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Lance Morris has been released from Australia’s Test squad and could play for Scorchers against Brisbane Heat on Saturday

Alex Malcolm06-Jan-2023Perth Scorchers fast bowler Jhye Richardson has been ruled out for two to three weeks with a hamstring strain but coach Adam Voges is hopeful he could be back for the BBL finals if Scorchers qualify.Richardson injured his hamstring while bowling in the loss to Sydney Thunder on Wednesday night.Scans on Thursday confirmed he had suffered only a minor strain but Scorchers are likely to be cautious with him given his soft-tissue injury issues in the past two seasons.”It’s on the very minor end of hamstring strains, two to three weeks,” Voges said on Friday. “We’re certainly hopeful that we’ll see him before the end of the tournament again.”I think you need to [be cautious], certainly with someone of Jhye’s calibre. But we’ve got a world-class medical staff here. And I’ll trust them to put the work in with Jhye over the next two weeks. And hopefully, we’ll see him back and we’ll get him back on the park as soon as possible.”Richardson has already had an interrupted summer. He was carefully managed by Western Australia prior to the BBL; he only played two of the first six Sheffield Shield matches of the summer battling a variety of niggles including a bruised heel.Scorchers have received a boost with Lance Morris being released from Australia’s Test squad to return to the BBL. Morris and Marcus Harris flew out of Sydney on Friday to play in the BBL for their respective teams. Harris has flown to Melbourne to link up with Renegades ahead of Saturday’s clash with Hobart Hurricanes at Marvel Stadium. Peter Handscomb has left Renegades to join the Australia squad in Sydney as a replacement for Harris if Australia’s Test side needs a concussion substitute or a substitute fielder for the remainder of the Sydney Test.Morris has flown to Perth and is a chance to play for Scorchers in Saturday’s clash with Brisbane Heat at Perth Stadium.”We’ll see how he pulls up,” Voges said. “He’s done a heap of work, obviously, preparing for Test match cricket. I know he’s had a white ball in his hand over in Sydney in the last couple of days, starting to prepare to come back to us. So we’ll see how he pulls up from his plane trip today. There’s every opportunity for him tomorrow.”Scorchers also have the option of picking Gloucestershire left-arm seamer David Payne, who has joined the squad as the overseas replacement for Tymal Mills after he was ruled out of the tournament due to a family emergency.”He [Payne] arrived just in the new year,” Voges said. “He’s settled in really well. He’s had a couple of training sessions with us. And we’ll have another hit out today. Quality left-arm seamer, who can swing the ball. And if he gets his opportunity tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll do a really good job.”Scorchers also have to replace Faf du Plessis at the top of the order against Heat after the South African batter has left to play in the SA20 league which starts next week. Englishman Adam Lyth will play against Heat but is also set leave after that to head to the ILT20 in the UAE. Middlesex batter Stephen Eskinazi has joined Scorchers as an overseas replacement.

It's still early in the season, but it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur have not got their Premier League campaign off to the greatest of starts.

Ange Postecoglou's side kicked things off with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City, then beat Everton 4-0 before losing 2-1 away at Newcastle United.

Now, there is still plenty of time for the North Londoners to have an excellent year, but they will need their stars like James Maddison to be firing on all cylinders and their squad players like Richarlison fit and ready to contribute when called upon.

However, as talented as those two are, they have actually been shown up by a former Spurs player who left the club last year to little fanfare.

Maddison and Richarlison's recent form

So, let's start with Richarlison, who has been in North London for a season longer, and while he's a talented forward, it would be hard to describe his move as a success at this point in time.

In his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the former Everton ace could only muster up a paltry return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances. He did improve last season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists in 31 games, but when looking at both campaigns together, he maintained an underwhelming average – for a centre-forward – of a goal involvement every 2.86 games.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, this unremarkable rate of return saw the club splash £65m on Dominic Solanke this summer, thus relegating him to a squad role for the foreseeable future.

Now, while the Nova Venécia-born marksman is set to see his minutes limited this season, Maddison certainly isn't, so long as he can stay fit, that is.

The Englishman joined the North Londoners for £40m last summer, and while he had a slightly mediocre end to the year, which was no doubt in part due to his injury issues, he still scored four goals and provided nine assists in 30 matches for Postecoglou, equating to a goal involvement every 2.30 games.

However, even though the former Foxes star was able to show his true quality at points last season, he and Richarlison have been shown up for different reasons by a former Spurs ace who left the club last summer.

Lucas Moura's recent form

Yes, the mystery man is Lucas Moura, who, after spending five and a half seasons with the Lilywhites, moved back home to his first club, São Paulo, on a free transfer last August.

The 32-year-old's final few seasons in North London saw his role in the team reduced to being an option off the bench, as while he played 3173 minutes of football in his first full season with the club, his final campaign saw that number come down to just 394 minutes across 19 appearances.

However, while the Brazilian ace didn't quite live up to the potential he had at the club, he will always be remembered by the fans for his magical hat-trick against Ajax in May 2019, which booked the club a place in their first-ever Champions League final – the less said about the next game, the better.

Since returning to São Paulo, the 5 foot 8 "superhero", as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has become an integral part of the club, outperformed Maddison last season, and while his output matches Richarlison's, he has him beat in another area.

For example, in his 33 appearances last season, the right-footed ace scored nine goals and provided seven assists, comfortably beating out the Englishman's haul of 13 goal involvements and matching his compatriot's tally of 16.

However, he has the former Toffees star beat because while the 27-year-old was dropped by the Brazilian national team back in May, he has just been named in the squad once again.

Ultimately, Moura's exit from Spurs last summer has worked out for him, and while he's outperformed Maddison on the pitch and claimed a spot in the Selecao's squad where Richarlison hasn't, the North Londoners probably aren't interested in bringing him back anytime soon.

Spurs flop was sold by Conte in 2022, now he's outscoring Solanke

The attacking talent has just secured a lucrative transfer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 5, 2024

Joao Felix's start to life at AC Milan has been a mixed bag so far, with the Rossoneri making an early decision regarding a permanent summer swoop.

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• Milan make Felix transfer decision
• Has failed to score in eight games since making his debut
• Could buy Portuguese forward for €45m this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Joao Felix made an instant impact after signing for AC Milan on loan from Chelsea in the January transfer window, scoring a wonderful goal after coming off the bench against Roma in the quarter-finals of Coppa Italia. It was Felix's debut for Milan, which caused excitement among fans as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club's senior advisor.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However, a new report from Calciomercato has revealed that the Rossoneri are in two minds regarding the permanent transfer of Felix. Since his debut, the Portuguese forward has appeared in eight matches but has yet to score, with his only contribution being a single assist in last week’s 3-2 victory over Lecce.

  Milan are skeptical about signing Felix permanently, with the Serie A outfit deciding against entering any negotiations with Chelsea. However, if things change between now and the end of the season, they could buy Felix for €45 million. Another option would be to extend his loan for another year with an obligation to buy him for around €30-35m in 2026.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Securing a permanent transfer for Felix would require massive financial investment. Milan may need to sell some key players in order to facilitate a move for the 25-year-old, with Rafael Leao heavily rumoured to leave the club at the end of the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOAO FELIX?

  Felix will be expected to feature in Milan next's game, which is a crucial Serie A encounter against Como on Saturday, March 15. Sergio Conceicao's side are having a subpar domestic season as they currently occupy ninth place in the league and are in real danger of missing out on a Champions League spot for the 2025-26 season.

Alyssa Healy will miss the ODIs with a calf injury; Kim Garth and Phoebe Litchfield both included

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2022Meg Lanning will return to captain Australia in the ODI series against Pakistan next month following her extended break from the game and appears likely to be available for the T20 World Cup in February.However, Alyssa Healy, who took over the captaincy for the recent tour of India, will miss the series following the calf strain she picked up in Mumbai. Beth Mooney will take the keeping gloves.Lanning stepped away following the Commonwealth Games in August for personal reasons, missing the WBBL and the five T20Is in India.Shortly after the squad announcement, Lanning posted on Instagram about her experiences of the last five months.”Sometimes you just have to hit pause, step back and take a breather,” she wrote. “That’s certainly what I needed. The past 6 months have taught me a lot. I’ve learnt so much about myself and who and what is important to me.”I’ve always played my cards pretty close to my chest. This experience has given me a greater appreciation of how opening up and talking to the people that care about you really can make the tough times feel easier. It’s ok to ask for help and admit that you don’t have everything under control.”Having enjoyed some time and space, I feel refreshed and ready to play the game that I love in teams that I love. It’s such an exciting time for the game and I can’t wait to be part of it!” Shawn Flegler, the national selector, said: “Meg brings so much to the side both on and off the field, and it’s pleasing to welcome her back at such an important time with the T20 World Cup just over a month away. While we welcome Meg back, Alyssa won’t have recovered from her calf injury in time, so that presents an opportunity for Beth to take the gloves in her absence.Jess Jonassen has been included but will need to prove her fitness having picking up a hamstring injury in India.Kim Garth and Phoebe Litchfield have been retained from the T20I squad but Heather Graham, who took a hat-trick in the final match, Grace Harris and Amanda-Jade Wellington have been left out.Tahlia McGrath, who captained the final T20I in India after Healy’s injury, will continue as vice-captain.Australia will have a new-look opening pair with Healy and the retired Rachael Haynes absent from the side that played the ODI World Cup final against England in April.The three ODIs against Pakistan will take place on January 16, 18 and 21 with the first two matches at Allan Border Field in Brisbane and the last at North Sydney Oval. They are followed by three T20Is on January 24, 26 and 29 before the teams head to South Africa for the World Cup.Australia squad for Pakistan ODIs Meg Lanning (capt), Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen (subject to fitness), Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

Looking to make up for their summer failure, Newcastle United and PIF have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a big-money striker in 2025, who would take Eddie Howe’s frontline up another level entirely.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s no surprise that the Magpies are already looking to steal the headlines on the transfer front after such an inactive summer left them without some much-needed reinforcements. Howe may be desperate to see his side boosted by fresh faces in both the January transfer window and next summer amid links emerging to the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo in recent weeks.

Mbeumo would be a particularly impressive move. The Brentford star has been in excellent form throughout the current campaign and represents a player who would offer Newcastle an instant upgrade on their right-hand side. This time around, Paul Mitchell will be hoping to get his targets over the line too, having spent the majority of last summer on a failed chase to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

With attacking options in mind, meanwhile, the Magpies could welcome what would be their most impressive transfer yet under PIF. According to reliable reporter Lee Ryder of Chronicle Live, PIF and Newcastle are among those set to be offered the chance to sign Victor Osimhen next summer.

Development: Newcastle given boost over injury return of £90,000-a-week ace

A major boost for the Magpies.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 9, 2024

The Galatasaray star – on loan from Napoli – looked destined to join Chelsea or complete a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer before neither move came to fruition. Frozen out at Napoli as a result, Galatasaray emerged as a shock destination for the Nigerian international, who has a £113m release clause.

Thriving ever since under Jose Mourinho, Osimhen will once again be among the headlines when his loan spell comes to an end in Turkey at the end of the season and Newcastle potentially strike.

"Fantastic" Osimhen would take Newcastle up a level

The prospect, alone, of Osimhen and Alexander Isak’s potential partnership is enough to send Newcastle into a dreamland which could yet become their reality in 2025. Of course, Osimhen’s reported £113m release clause doesn’t exactly make the deal an easy one to pull off, especially amid profit and sustainability concerns at St James’ Park, but the Nigerian would undoubtedly take Howe’s side up a level or two.

Scoring six goals and assisting a further four in eight games as a Galatasaray player so far this season, Osimhen earned deserved praise from Mourinho, who told reporters as relayed by The Independent: “Osimhen is a fantastic player, he is a player that if I was in a club with the potential to pay £70-75m I would buy.

“He is a fantastic player. Of course, he came [to Turkey] in different circumstances but it doesn’t matter the circumstances. What matters is that Galatasaray have got a really fantastic player.”

When next summer arrives and Osimhen once again has his sights set on a big move away from Napoli, Newcastle should do everything in their power to secure his signature and deal the likes of Chelsea a major blow in the process.

The Rayados-Whitecaps match couldn't be played at Estadio BBVA because of a Shakira concert held at the stadium

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• Ramos' first goal in the Champions Cup couldn’t prevent elimination
• The Spaniard has scored three goals in three games for Rayados
• The aggregate score was 3-3, but Vancouver advanced due to away goals

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rayados de Monterrey were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup after a 2-2 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps in the second leg of the Round of 16. The aggregate score ended 3-3, but the MLS side advanced to the next round due to the away goals rule.

  After the elimination, former Real Madrid player Sergio Ramos didn’t hold back, saying his team has a lot to improve on heading into the remainder of the Clausura 2025, and Rayados' participation in the Club World Cup.

  "In the end, you learn much more from defeat. We need to be self-critical because, regardless of being eliminated today, we know we can give much more. We have time to prepare for the next match and move past this, which is not pleasant for anyone," Ramos said after the match, in which he scored a goal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  All eyes were on Ramos' debut in theChampions Cup. The defender had enjoyed a great start with his new team, but the club suffered their first disappointment, despite the Spaniard scoring his third goal in three matches for Rayados.

  After taking the lead against Whitecaps, Monterrey became overconfident and ultimately were eliminated in the Round of 16. The Rayados-Whitecaps match couldn't be played at Estadio BBVA because of a Shakira concert held at the stadium.

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  WHAT TATO NORIEGA SAID

  "I don't want to speak hastily, but this is a very sad, dark night for the history of this great club. We have to take responsibility, this can't happen," said the Tato Noriega, sporting director of Rayados, regarding Martín Demichelis future as the team's coach.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MONTERREY?

  Monterrey must now focus on Liga MX, where they will visit Pumas next Sunday, aiming to climb up the overall standings. The team coached by Martín Demichelis sits in the ninth place with 16 points.

Forty overs is not enough time for a pitch to wear, but if it is up and down the chasing team has a distinct advantage as Delhi Daredevils showed at Feroz Shah Kotla

Sidharth Monga in Delhi01-May-2015″Look, people have already started leaving.” Thisara Perera had been caught at deep square leg, pulling yet another ball that didn’t come on as expected, breaking Kings XI Punjab’s last recognised pair. It was 46 for 6 in the 10th over, and even as David Miller and Axar Patel looked to repair the innings people had begun to talk about leaving. By about 5.30 pm, 90 minutes into the match, quite a few – a hundred perhaps – had walked to the top edge of the stands in the north end of Feroz Shah Kotla and began to watch football in the adjoining Ambedkar Stadium. They cheered on as the incisive playmaker in the No. 15 red jersey that said “Young Boys” went past white jersey – SPCL inscribed on each – after white jersey to set up two goals in the first 15 minutes.Damn. Even this game was one-sided. People began to leave by the end of the second over of the chase, which was a matter of small relief for the Delhi traffic police as a major portion of the road alongside Kotla has been dug up for Metro work. It is not the relief IPL organisers want.Had this been Kolkata or Bangalore or Chennai or to a lesser extent Mumbai, the supporters there would have stayed on till the end to celebrate a one-sided home win. Other than those centres no IPL team has been able to build a strong connect with its local crowds. Fans come to these venues not to cheer the home team on but to dance, sing, eat, watch the big stars play no matter the team, and, most importantly, watch a close match. The greatest trick T20 ever played was to shorten the game so much that the difference in the quality of the teams doesn’t show too much. The matches are usually closer than the longer formats.There is only one glitch, though: you don’t want pitches to misbehave too much. In a game so short the argument that the pitch is same for both teams doesn’t quite hold. The side that bats first doesn’t quite get the time to asses the conditions and then reassess the total they should aim for, by which time usually you can be four-five down because you have to play aggressive shots in T20. And then the chasing side can plan its innings much better without the pressure of going for quick runs.The pitch for this match was a tricky one, one that leads to one-sided Twenty20 matches. It did bring the hosts Delhi Daredevils much joy, but it could easily have been them at the receiving end – they scored 95 in the last game here – had they lost the toss. From ball one, with people peering in to watch a contest between the two great Test hands for India in the 2000s, Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag, the pitch made its treacherousness felt. Sehwag saw a short-of-a-length ball, outside off, looked to push at it, but the ball didn’t come on. Ball two was same, and Sehwag was not lucky this time, with the thick edge resting with short cover-point, a good field placement for a two-paced pitch.Soon the dual bounce would become apparent too. In Zaheer’s second over, Manan Vohra had to deal with a shooter, which skid through and came on quicker than the previous deliveries. Two balls later, having faced five dots out of six already, he stepped out and saw this ball kick at him from a similar length. Zaheer seemed to have run his fingers on this, which might have been good reading of a dry surface, but the variance in bounce was a bit much for a two-over old ball.In between the two wickets, which can be credited to the pitch, Kings XI had lost Shaun Marsh, a wicket that the pitch didn’t have much to do with. He just played an ordinary shot across the line to a full offbreak, and even if the angle had saved him from the lbw – it didn’t – his doziness would have had him run out anyway. In the next over, with Nathan Coulter-Nile hitting the pitch even harder than Zaheer more uneven bounce showed. The first ball – short and outside off – stayed low to beat the under edge, and the next – a touch fuller than before – reared at Wriddhiman Saha. A confused Saha got out next ball, poking at one outside off, and at 10 for 4 Kings XI were hardly in any state to reassess their way to a competitive total.The two men who took on the rebuilding job – Miller and George Bailey – didn’t show enough confidence in their footwork to take the wily Amit Mishra on, and weren’t great on the sweep either, which eventually consumed Bailey. There is no doubt Daredevils assessed the conditions better, there is no doubt Kings XI didn’t play spin well, but you don’t want to see so much unevenness in a Twenty20 pitch. Test the batsmen all you want with movement and good bounce, but it’s when the ball begins to go through the surface or sit up – sometimes one after the other – it doesn’t make for a close match, the currency of Twenty20.Some exceptional batsmen – the likes of Michael Hussey – can assess T20 conditions in two or three balls and reassess the total they want accordingly, some freaks – the likes of Glenn Maxwell – can sometimes get into a zone where they connect everything no matter the variance in bounce, but unfortunately for the crowd at Kotla no such events occurred. The football match at Ambedkar Stadium, too, was one-sided.

AC Milan have high hopes and expect a lot from new signing Christopher Nkunku, who joined the club on a five-year contract from Chelsea this summer. The French international, who was integrated into the squad back in August, is yet to get a start in Milan colours, but head coach Massimiliano Allegri has hinted at handing him his first start to the campaign in their upcoming encounter.

• Nkunku yet to get his first Milan start

  Eight games into the Serie A campaign, and Nkunku is yet to get a place in Allegri's starting lineup. However, when Milan travel to the Gewiss Stadium to face Atalanta on October 28 in a high-octane league clash, the Italian manager might consider giving him his full debut in the league. The 16-time capped French international has received only 63 minutes of playing time in the Serie A across four games. But his extraordinary technique, as mentioned by Allegri himself, might just be enough to make sure Nkunku accompanies Rafael Leao up front on Tuesday. 

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  Allegri reveals expectations for ex-Chelsea forward

  Speaking to the reporters on the eve of the Atalanta clash, Allegri shed light about his team's probable attacking setup against the Bergamo-based side: "Leao can score a good number of goals, his fitness is improving, and he's becoming more confident in his abilities as a striker. He needs to improve in the penalty area, he needs to be more clinical. He can grow, like the rest of the team. Nkunku had been sidelined for a few days; he has extraordinary technique. I'll decide whether to start him or not: we expect a lot from him."

  The head coach further spoke about the hectic schedule his team has to go through and the preparations ahead of tomorrow's game. He mentioned: "The schedule until the next break is difficult, but now we're focusing on tomorrow. Playing in Bergamo is tough and will be a direct blow, given that Atalanta is one of the contenders for the top four. We need to be consistent; we'll have to play well technically against a physical, quality team. We're doing well, and we're not thinking about the absentees; we have many other good players. The squad is strong, and as a whole, we'll improve further."

• Allegri sheds light on injury concerns

  Although Milan had some injury concerns, Allegri has provided some good news for the fans. He has emphasised on the recovering players and outlined a possible game for their return. 

  He said: "[Ruben] Loftus-Cheek is here. [Pervis] Estupinan is ready for Roma, and we hope to at least have Pulisic on the bench against Parma. After the break, against Inter, we hope to have the entire squad available. [Ardon] Jashari? He'll be back in the squad on Wednesday, but he'll need time: we'll be playing a friendly during the break, and that will be useful for him. The limited squad is my choice, and the club's. Let's look on the bright side: AC Milan players like [Davide] Bartesaghi, [Koni] De Winter, and Samuele Ricci have emerged."

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  What comes next for Milan?

  Sitting third on the Serie A table, Milan's dreams of the Scudetto are very much alive. They have a one-point deficit with league leaders Napoli and second-placed Roma, who have the same points (18). Before the November international break commences, they will play three important games against Atalanta, Roma, and Parma. They have the joint third-best scoring form in the competition alongside fifth-placed Bologna. Only Inter (19) and Napoli (15) have more goals than them. The probable inclusion of Nkunku against Atalanta or in the upcoming fixtures, might come in handy in increasing their scoring tally this season.

Ajeet Singh Dale takes 4 for 46, Ben Charlesworth 3 for 6 as Northants are bowled out for second-innings 192

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025Gloucestershire 241 (J Taylor 63, Broad 3-84) and 158 for 3 (Price 54, Hammond 38*) beat Northamptonshire 206 (Zaib 76, van Buuren 3-23, M Taylor 3-48) and 192 (Broad 49, Singh Dale 4-46, Charlesworth 3-6) by seven wicketsOllie Price scored a superb half-century under pressure to help Gloucestershire achieve a dramatic seven-wicket victory over Northamptonshire on the final day of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium.Set 158 to win in 27 overs, Gloucestershire reached their target with 18 balls to spare in a thrilling finale, Price top-scoring with 54 from 58 deliveries and Miles Hammond weighing in with 38 not out and Graeme van Buuren 20 not out as the home side won for only the second time this season.Resuming on 158 for 5, Gloucestershire added a further 83 runs during the morning session to establish a modest first-innings lead of 35, thanks in large part to knocks of 63 and 44 from Jack Taylor and van Buuren respectively. Justin Broad claimed 3-84 as the home side were dismissed for 241 in 64 overs.Ajeet Singh Dale then took 4 for 46 and Ben Charlesworth 3 for 6 as Northants were shot out for 192 inside 51 overs in their second innings, only Broad offering meaningful resistance in a patient innings of 49 that spanned nearly two-and-a-half hours.Charlesworth and Price set-up the chase, staging a progressive second-wicket alliance of 52 in 8.3 overs to keep Gloucestershire supporters on the edge of their seats. Characterised by rapid running between the wickets and bold stroke-play, their partnership was ended when veteran campaigner Ben Sanderson had Charlesworth caught behind for 33.Having already lost Luke Procter to injury, the visitors were further hindered when fellow seamer Broad pulled up, forcing Sanderson to bowl seven overs unchanged from the Bristol Pavilion end and spinners Calvin Harrison and Nirvan Ramesh to be deployed in tandem. Sweeping and pulling to good effect, Price and Hammond continued to score at six an over to keep the home side on course, albeit with the light beginning to fade.With 53 required off the final 10 overs, Gloucestershire looked to be in control, an appearance confirmed when Price went to a half-century from 54 balls with his fifth boundary. He fell to Rob Keogh’s off breaks soon afterwards, but van Buuren and Hammond helped themselves to a six apiece off the same bowler to ease the pressure and render the outcome a formality. Hammond hit the winning runs, hammering Harrison straight down the ground for an emphatic six.Gloucestershire claimed 19 points to move into third place in Division Two, while Northants collected three.The prospect of a thrilling conclusion appeared unlikely when Gloucestershire resumed their first innings on 158 for 5, especially when van Buuren skied a return catch to Broad and departed for a 55-ball 44. But quick-scoring Jack Taylor opened his shoulders to raise 63 from 64 deliveries, striking six fours and three sixes and adding 38 in five overs with his brother, Matt, to propel the home side into credit.Gloucestershire needed to make full use of the new ball if they were to sow seeds of doubt in opposition minds, and Singh Dale delivered, summoning late swing to bowl Lewis McManus for 9. Promoted to open in place of Procter, Rob Keogh was next to go, falling victim to confusion and being run out by Zaman Akhter for 6. Guiding a delivery from Matt Taylor to backward point, Keogh set off in pursuit of an ill-advised single and was unable to regain his ground before the opportunistic Akhter had brilliantly thrown down the stumps to reduce the visitors to 23 for 2 inside six overs.West Country tails were up and Singh Dale struck another blow in the final over before lunch, bowling Harrison via an inside edge for 25 in the act of driving as Northants slipped to 55 for 3, a lead of just 20. Worse followed for the Midlands county, James Sales pulling Shaw straight to Hammond at deep backward square and falling to a poor shot for 14 with the score 77 for 4. With Procter’s ability to bat in question and the lead only 42, Northants suddenly appeared vulnerable.When dogged defiance was needed most, the in-form Zaib and Broad dug in to defy Gloucestershire’s bowlers. Batting was now easier than at any time previously in the match, and the fifth-wicket pair capitalised on the poor ball sufficiently to raise a partnership of 62 in 14 overs, easing some of the pressure they had felt when first coming together.But Gloucestershire kept plugging away and Akhter claimed the key wicket of Zaib, slanting a ball across his body and persuading the left-hander to edge behind for 37. Gloucestershire’s cause was not helped when Akhter had to be removed from the attack after twice being warned for running onto the pitch.They were further hindered by Aadi Sharma, the new batter striking a six and three fours and scoring 22 at nearly a run a ball as Northants reached tea on 171 for 5, a lead of 136.With a minimum 42 overs still available in the final session, Northants were required to muster further resistance. But the advent of Charlesworth, bowling from the Ashley Down Road end, served to revive the home side’s hopes of forcing a result, the allrounder claiming three wickets in five overs to tip the scales in Gloucestershire’s favour. Sharma was pinned lbw, Procter caught at the wicket without scoring and Sanderson held at deep square leg, much to the delight of enthusiastic home supporters.When Broad’s resistance finally came to an end, Singh Dale removing him lbw for an obdurate 104-ball 49, Northants were deep in trouble. Singh Dale then rapped Ben Whitehouse on the shins to wrap up the innings and set up an exciting run chase under the floodlights.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has been hit with some frustrating injury blows in the early weeks of the season, as Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka have both been ruled out for several weeks.

The German boss has had to go with Ilia Gruev in the number six position in the last two Premier League games because of those injuries, and the Whites failed to score in a 6-0 loss to Arsenal and a 0-0 draw with Newcastle United.

Whilst a point from those two matches, for a newly-promoted side, is far from the end of the world, Leeds may still want more from their midfield defensively and offensively.

Gruev has won two duels a game in the top-flight, whilst he has not scored a goal since the play-offs in 2024, per Sofascore, and that may be why the club are reportedly looking to bring in another midfielder.

Leeds eyeing late move for midfield star

The Championship champions have until 7 pm on Monday to finalise their squad for the first half of the campaign, with a new midfield monster on the agenda.

Transfer Focus

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

According to journalist Jose Palacio, via El Larguero, Leeds United are one of the teams in the race to seal a deal for Getafe star Christantus Uche.

The reporter claims that the Whites are knocking on the door to sign the Nigeria international from the Spanish side in a last-gasp swoop for his services.

He adds, though, that Crystal Palace are also ready to join the bidding for the 22-year-old star, whom he claims has turned down a move to Wolves, who were pushing to finalise a £17m deal.

It is now down to Leeds to convince Uche to make the move to Elland Road before the deadline, as he could arrive as a big upgrade on Ilia Gruev.

Why Leeds should sign Christantus Uche

The Getafe whiz is an incredibly interesting transfer target for the club because of the versatility that he would provide, as Jose Bordalas has utilised him as a centre-forward and as a central midfielder in LaLiga.

U23 scout Antonio Mango once claimed that he could be developed into a “midfield monster”, in the same way that Joelinton was for Newcastle, and Farke could do that to make him an upgrade on Gruev.

The Nigerian brute has the physical attributes and experience in a major league in Spain to suggest that he could offer way more physicality to the team in front of the defence than the Bulgaria international.

Uche’s outings as a striker also mean that he has the potential to provide more of a goal threat from midfield than Gruev, as the clip above shows that he can score goals at the top level.

As you can see in the table above, Getafe’s versatile titan offered more in front of goal and more to his team in duels than Gruev did for Leeds at a lower level in the 2024/25 campaign, which means that he could impact games at both ends of the pitch more frequently.

Uche has also started the current season by scoring one goal, providing one assist, and winning eight duels per match in his three outings in LaLiga, whilst the Bulgaria international has only won two duels per game for the Whites, per Sofascore.

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By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 30, 2025

These statistics suggest that Leeds would be signing an upgrade on Gruev, as well as a versatile star who can be utilised in other roles, as a midfield monster who can protect the back four to greater effect with his impressive physicality.