch in a major boost for Leeds and others.

Dubbed “exceptional” by Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank earlier this season, Hauge could earn redemption away from Norway after previous struggles at AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt on Europe’s top stage.

Anita 2.0: Farke signing already looks like he’ll never make it at Leeds

Juan Soto was one of the last New York Yankees players to leave the dugout after the team lost the World Series in a 7-6 Game 5 defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night.

In the biggest of moments, the Yankees couldn’t deliver, and now Soto could be looking for his next team amid rampant speculation over his future.

Soto’s teammates and coaches have made their opinion clear: “Stay with us,” Giancarlo Stanton said in a postgame media session. But Soto, who joined the Yankees this past December, is primed to test free agency this offseason.

The star slugger was asked if he expected the New York Mets to pursue him in free agency, and he gave a telling response.

“I don't know what’s the teams that are going to come after me,” Soto said. “But definitely, I’ll be open to this and every single team. I don’t have any doors closed or anything like that. I’m gonna be available for all 30 teams.”

Not a good indication of his chances of staying in the Bronx.

Soto, 26, helped the Yankees reach their first World Series since 2009, slashing .288/.419/.569 with 41 homers and a league-leading 128 runs during the regular season. He's reportedly expected to earn a contract in excess of $500 million.

In the wake of the Yankees’ crushing World Series loss, Soto elaborated on his time with the team and discussed whether the Yankees had an advantage in his upcoming free agency.

“Leaving any place that is a winning team is always hard. This place was really special. It’s been a blast for me. I've been really happy,” Soto said. 

“I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency. I don’t want to say anyone has an advantage because at the end of the day we’re gonna look at what they have and how much they want me,” continued Soto.

The Juan Soto free agency saga of this offseason has finally ended.

On Sunday, Soto and the New York Mets agreed to a massive 15-year, $765 million contract, according to multiple reports. It marks the largest deal in professional sports history.

The superstar outfielder received interest from the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, but the Mets ultimately emerged victorious in the bidding war.

Soto, 26, joined the Yankees in December 2023 and enjoyed a dominant season in which he slashed .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs. 

The four-time All Star will now leave the Bronx to team up with NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor in Queens. The Mets went 89-73 in 2024 and made a surprising run to the National League Championship Series, where they were eliminated by the Dodgers in six games. They'll now get Soto to hopefully make many more postseason runs for the next decade and a half.

Scott Harris had quite an awkward moment during an appearance on MLB network on Monday.

While being interviewed, the Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations was asked about a report from Jon Morosi that his team was interested in signing free agent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The ensuing discussion was a bit awkward, as Harris was put squarely on the spot.

All things considered, he handled that pretty well.

Here's the original tweet from Morosi:

The Tigers have been looking for first base help and Goldschmidt would make sense. The 37-year-old is a seven-time All-Star, has won five Silver Slugger Awards and four Gold Gloves. He was named National League MVP in 2022, though he hasn't been the same hitter since.

In 2024 for the St. Louis Cardinals, he slashed .245/.302/.414 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs in 154 games. He had career-lows in batting average (.245) and OPS (.716) and tied a career-high with 173 strikeouts.