Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar ran through the Mumbai line-up with a hat-trick across two overs, after he opted to bowl in the quarter-final in Nagpur

Bharath Seervi07-Dec-20170:43

Quickinfo – Vinay, Karnataka’s hat-trick hero

0.6: Prithvi Shaw has three hundreds this season but even with 30 hundreds this is a poor shot. He flayed at the first ball away from his body, and he does so again just after getting an inside edge onto his pad. This is short of a length, outside off, Shaw’s feet are rooted, but he looks to punch this away through cover. The ball shapes away enough to take a thick edge for Karun Nair to swallow at first slip. Shaw’s feet are in the air at the time of contact as he looks to reach this ball away from his body.Prithvi Shaw c Karun Nair b Vinay Kumar 2
Fall of wicket: 6 for 1 (0.6 overs)2.1: Jay Bista repeats the mistake Shaw made. This is an identical delivery to the one that got Shaw. Short of a length, just outside off, and he looks for a cover drive off the back foot. Just like Shaw, his feet don’t move and are airborne when he makes the connection. This ball doesn’t shape away as much as the last one, and the edge is finer, which is why there is confusion at slips. Nair waits for wicketkeeper CM Gautam to go for the catch to his right, but he doesn’t. And then belatedly Nair sticks his left hand out, and the ball sticks. Vinay is on a hat-trick.Jay Bista c Karun Nair b Vinay Kumar 1
Fall of wicket: 7 for 2 (2.1 overs)2.2: Mumbai have sent in fast bowler Akash Parkar ahead of specialist batsmen. Are they looking to unsettle Karnataka bowling or are they protecting their batsmen, who should be out there and negotiating this period? Either way this plan is short-lived as Vinay bowls an unplayable delivery to complete his hat-trick. This is full, shaping up as an outswinger, pitches full and on off. Parkar plays for the outswinger, but the ball lands on the seam and changes its direction to seam in and hit him plumb in front. Tenth Ranji hat-trick for a Karnataka bowler. Mumbai in tatters.Akash Parkar lbw b Vinay Kumar 0
Fall of wicket 7 for 3 (2.2 overs)Vinay Kumar became only the sixth bowler to take a hat-trick in the knockouts in Ranji Trophy history and the first captain to do so. The last hat-trick in the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy was seen way back in the 1993-94 pre-quarterfinal by Bengal’s Sagarmoy Sensharma against Delhi.

Hat-tricks in knockouts of Ranji Trophy

Bowler Team Against Season Stage ResultCT Sarwate Holkar Bihar 1948-49 Quarter final WonB Kalyanasundaram Tamil Nadu Mumbai 1972-73 Final LostAR Bhat Karnataka Mumbai 1981-82 Semi final Won (first inns)SP Mukherjee Bengal Hyderabad 1989-90 Semi final Won (first inns)S Sensharma Bengal Delhi 1993-94 Pre quarter final Won (first inns)R Vinay Kumar Karnataka Mumbai 2017-18 Quarter final -A hat-trick against Mumbai’s batting is a very rare occurrence. Vinay’s hat-trick is only the third against Mumbai in over 500 Ranji matches and the first since Raghuram Bhat’s in the 1981-82 semi-finals. Incidentally, all three hat-tricks against Mumbai have come in the knockouts. The first one by B Kalyanasundaram was in the final of 1972-73 season.Vinay now has two Ranji hat-tricks. His first was against Maharashtra in 2007-08. He is only the fourth bowler to take multiple hat-tricks in Ranji history and second for Karnataka after Anil Kumble. Others to have more than one hat-trick are: Joginder Rao (three) for Services and Pritam Gandhe (two) for Vidarbha. Vinay’s hat-trick is overall the tenth for Karnataka in Ranji, the most by any team. The next highest is six hat-tricks for Bengal and then five each for Delhi, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.

Hat-tricks for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy

Bowler Against Venue SeasonAR Bhat Mumbai Bangalore 1981-82J Srinath Hyderabad Secunderabad 1989-90A Kumble Andhra Visakhapatnam 1991-92A Kumble Orissa Rourkela 1997-98A Katti Kerala Thalassery 1998-99R Vinay Kumar Maharashtra Ratnagiri 2007-08A Mithun Uttar Pradesh Meerut 2009-10S Aravind Tamil Nadu Bangalore 2014-15HS Sharath Haryana Mysore 2015-16R Vinay Kumar Mumbai Nagpur 2017-18With his first wicket of the day, Vinay went past Erapalli Prasanna’s 370 wickets to become Karnataka’s third-highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy. Now only Sunil Joshi (479) and BS Chandrasekhar (437) are ahead of Vinay. He is already the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Ranji Trophy history.

West Ham United boss David Moyes is "open-minded" about pursuing Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah this summer as other targets become more difficult to land, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Jonathan Tah moving to West Ham United?

According to Sky Germany, Bayer Leverkusen are open to letting Tah leave this summer and would be willing to accept a fee of €20 million (£17.1 million) or more to sanction his departure from the BayArena.

Tah is believed to view the Premier League as his 'dream destination'; however, his release clause mooted to be worth in the region of €18 million has now expired.

German publication Kicker report that West Ham are keen to take Tah to the London Stadium as uncertainty continues to swirl regarding the future of the 27-year-old.

Bayer Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes has spoken about Tah's situation, stating in a recent interview: "We definitely have it back in our own hands because the clause has expired. Therefore, in our planning, we assume that he will stay. That's basically it Of course, the transfer window is still open for a few weeks, so there can still be some movement."

Last term, Germany international Tah, who has long been called a "battleship", made 47 appearances in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen, registering one goal in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

FootballTransfers claim that West Ham are still keen to entice Tah to swap the Bundesliga for the English top-flight this off-season despite his release clause recently expiring.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones believes that Tah is emerging as a serious target as West Ham struggle to close deals for other sought after players this window.

Jones stated: “It seems like one they have genuine possibilities around in terms of getting it done and with other options being knocked down recently it makes sense that this one now gathers pace.

“This is a player they have tracked for years so there is not much risk involved. I think it would do a lot for the vibe of the fan base to get a player through the door soon and someone like Tah would be a positive start.

“We know Moyes has some reservations around this one and that he really desires new signings who have Premier League experience, yet of the players they are looking at from outside of England right now I have heard that Tah is at least someone Moyes is a little more open-minded about.”

Who else could David Moyes bring to West Ham United?

West Ham have been linked with plenty of high-profile players this window; however, they could now be ready to drop their pursuit of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse, according to The Guardian.

Southampton are seeking to recoup £40 million for the deal ball specialist, though West Ham don't feel that Ward-Prowse is worth over £25 million, which could drive them to look at alternatives.

Manchester United had been open to selling midfielder Scott McTominay for a fee of £45 million this summer with West Ham keen to bring the Scotland international to London; nevertheless, they may now have to change their plans regarding the Scotland international due to young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo sustaining an injury in pre-season, according to Telegraph Sport.

The Hammers also failed with a £20 million bid for his teammate Harry Maguire and are now deliberating whether to go back in with a second proposal, as per Sky Sports.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a longstanding target of theirs, despite advancing deals elsewhere…

Are Tottenham Hotspur signing Edmond Tapsoba?

Whilst the north London transfer sphere has been dominated by reports of Micky van de Ven's imminent signing, it could be forgotten how desperate Ange Postecoglou was to sign Edmond Tapsoba for a period.

However, journalist Paul Brown continues to suggest that such interest has not ceased, but merely taken a back seat given the frustrating nature of the deal.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

"I still think Tottenham will buy a defender. Tapsoba is probably in the top three they're looking at. I'm not sure if they've decided which of these guys they like the most yet, but I think Tapsoba is very high on their list.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

"It's not going to take a lot to get this deal done. So, once a decision is made about which ones to bring in first, I think you'll see it happen. It wouldn't surprise me if Tapsoba is the one."

Given the €45m (£39m) they were reportedly set to offer earlier this week, they still seemingly remain firmly in the race for his services.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

Their longstanding interest in the 24-year-old stalwart is well-founded, given how imperious he has been since moving to Germany.

Just last term saw him excel in the Bundesliga yet again, as he continues to announce himself as one of the division's finest central defenders.

In acquiring him, it could avenge chairman Daniel Levy's past transfer failure from earlier in the window, as they reportedly battled with Aston Villa to sign Pau Torres from Villarreal.

The Spaniard had announced himself as one of Europe's top ball-playing centre-backs in his homeland, with his performances for the Yellow Submarine exemplary.

In fact, when compared to others in his role across the continent, he ranked in the top 4% for progressive passes per 90, and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.

However, in the end, the pull of Unai Emery proved too much, and he chose Villa Park over north London. A hammer blow for Spurs, and a damning indictment of their recent failures.

Postecoglou likely received a hefty wake-up call from such a disaster, which he could avenge by signing Tapsoba.

After all, the Burkina Faso star does rank similarly against the same group as Torres, sitting in the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

Not only this but last season in the Bundesliga, he maintained a 6.86 average rating, buoyed by 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Only two Spurs players recorded more clearances last term in the Premier League.

It was no surprise to see him lauded by journalist Antonio Mango, who outlined his key attributes before branding him a "monster," adding:

"Comfortable on the ball. Big, strong. Quick. Position good with a very good footballing IQ."

To instead sign the hulking titan over their previous transfer target would mark little drop in quality, and given these two sides will likely battle once again for similar spots, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

However, at the very least Postecoglou will be safe in the knowledge that despite failing to secure his initial target, his alternative would be arguably just as good.

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady shared his delight with fans as Birmingham City scored a much-needed win on Tuesday night.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Blues score first victory under new boss Mowbray
• Injury-time goal settles FA Cup replay
• NFL legend Brady delighted by result

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Koji Miyoshi's 93rd-minute winner against Hull City put the Blues into the fourth round of the FA Cup and gave new boss Tony Mowbray his first win in charge at St Andrew's.

  The 2-1 triumph was Birmingham's first win in eight attempts, and came as relief for fans and owners alike, with Brady taking to X — which now features the future NFL Hall of Famer in a Blues shirt — at the final whistle to hail the result.

Advertisement

• WHAT TOM BRADY SAID

  Quoting the club's official account, Brady posted "Never in doubt", before signing of with 'KRO', shorthand for 'Keep Right On' – the Blues' famous anthem.

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Winning seven Super Bowls must feel comparatively easy compared to the task of owning a club in one of football's most unforgiving and relentless leagues.

  It's certainly been a tough introduction for Brady and the ownership group that took charge at St Andrew's in the summer. Their decision to replace popular manager Jon Eustace with Wayne Rooney grabbed headlines but backfired spectacularly as the Blues slid from play-off contention to a relegation battle – before the Manchester United legend was dismissed after just 87 days.

  Brady and the board have appointed the steady hand of Mowbray to steer them clear of the trapdoor.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• WHAT NEXT FOR TOM BRADY AND BIRMINGHAM?

  As Brady is now well aware ,the games come thick and fast in the Championship. Birmingham prepare for a trip to Stoke on a freezing Saturday afternoon this weekend before an FA Cup fourth round tie away to Leicester City as reward for their last-gasp replay win.

A break up of the eight IPL squads at the end of the first day of the 2018 player auction, and a quick look at the gaps the teams need to fill on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2018.0:40

‘Very pleased with the way the auction has gone so far’ – Laxman

Chennai Super KingsTotal players: 11
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 7
Number of overseas players they can buy: 4
Purse remaining: INR 17 crores (USD 2,656,250)
Openers: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson
Middle-order batsmen: Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Ambati Rayudu
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni
Allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo
Wristspinners: Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir
Fingerspinners: Harbhajan Singh
Fast bowlers:
What CSK need on Sunday: Another opener, to ensure they aren’t forced to keep picking the same two overseas openers. Fast bowlers – they only have Watson and Bravo at present, and Watson isn’t the bowler he used to be, while Bravo is more of a change-of-pace bowler than fast these days. They need several proper fast bowlers.They might also want a few younger players, to bring the average down below 30! They haven’t bought a single uncapped player yet.Delhi DaredevilsTotal players: 15
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 3
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 12.3 crores (USD 1,921,875)
Openers: Colin Munro, Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Prithvi Shaw
Middle-order batsmen: Shreyas Iyer, Glenn Maxwell
Wicketkeeper: Rishabh Pant
Allrounders: Chris Morris, Vijay Shankar
Wristspinners: Amit Mishra, Rahul Tewatia
Fingerspinners:
Fast Bowlers: Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan
What Daredevils need on Sunday: A fingerspinner, unless they are counting Glenn Maxwell as one. Another allrounder, because Chris Morris and Vijay Shankar are the only genuine ones at present. An overseas batsman who is a reliable performer in Indian conditions – Munro and Roy are untested in Indian conditions and Maxwell was hit or miss last season. And a back-up wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant and another overseas fast bowler.Kings XI PunjabTotal players: 10
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 8
Number of overseas players they can buy: 5
Purse remaining: INR 21.9 crores (USD 3,421,875)
Openers: Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal
Middle-order batsmen: Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh, David Miller
Wicketkeepers:
Allrounders: Axar Patel, Marcus Stoinis
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners: R Ashwin
Fast bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot
What KXIP need on Sunday: They bid a lot on Saturday, but ended up with only ten players. They don’t have a specialist wicketkeeper – KL Rahul can keep but wasn’t very safe for RCB. And they have no specialist bowlers apart from R Ashwin and Ankit Rajpoot, so they need a lot more of those. They also have only three overseas players, so they could use a few more across skillsets.Kolkata Knight RidersTotal players: 12
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 6
Number of overseas players they can buy: 4
Purse remaining: INR 7.6 crores (USD 1,187,500)
Openers: Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa
Middle-order batsmen: Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Nitish Rana
Wicketkeepers: Dinesh Karthik
Allrounders: Andre Russell
Wristspinners: Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav
Fingerspinners: Sunil Narine
Fast bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Kamlesh Nagarkoti
What KKR need on Sunday: Bargain buys. On Saturday, they had only four players in the squad by the time they exhausted half their purse. And then they bought two more millionaires. So KKR have INR 7.6 crores to spend and at least six players to buy to make up the minimum squad strength stipulated by the IPL. And they have holes to fill: back-up opener, a quality capped middle-order batsmen, more fast bowlers, and more international players.0:53

Price of players drop as they get older – Ponting

Mumbai IndiansTotal players: 9
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 9
Number of overseas players they can buy: 5
Purse remaining: INR 15.8 crore (USD 2,468,750)
Openers:Middle-order batsmen: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav
Wicketkeepers: Ishan Kishan
Allrounders: Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman, Pat Cummins
What Mumbai need on Sunday: Mumbai began the auction with the smallest purse (along with CSK and Daredevils). They bought only a few players, and while only Krunal Pandya was a millionaire, none of the others were especially cheap. Their most inexpensive player was Mustafizur Rahman at INR 2.2 crore. So they have only INR 15.8 crore to buy at least nine players and fill significant holes: they have no openers (unless Rohit Sharma wants to open), no specialist spinners, no back-up keeper, few specialist batsmen, and few fast bowlers.Rajasthan RoyalsTotal players: 9
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 9
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 23.5 crore (USD 3,671,875)
Openers: Ajinkya Rahane, D’Arcy Short, Rahul Tripathi
Middle-order batsmen: Steven Smith, Sanju Samson
Wicketkeepers: Jos Buttler
Allrounders: Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer
Wristspinners:
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers:
What Royals need on Sunday: Royals have five overseas players and only four Indians. They have four all-rounders, two of which are part-time, and absolutely no specialist bowlers (Stokes and Archer can bowl four overs each though). They also have only three Indian batsmen. So they need several more Indian batsmen, a whole lot of bowlers (especially spinners) and a back-up keeper for Buttler.Royal Challengers BangaloreTotal players: 14
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 4
Number of overseas players they can buy: 2
Purse remaining: INR 15.85 crore (USD 2,476,562)
Openers: Brendon McCullum, Manan Vohra
Middle-order batsmen: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan
Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock
Allrounders: Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Woakes
Wristspinners: Yuzvendra Chahal
Fingerspinners:
Fast bowlers: Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini
What RCB need on Sunday: Indian batsmen, because they have only three in the squad. An Indian allrounder, because all of theirs are overseas. They’d like another Indian spinner – they have only two spinners in the squad at present, and an overseas fast bowler. Their overseas batting and all-round contingent looks solid.Sunrisers HyderabadTotal players: 16
Minimum number of players they need to buy: 2
Number of overseas players they can buy: 3
Purse remaining: INR 7.95 crores (USD 1,242,187)
Openers: David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan
Middle-order batsmen: Manish Pandey, Kane Williamson
Wicketkeepers: Wriddhiman Saha, Ricky Bhui
Allrounders: Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Yusuf Pathan, Deepak Hooda
Wristspinners: Rashid Khan
Fingerspinners:
Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan
What Sunrisers need on Sunday: They have the largest squad at present, and most bases covered. Three of their allrounders can bowl fingerspin. They would like another Indian batsman to give the selection flexibility, but what they really need is a batsman that can go berserk at the finish. Brathwaite could, but he’s average against spin. They also need an overseas quick.

Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was left exhausted by the Saudi heat on his Al-Ettifaq debut, according to multiple reports.

How much will Jordan Henderson earn in Saudi?

During the summer, the English midfielder made the controversial decision to leave Anfield and the Premier League and head to the Middle East.

The transfer – worth £12m plus add-ons – drew criticism from the LGBTQ+ community, however, as same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Saudi Arabia and yet the player has publicly claimed to be an ally in the past.

Despite that though, Henderson is now officially an Al-Ettifaq – earning a reported £700k-p/w – and even made his debut for the club this week as his new side beat Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane actually netted for the opposition after just four minutes, but Henderson and co fought back to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Robin Quaison and former Celtic man Moussa Dembele.

According to a report in The Guardian, though, the English debutant was absolutely exhausted after just 30 minutes of action in the 34.6C Saudi heat.

Paul MacInnes wrote: "Henderson was on his haunches. He had given everything. The former Liverpool captain, and new talisman for Al-Ettifaq, had pushed himself to the physical limits in the service of his team. It was the sort of moment that has previously served to build the Henderson legend, except with a small difference: his team were 1-0 down here and there was still an hour to play."

He added: "An important qualification should probably be made here: it was 34.6C in the stadium at this point and with a level of humidity high enough to hydrate a pack of instant noodles. It was surely, by far, the hottest football match Henderson had ever played in, but one recovery sprint, and a not entirely full-throttle one at that, had entirely done him in. And the England man was hardly alone."

This wasn't the only report to note the extreme weather, with Tom Kershaw of The Times also making sure to note the "gruelling humidity" that left Henderson's spirit "sapped to a despondent trudge" during a water break, with "his head bowed in resignation as he gulped for respite in the suffocating heat".

You can watch highlights of his debut via YouTube below.

What age is Jordan Henderson?

Now 33 years of age, perhaps it's not surprising that the former Liverpool star is struggling in such conditions – although it sounds like he would have found it tough going even at the peak of his powers.

After all, in the aforementioned report in The Guardian, Henderson's new manager and former teammate Steven Gerrard explained how "tough" it has been adapting to the heat.

“When I’m sitting in my house, and I have Sky News on, you see the weather in different countries around the world come up, but you don’t really appreciate that type of heat until you actually come and work in these conditions,” Gerrard said after the match.

“The climate has definitely been tough and challenging. So I’m going to have to adapt, and so are some of the signings we’ve made from Europe. We don’t want to leave our energy on the training pitch. There are things we have to change and … I’m facing the challenges, accepting them. I know what I’ve signed up for.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how all these new stars in the Saudi Pro League will get on. By the sounds of it, the biggest obstacle may well simply be the high temperatures.

Jurgen Klopp joked that young full-back Conor Bradley would likely "fall asleep in the dressing room" after his team's 2-1 win against Fulham.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Bradley impressed in Liverpool winFull-back is only 20 years oldKlopp delighted with his progressWHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old put in an impressive display as the Reds came from behind to win the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield. The German manager was delighted with the right-back's performance and praised his character.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT KLOPP SAID

"He will probably fall asleep in the dressing room," Klopp told . "Wonderful, what a boy, what a character. Exceptional. What a boy. Wonderful character, a real talent, top potential. He is in the right team, everyone loves him and respects him and wants him to succeed."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bradley made his senior debut for the Merseyside club last season and was kept out of action for the beginning of the current campaign through injury. Since his return to the fold in November, though, he has featured five times, including in the recent FA Cup win against Arsenal.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CONOR BRADLEY?

Despite making nine first-team appearances for Liverpool, Bradley is still waiting on the first Premier League game of his career. He will have to wait a while before he can get a run out in the top flight, though, with Liverpool next in action on January 21 when they take on Bournemouth.

Love Island star Arabella Chi has branded her relationship with Ruben Dias a “mistake” following a sudden split from the Manchester City defender.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Pair started dating in September 2023
• Broke up after New Year vacation
• Heading in different directions

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The pair jetted off on a New Year break together, as they were last spotted heading to Portugal on January 1, but a parting of ways was confirmed shortly after. Dias and Chi had been a couple since September 2023, having met through mutual friends, and kept their relationship hidden for several weeks before being spotted together in Paris at the Eiffel Tower.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT CHI SAID ABOUT DIAS

  Chi is still coming terms with that separation, and has told of finding herself back in the dating game: “Last year was probably my unluckiest when it came to finding the one. I’ve been so unlucky in love. I’ve dated people I thought at the time were the one, which was a mistake I’ve since learnt from.”

• THE GOSSIP

  She added, as friends claim that the 32-year-old model was left “totally blindsided” by her dumping from Dias: “What I’ve learnt from dating last year is that you think you know someone but you don’t really know them at all. I dated people that perhaps, looking back, weren’t best suited to me.”

  She went on to say of returning to television screens in the Love Islands All Stars show: “I might have recently come out of a relationship but I’m ready to meet the man of my dreams. I don’t think there has ever been a better time after the dating mistakes I made last year.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Following his split from Chi, Dias is now focused on footballing matters in Manchester. City have been enjoying a winter break on the back of their thrilling 3-2 victory over Newcastle, but will return to action on Friday when facing Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round.

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be in the race to sign Aston Villa midfielder, Douglas Luiz, with manager Ange Postecoglou seeking to make further moves this month before the close of the window.

What's the latest on Luiz to Tottenham?

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites – as well as bitter rivals Arsenal – are potentially set to go head to head in order to prise the Brazilian from Villa Park, with the Gunners having notably failed with a late move for the ex-Manchester City asset last summer.

The report suggests that if the Midlands side are to snap up Tyler Adams from Leeds United it could open the door for Luiz to depart, despite the fact that the 25-year-old only signed a new long-term deal with his current side back in October.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

While the piece does not mention what it would take for Daniel Levy to be able to secure the signing of the 5 foot 9 maestro, the in-demand ace has been valued at around €30m (£26m) by CIES Football Observatory.

How good is Douglas Luiz?

This interest in the one-time Girona loanee has come amid reports that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is in line to join La Liga side, Atletico Madrid, with that potential exit ensuring that Postecoglou will be in need of reinforcements in the centre of the park.

If the north Londoners can beat Mikel Arteta's side to the signing of Luiz, the Rio-born machine could prove to be a truly astute capture, having been hailed as a "guy who’s clever with the ball" and "so physically strong" by City boss Pep Guardiola.

The nine-cap Brazil international would also represent a worthy addition such is his apparent likeness to his compatriot and Newcastle United talisman, Bruno Guimaraes, with the pair said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, according to FBref.

The duo are notably alike due to their ability to provide a creative, playmaking presence from their deep-lying midfield berths, with Luiz ranking in the top 14% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for assists, while Guimaraes ranks in the top 18% in that regard.

The pair also enjoyed a similar record with regard to goal contributions last season, with the Villa man scoring six goals and providing six assists from his 37 Premier League outings, while Guimaraes scored five goals and registered four assists from his 32 top-flight appearances.

Not only are the international colleagues alike in an attacking sense but they can both also provide an effective screen in front of the back four, with Luiz racking up 73 tackles and 40 interceptions, while Guimaraes recorded 78 tackles and contributed 36 interceptions.

To be compared to the Magpies ace is a real statement as Guimaraes has been something of a revelation since his arrival at St James' Park from Lyon back in January 2022, having been dubbed "world class" by teammate Dan Burn.

Also dubbed a "really, really talented player" by Newcastle legend, Alan Shearer, the 25-year-old was instrumental in helping to guide Eddie Howe's side to Champions League qualification last season, with the hope being that Luiz can enjoy similar success if he is to trade the Villans for Spurs this summer.

Although Levy has already backed Postecoglou by bringing in eight summer signings so far, it could be time to get the chequebook out yet again…

ScorecardWahab Riaz sees the lighter side after a misfield•AFP

A pair of wickets late in the day that broke an ominous fifth wicket partnership for Sui Northern Gas Piplelines Limited (SNGPL) meant the first day of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy final ended with honours just about even. Iftikhar Ahmed made an unbeaten 71 that he carries into day two, and the extent to which he can add to his overnight total may well go a long way to determining the destination of this year’s trophy.On Water and Power Development Authority’s (WAPDA) part, the day was defined by a mesmeric opening spell by Mohammad Asif, who swung and seamed the ball at will, bringing back memories of his heydays in a Pakistan shirt towards the end of the last decade. He was particularly miserly, too, going at less than one per over in his first spell. He accounted for Asad Shafiq, but deserved more considering he ended the day with figures of 20-8-35-1.WAPDA were well on top in the first two sessions, reducing a powerful SNGPL side to 94 for 4, with international stars Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Shafiq all sent back cheaply. But Iftikar and Mohammad Rizwan, both of whom have played only a handful of international games, stuck together to put on a crucial 89-run partnership and steer their side past choppy waters.Just as SNGPL seemed dominant, Wahab Riaz, who bowled with both accuracy and pace even towards the end of the day, broke through. With the old ball offering little help, he resorted to bouncers, an especially quick one rushing Rizwan into a pull shot he top edged. Khushdil Shah took a simple catch on the boundary and WAPDA were back in business. When the sixth wicket fell soon after, it looked like they might polish off the tail. But Yasir Shah hung around to provide capable support to Iftikhar, and when the day was called off six overs early for bad light, SNGPL had reached 215 for 6.