Chelsea are now ready to sell a “sensational” £30m player, with Aston Villa expected to push to sign him, according to a report.

Chelsea transfer news

The Blues are on the lookout for a new striker, with the board now prepared to green-light an £83m bid for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, while Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap is also believed to be on the shortlist.

However, it is not just the attack Enzo Maresca is looking to strengthen, having conducted a recent scouting mission to assess Bournemouth centre-back Illia Zabarnyi during the Cherries’ 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur.

The west London club have become well-known as big spenders, particularly under the stewardship of owner Todd Boehly, so it is no surprise they are looking at bringing in additional reinforcements.

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2

By
Stephan Georgiou

Aug 23, 2024

Back in the summer, Chelsea spent around £220m in another wild spending spree, but it is paying dividends given that they are currently sitting second in the Premier League table.

Dewsbury-Hall transfer listed

However, not every signing has worked out the way Maresca would have hoped, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall failing to make the desired impact at Stamford Bridge, appearing for just 55 minutes across five appearances in the Premier League.

As such, the Blues are now ready to cut their losses and sell Dewsbury-Hall this January, with Football Insider reporting the midfielder has now been put up for sale.

Despite making a £30m move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, the west London club are now willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old, and there will seemingly be no shortage of interest.

Rangers have already expressed an initial interest in the Englishman, but they are unlikely to have the financial muscle to get a deal over the line this January.

As such, Aston Villa are leading the race for the Chelsea outcast, and they are expected to push forward with their interest when the January transfer window opens in just a few weeks’ time.

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1

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 7, 2024

It is no wonder that Dewsbury-Hall has been unable to establish himself in the first team this season given the vast array of attacking talent available to Maresca, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a top-class player.

During his time with Leicester City, the Shepshed-born midfielder was very impressive, notching 26 goal contributions in the league last season, albeit in the Championship.

Two of those goals were of key importance, bagging a brace in a comeback victory against rivals Coventry City:

Former manager Brendan Rodgers once dubbed the Chelsea ace “sensational”, so there is no reason why he cannot go on to be a success at a different club, and a move to Villa Park could be a very attractive proposition.

However, it makes total sense that the Blues are looking to cash in this January considering the extremely limited impact Dewsbury-Hall has made at Stamford Bridge so far this season.

Stats highlights from the tri-series ODI between West Indies and Australia in St Kitts, where the hosts sealed a comfortable four-wicket win

Bharath Seervi14-Jun-20167 Consecutive ODI defeats for West Indies against Australia, before this four-wicket win. Their last win came in March 2012 in Gros Islet. Australia also had a sequence of 14 undefeated ODIs against West Indies between November 2006 and March 2012. The last time West Indies chased a target of 250 or more against Australia was in September 2006 in Kuala Lumpur.92 Marlon Samuels’ score in this match is his highest against Australia in ODIs. This was his first fifty against them after 19 innings. He had previously made two half-centuries against Australia, both of which came in 2001. His average against the visitors has increased from 17.04 to 20.04 with this innings, but it is still the worst among 16 West Indies batsmen who have scored 500 or more ODI runs against Australia. He also picked up his first Man-of-the-Match award in 27 ODIs against them.2011 Last time each of West Indies’ top five batsmen scored 25 or more runs in an ODI. It had happened against Netherlands in Delhi in the 2011 World Cup.16 Consecutive ODIs in which West Indies’ openers did not add a fifty-run stand, before Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher put on 74 on Monday. In those 16 innings, the openers added 25 or more runs only four times.6 Sixes conceded by Adam Zampa on Monday, the most by an Australia bowler in an ODI since 2002. Xavier Doherty (twice), Clint McKay and Glenn Maxwell have conceded five sixes in a match. Zampa had conceded just five sixes in his first five ODIs and, for the first time in six ODIs, had an economy rate of more than six. He has managed to take at least one wicket in each of his six ODIs and with nine wickets in this series, he is the leading wicket-taker.98 Usman Khawaja’s score in this match is his highest in ODIs. He scored just 29 runs in two innings in Guyana but in both the innings in St Kitts so far, he scored half-centuries – 59 and 98. With 186 runs, he is the leading run-getter in the series.74 Runs scored by West Indies in the first ten overs of the innings is the highest by any team in this series, and was also the first time a team scored more than 60 runs in the first ten overs. Australia had scored just 40 in the same period.3 Number of times two batsmen were run out in the 90s in an ODI. Both Khawaja (98) and Samuels (92) were run out in this match. The last such instance was also at the same venue, in the 2007 World Cup when Michael Clarke and AB de Villiers were run out for 92. The first such instance was in the 1999 World Cup in Hove, where Sourav Ganguly was run out for 97 and Jacques Kallis for 96.

Cristiano Ronaldo is promising "Hollywood stars" in his new movie venture, with hints being dropped at involvement from the likes of Taron Egerton.

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Business empire has been expandedTwo films have already been madeNo distraction for iconic 40-year-oldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has revealed that his business empire is being expanded. While he remains focused on his football career at 40 years of age, exciting projects are being lined up away from the pitch.

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The latest of those has seen CR7 and his UR brand team up with iconic film producer Matthew Vaughn. It is already confirmed that the pair have two movies ready to go, with work about to begin on a third.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo and Vaughn are vowing to deliver "passion and storytelling" as part of a "disruptive era in entertainment". The promotional video for their intriguing project – which includes Egerton and James Bond actor Daniel Craig – is also promising appearances from "Hollywood stars".

We asked fans for things that lasted longer than Australia’s disastrous first innings

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2015

@ESPNcricinfo "Gone in 60 seconds" lasted longer than #GoneIn60Runs.

— Siddharth Maheshwari (@JustSidM) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Michael Clarkes resignation press conference on Saturday #gonein60runs

— Andy Connor (@Accconnor) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo my son making a #Lego submarine #Gonein60runs pic.twitter.com/HC7tjQqDZT

— Mark Dunford (@MarkSDunford) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo their first Innings at Edgbaston.

— Jack White (@JHNWhite) August 6, 2015

@espncricinfo You could watch the Australian innings twice and you'd still have some of Lawrence of Arabia movie left over.

— Michael (@DustForEyes) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Kim Kardashian's wedding to Chris Humphreys #GoneIn60Runs

— Shuaib Parker (@Shuaibp23) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo Took more than 100 minutes to download & install the "Don Bradman Cricket" video game on my PS4. #GoneIn60Runs

— Chinmay (@chinu_bhai) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo A piece of chewing gum! #GoneIn60Runs

— Nikhil Lakshminaraya (@Nikhil_Laksh) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo The ice cubes in my G&T whilst sitting in the pool. It is 36 here in Mallorca

— TimPritchard-Barrett (@AdvanceBT) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo A football game, including the break. #GoneIn60Runs

— Siddharth Gupta (@SidGupta234) August 6, 2015

@ESPNcricinfo I made a cake and that took me 2 hours. #AUSvENG #Gonein60runs

— Abhilash Pradhan (@AB_Prad) August 6, 2015

It took me longer to try and think up a witty entry for this #Gonein60Runs

— David Whitworth (@dcwhitworth) August 6, 2015

da 888casino： Whilst Aston Villa fans will still be pleased Unai Emery is at the helm, considering the Villans are playing Champions League football as a result of the Spaniard’s expertise, they will want to see some improvements on the pitch in 2025.

da realsbet： Notably, the Villans have leaked a worrying amount of goals in the Premier League so far this season, with a hefty 31 strikes conceded from 19 clashes.

To add further context, even Ange Postecoglou’s wildly gung-ho Tottenham Hotspur have given up fewer goals at 29, meaning this January could see the Villans strengthen defensively.

Aston Villa could go back in for "incredible" star

Ever-growing concerns surrounding their defensive record could see Emery’s men go in for Benfica star Antonio Silva this January, with TEAMTalk reporting last month that the Villans were keen on adding the Portuguese centre-back to their ranks.

With it also being reported by the Daily Express that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are set to miss out on Silva, who has his mind allegedly set on a switch to Juventus, the time could now be right for Villa to plea with the promising 21-year-old to relocate to England instead.

After all, the young defender has been labelled as “incredible” in the past by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, with Emery perhaps viewing the 6 foot 2 ace as a considerable upgrade on a declining Pau Torres.

Torres limped out of Villa’s last match versus Brighton and Hove Albion, but was still at fault for the Seagulls’ opener on the day, as alternatives are now potentially sought after to replace the ex-Villarreal man.

What Antonio Silva would offer Aston Villa

Just one glance at Silva’s numbers in the Portuguese top-flight this season shows off many of his standout traits, with the 21-year-old winning an impressive 5.6 total duels on average per league clash.

Torres falls way short of this number back in the Premier League – with just a paltry 2.8 total duels won on average in contrast – meaning Silva could potentially bully attackers more effectively than the Spaniard if he settles in well to his new location.

Moreover, his passing statistics playing out from the back will further make him a desirable pick-up, with 70 accurate passes managed per league appearance during 2024/25 to date.

Accelerating a move for Silva is even more crucial when you consider the fact Torres did come off with a nasty injury against Fabian Hurzeler’s men, leaving a gap in the starting XI that could be filled by the likes of Diego Carlos and other names who Silva also betters in their head-to-head numbers.

Silva’s league numbers vs Torres, Konsa & Carlos

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Silva

Torres

Konsa

Carlos

Games played

7

18

17

10

Clean sheets

3

2

1

1

Touches*

86.9

66.8

57.3

68.0

Accurate passes*

70.0 (92%)

51.8 (88%)

41.4 (92%)

53.4 (89%)

Interceptions*

1.1

0.3

0.7

0.5

Tackles*

2.0

1.0

1.4

0.8

Ball recoveries*

5.9

2.9

2.5

3.6

Clearances*

2.0

2.7

2.6

3.5

Total duels won*

5.6

2.8

3.9

2.2

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, Silva betters both Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos in a number of different areas, with the Benfica man boasting more ball recoveries than the centre-back pairing, on top of also winning more tackles and interceptions.

Whilst it obviously would take time for the Portuguese youngster to get up to speed with the Premier League, Villa should still pursue this move with a fee around the region of £41m expected to be satisfactory, after he was once touted for a move around the £80m mark last summer to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United.

Villa supporters will want Torres’ recovery to go well, but with the defensive woes that keep tripping their side up, going in for Silva this January seems to be the most logical move to make.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jan 1, 2025

The South African allrounder made a crucial contribution in a nine-wicket victory

S Sudarshanan20-Mar-20236:04

The power-packed double-header that was

There’s passion in everything Marizanne Kapp does on the cricket field. When she bats, you simply cannot breathe easy until the moment she is out. And when she bowls, she runs in with a fierce look on her face, eyebrows in a slight furrow, and gives it her all, ball after ball. She is always in the ears of the captain or has a hand around a youngster’s shoulder. She has put South Africa at the right end of a result many times, not least in the Women’s World Cup last year and the T20 World Cup last month.But it took a while for Kapp to get up to this level in the Women’s Premier League. It wasn’t until her fourth game for Delhi Capitals that she showed she had truly arrived, picking up the first five-for of her T20 career to demolish Gujarat Giants.Kapp has an economy rate of 5.29 in the powerplay in the WPL. It is the second best after Nat Sciver-Brunt among bowlers who have bowled at least 50 balls in the first six overs. She has picked up eight wickets in this phase, which are the most by any bowler. Her overall tally of nine is the third-best by a seamer in the WPL behind Capitals team-mate Shikha Pandey and Giants’ Kim Garth.On Monday, another two-wicket burst in the powerplay from Kapp, who was as disciplined and penetrative as ever, punctured Mumbai Indians and helped Capitals top the table with two games left in the league stage. It was Mumbai’s second successive loss in the WPL after five straight wins.In front of a DY Patil stadium crowd that was decked out in blue, Kapp began with three successive dots to Yastika Bhatia. On the third delivery, after the ball was pushed back to her, she passed the ball to mid-on and ran towards captain Meg Lanning at slip to have a quiet word.Marizanne Kapp picked up 2 for 13 to restrict Mumbai Indians to 109 for 8•BCCI

What the talk was about is anybody’s guess, because no immediate field changes followed. But when she began her second over, a deep backward square leg was in place for Bhatia, instead of the fine leg in the opening over. The short one was coming. Or at least that’s what she wanted the batter to think. And it worked.Bhatia was caught on the back foot to a ball that was pitched up and moving across her. It took her outside edge and landed safely in the mitts of the wicketkeeper.Kapp was delighted. Lanning was delighted. Bhatia knew she had been outsmarted.Kapp then used the nip-backer off a length to get the better of Nat Sciver-Brunt. She bowled it around off and got it to move in past Sciver-Brunt’s mow across the line to castle her. A first-ball duck for the Mumbai allrounder. Capitals had managed to rock the ‘home side’ early.Bhatia and Sciver-Brunt had combined for almost 39 percent of the runs Mumbai had scored in the competition in the first six games. In fact, about 84 per cent of all Mumbai’s runs before Monday were scored by their top four batters. And in eight balls, Kapp had managed to see the back of two of them. In doing that, she had figures of 3-0-10-2 in the first six overs.The past couple of years have really tested Kapp and her partner Dane van Niekerk. While Kapp reached the heights of success, winning the women’s Hundred, twice, the Women’s Big Bash League, once, and being part of the first senior South African cricket team to ever play a World Cup final, her partner van Niekerk was snubbed by not one but two teams who had initially appointed her as captain. The Oval Invincibles left her out in 2022 and South Africa left her out in 2023. All of it led to her retiring from international cricket at age 29.Kapp admitted it was “a struggle” to keep her focus through all this but she still managed to churn out match-turning performances one after the other.”The day that I actually took my fiver [five-wicket haul] here, I was crying in the bus on my way here [DY Patil Stadium] because I knew Dane was retiring,” she said in the presser after her second Player-of-the-match award in the WPL. “It’s been tough but again, I think it’s my religion. Jesus Christ has been so good to me especially through those hard patches. I have to mention my team as well. They make it so easy for me to be here.”I have always been a very shy person but I felt like I am so comfortable with these girls and management. I’ve just fitted in and they make me feel at home.”On the same pitch she picked up the five-wicket haul, Kapp might not have the volume of wickets to show. But the impact of the two wickets she picked up upfront were on level with, if not more than, those five against Giants. But as has been her nature – of deflecting praise directed at her towards others – she spoke highly of Shikha Pandey’s penultimate over that went for just four with hard-hitting Issy Wong and Amanjot Kaur in the middle.”Always nice to contribute, especially with the new ball. That’s my job,” Kapp told the broadcaster during the innings break. “I told Shikha [Pandey] that was one of the best death overs I have seen in a long time. So credit to the bowling attack.”While each of Kapp, Pandey and Jess Jonassen picked up two wickets to keep Mumbai to a paltry 109 for 8, it was clearly the Kapp show at the start that set the tone for Capitals’ nine-wicket win.

Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a narrow 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Unai Emery’s side have been fairly inconsistent over the previous few weeks. A win over Manchester City was followed by a defeat against Newcastle United before ending 2024 by drawing with Brighton and Hove Albion.

They start 2025 off right, however, and the win means they now occupy eighth position in the league table.

Aston Villa’s best performers against Leicester

Ross Barkley was a notable standout for Emery during the clash against the Foxes. Not only did he finish the game with a pass success rate of 98%, but the Englishman also scored the opener with a lovely, driven effort, lost possession just twice and won six of his eight ground duels contested.

Elsewhere, Ezri Konsa won 100% of his duels, succeeded with 96% of his passes and made two tackles, ensuring the Foxes were kept at bay.

Stat

Highest Ranked

Shots on target

Leon Bailey (2)

Key passes

Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara (2)

Ground duels won

Matty Cash (10)

Accurate passes

Tyrone Mings (100)

Tackles

Matty Cash (7)

It was Leon Bailey who returned to some form, finally scoring his first goal of the campaign following fine work from substitute Ian Maatsen down the left flank, and it turned out to be the winner.

The Jamaican certainly saved a few blushes as it appeared Villa were heading for a 1-1 draw before the winger scored. One player who will be thankful to his teammate is Ollie Watkins, as the striker was poor throughout his time on the pitch.

Ollie Watkins' game in numbers vs Leicester

It’s fair to say that the centre-forward hasn’t quite been at his fluid best this season. Across the whole of 2023/24, he scored 27 goals while chipping in with 13 assists, which saw him secure a place in England’s European Championship squad.

At the time of writing, Watkins has found the net just eight times, with no goals coming in the Champions League and he delivered a stale performance on Saturday.

During the clash, he completed just nine passes, which was 16 fewer than Emiliano Martínez in the Villa goal, while also managing 22 touches and registering just two shots, with none of them on target.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The striker also lost possession eight times – including in the build-up to Stephy Mavididi’s equaliser – lost five of his eight total duels and missed a big chance as he failed to get on the scoresheet.

To top it off, he was given a match rating of just 4/10 by Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, who stated that Watkins was ‘toothless’ on the day in front of goal.

Is he feeling the pressure of having some competition for his place in the side? Jhon Duran is finally emerging as a key player for Emery, already scoring 12 times from 26 appearances this term.

With a match against West Ham United coming up in the FA Cup next week, the continued absence of Duran due to suspension may see Watkins keep his place, although, in the long term, the battle for that starting berth is an intriguing one.

The Englishman will have to improve on his next outing, that’s for sure.

Aston Villa in talks over signing striker whose contract expires in January

Unai Emery has said Villa are moving for signings.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 4, 2025

Rohit Sharma says while Pollard’s are big shoes to fill, David has got “lot of ability and so much power”

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-20232:36

Moody: David has shown the IPL that he’s a deadly weapon

Tim David has played only 16 games for Mumbai Indians, but he has already shown glimpses of the power-hitting ability that had made Kieron Pollard one of the stalwarts of the IPL. In the 1000th game of the IPL on Sunday, David went 6, 6, 6 off the first three balls of the last over as Mumbai became the first team in the league’s history to chase down a 200-plus total at the Wankhede Stadium. With Pollard now taking up a new role as Mumbai’s batting coach, can David fill the void left by him as the team’s finisher?”Look, it’s big shoes to fill,” Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, said at the post-match presentation. “Obviously, Polly has done it for so many years and we have won so many championships with his performances. Tim obviously has got a lot of ability, as you saw today. He has got so much power and at the back end, it helps. When you have that kind of power, the bowler is always thinking, so that’s good to have.”When David walked out to bat, at the fall of Suryakumar Yadav’s wicket, Mumbai needed 61 off 26 balls. David alone smashed 45 off 14 balls, including five sixes, to finish the chase with six wickets and three balls to spare. It was Mumbai’s fourth victory in eight games this season.Related

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“Yeah, we needed a result,” David said. “So, it’s an amazing feeling, the crowd was going crazy for us. So, when we get up and flying at the Wankhede, there’s no better feeling.”We’ve probably not played our best game for the last couple of matches. To see how the boys went about it, it’s awesome for us and to see how excited the boys are, it feels really good.”Whenever Trent Boult, Sandeep Sharma and Jason Holder missed their lengths at the death, David put them away. He was particularly severe on Holder, taking him for 25 off six balls. After the match, David said that the plan was to go after every bowler.”Everyone had to be targeted,” he said. “But it was good batting conditions today. So, tough job for the bowlers there, but personally I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while now and been hungry to get a result for the team. So, it feels great.”It was a little bit sweaty, so I was kind of getting out of the crease and trying to close the angle down [against Holder] and just react to wherever the ball is bowled. At that point, it just had to be good shots and try and hit the middle of the bat.”

The unorthodox left-armer was the leading spinner in last season’s BBL

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2023Left-arm spinner Paddy Dooley has been handed his first state contract after signing a one-year deal with Tasmania.Dooley, 25, whose unorthodox action was modelled on Jasprit Bumrah, was one of the breakout stars of last season’s BBL with Hobart Hurricanes having initially played for Brisbane Heat during the 2021-22 campaign among the raft of Covid replacements.He finished with 19 wickets in 10 matches for Hurricanes, making him the leading spinner in the competition, then made his List A debut for Queensland in February but will now look to forge his domestic career in Tasmania.Related

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• Weatherald seeks fresh start with two-year Tasmania deal

“I’m really excited to have signed my first state contract and to be joining the Tigers next season,” Dooley said. “I had a great time and learnt a lot working with Jeff and all of the players and staff at the Hurricanes last season, so it’s great for me that there’s also that cross over into the Tigers program in a lot of ways.”I absolutely loved my time down in Tasmania during the Big Bash, and this year will be a completely new experience for me living as a full-time cricketer, so I can’t wait to get down there and get stuck in.”Tasmania head coach Jeff Vaughan believes that Dooley could make a mark in red-ball cricket.”Paddy has obviously found his way into domestic cricket through the white ball game, but I think he also has the potential to play all three formats for us,” he said. “To have him supported in a full-time program such as ours, where he has access to all of the strength and conditioning and other training he needs outside of his cricket skills, we think will really be of benefit to him as a cricketer.”Dooley is Tasmania’s second signing in the off-season after they brought in Jake Weatherald from South Australia. Their full list is due to be announced next week and will include some significant departures with Peter Siddle returning to Victoria and Ben McDermott heading to Queensland. Pace bowler Jackson Bird is also set to return to New South Wales.

Nathan McAndrew led the way in the second innings with key wickets

AAP13-Feb-2023Sheffield Shield strugglers South Australia secured a memorable 164-run win over runaway leaders Western Australia at Adelaide Oval with the result lifting them into third on the table.South Australia have finished bottom in each of the past five seasons since making the Shield final in 2017 and were up against a Western Australia side boasting four wins from six outings, and bolstered by returning star batters Marcus Stoinis and Shaun Marsh.Western Australia began the day at 2 for 139 in pursuit of a massive 468-run winning target, but were eventually bowled out midway through the middle session for 303.Related

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Bancroft holds up South Australia's push for notable victory

Nathan McAndrew shone for the home side in returning 4 for 73 with the key wickets of Cameron Bancroft and Stoinis among his haul.Bancroft was out for 80 in the second over of the day, having added only one to his overnight tally.From there WA failed to build long partnerships despite runs for Hilton Cartwright, Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis.Having accumulated just five wins in the past five seasons, South Australia have now posted successive triumphs following on from a victory over Tasmania before the mid-summer break.”It’s massive for us,” said Agar in reference to winning back-to-back matches. “We know that we have been in a bit of a struggle in the past couple of years, but we knew we had talent and that it would take time.”To start seeing us get into winning positions, and then actually winning games of cricket is awesome for us and gives us a lot of confidence.”Daniel Drew scored 208 not out in the first innings to set the platform for the Redbacks, while team-mate Nathan McSweeney added an unbeaten 104 in the second innings – both career-best scores.”It is a great sign for us that we are having multiple contributors,” Agar said. “On that surface it was just about being patient [with the ball], not going searching too much and that is very pleasing.”Western Australia are still two wins clear at the top with three rounds remaining as they seek to again earn hosting rights for the Shield final.