The presence of several India internationals will add to the interest in this year’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the selectors will have one eye on bolstering India’s bench strength as 28 teams battle it out

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu24-Feb-2017There are less than 100 days to go for the Champions Trophy, and the build-up has already started with the tournament cup setting off on tour to all eight competing nations. India, the defending champions, are currently playing a four-Test series at home against Australia, and do not play an ODI until the tournament, starting on June 1 in England. India have most bases covered in ODI cricket, but they need a stable opening partnership in addition to back-up options for the top players. These are some of the gaps the selectors will seek to plug when the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over tournament, kicks off on Saturday.The way the teams stack up

Group A: Assam, Baroda, Haryana, Odisha, Punjab, Railways, Vidarbha. Hosts – Delhi
Group B: Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh. Hosts – Odisha
Group C: Andhra, Bengal, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Rajasthan. Hosts – Chennai
Group D: Chhattisgrah, Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Saurashtra, Services. Hosts – Kolkata

For starters, the presence of internationals like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan – a rare luxury in Indian domestic cricket – is likely to attract more eyeballs. Dhoni’s most recent game with Jharkhand came in the previous season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy. Before that, he had last turned out for his state in 2007.In January, MSK Prasad, India’s chairman of selectors, played down concerns about the form of the openers in ODI cricket, and believed that domestic limited-overs cricket would tune them up for the Champions Trophy.Dhawan, who had helped India transition from Virender Sehwag in the last Champions Trophy, isn’t a certainty this time. He does not have the weight of runs behind him. Injuries haven’t helped his cause either. In his first ODI in nearly a year, Dhawan was swung out for 1 against England in Pune, and followed it up with 11 in the next ODI in Cuttack despite getting a life on the same score. Dhawan was left out for the third ODI and returned to the domestic set-up for the Inter-State and Inter-Zonal T20s. He struck back-to-back fifties, but was inconsistent.KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane, who are both with the Test team, haven’t been consistent enough in ODIs either. A strong performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy might help Dhawan sneak ahead in the race for the hotly-contested opening slots. And then there is Rohit Sharma, who, if fully fit, will be the first-choice opener. But Rohit will have to prove his fitness first in domestic cricket, in line with national coach Anil Kumble’s policy.Rohit, who sustained a thigh injury in the Visakhapatnam ODI against New Zealand, is back to training. He hasn’t been named in Mumbai’s squad yet, but might play in the latter part of the tournament if he regains full fitness. “If Rohit is fit later and expresses the desire to play, he will get to play in the tournament,” Mumbai’s chairman of selectors Milind Rege told ESPNcricinfo.Amit Mishra and Mohammed Shami, too, haven’t recovered from injuries, and it remains to be seen if they make a late entry into the tournament. India would ideally want them to get fit and some one-day game-time before flying to England.India’s middle order, though, looks settled – if not set in stone – with Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni, and Kedar Jadhav firing in unison against England. For fringe players like Manish Pandey, who will have to juggle batting and captaincy for Karnataka in the absence of the injured Vinay Kumar, and Ambati Rayudu, who made a hundred for India A against the touring England side, this could be a chance to show the selectors that they merit a place in the squad, even if not necessarily as first-eleven picks.Suresh Raina and Rishabh Pant, the captains of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi respectively, are also in the India middle-order roulette. Raina’s form and fitness has been particularly patchy in the past year. He played only three matches in the Ranji Trophy and was then ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand with viral fever after initially being picked in the squad. He was overlooked for the England ODIs, but was selected for the T20Is.On the eve of the T20 series, Virat Kohli said: “We still believe that he [Raina] has enough to contribute in the short formats for India.” Raina repaid the captain’s confidence with a 45-ball 63 – his first T20I fifty since 2010 – in the third game in Bangalore.Pant, meanwhile, has set the domestic scene alight, and his promotion to state captaincy, after having made his List A debut in last year’s tournament, only adds to India’s bench strength. Ashish Nehra, who made his international debut in 1999, when his new Delhi captain was a year old, has also set his sights on the Champions Trophy, though he last played an ODI in the 2011 World Cup.”I aim to play at least three matches to build up my match-fitness. Fifty-overs is a different challenge and Vijay Hazare is a good platform to test myself,” Nehra had told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview.The Under-19 talents, who have a World Cup to play next year, are also in the Vijay Hazare mix. Mumbai’s Prithvi Shaw, who struck a hundred in his most recent Youth ODI against England Under-19s, and Tamil Nadu’s S Radhakrishnan, who top-scored with 65 in a tie in the same series, are in line to make their List A debuts.In all, 28 teams and over 400 players will battle it out across multiple venues in Delhi, Kolkata, Odisha, and Chennai for the Indian domestic 50-over title and Champions Trophy berths.Click here for a full list of fixtures.

The Pakistan captain has had some time to reassess his career and he is looking forward to leading the team during the three Tests in the Caribbean in April

Umar Farooq18-Feb-20171:11

‘Enjoying the game again’ – Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistan tour of WI 2017

1st T20I, March 31, Port of Spain
2nd T20I, April 2, Port of Spain
1st ODI, April 7, Providence
2nd ODI, April 9, Providence
3rd ODI, April 11, Providence
Tour game, April 15-17, Trelawny
1st Test, April 22-26, Kingston
2nd Test, April 30-May 4, Bridgetown
3rd Test, May 10-14, Roseau

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan Test captain, has said he is “most likely” to be on the tour to West Indies in March with the PCB open to his playing another series before taking a call on his retirement.Misbah has been under immense scrutiny having led the team to six successive defeats in Test cricket, although it was under him that Pakistan were ranked No. 1 in the format last year. A dip in his batting form and his being 42 years old added to the drama that reached its peak after the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne last year when Misbah admitted to being unsure about his future as a cricketer. He has since had time to reassess and is in a better frame of mind.”It was tough on me recently with my form but now overall everything is going well so far,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “I am spending time in middle, hitting the ball pretty well. Played practice matches before the PSL started and had sessions of range hitting so getting confidence with every passing game.”I am also enjoying the game so it’s most likely that I am going to the West Indies. I always believed if had to go [and play cricket] then I have to go with form and confidence otherwise there was no point of going.”ESPNcricinfo understands that the PCB and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq are putting plans in place for a smooth transition by which Pakistan can move on from the senior players like Misbah and Younis Khan. Recent meetings between the board and the selection panel have indicated their preference for having one captain for all formats but Shaharyar Khan, who has the constitutional right as PCB chief to appoint the captain, is happy to leave the call with Misbah himself. “We will respect Misbah’s decision, whatever it is. But if he is willing to play then he is my captain.”Misbah has led Pakistan in more Tests than any other player, and the 24 wins in his tenure is a national record as well. However, in comparison with some of his peers – Imran Khan or Javed Miandad – he has also lost a lot more matches. Misbah’s contribution as batsman has been significant. Since he took charge of Pakistan in 2010, he averages 50.55 which is on par with the best in history.Head coach Mickey Arthur has been in talks with Misbah as well regarding his future. Both of them are currently in the UAE for the Pakistan Super League. “I am scheduled to have another chat with Misbah next week and we will see how that all transpires. The one thing that for certain is Misbah has been fantastic for Pakistan cricket. He has been a great leader and he has been a great servant and he deserves all the accolades that he will get eventually whether that is now or whenever he does go. So I can’t shed any more lights on that because I don’t know and I am not even sure that Misbah knows it himself.”

Manchester United have opened talks with Brighton & Hove Albion over the signing of Moises Caicedo, according to talkSPORT, with Chelsea still reportedly leading the way.

Manchester United transfer news – will they sign Moises Caicedo?

With talks reportedly failing to reach a positive outcome so far with Chelsea to sign Mason Mount, Manchester United have seemingly been forced to turn their attention elsewhere, potentially taking them towards Caicedo.

Of course, the irony is that Chelsea reportedly lead the way in the chase to sign the Brighton midfielder this summer, but it is the Blues who could have welcomed the Red Devils into the race by pricing them out of a move for Mount.

The 21-year-old looks to be valued at around £80m or above by his club, so any deal would come at a hefty price for Erik ten Hag and co, who have reportedly been given a budget of £120m this summer, unless they move players on.

There's still a long summer ahead, however, with plenty of twists to come in the Caicedo saga.

Would Moises Caicedo mirror Declan Rice?

There's not just an argument that Caicedo can provide the same quality as Declan Rice, there's evidence that he is even better than the England international in some departments.

On the ball, the Brighton man distributes far more often than his West Ham United counterpart, making more passes last season, according to FBref.

The difference is that Caicedo is more risk-free in his passing range, opting to recycle the ball more often than progressing it.

Last season, the Manchester United target made less progressive passes than Rice, but was dispossessed fewer times. That said, as per FBref, they are noted as similar players, perhaps an ode to their position on the pitch and starring qualities defensively.

Such traits would suit Ten Hag's side, who aren't in need of a midfielder who can make things happen going forward. After all, they've already got that in the form of Bruno Fernandes.

What they need is a balanced player between Fernandes and Casemiro; a player who is safe on the ball, and quick to recover the ball when without it. Given Caicedo's 248 ball recoveries last season, this is a role that he could play.

Speaking about the quality of the Brighton man, Garth Crooks wrote in his BBC column, via Caught Offside, after the Seagulls defeated Arsenal: “Arsenal wanted to buy Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and after this performance against the Gunners I can see why.

“Following his encounter with Gabriel Martinelli you could see this is a player from the old school and he’s going places.

“They made two bids for the Ecuador international this season and it caused a terrible fuss. Brighton refused the offers and they were sizable.

“The player, naturally upset, took some time to get over the disappointment but to his credit settled his differences with the Seagulls and continued to produce outstanding performances, notwithstanding this extraordinary trouncing of the Gunners on their own turf.”

The 21-year-old was also praised on Twitter, with Football Talent Scout saying back in August: "Moisés Caicedo's market value/asking price will be astronomical next summer. And he'll be worth every penny of it. Machine Man. He's 20 by the way. Twenty years old."

So, although United look set to miss out on the Arsenal bound Rice, Caicedo wouldn't exactly be a disappointing alternative.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fifth day of the Sheffield Shield final between Victoria and South Australia in Alice Springs

Brydon Coverdale30-Mar-2017
ScorecardVictoria celebrate their third successive Sheffield Shield title•Getty ImagesVictoria have completed a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles for the first time in the state’s history, wrapping up a third consecutive triumph by playing out a draw with South Australia in Alice Springs. The Bushrangers were in control for virtually the whole match and on the final day set the Redbacks an unrealistic 524 for victory; play was called off late in the afternoon with South Australia on 6 for 236.It was the second straight year that South Australia had reached the final and hoped to break a two-decade Sheffield Shield drought, only to be thwarted by Victoria in the decider both times. Last year, South Australia had enjoyed the significant advantage of hosting and thus required only a draw to secure the title, but Victoria had managed to pull off a victory in the final at Glenelg.Victoria’s three-peat was all the more remarkable for having come under three different coaches: Greg Shipperd steered them to the 2014-15 title, David Saker had the reins in 2015-16, and Andrew McDonald was in charge this year. They also had to overcome the challenge of playing all three finals outside the state – in 2014-15 they had “hosted” Western Australia in the final at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Most consecutive Shield titles

9 – NSW (1954-1962)
6 – NSW (1902-1907)
3 – WA (1987-1989)
3 – Qld (2000-2002)
3 – Vic (2015-2017)

It was just the third time in the past fifty years that a state had won a hat-trick of Shield titles: Queensland did so from 2000 to 2002 and Western Australia from 1987 to 1989. Prior to that, only New South Wales had ever managed as many as three consecutive titles: they had claimed a remarkable nine straight Shield titles from 1954 to 1962 and had also achieved six in succession from 1902 to 1907.The fifth and final day began with Victoria on 6 for 254, already with a more than sufficient lead of 454, but needing only to draw to win the title the Bushrangers batted on until they were dismissed for 323. That meant a fanciful target of 524 for the Redbacks, who clearly could not win. But a Victorian victory seemed possible when James Pattinson struck twice in the first three overs.However, South Australia captain Travis Head scored a defiant century to hold off the victory push, finishing unbeaten on 137 when he and Victoria’s stand-in leader, Cameron White, agreed to call off play. Fawad Ahmed – one of only three men to play in all three of Victoria’s hat-trick of final triumphs along with Rob Quiney and Daniel Christian – finished with 3 for 81.Victoria spinner Jon Holland was named Player of the Match for his first-innings demolition of the Redbacks, in which he claimed 7 for 82. Holland also picked up one wicket in the second innings, which meant he joined Chuck Fleetwood-Smith, Stuart MacGill, Bill O’Reilly and Tony Lock as the only spinners to claim 50 wickets in a Shield season (not counting Colin Miller, who combined spin and pace).

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Boca Juniors midfielder Cristian Medina, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his side ahead of his first full season in charge at Molineux.

Wolves will have to spend on a budget this summer, however, the Spaniard is expected to have a busy transfer window with both outgoings and incomings speculated.

Having bid farewell to captain Ruben Neves, who has departed to Saudi Arabia to join Al Hilal, the Old Gold must recruit reinforcements to ease the woes of missing their star man in midfield, which is something Lopetegui could do in signing Medina.

What’s the latest on Cristian Medina to Wolves?

As reported by journalist David Ferris, Wolves alongside Fulham and Santos are interested in the Boca Juniors sensation.

The report states that just ‘consultations’ have taken place with ‘nothing formal’ reported, adding that the player is ‘attracting attention’ from Europe.

Football Transfers estimate the player to be worth around £3m, making him an affordable option for Wolves.

Who is Wolves target Cristian Medina?

Hailed as “intelligent” by scout Diego Mazzilli, the 21-year-old has asserted himself as being one of Boca’s shining and most important talents.

Mazzilli highlighted the youngsters’ talents, saying: “He knows when to take just one touch or when he can start carrying the ball vertically to break the lines of the opposition.

"He takes good care of the ball and has a very good varied passing range.”

The attributes raised by a former scout of the player suggest that Wolves could find in Medina the perfect heir to their departed skipper.

Neves was an influential figure at Molineux throughout his 6-year stay in the Midlands, scoring 30 goals and recording 13 assists in all competitions from midfield.

The Portuguese gem was integral to Wolves’ creativity, however, his presence is certainly not irreplaceable, with Medina posing to potentially be the ideal successor for Lopetegui’s side.

As highlighted by his season heatmap below (via Sofascore), the 21-year-old is a live wire in midfield, covering ground all over the pitch in order to contribute to proceedings.

Similarly to Neves, the Buenos Aires-born gem doesn’t fear getting stuck in, despite being a predominantly attack-minded individual, as highlighted by his average of 1.3 tackles per game in the Liga Profesional de Futbol campaign.

With a pass accuracy rate of 84% in the 2022/23 Premier League, the former Wolves skipper an assured figure that Molineux will miss in the middle of the park, however, the numbers show that Medina actually betters the passing exploits of the 26-year-old.

Maintaining a 90% passing accuracy rate, the Argentine has been lauded as being “key” for Boca by journalist Leandro Aguilera adding that the 21-year-old displays a “good level” in “every game” he plays for the club.

The youngster's confidence on the ball goes beyond his impressive level of distribution, averaging a successful dribble rate of 72% recording an average of 1.3 per game, via Sofascore.

Lopetegui could uncover a gem from South America in Medina, an individual that could play an integral part in filling the boots of Neves for a potential price too good for Wolves to ignore.

Arsenal have been linked to Serie A hitman Dusan Vlahovic, however, the Gunners could miss a potential disaster by avoiding signing the striker.

Mikel Arteta’s side were the second-highest-scoring side in the Premier League last season, however, links to the big-money forward could reinforce that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Are Arsenal linked to Dusan Vlahovic?

Sources in Italy mentioned earlier this year the north Londoners in relation to the potential destiny of Vlahovic, claiming that the Gunners have ‘never given up’ on the prospect of signing the 23-year-old.

The report comes from the angle that the forward is ‘no longer’ considered to be ‘untouchable’ in terms of Juventus’ value of the goalscorer, making Arsenal’s rumoured interest a subject to be cautious over.

How many goals has Dusan Vlahovic scored?

A 23-year-old with 95 domestic career goals is never going to be short of attention in the transfer window, however, the Serbian has struggled with a dip in form since trading Fiorentina for Juve, signalling a risk for potential Premier League suitors.

In his first two seasons in Turin, Vlahovic has hardly been the "monster" that Carlo Garganese bestowed on him, netting 17 goals in Serie A in a decline compared to his form at Fiorentina in where he scored 38 goals in his final two Serie A campaigns.

While it takes time to adapt to new surroundings, the striker made the move to a side with more attacking prowess around him while remaining in the same league that he dominated just one season prior.

It has been a recurring narrative for prolific players from fellow top leagues in Europe are unable to hit former heights in the Premier League, a trait that Arsenal know too well.

The Gunners’ current record signing Nicolas Pepe signed for the club back in 2019 from Lille, where he caught the eye of Unai Emery after registering a monstrous 33 goal contributions in 38 Ligue 1 games in 2018/19.

Four years down the line and the winger is set to return to the club after a season-long loan at Nice after a poor opening three years in north London.

In three campaigns, the £72m forward scored 16 Premier League goals before falling down the pecking order and being replaced rightly by Bukayo Saka.

The Ivory Coast international has shown little promise of living up to his lucrative price tag since trading Ligue 1 for the Premier League, in a risk that has not paid off for Arsenal. Indeed, in his final season before being loaned back to France, he found the net on just three occasions for the Londoners.

Signing high-cost players from abroad is an area that the Gunners should tread carefully around, with warning signs flagging around the interest in £70m Vlahovic, who has already shown frailties to his consistency in Serie A.

The 'unsettled' striker should be a player for Arsenal to steer clear of, with Arteta having the foundations to bolster his side without having to risk spending sensational money on players that aren’t guaranteed to perform.

Edu should revise the past mistakes made in the transfer of Pepe when considering the clubs’ interest in the Serbian, who has averaged fewer non-penalty goals per 90 to Gabriel Jesus over the past year, with 0.35 to the Brazilian’s 0.39, via FBref.

Everton have "formally expressed" their interest in signing Almeria forward El Bilal Toure this summer having expressed their intentions to pay the release clause of €40m (£34m), according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

What's the latest Everton transfer news?

Having missed out on multiple attacking targets in the January transfer window, including the likes of Kamaldeen Sulemana and Jean Philippe-Mateta, Everton are eager to bring in a new striker this summer, and they have identified several targets.

Back in June, it was reported the Toffees were plotting a move for Udinese striker Beto, with the Serie A outfit expecting the 25-year-old to leave this summer, however there could be competition for his signature.

Several of Europe's top clubs, including Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Tottenham Hotspur, have now been offered the opportunity to sign the Portuguese forward, with the same report detailing that he will be available for €30m (£26m) this summer.

Another player who has been linked with a switch to Goodison Park is Leeds United's Wilfried Gnonto, however journalist Paul Brown has claimed a move for the Italy international is "slightly unrealistic", so Sean Dyche may have to focus on other targets.

Tavolieri recently took to Twitter to claim that Everton have put €40m (£34m) on the table to sign El Bilal Toure, offering the Almeria forward a five-year contract, and the same journalist has now provided another update on the situation.

Everton have indeed "formally expressed" their intentions to go ahead and pay Almeria the €40m (£34m) release clause included in the 21-year-old's contract, but spread out over a period of installments rather than up front and in full.

The Toffees hierarchy are keen to pay off the deal in three of four installments, which could potentially put a spanner in the works, with a number of other clubs interested, including Fulham, who view the youngster as a priority target if Aleksandar Mitrovic leaves.

At the moment, the situation is "a bit messy", with a number of agents said to be "speaking about the striker", potentially indicating the Blues will miss out if they don't simply stump up the cash.

Who is El Bilal Toure?

Although he was born in the Ivory Coast, the Almeria starlet is a Mali international, having already made 13 caps for his national side, registering four goals in the process.

The former Reims man predominantly plays at striker, finding the back of the net seven times in 21 appearances in La Liga last term, in what was a very impressive debut season.

The Toffees have been linked with a move for the £5k-per-week attacker for quite some time, with transfer correspondent Graeme Bailey hailing him as a "major talent" amid reports about a switch to Goodison Park last summer.

Even though the Malian impressed last season, however, it is still up for debate whether his performances justify a £34m outlay, as there are several areas in which he needs to develop.

Over the past year, Toure ranks in just the 15th percentile for successful take-ons, and in the 27th for passes attempted, when compared to his positional peers, indicating he is far from the finished article.

تمكن فريق النصر من الفوز على نظيره الطائي بنتيجة 5-1، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

والتقي النصر مع الطائي على أرضية استاد الأول بارك، في الجولة 25 من بطولة دوري روشن السعودي.

وسجل أوتافيو هدف النصر الأول في الدقيقة 20، من تسديدة من خارج منطقة الجزاء خدعت حارس مرمى الطائي.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | الهلال يواصل انتصاراته في الدوري السعودي برباعية أمام الشباب

وأدرك الطائي التعادل في الدقيقة 22 عن طريق اللاعب فيرجيل ميسيدان، بعد مراوغة رائعة أنهاها بتسديدة من على حدود منطقة الجزاء.

وتقدم النصر بالهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 45+7 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد عرضية من ساديو ماني استقبلها عبد الرحمن غريب برأسية سكنت الشباك.

وفي الدقيقة 64 أضاف البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو الهدف الثالث، بعد تمريرة عرضية من ساديو ماني استقبلها بتسديدة داخل الشباك.

وأحرز كريستيانو رونالدو الهدف الرابع والثاني له في الدقيقة 67، بعد متابعته لكرة ارتطمت بالقائم.

وسجل كريستيانو رونالدو الهدف الخامس (هاتريك) في الدقيقة 87، من عرضية استقبلها برأسية رائعة.

بهذا الفوز، يحتل النصر وصافة جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 59 نقطة، فيما يأتي الطائي في المركز السادس عشر، ولديه 22 نقطة. أهداف مباراة النصر والطائي اليوم في الدوري السعودي

Sunderland have thrown their hat into the ring in the race to sign Sonny Perkins on loan this summer, according to a report from TeamTalk.

Who is Sonny Perkins?

The 19-year-old currently plays for Leeds United, having been poached from West Ham at the beginning of the campaign. Whilst he hasn't been a first-team regular for the Whites, he has already been handed his first-team debut for the squad and even has a goal to his name in his three appearances for them.

Before leaving, he was also given the same amount of action by the Hammers.

Whilst he is clearly highly regarded to have been thrown into the first-team squad at his age, he has had to make do with reserve team football for the most part. However, the player has thrived in those outings and has become even more impressive since his move to Leeds.

Having produced twelve goals in 23 games for West Ham's Under-21 team, he has now managed a further 13 efforts in 23 games for the Whites' Under-21 side. It's led to him being called up for England's Under-19 team, where he has continued to shine with five goals in just three games for them. In addition, he's featured for his country's Under-18, Under-16 and Under-15 outfits previously.

Are Sunderland signing Sonny Perkins?

Now, this form has caught the eye of several Championship sides who are prepared to give him that regular first-team action. According to a report from TeamTalk, Sunderland are one of the second tier sides who are keen to try and bring Perkins in on a short-term basis for next season.

It's a surprise that Leeds are prepared to let the 19-year-old leave on loan, considering that they too are back in the Championship, but it appears that the club are willing to allow Perkins to go and find more playing time and the Black Cats have "registered their interest".

He certainly looks like he could have the potential to be a real asset for Sunderland. Back when he joined up with Leeds, he was labelled as a "very interesting signing" and "on fire" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example, who highlighted how impressive he had been for both his country's youth team and West Ham United's.

If he can get regular football with the Black Cats, it could bring the same kind of form out of the player next season.

Lions won their second consecutive game to climb to third place with a 59-run win via Duckworth-Lewis method against Knights in Johannesburg. Lions’ victory was set up by opening batsman Reeza Hendricks, who scored an unbeaten 142 off 144 balls to help them post 294 after being put in. His knock was supported by fifties from Rassie van der Dussen (51 off 82), with whom he put on 145 for the opening stand, and Mangaliso Mosehle (59 off 47), who dominated a second-wicket stand of 90. Lions’ innings ended on 294 for 4, cut short by rain with one ball to go. Knights were handed a revised target of 294 in 49 overs, and lost openers to Beuran Hendricks (3 for 40) within the eighth over. Rudi Second (43) and Leus du Plooy put on 80 for the third wicket, but Aaron Phangiso (3 for 52) struck in consecutive overs and Beuran returned to remove Patrick Botha in the next to reduce Knights to 114 for 5. Du Plooy eventually fell for 74 after putting on 51 with Aubrey Swanepoel for the sixth wicket. There were no other significant partnerships as they were restricted to 234 for 9.Sixties from Heino Kuhn and Henry Davids, and cameos from Albie Morkel and David Wiese lifted Titans to 324 for 6 before they bowled Warriors out for 289 at Buffalo Park to move to the top of the table. Their innings was built on an opening stand off 100 between Aiden Markram (45) and Davids (66), before Tony de Zorzi (41) and Kuhn (61) carried them to 215 for 3 at the end of the 40th over. Morkel (34 off 16) and Wiese (44* off 26) then led the slog-overs charge as 109 came off the last ten overs. Warriors started their chase with a 150-run opening stand, but Markram removed the openers – JJ Smuts for 81 with his offspin, before running out Gihahn Cloete for 65 – to start a collapse of five wickets for only 22 runs in five overs. Lower-order cameos from Lesiba Ngoepe (41), Kelly Smuts (26) and Jerry Nqolo (26) kept Warriors in the hunt, but Malusi Siboto (2 for 33) took a brace to cut their resistance short.