All posts by h716a5.icu

A round-up of the fourth day of Group C matches in the eighth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2016Kerala registered their first outright win of the season as they chased down 183 against Tripura in the first session of the final day in Cuttack.Kerala’s opening pair of Bhavin Thakkar and Mohammed Azharuddeen extended their overnight stand of 117 to 151, before Azharuddeen was dismissed for 99, one short of his maiden first-class ton. Thakkar was dismissed for 47 shortly after, and a promoted Jalaj Saxena fell for 5, but Kerala chased down the target comfortably after that. Left-arm spinner Gurinder Singh took all three wickets. Azharuddeen, who had also top-scored for Kerala with 40 in the first innings, was named Player of the Match.Hyderabad moved to the top of the group with a 286-run win over Jammu & Kashmir in Vadodara.J&K began the day on 42 for 4, after Tanmay Agarwal’s second century of the match – an unbeaten 103 to go with 119 in the first innings – had helped Hyderabad set them a target of 404. Their overnight pair of nightwatchman Ram Dayal (33) and Aditya Partap (26) added a further 51 in the morning, before Dayal was dismissed by CV Milind (4-39). This started a J&K collapse that saw them fall from 93 for 4 to 101 for 9, before being bowled out for 117.The win was Hyderabad’s third in a row and pushed them above Andhra into first place.Chattisgarh lost their last four wickets for 15 runs as Services pipped them by 18 runs in Mumbai, on a day that saw them shutting shop in the final session in hopes of collecting first-innings lead points.Openers Sahil Gupta (87) and Abhimanyu Chauhan (52) put up an 80-run partnership before the former was dismissed by Diwesh Pathania. From the other end, left-arm spinner Vikas Yadav’s three wickets derailed Chattisgarh’s middle order. At tea Chattisgarh had four wickets in hand, needing 75 runs more to win, but Pathania returned to tear through the tail to take Services home to a memorable win, finishing with figures of 4 for 67. The loss meant Chattisgarh continued to languish at the bottom of the table while Services clinched their first win of the season.Prashant Chopra scored a career-best 237 off 241 deliveries as Haryana and Himachal Pradesh played out a draw in Valsad.Chopra started the day on 89 with Robin Bist and the duo added 126 runs for the second wicket. After Bist was out on 42, Chopra added another 110 runs with Prateek Dogra, but was dismissed on 237 (25×4, 7×6). Rahul Tewatia struck with three wickets to make HP declare at 432 for 6 after Dogra was out for 62.Chasing 264 in under 38 overs, Haryana opener Nitin Saini was bowled in the innings’ second delivery. However his partner, Shubham Rohilla completed a 108-ball 100 to remain not out with Chaitanya Bishnoi (41) as their 81-run partnership secured a draw with Haryana finishing on 162 for 3.

Liverpool target and Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is expected to soon "decide" whether to make the move to Anfield, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Is Mason Mount leaving Chelsea?

The Blues academy graduate has made 195 senior appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's side over the course of his career, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the upcoming window is his final chance to secure a big-money move elsewhere having rejected several new offers to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.

Sky Sports have credited the Reds with an interest in the 24-year-old but report that Premier League rivals Manchester United are the current frontrunners having displayed a strong desire to secure his services, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein further revealing that the player himself is leaning towards a switch to Old Trafford.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs claimed that the England international is “advancing” in negotiations to join Erik Ten Hag’s side which is true considering that he’s since agreed personal terms, but whilst a deal looks all but done, he still has Jurgen Klopp lurking in the background as a valid option.

Are Liverpool signing Mount?

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Mount is set to choose between Liverpool and Man United as his next destination with an exit from his boyhood club pretty much inevitable this summer. He wrote:

"News #Mount: Been told #MUFC is pushing a lot! Ten Hag and the bosses share the same opinion about him: They definitely want him! Within the club all are convinced of him. Understand he will decide between Man Utd or Liverpool. Price valuation at this stage: €45-50m [£38m-43m] with bonuses included."

Should FSG cash out on Mount?

Liverpool are clearly long-term admirers of Mount and the fact that he’ll be out of contract this time next year means that a cut-price deal is available with the price range mentioned above, so FSG should certainly consider tabling a bid in an attempt to wrap up this bargain of a deal.

Chelsea’s “mad” attacking midfielder, as lauded by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, missed 12 top-flight games last season through injury but still managed to clock up nine goal contributions (six assists and three goals) across all competitions, showing how much of an instant impact he can make when available to play.

The Champions League winner, who knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured three senior trophies in SW6, is also a versatile operator having been fielded in seven various positions across the pitch since first emerging onto the scene, including in the midfield and the frontline, so he is a well-rounded player that would slot perfectly into the centre for Klopp.

A scoreline of 557 for 5 may indicate one team has lorded it over the other, but that wasn’t entirely the case

Sidharth Monga in Indore09-Oct-20161:50

Agarkar: Kohli showed lot of mental discipline

There is a great anecdote Dion Nash tells. It opens in Ahmedabad – could be any town in India, but the dry state of Gujarat adds to the story. India are about 400 for 2, Daniel Vettori runs in to bowl, and Rahul Dravid pulls out. He had seen a butterfly land in the middle of the pitch. The tired New Zealand fielders wonder what’s happening.Adam Parore has had enough of the Indian batsmen piling on the runs, the Indian spinners taking the wickets, his own team-mates not having any fun. He rushes across and takes a swipe at the butterfly prompting Dravid to say, and Nash mimics the Indian accent, “Oh Parore, he has kicked the butterfly. That’s very bad luck for you guys.”India have been winning home Tests regularly but this kind of helplessness, of being ground down in the heat and the dust, has not been experienced by touring sides for a while.The first two days of the Indore Test were a return to the old norm. A Sunday crowd of more than 22,000 enjoyed the Indian batsmen turn their circumspect efforts on day one into gradual domination.A score of 557 for 5 declared does point to the wearing down of visiting sides theme, but there was no swiping at butterflies. On a slow pitch that didn’t suit them, New Zealand made India work hard for their runs. In response, India showed the patience required to rack them up. Ajinkya Rahane was tested thoroughly by bouncers. They rarely came at him at the pace he expected. Virat Kohli was made to cut out a lot of his flash. Both men’s application, determination and then the strokeplay put together India’s highest fourth-wicket partnership.There is a special joy to a long partnership. To see each other through tough periods, to feed off the other batsman’s fluency when you are struggling, to be there to take the heat off when his concentration breaks, to congratulate each other on the milestones, to gradually increase the pace, to then start thinking of the declaration.The scoreboard after Kohli and Rahane added 365 looks one-sided, but it has been hard-fought Test cricket. There was a bit of mutual admiration from both sides. Rahane said scoring a hundred despite his struggle, especially against the short ball, was what real Test cricket was. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said India’s response blunted all their plans.”High-quality batting,” Hesson said. “Took a good delivery to create half-chances, went through long periods of play where we reeled out a lot of plans, stuck to our game well but we were worn down. ‘Kohli killed us softly’ is the nicest way of describing it, after scoring about 120 singles.”Kohli took 115 singles and hit only 20 fours in his 211. Yet he managed a strike-rate of 57.65. Rahane was flashier at times, but he was tied down for long periods too. It was tough for New Zealand to bowl in hot and humid conditions; it wasn’t easy to play such a physical game for the batsmen either.1:49

Took very good deliveries to create half chances – Hesson

“Today, it was slightly difficult. [It was] hot and humid out there,” Rahane said. “So we just wanted to have fun between the overs. We didn’t discuss too much about cricket, but yes, yesterday we were talking about how we can approach our innings, and that partnership was really crucial for us. Today, we both decided that after our hundreds, we wanted to dominate the spinners. Because it was really hot and humid, so we wanted their fast bowlers to bowl at us so that we could get more runs.”New Zealand’s quicks were asked to bowl 67 overs between them, plus the 18 from James Neesham. They managed only two wickets, but they never looked like not wanting to be there. Even when Rohit Sharma was batting for the declaration, Trent Boult nearly added to his highlight reel of sensational catches. Matt Henry was wicketless, rarely did he bowl a bad ball.”A tough day but, sounds funny, also a satisfying day in terms of the standards we set,” Hesson said. “Our seam bowlers delivering 30 overs, 135-140 kph at times, in the heat and humidity. At no stage did we roll over and give soft runs. I thought it was a high quality day’s Test cricket. We contributed to that with our bowling. When you go over a 100 overs without a wicket, it can be demoralising. If you’re not strong-willed and keep fighting, it can be tough. But we did that pretty well.”A totally worn-out side that was ready to swipe at butterflies might have bowled poorly and been asked to start its survival quest much earlier than New Zealand did, with nine overs to go on day two. If India had not learnt and implemented their lessons in patience, there might have been another middling total.Instead, the weekend crowd enjoyed the home side piling on the runs, and we still have a potentially memorable Test in store. If India win it, we will see some excellent bowling; if New Zealand save it, there will be some monumental resistance.

Fresh from a demonstration of their firepower in the first T20I, Australia will look for more of the same, even as Sri Lanka seek to give Tillakaratne Dilshan a triumphant send-off

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale08-Sep-2016Match factsSeptember 9, 2016
Start time 1900 local (1330 GMT)Big PictureTo watch Australia rewrite the T20 record books on Tuesday, you’d think they were the world’s dominant team in the format. And indeed, they do boast two of the three highest T20 international totals of all time (263 for 3 this week and 248 for 6 against England in 2013) and all of the three highest individual scores (Aaron Finch 156, Glenn Maxwell 145*, and Shane Watson 124*). Yet, for all of those monster scores, Australia were booted out in the group stage of this year’s World T20 and have only once made the final of that event, when they lost to England in 2010. It is a format in which Australia are inconsistent, but, as this week has shown, at their best their firepower is awesome.Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had won a World T20 title, back in 2014. Some links from that triumphant final remain – Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Sachithra Senanayake. Some have gone – Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Rangana Herath, for example. And another is about to leave: Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played every match of that successful campaign, is set to play his final match for Sri Lanka. A batsman who has brought great joy to Sri Lanka – not least in the T20 format – Dilshan will hardly want to leave the game on a low, and Tuesday’s match was about as low as it gets in T20Is.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Australia: WLWWL
Sri Lanka: LLLLLIn the spotlightAnd so this is it. Five weeks before his 40th birthday, Tillakaratne Dilshan bows out of international cricket. A career that began in Bulawayo in November 1999 under the captaincy of Sanath Jayasuriya will end in Colombo in September 2016 under the selection regime run by the same man – Jayasuriya. Dilshan’s 497th international match will be his last, a T20I against Australia at the Premadasa Stadium. Dilshan’s long farewell has included some entertaining comments off the field, but now Sri Lankan fans hope that he says goodbye with something special on it.Who needs a little thing like form? Not Glenn Maxwell, who missed out on selection for the recent ODIs in Sri Lanka due to a lack of runs. Instead, he was sent to Queensland to play for Australia A and made scores of 0, 38, 13, 0, 10 and 46. Hardly encouraging ahead of a return to Australia’s side for the T20Is in Sri Lanka. But such is Maxwell’s talent that once he got going in Pallekele he was impossible to stop, his unbeaten 145 from 65 deliveries the second-highest individual score in T20 international history. It was also Maxwell’s first hundred in any format – including domestic cricket – for more than a year. If he’s given the chance to open once again, Sri Lanka will need some new plans to stop him.Team newsSri Lanka’s selectors will be tempted to make changes to the attack after their annihilation in the first game. Kasun Rajitha might lose his place to Dasun Shanaka, while there is also the chance that Milinda Siriwardana may be brought in, perhaps for Sachithra Senanayake.Sri Lanka (possible): 1. Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera (wk), 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 5 Kusal Mendis, 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Sachithra Senanayake/Milinda Siriwardana, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Dasun Shanaka.Aaron Finch remains unavailable due to his broken finger and George Bailey has flown home, so Matthew Wade will play as a specialist batsman. The only question is whether the attack remains the same. The in-form John Hastings was left out of the first game and surely would be a valuable inclusion, but after the success of the first match the selectors may choose the same bowlers.Australia(possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Glenn Maxwell, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Travis Head, 5 Matthew Wade, 6 Moises Henriques, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Peter Nevill (wk), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Scott Boland.Pitch and conditionsSri Lanka batted first in every ODI of the recent series and only once set Australia a target that was out of reach – at this ground, when they posted 288. There should be plenty of runs in this pitch once again.Stats and trivia It has been a very poor year for Sri Lanka in T20Is. In 2016 they have played 15 for only three wins – two of which came against Afghanistan and the UAE The three highest individual scores in T20 internationals now all belong to Australians and two of those – Glenn Maxwell’s 145* and Shane Watson’s 124*, have come in 2016 Dilshan will finish his career second on the list of most T20 appearances (behind Shahid Afridi) and second on the list of most runs (behind Brendon McCullum)

Referee Robert Jones and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the recent Manchester United win as they didn't send off Aleksandar Mitrovic for a headbutt.

What's the latest on Manchester United vs Fulham?

Having already secured Champions League football, the Red Devils were looking to finish third in the Premier League as they took on Fulham.

Marco Silva's men were destined to end the season in a very responsible tenth, easily smashing their pre-season aim of avoiding relegation.

Despite having nothing beyond pride to play for, though, the away team still played well and took the lead in the 19th minute as Kenny Tete headed in Willian's corner at the near post.

However, Man United hit back before halftime as Jadon Sancho finished from close range. A second-half strike from Bruno Fernandes was then enough to seal a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

In the 79th minute, with Fulham now chasing the game, they came forward with an attack which saw Mitrovic grappling with Tyrell Malacia to get on the end of a cross.

The opportunity came to nothing as the ball bounced out of a play but that didn't mean the two players were happy to let go of one another.

Indeed, with the pair on the ground, as Mitrovic tried to get back to his feet, he appeared to flick his head forcefully in the direction of Malacia – as seen in the Match of the Day highlights (1:21:49).

Did Mitrovic deserve a red card?

The Fulham striker was ultimately booked on what was a difficult afternoon as he also had a penalty saved by David de Gea. However, it's safe to say he was lucky to avoid a red card for this headbutt on the Man United left-back.

Seeing as though Mitrovic has only just returned from an eight-match ban after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh – incidentally in another defeat at Old Trafford – he would perhaps be wise to learn how to control his anger a little better.

On this occasion, it really does feel as though he got away with one, but evidently, the VAR assistant didn't believe it was quite bad enough for them to get involved and overrule the initial decision by referee Jones.

The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell took to Twitter to comment on the situation, noting how it had been "another bad day at Old Trafford" for the striker as he was subbed immediately after "shoving his head at Malacia".

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has said having more seniors in the T20 side compared to the Test squad is a good feeling as it “makes things easy” for him for the two upcoming T20Is against India in Lauderhill, Florida

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2016West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has said having more seniors in the T20 side compared to the Test squad is a good feeling as it “makes things easy” for him for the two upcoming T20Is against India in Lauderhill, Florida. As opposed to the inexperienced Test side that lost 2-0 to India, their T20 squad features Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard among other specialist T20 players. They will also play under the new captain Carlos Brathwaite after Darren Sammy was dropped from the side.”It’s good to have all the senior guys back and they make things easy for me because it’s a case of them doing all the work and they know this format inside out,” Simmons said on Thursday in Lauderhill. “So it gives me a chance to just enjoy them freeing themselves out there.”Simmons also said being the T20 champions helped the side’s confidence, comparing them with the 1980s’ Test side, which dominated the longer format for years.”In this context, I think it’s a case where we are world champions and it’s something we have made our own, similar to back in the ’80s when we made Test cricket our own. We always had the team to beat in T20 cricket so from that point of view we’ve got a lot better and all the guys are loving playing it. But it’s a stepping-stone to one-day cricket too.”Brathwaite has played only eight T20Is so far and played only the first of the four Tests against India, scoring 0 and an unbeaten 51. While he had recently said the T20 players were “mature enough” to handle a change in leadership, Simmons said the objective of the new captain and the entire side would be to build on the World T20 win in India.”I think his (Brathwaite’s) main mindset is that we have to continue where Sammy left us and the good work that Sammy did in this position,” Simmons said. “I think that’s the mindset of all players that we have to continue the work we did in the [T20] World Cup and before that.”Even though their T20 squad is vastly different from the Test side, Simmons said there would be an “easy” transition in the dressing room because the T20 side has broadly remained the same since the World T20, which they won without Narine and Pollard.”Yeah, it could be a bit different but I think there’s only three players here who played in that [Test] series,” Simmons explained. “So it is not that much of a transition because the three players know how to play this and one of them was the best player in the World Cup, you know, batting wise. I think we are easy with that transition.”We still prepare for the two days here the same way we would have prepared before. It’s just that the Indian team has been together for longer but we are over here preparing and we will do that over the next two days.”Simmons also emphasised on the kind of impact players like Russell and Narine could make in the shortest format. Russell recently struck a 44-ball 100 packed with 11 sixes and played a crucial role, along with Gayle, in taking Jamaica Tallawahs to their second CPL title. Narine took 14 wickets in the CPL with an economy rate of 5.55, and also finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tri-series against South Africa and Australia in June.”I don’t think there’s much to be said about Andre,” Simmons said. “From what he’s on the pitch, he just gives everything over there and he’s always going to be our main player for us. Once he starts, with either bat or ball, we are in a position of winning.”I haven’t seen the surface properly yet but Narine played here for Trinidad & Tobago in the CPL and he has done well and adapted well. So I’d like the same from him.”Their squad will also be bolstered by Johnson Charles, the second-highest run-scorer in the CPL, Andre Fletcher, Lendl Simmons and legspinner Samuel Badree, the No. 1 ranked bowler in T20Is, who had injured himself in the World T20 final. Simmons stated that beating India in T20s, just like they had done in the World T20 semi-final in Mumbai, was going to be a bigger motivation than their T20 ranking, which is third currently behind New Zealand and India.”It (ranking) is motivation but I think, as in Mumbai, just to beat India because that’s always going to be the team to beat in T20 cricket because they’ve commanded the format for a long period. So winning against India is always going to be high on the agenda. Where we get after that, we are happy at that.”The only thing that we are doing is that we will prepare as best as we can because India is going to be coming looking for revenge for the semi-final loss and we have to make sure that we are ready for whatever they bring to us.”Simmons was also asked about the recent discussions the WICB held with the players during the WICB/WIPA Players’ Symposium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he barely commented on that, but sounded more excited about the coming matches at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium in Lauderhill.”I was there, and I’m happy that discussions were held,” he said. “It’s not about holding discussions; it’s about where you go from there. Let’s see where it takes us.”This is an awesome stadium, awesome! Looking at the CPL, the wicket seemed to be very good too. So if the wicket is as good as it was in CPL in a stadium like this, we are in for a treat over the weekend.”

Manchester United are reportedly in the race to sign Sassuolo star, Davide Frattesi, as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to strengthen his midfield ranks this summer.

What's the latest on Frattesi to Man United?

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils have been named as a potential suitor for the 23-year-old ahead of the upcoming transfer window, albeit with high-flying Brighton and Hove Albion also seemingly in the hunt for the playmaker's signature.

The piece suggests that while United hold a 'strong interest' in the former Roma youth product – who still has three years left to run on his existing deal – the Seagulls are also 'ready to compete' for the signing of the emerging gem.

If either Premier League side are to gain an edge in the battle for Frattesi's services, previous reports have claimed that the four-cap Italy international could command a fee of around €40m (£35m).

What's Davide Frattesi's style of play?

Interestingly, as far as the Old Trafford outfit are concerned, the Rome-born maestro is said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with another of Ten Hag's targets in the form of Adrien Rabiot, as per FBref, showcasing that Frattesi could be a dream alternative to the towering Frenchman.

That likeness between the two Italy-based midfielders is illustrated by the duo's ability to make an impact in the final third, with the latter man scoring eight times in 29 Serie A games this season, while his Sassuolo counterpart has scored seven times in 36 outings to date.

Such willingness to make a difference in an attacking sense is also laid bare by the fact that Frattesi ranks in the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for touches in the attacking penalty are, while the Juventus man is only just behind as he ranks in the top 13% in that regard.

Equally, the pair could also offer a creative spark to Ten Hag's midfield ranks due to their ball-playing and ball-carrying prowess, with Frattesi racking up 137 progressive passes and 73 progressive carries in the league this season, while Rabiot has recorded 118 and 56 for the same two metrics, respectively.

Those similarities should indicate that the "super talented" Italian – as hailed by journalist Fabrizio Romano – would be a more than astute alternative to the former Paris Saint-Germain man, particularly with recent reports having suggested that Ten Hag is seeking a more youthful midfield option this summer.

Although, in the case of Rabiot, the 28-year-old would be available on a free transfer due to his expiring contract, the £152k-per-week asset has previously seen a move to Manchester collapse last year due to his apparent wage demands, hence the possible concern over a renewed approach.

With Ten Hag's interest in the Juve star illustrating that he is the profile of player that the former Ajax boss is looking for, the fact that Frattesi shares such striking similarities would suggest that the younger man could also slot in nicely at the Theatre of Dreams next season.

Cricket South Africa have confirmed a decision to introduce targets for all national teams for selection of players of colour

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2016Cricket South Africa has confirmed a decision to introduce targets for all national teams for selection of players of colour. The specifics of the new policy, which will stipulate how many players of colour need to be included in starting XIs, have yet to be revealed, but are likely to fall in line with the requirements of the South African sports ministry, with whom CSA have signed a memorandum of understanding.”In the past, we had never set targets in our national teams, but with changing circumstances, we feel it is essential to move with the times,” Chris Nenzani, the CSA president, said. “The precise targets will depend on work to be undertaken by relevant committees to determine what is realistic and sustainable. This will be announced in due course. We will aim to achieve our targets over the course of the year and not on a match-by-match basis.”In April this year, CSA, along with three other national federations, was banned by the ministry from bidding for or hosting international tournaments after failing to meet transformation requirements. The ministry used 60% as the barometer for their measurements, which equates to seven players of colour in a team. Cricket fell short by 5%. The ministry also had a separate measurement for the number of black African players in a team, but did not provide a percentage.CSA has previously worked with what it termed a “guideline,” on transformation, which required the consideration of at least four players of colour when picking the national men’s team. Although CSA insisted the target did not have to be strictly applied, the board rarely transgressed it and reaffirmed that policy after the 2015 World Cup semi-final. In that match, Vernon Philander, who had spent a significant part of the tournament injured, was selected ahead of an in-form Kyle Abbott, after the coach, captain and convener of selectors met with the CEO to consult on matters of transformation. An internal investigation was conducted to review the semi-final selection which confirmed the guidelines.In the immediate aftermath of that tournament, CSA increased domestic targets for the 2016-17 season. Franchise and provincial teams were required to field six players of colour, including at least three black Africans, up from five players of colour with at least two black Africans the season before. The players’ union was not consulted about the change and mulled taking legal action before reaching an agreement.The following month, CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat advocated aggressive transformation , and since then, team selection has pointed in that direction. South Africa have fielded at least one black African player in the XI more often than ever before, with Kagiso Rabada most commonly in that position, although Temba Bavuma, Aaron Phangiso and Eddie Leie have also featured. On their most recent outing, the ODI triangular series in West Indies, South Africa’s 15-man squad contained a majority (eight) players of colour, and in their victory over Australia in that tournament on June 7, South Africa fielded a record eight players of colour.Still, their overall numbers were not enough to meet the ministry’s requirements of seven players of colour per match. South Africa’s stats in the tri-series read: 6, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6, which may have promoted this new commitment to achieving targets in the next year. Although South Africa are not due to host any major tournaments until the 2023 Under-19 World Cup, there is talk of a World T20 being held in 2018, and they are being seen as frontrunners to host it. In order to have the ban lifted before that, CSA would need to have the right numbers by the time the ministry conducts its next audit in April 2017, which effectively gives the board the 2016-17 season to work with.In that time, the team will play 11 Tests, including home series against New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and away games in Australia and New Zealand, but they do not have any major limited-overs tournament. They will play ODIs against Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand in preparation for the 2017 Champions Trophy, and a smattering of T20s. Player reaction to the targets has yet to be ascertained.

Everton manager Sean Dyche has two more games to preserve the Merseyside outfit's coveted top-flight status, having taken the reins at the Premier League season's midpoint and keeping within touching distance of safety.

Everton have fallen by the wayside over the past few years and narrowly staved off the threat of relegation last year, but jubilation was short-lived following the sale of endeared forward Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur for £60m and subsequent purchase of £15m Brighton & Hove Albion talisman Neal Maupay, who has scored one solitary goal this season.

Indeed, the Goodison Park side have failed to avoid the terror of a relegation dogfight this time around too, though a recent 5-1 demolition of the Seagulls lifted the club from immediate danger, now perched in 17th place with two fixtures to play, one place and one point above 18th-placed Leeds United.

Should survival be secured, Dyche will swiftly turn his attention to bolstering the offensive ranks, his outfit boasting just 32 goals from 36 matches in the top-flight this term and with key talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin missing large portions of the campaign due to his injury woes.

As such, talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has reported that West Ham United striker Michail Antonio is 'in their sights', should they indeed secure a Premier League spot next term.

Should Everton sign Michail Antonio?

Antonio has been an admirable stalwart in east London, scoring 75 goals and providing 43 assists from 273 appearances since signing for the Hammers for £7m from Nottingham Forest in 2015.

And while the forward boasts 14 goals across all competitions this term, having plundered six strikes in the Europa Conference League, at 33-years-old clinching his signature would not be an auspicious move for Dyche and co as they seek to navigate away from danger and push for a place higher up the table next year.

The seven-cap Jamaica international has recorded a lowly 6.67 rating in the Premier League this year, starting just 20 times, and while he has plundered five goals and supplied three assists, he is only averaging 1.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per match, having also missed seven big chances this term and branded "shocking" by West Ham TV's Dan Lawless.

Candidly, while Antonio has enjoyed fruitful fortunes in Europe, against an ostensibly easier crop of opposition than the Premier League, should he switch to Everton he would not be competing in such a competition, rather, potentially embroiled in a scrap for survival again next season.

If Calvert-Lewin's fitness doesn't hold up, it could well be Antonio who ranks among the bottom 35% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals, as per FBref, and Maupay competing for the spot as the club's offensive focal point, which does not bode well for the performance of the team.

If owner Farhad Moshiri was to sign the £85k-per-week veteran, it could replicate the misfiring deal for Salomon Rondon, who joined the fray on Merseyside at 31-years-old in 2021 from Chinese outfit Dalian Professional.

Another ageing forward, Rondon would score just three times – twice against lowly Boreham Wood – across two campaigns for Everton and offer measly assistance in the final third. Another brutish offensive threat cut from the same cloth as Antonio, there was, unfortunately, a stark lack of end product during his time at Goodison.

With the Irons ace approaching the twilight phase of his career and noticeably waning in the Premier League, it would be a move best left on the rumour mill.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in making a swoop for Inter Milan playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu, who has been instrumental in his club's ascension to the Champions League final this season.

What's the latest on Hakan Calhanoglu to Newcastle?

Inter need to balance the books this summer and consequently will seek to offload several first-team stars despite the success on the pitch in Europe.

According to CalcioMercato, the Toon are ready to present a bid of €40m (£35m) for the Turkey international, who is out of contract in one year's time.

As per the report, the 29-year-old would likely only join the Tyneside ranks if Eddie Howe succeeds in the bid to secure Champions League football next season, currently third in the Premier League table with three matches to play, one point above fifth-placed Liverpool.

Should Newcastle sign Hakan Calhanoglu?

While Newcastle have been formidable this season, gracing pitches across Europe next term warrants the arrival of quality players to bolster the hopes of achieving their goals both domestically and on the continental stage.

The Turk joined Inter in controversial circumstances in 2021, departing from acrimonious city rivals AC Milan on a free transfer and scoring eight goals and 13 assists across all competitions, winning the Coppa Italia.

This season, he has scored four goals and supplied eight assists from 45 appearances across all competitions, a key component to his side's surging season in Europe, reaching the Champions League final and awaiting the imperious Manchester City.

As per Sofascore, the 76-cap Turkey captain has recorded an average match rating of 7.16 in the Champions League, scoring a goal and two assists, averaging 1.5 key passes per match, completing 91% of his total passes and making 1.3 tackles per outing.

A "magic" competitor with the ball, as described by journalist Deji Faremi, Calhanoglu ranks among the top 2% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, and he could usher in a newfound sense of creativity for the Newcastle midfield, having created more goals than any Magpie midfielder this term.

He could even be Howe's own version of Christian Eriksen, with the £157k-per-week ace ostensibly replacing the Dane at San Siro after his Serie A career ended following a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Coincidentally, the experienced creator is the fourth most similar player in Europe to Newcastle's transfer target, as per FBref.

Eriksen has reignited his career in England and plies his trade for Manchester United after a resurgence with Thomas Frank's Brentford last year.

Having scored two goals and supplied an impressive nine assists from 40 appearances for the Red Devils this term, Eriksen has been heralded as a "genius" by the likes of Statman Dave and ranks among the top 1% of midfielders for rate of assists per 90.

Considering the unrelenting growth of this resounding St. James's Park team, enhancing the midfield with a player of Calhanoglu's ilk could be the optimum way to ensure the Toon fire across all cylinders once again next campaign.