Though Australia were comfortably clear in the World Test Championship standings at the time, Australia’s coach Justin Langer has admitted to a feeling of dread when his side dropped four points due to a penalty for slow over rates during the Boxing Day Test against India – ultimately all that separated the team from a place in the final later this year.While Tim Paine’s side won only two of the four series it contested over the period of the WTC, while also having away series against Bangladesh and South Africa cancelled due to complications around Covid-19, they would have claimed enough points over matches played to squeak past New Zealand into second place behind India if not for being docked the four points at the conclusion of the MCG loss.Langer claimed that the team had no idea they were behind the required over rate by enough of a margin to incur a penalty until after the Test concluded, despite regular updates always being provided by match officials. In 2008, Australia’s then captain Ricky Ponting resorted to bowling part-timers at a critical moment of a Test match in Nagpur when there were concerns the team’s over rate had sagged to a level at which he may well have been suspended under the disciplinary system in use by the ICC at the time.Related

• England and India docked two WTC points apiece for slow over rate

• Australia players '100% behind' head coach Justin Langer, says Tim Paine

• Covid summer brings Australia back to the field

• A decade of Glenn Maxwell: is there another chapter to write?

• India are the best Test team irrespective of WTC standings

“Our manager Gavin Dovey had gone home … for Christmas with his family in England, and it wasn’t until after the game that we realised our over rate was down,” Langer told SEN Radio. “That’s really slack on our behalf, but I remember we were in the team room afterwards and I spoke to Painey and Dene Hills, our analyst, about it. I was a bit grumpy about it and I thought ‘imagine if this cost us the World Test Championship’.”And I mentioned it to the players afterwards that two overs down could cost us the World Test Championship. And so, we have to get better at that and make sure it doesn’t happen in Sydney and Brisbane. It didn’t, but we also couldn’t bowl out India twice and we didn’t make enough runs. It was relevant at the time, and it certainly became incredibly significant over the weekend.”At the start of his reign as coach in 2018, Langer had coined the phrase “From Lille to Lord’s”, in reference to a tenure that had begun with a commemorative trip to the battlefields of the Western Front and took in a couple of chances to play finals at the home of cricket: the 2019 World Cup final and this year’s WTC final, albeit before it was moved to Southampton’s Ageas Bowl.The MCG proved costly for Australia, and not just because of the defeat against India•Getty Images

“It’s disappointing for a couple of reasons – one we didn’t get to play in South Africa to have another crack at it after the India series and is it’s disappointing for me because this Test Championship goes over a couple of years, we were in the box seat for a lot of it,” Langer said.”We’ve played some great cricket. Losing to India at home that was really disappointing, but…we got docked two [four] points for a slow over rate, and that cost us. That’s how close it was and how often do you get docked points in Test cricket these days? Rarely. We have that in our control, that’s an attitudinal thing, at the time we probably thought ‘oh it’s not that big a deal’, but that cost us the WTC after what had been two really good years when we were ranked No. 1 again. The things we can control we have to control, and we can’t for a second relax in Test cricket.”After Australia’s white-ball squad returned home from a 3-2 T20I series defeat in New Zealand that he sat out, Langer expressed approval for Glenn Maxwell’s recently stated desire to put himself back into Test match contention given the multiple Test series looming for the national team in Asia over the next two years.”I’m absolutely supportive of that,” Langer said. “We know how destructive he can be. We’re always looking for greater consistency from Maxy and all of our players, but he’s so destructive and so talented and a gun fielder.”I’d love that energy in the field. For example, I think we dropped 16 catches in this Test series, things that are in our control like the over rate, and they’re areas we want to keep getting better at because otherwise the old ‘catches win matches’ costs you. Glenn Maxwell’s fielding, he bowls handy offspinners, absolutely we would encourage him to get amongst it. I’d like to see all our star players playing. It would be good for Glenn Maxwell, but it would be great for domestic cricket.”You imagine young bowlers bowling against a hungry Glenn Maxwell who wants to push to play Test cricket in the future. He’ll be hungry, I’d love to see [Aaron] Finch play as well. I’d love to see all those guys play because never underestimate the benefit for young players, within your team and the opposition, playing against the best players. But that’s going to be a decision for Victoria and I’ll watch that really closely.”It remains to be seen whether Maxwell will be included in the Victorian squad for their coming bracket of Sheffield Shield matches ahead of his next stint in the IPL.

GOAL explores the pros and cons of a hypothetical MLS transfer for former Manchester United, Juventus star Paul Pogba.

Juventus recently terminated Paul Pogba's contract following his 18-month suspension for a doping violation, reduced from an initial four years. The decision frees the 31-year-old to return to competitive soccer in March, raising questions on what is the future for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner and former recipient of the 2013 Golden Boy award. The main one is where. Where does he go from here? The answer, potentially, is Major League Soccer.

Why not follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi, Olivier Giroud, Marco Reus and ex-France stars Thierry Henry, Blaise Matuidi and Hugo Lloris?
One of the biggest superstars in the world at one point, Pogba is one of the most talented midfielders of the current generation. He has had a few roadblocks, including injuries and form issues on top of his doping suspension, but he's looking to come back out on top now.

Could MLS be the place where he revitalizes his career? GOAL explores the pros and cons of a hypothetical move stateside.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportPro: Career revival

After nearly 18 months away from the game, come March, the Frenchman – wherever he lands – will need a rebrand. There will be critics who will focus on his doping allegations and there will be coaches and sporting directors who will doubt his ability to return at a high level.

He needs to lean into that and use it as motivation. Whoever takes a chance on him is giving him the opportunity to re-launch his career, and he needs to grab that bull by the horns and ride it until he has nothing left. Aged 31, he still has nearly a decade left in his boots if he chooses so, and at his peak, he was a top five midfielder in the world. It's hard to imagine he will ever reach that level again, but there is still magic left in his boots, he just needs to find it.

MLS presents him that opportunity. Messi is still thriving on the international stage with Argentina, despite crafting his trade stateside. Footballers like Thiago Almada, Diego Gomez, Mateusz Bogusz, Joseph Paintsil and Denis Bouanga are all regulars with their national teams – whom compete against the world's best – while in MLS, too.

The league presents him with the opportunity to compete outside of Europe, while completely rebranding himself at the same time. There is less media and fan pressure in soccer in North America as opposed to what he would face in the old continent.

It's a move that makes plenty of sense for both the league and the Frenchman – it now just comes down to how on if the two parties are actually interested in each other.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportCon: Expensive

Paul is a player who has had success at the highest levels of both the domestic and international game, he's not going to come cheap.

His last contracted salary with Juventus was reportedly an $11m per-year deal that had him inked through 2026. In the wake of his suspension, though, it was reduced to $44k per-month until the recent termination of his deal. For context, in 2024, only two players in MLS – Messi and Lorenzo Insigne – had higher year-round compensation deals than him, though the Italian winger is rumored to be departing Toronto FC this offseason.

If he were to be signed on a similar deal, he would immediately be one of the highest-paid players in the league, and those figured typically tend to be handed toward goal-scorers or creators in the final-third rather than a box-to-box midfielder. However, the direct comparison would be Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami, who is on a Designated Player contract at $8.74m per-year. That figure seems to be a more ballpark area to work around for a potentially interested MLS side.

That's a lot of compensation to throw at a player who has not seen the pitch in 18 months.

Getty Images SportPro: Name recognition

For nearly seven seasons, Pogba was arguably the world's best central midfielder. He was one of the most recognizable players on any day, due to his natural flare in the middle of the park, or his trademark outside-the-boot shot that wowed spectators. From his days in Italy to his time in England to his international performances with , he was an absolute star who people all over the world admired.

Even in 2024 – nearly five years after his last truly stupendous season – that still means something.

If an MLS team were to take a gamble on him, they would be bringing the name-factor and star-power of a World Champion, Champions League finalist, Europa League Winner and more to the pitch. He's a name who sells, whether that's kits, marketing deals, partnerships or tickets, he has the name to draw an audience – and that alone may be worth the gamble for some teams.

European midfielders like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rafa Marquez and Andrea Pirlo all made the move to MLS in their 30s – could Pogba be the next?

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesCon: Is MLS the right place for a comeback?

With opportunity comes responsibility, though, and Pogba has to ultimately prioritize his legendary career with whatever step he takes next. If he struggles or fails, the backlash will not be kind – regardless of if that is fair or not. He has a lot riding on this choice, with FIFA handing him a second chance in his career two and a half years earlier than expected.

If a move to MLS came about though, he wouldn't be the only party at risk. With the amount his contract would command, and the sheer amount of marketing that would go into making him the face of a franchise, the hypothetical team would be putting a lot of trust in him as well. Frankly, neither party would benefit from any negative aspects of a move to MLS.

Pogba needs wherever he ends up to be a league and a club that trusts him and gives him time, while on the opposite side of the table, there needs to be patience with him in that aspect as well. Regardless of location though, he is putting him self at risk by thrusting himself into the limelight. As likely the highest earner of an MLS team he would join, the spotlight would be heavily on him.

Wrexham have reportedly been offered “a dozen to 20” players ahead of the January window, with it possible that an “international striker” will join.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Red Dragons in the market for goalscorer
• Hollywood co-owners making funds available
• Ambition makes it easy to attract talent

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons have made it known that they are in the market for more firepower. With Jack Marriott and Steven Fletcher nursing knocks, while Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is only working on a short-term contract, Phil Parkinson is looking to land another proven goalscorer.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  He has the likes of Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer at his disposal, with record signing Mo Faal waiting in the wings, but greater depth is being sought at SToK Racecourse. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are prepared to make funds available at the start of 2025.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Club director Shaun Harvey said at a recent Kick4life charity event in New York: “Rob and Ryan have always supported Phil’s ambition. We will be active in the transfer market during January, because we’re in a position of strength.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  TELL ME MORE

  With that in mind, reports that a number of players have already been offered to the Welsh outfit. A lot of those “want to sign” and the club’s “pulling power” means that ambitious chairmen “could dip into the foreign market to sign an international striker”.

Arsenal rounded off their pre-season preparations with a comfortable 2-0 win over Lyon at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

It wasn't the same rip-roaring performance as we saw from the Gunners in their 4-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen a few days ago but there were still plenty of positives for Mikel Arteta to take forward.

The biggest plus point was set pieces. When aren't they? The north Londoners were excellent from corners in 2023/24 and showed they should score plenty more from those scenarios this weekend.

Two Declan Rice corners, headed home by William Saliba and Gabriel won the game for Arteta's side who now just have six days to wait before taking on Wolves in their first Premier League clash of the new campaign.

Another positive was Riccardo Calafiori's first minutes in the red and white of Arsenal, introduced as a second-half substitute for Oleksandr Zinchenko.

So, will the Italian start the opening match of the new season? Given his lack of game time, it seems unlikely. That said, he's not the only one who should probably be expecting to be sat on the bench.

Riccardo Calafiori's cameo vs Lyon

Last week it was announced that Zinchenko was swapping his shirt number to 17. It's not a landmark moment but since then the Ukranian has been brilliant, starring now against both Leverkusen and Lyon.

The left-back cooly found the back of the net in midweek, sliding the ball home from the edge of the area after being teed up by Kai Havertz.

Zinchenko also looked in good order on Sunday, notably winning three of his four duels, completing 90% of his passes and supplying four key passes. Not a bad day at the office indeed.

The former Manchester City man will no doubt have been sweating over his future with the arrival of Calafiori and Jurrien Timber's return from injury but he now looks set to start on the opening weekend against Wolves.

Calafiori will have to bide his time instead. The Italian showed a few neat touches, including one tidy driving run forward in the centre of the pitch.

A centre-back by trade, the former Bologna man will likely play most of his football at left-back and that's where he played on this occasion.

Interestingly enough, it does appear as though it's the entirety of the left-hand side that is up for debate. Will Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard start?

Martinelli's performance in numbers vs Lyon

Since the beginning of last season, Martinelli hasn't particularly been at the races. The Brazilian was in superb order during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring 15 Premier League goals in 36 games.

Yet, in 2023/24, his form took a turn for the worse, scoring just six times in the league. One of the main reasons for that was undoubtedly the rivalry he had with Trossard. The Belgian was a man possessed at points last season and ended the term with 17 strikes to his name, only three fewer than top scorer Bukayo Saka.

So, when Trossard scored a delightful goal against Leverkusen a few days ago, it looked like an uphill battle for Martinelli to start on the opening weekend of the new league season.

That was then confirmed when the Brazilian struggled against Lyon this weekend.

Martinelli was positive in his play, looking to get in behind on a regular basis but his first touch let him down and he struggled to get the ball out of his feet. That was notably the case in the first half. Martin Odegaard slipped a lovely ball in behind for Martinelli but he struggled to power beyond the defender and the chance came to nothing.

It's that lack of decisiveness that Trossard can trump him in and will likely lead to him being given the nod initially next week.

During his 78 minutes on the pitch, the no.11 made just 14 passes, two fewer than goalkeeper David Raya.

Martinelli vs Lyon

Touches

35

Accurate passes

14/19 (74%)

Key passes

4

Crosses

1/5

Long balls

1/1

Possession lost

14x

Shots

2

Dribbles

0/2

Duels won

2/7

Interceptions

1

Tackles

2

Stats via Sofascore.

In giving away possession on 14 occasions, it meant he lost the ball every 2.5 touches. Yes, Martinelli is direct and a risk-taker but he must learn to keep control of the ball better. That was evidenced further by the fact that he failed with both of his two dribble attempts.

His performance was perhaps best summed up by Football.London's Kaya Kaynak who noted at full-time that the winger was 'still struggling to find his technical quality when running at high speed on a consistent basis.'

That will no doubt be a worry for Arteta and as a consequence, he should lean on Trossard for gameweek one of the Premier League.

Related Arsenal can reach new level by signing "unstoppable" £84m Martinelli rival

The incredible attacker would be a game-changer for the Gunners.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 7, 2024

After losing Max Kilman earlier this summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly want to replace their defender by signing a Champions League centre-back this month.

Wolves transfer news

The Midlands club were on course for a fairly successful summer, before Chelsea emerged to land Pedro Neto's signature. The winger's exit leaves quite the attacking void to fill, and one that Wolves must look to fix before deadline day at the end of the month.

On that front, as Fabrizio Romano reports, Wolves are eyeing a move to sign Carlos Forbs from Ajax. The former Manchester City academy ace would have some shoes to fill, but plenty of time to hit his potential at just 20 years old.

Wolves plot move to sign "exceptional" £120k-p/w ace with swap deal mooted

He could be an excellent addition at Molineux.

ByBen Browning Aug 10, 2024

However, before replacing Neto, those in the Midlands must first replace Kilman by signing a Champions League defender. According to GiveMeSport, Wolves now want to sign Oumar Solet from RB Salzburg this month in a deal worth a reported £12m. Given the hefty fee that they have received for Neto, it's safe to assume that Salzburg's valuation is well within Wolves' current range.

24-year-old Solet has just one year remaining on his current contract in Austria, hence the lower valuation, and may now find himself on his way to the Premier League. For a bargain price, it would be impressive business if the Frenchman managed to replicate Kilman's quality.

"Outstanding" Solet could turn into bargain buy

Solet certainly has his admirers around European football, with U23 scout Antonio Mango describing the defender's form for Salzburg as "outstanding" last summer. The numbers that the scout presents highlight a player who may eventually become worth far more than £12m in something of a Kilman repeat for Wolves and O'Neil.

What's more, Solet can also play in defensive midfield to potentially hand Gary O'Neil two options in one player. However, if Wolves want to seal a deal for the former Lyon centre-back, they will need to act quickly, given that the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

With both Kilman and Neto to replace, it should be a busy couple of weeks in the Midlands. For O'Neil's sake, Wolves should hope to solve both their problems ahead of their Premier League campaign kick-off against Arsenal next weekend. Far from an easy start, Wolves will have to cause an upset in pursuit of three points on the opening day.

Manchester United’s midfield might be in for a refresh this summer. The Red Devils have lost some players in the middle of the park, namely Sofyan Amrabat and Donny van de Beek. They could be in line to lose a few more before the end of the transfer window on the 30th of August.

There are three midfielders who seem certain to stay this summer. Captain Bruno Fernandes, who was linked with a move to PSG, will remain at the club, as well as young starlet Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount, who will be hoping for a season with fewer injuries than the last.

However, there could be some who follow Amrabat and Van de Beek out of the door. One of those is Scott McTominay, who was linked with a move to Fulham, although that deal is yet to progress. Casemiro was also rumoured to leave Old Trafford this summer, but the club can find no suitors and Danish number 10 Christian Eriksen could also depart the club, with both having been linked to Saudi Arabia.

With these outgoings on the cards, United have been linked to several new midfielders, including one Premier League star in recent days to add quality and depth.

Man Utd target Premier League midfielder

The player in question here is Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes. The 23-year-old Brazil international could depart Wolves this summer, after several impressive performances for the Midlands club last campaign.

According to a report from Graeme Bailey, the Red Devils have been eying up a potential move for Gomes this summer, and he is a player ‘who United’s scouting staff hugely appreciate’. He is one of a number of defensive midfielders included in a shortlist for the role the club have drawn up recently.

The Red Devils have not been the only top-flight side to hold an interest in the 23-year-old this summer. North London pair Arsenal and Tottenham, United’s Mancunian rivals Manchester City, and their big rivals on Merseyside, Liverpool, are all sides who have shown interest in acquiring the services of Gomes, according to another report from Bailey.

In terms of a price, the Manchester Evening News report that Gomes could cost around £38m to sign this summer. Given the fact Wolves paid his former club Flamengo £15m for the Brazilian, they would make some impressive profit, more than doubling their money on the young midfielder.

Why Gomes would be a good signing

Gomes’ importance in Gary O’Neil’s side last season cannot be understated. He played 34 times in the top flight, with 32 of those appearances coming from the starting XI. He even managed to get himself on the scoresheet twice, with both coming in the same game away to Spurs.

Now that United have seemingly turned their attention away from signing Manuel Ugarte from PSG this summer, after being put off by his £51.4m asking price, Gomes could make an ideal alternative to the Uruguayan.

They are both 23, meaning they have plenty of seasons ahead of them, but also tenacious ball winners. However, what might sell Gomes to the Red Devils' board the most is the fact he is over £10m cheaper than Ugarte, meaning that is money that can be reinvested elsewhere.

How Gomes compares to Casemiro

Gomes might also be an excellent long-term replacement for Casemiro in United’s midfield. The Red Devils number 18 has already been replaced by the Wolves man in Brazil’s midfield, and things could end up that way at club level, too.

Statistically, as per Fbref, Gomes comes close to or beats Casemiro in plenty of areas. One of those areas is combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, in which the Wolves man averages 4.97 and the former Real Madrid midfielder completes just 4.59. The Wolves number eight also averaged 6.22 ball recoveries last term, compared to 6.02 for Casemiro.

Stat (per 90)

Gomes

Casemiro

Tackles and interceptions

4.97

4.59

Ball recoveries

6.22

6.02

Blocks

1.73

3.36

Clearances

0.99

3.23

As those stats show, Gomes is a better ball-winner in midfield than Casemiro, who tends to dive into tackles a lot and often loses out in crucial situations. However, Gomes brings a calm head and can help win the ball back more efficiently and look to progress play forwards quickly.

The 23-year-old can also be effective in the opposition's penalty area and was described as a “box-crasher” by football analyst Ben Mattinson. Although he is a smaller figure, at just 5 foot 7, he can still be effective at getting into the penalty box, and for that reason might operate better in a double pivot.

For just £38m, United could upgrade on Casemrio and find their dream Ugarte alternative. Gomes is a player with Premier League experience, who has proven he can perform at the highest level. It could be a shrewd piece of business as United look to improve their midfield.

Man Utd want £30m Ugarte alternative who's a "master of the dark arts"

He has also been chased by Fulham

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 7, 2024

Pat Cummins claimed the key wicket of a well-set Kane Williamson but a late dropped catch could hurt Australia

Tristan Lavalette09-Mar-20243:12

Spotlight on Carey even as New Zealand fight back

Matt Henry claimed a seven-wicket haul to restrict Australia before Tom Latham and Kane Williamson struck half-centuries to continue New Zealand’s stirring fightback in the second Test at Hagley Oval.But Williamson fell late on day two for 51 after succumbing to the first ball of a new spell from Pat Cummins, dragging a delivery onto his stumps that had deceptively decked back.Related

Matt Henry, New Zealand's man of steel, drags his team back into the contest

Labuschagne felt under no pressure during lean run of form

Hazlewood dismantles New Zealand but Henry gives home side hope

Hazlewood's mastery floors NZ at Hadlee's hometown

Henry on NZ's batting – 'It's not a concern'

Just before stumps, Latham edged a delivery from Josh Hazlewood that shaped away only for wicketkeeper Alex Carey to spill a chance after diving low down in front of Usman Khawaja at first slip.Latham finished unbeaten on 65 from 154 balls in his highest Test score against Australia. He entered averaging just under 28 against them compared to 40 overall. Rachin Ravindra had some anxious moments, but fought hard to reach 11 not out with New Zealand leading by 40 runs.As was expected ahead of the match, the pitch appeared to be flattening out, but there was still enough movement and bounce for the seamers to exploit. Australia used six bowlers with Cummins and Hazlewood, who was the standout with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, looking threatening before the close.New Zealand’s batting has been under the microscope having failed to reach 200 runs in their three previous innings in the series. After opener Will Young fell early to Mitchell Starc, Williamson and Latham erased New Zealand’s 94-run first innings deficit with a 105-run partnership.Pat Cummins claimed the huge wicket of Kane Williamson•AFP/Getty Images

Williamson, in his 100th Test, played elegantly and unfurled trademark drives to reach his half-century off 105 balls. Having made just 26 runs in the series, Williamson was in a determined mood and looked set for the long haul having converted his previous eight fifties into centuries.There was extra fuel for Williamson, whose career average of 37 against Australia is modest compared to his overall mark of 55. But he was left in despair after falling to Cummins following a rare sedate period of a play in what has thoroughly been a bowler-dominated series.Relatively quiet in the series with just two wickets previously, Cummins produced a hostile spell late in the day amid cloudy conditions. But Latham and Ravindra held firm to continue New Zealand’s turnaround after they made just 162 in the first innings.Henry dominated the earlier part of the day to claw New Zealand back in the contest and restrict Australia to 256. His figures of 7 for 67 from 23 overs were the second best by a New Zealand bowler against Australia and only behind Sir Richard Hadlee’s famous 9 for 52 at the Gabba in 1985. It was Henry’s second consecutive five-wicket haul after being a shining light in New Zealand’s hefty first Test defeat.Australia’s stuttering batting-order once again weren’t able to muster a formidable effort and let their stranglehold slip, with Marnus Labuschagne the only batter to score more than 30 runs in the innings. He superbly anchored the innings to emerge from a form slump with 90 off 147 balls.Labuschagne, who has only made two of his 11 hundreds away from Australia, had endured lean form over the last 12 months, and has seen his Test average drop below 50 having once soared above 60. He had suffered four consecutive single digit innings before this match.Other than Labuschagne, a number of Australia’s batters could not go on with starts although cameos from Cummins, Starc and Nathan Lyon lifted them to a handy lead.Matt Henry finished with 7 for 67 to restrict Australia’s lead to under 100•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand were frustrated initially by Lyon, the nightwatcher, who underlined his form with 20 before edging Henry to Daryl Mitchell, who made amends after dropping a chance earlier in the day. Henry continued his excellent series when he trapped Mitchell Marsh on the crease in a decision overturned on the DRS when captain Tim Southee decided to review at the last second.It was Marsh’s second consecutive duck, while Carey’s struggles against spin continued when he gifted Glenn Phillips – who had been brought into the attack in an inspired move by Southee – a wicket after a poorly executed paddle stroke on 14.With Josh Inglis breathing down his neck, Carey’s place in the team will further be in the spotlight having only made two half-centuries in his last 18 innings.Labuschagne held the innings together and his determined work in the nets in the lead-up paid off with well-executed plans evident. He made an emphasis to counter the movement by getting across the stumps and hitting into his favoured on-sideBut Labuschagne’s tactics of walking down the pitch, especially to Henry, raised the eyebrows of the umpires who got together to discuss whether he was moving into the protected area of the pitch.Labuschagne’s bid for his first century since the Ashes Test in Manchester last year was cut short by a spectacular catch from Phillips at gully after leaping high to his right on the last ball before lunch.

لم يحتج نادي آينتراخت فرانكفورت للكثير من الوقت للتعاقد مع البديل المناسب مع النجم المصري، عمر مرموش، بعد رحيل الأخير إلى صفوف مانشستر سيتي.

ووافق فرانكفورت على رحيل عمر مرموش، على مضض، في منتصف الموسم خلال نافذة الانتقالات الشتوية الجارية، بعدما وافق مانشستر سيتي على مطالبه.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | “ماكينة تهديفية”.. الدوري الألماني يودع عمر مرموش بعد رحيله إلى مانشستر سيتي

وأعلن مانشستر سيتي، أمس، تعاقده الرسمي مع النجم عمر مرموش بمقتضى عقد لمدة 4 سنوات ونصف.

وقرر فرانكفورت الرد سريعًا عن طريق التعاقد مع بديل مناسب لـ مرموش، حسب رؤية إدارة النادي الألماني، بعدما أعلن عن صفقة رسمية منذ قليل.

وحسبما جاء في بيان فرانكفورت، فإن النادي الألماني تعاقد مع اللاعب إيلي واهي، بعد التوصل إلى اتفاق مع نادي أولمبيك مارسيليا.

ووقع اللاعب الفرنسي على عقد سيظل بمقتضاه رفقة آينتراخت فرانكفورت حتى 2030.

Eintracht Frankfurt verpflichtet Elye Wahi ✍️

Der französische U23-Nationalstürmer kommt von Olympique Marseille und hat einen Vertrag bis 2030 unterschrieben.#SGE | #Wahi2030 — Eintracht Frankfurt (@Eintracht) January 24, 2025

وتشير التقارير الصحفية إلى أن القيمة المالية لصفقة انتقال إيلي واهي إلى فرانكفورت تبلغ 26 مليون يورو كمبلغ ثابت، إلى جانب إضافات تبلغ 3 ملايين يورو.

وسجل إيلي واهي 3 أهداف وصنع هدفًا في 14 مباراة في مختلف المسابقات هذا الموسم، في حين أن مرموش سجل 20 هدفًا وصنع 14 في 26 مباراة رفقة فرانكفورت خلال الموسم نفسه.

Every SL bowler took a wicket, with Lakmal leading the way with three

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Mar-2021Stumps West Indies 287 for 7 (Brathwaite 99*, Mayers 49, Cornwall 43*, Lakmal 3-71) vs Sri LankaKraigg Brathwaite saw out an outstanding Suranga Lakmal spell in the morning, watched top-order colleagues play more adventurous innings, and struck up productive late partnerships with the lower-middle order men, as he provided the backbone to West Indies innings on day one, making 99 not out of 239 balls.West Indies were 15 for 2 inside the first half-hour after John Campbell and Nkrumah Bonner succumbed to Lakmal, then later, were 120 for 4, and 222 for 7, often in danger of failing to make 300 on a track that held no serious terrors. But through each of these mini-crises, Brathwaite found partners who helped dig West Indies out of their rut, usually with much more aggression than Brathwaite himself mustered.He posted a 71-run stand with Kyle Mayers, who hit a chancy 49. He was involved in a 51-run partnership with Jason Holder, who made a quick 30. Then, late in the day, Rahkeem Cornwall joined Brathwaite for what became the as-yet-unbeaten 65-run association that propelled West Indies toward 300. Cornwall even helped Brathwaite see out six overs of the second new ball, as Cornwall struck 43 not out off 54 balls, surviving a very close lbw appeal – and subsequent review – off the last ball of the day. West Indies went to stumps at a respectable 287 for 7.Sri Lanka may have hoped to have West Indies bowled out by stumps, having put them in to bat. But perhaps, given the nature of the surface, they won’t be particularly disheartened either. Provided they take the remaining West Indies wickets early on day two, they may be afforded good batting conditions as well, with the track taking negligible spin so far. Right through day one, Lakmal seemed the likeliest of Sri Lanka’s bowlers to deliver wickets, and with no surprise, he returned with 3 for 71, while his bowling compatriots – Vishwa Fernando, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Embuldeniya and Dhananjaya de Silva – only took one apiece.From the first over, Brathwaite had the look of a batsman who wanted to last the day. It was only on the 18th delivery that he scored his first runs, and once he had a taste for straight boundaries, he made sure to punish them when he could. His favoured scoring area, however, was through midwicket, particularly against the left-arm spin of Embuldeniya. He hit 11 fours through the day.Brathwaite was a recipient of Sri Lanka’s fielding largesse, however, as the visitors dropped three clear-cut chances. The Brathwaite chance – on 37 and playing a rare loose drive against Vishwa – was perhaps the most difficult of the three as Oshada Fernando at third slip leapt to his left and could not quite clinch it.Earlier, a chance had gone down off Lakmal, who had Mayers edging to third slip on 12, only for a diving Pathum Nissanka to fail while grasping at it. Lasith Embuldeniya also dropped Alzarri Joseph – again off Vishwa – at fine leg, but made quick amends by dismissing Joseph lbw the next over.Mayers and Cornwall played West Indies’ other consequential innings in similar fashion, though strangely Cornwall’s was the higher-quality innings. Mayers’ 49 off 61 was full of edges: through the cordon, short of the cordon, past his own stumps. He survived the first session, but barely, and was out in the first over of the afternoon.Cornwall, meanwhile, had time to settle in against the much older ball. Although he was tested by reverse swing, he kept out the balls that were headed to his stumps, and punished those that were in his arc, crashing Embuldeniya through cover to collect the first of his six fours, then later hitting boundaries through midwicket, point, and back down the ground, as the mood struck. When Chameera attempted to bounce him with the old ball, Cornwall hooked him for six.Sri Lanka’s bowlers might reflect that they were over-reliant on Lakmal for breakthroughs on day one, but Lakmal bowled an exemplary spell first up to set the visitors on their way. He set Campbell up with a series of inswingers then had him nick off to a ball that held its line before Bonner played on to his own stumps the over after. At this stage of the day, Lakmal was yet to concede a run. His third wicket – that of Blackwood who was also caught behind – came in his third wicket maiden of the innings.Although the quicks performed creditably, Embuldeniya had an off day. In the morning session he tried hard to get a wicket and was swiftly put away when he erred. But even later in the day, with the pitch not offering much in the way of assistance, Embuldeniya failed to settle into a rhythm and was penalized on five occasions by the third umpire for overstepping his mark as he finished with 1 for 79 from his 21 overs.