"Unreliable" £250k-p/w Man United Star Slammed

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Journalist Dean Jones has dubbed striker Anthony Martial "unreliable" due to his inability to get regular minutes at Manchester United.

What's the latest on Man United and Anthony Martial?

It could be a difficult final end to the season for the Red Devils as they've suffered some unfortunate injury setbacks recently.

Indeed, Lisandro Martinez has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign after fracturing a metatarsal bone in his foot, while Raphael Varane is also expected to be out for a few weeks.

On top of that, Marcus Rashford is also out with a muscle injury. This has, however, opened the door for Martial to impress. And the Frenchman really took his chance as he delivered a headline-grabbing performance in the week against Sevilla.

Even so, while speaking on the latest edition of the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, insider Jones explained that he just isn't able to play enough to ever truly be a reliable option for the club.

He said: “He is so unreliable, isn't he? He is so unreliable.

"Not in terms of playing well when he is playing – in terms of actually getting him on the pitch, that's the problem."

Will Martial start and finish the game for Man United against Nottingham Forest?

Martial certainly delivered for Man United mid-week. For instance, journalist Samuel Luckhurst handed him an 8/10 score in the player ratings for Manchester Evening News and wrote: "His assist for Sabitzer's second goal was one of his best pieces of play in a United shirt. His first start in almost three months and he didn't disappoint."

However, within that praise, you can see why Jones has his doubts about the player. Indeed, this was Martial's first start in three months with a series of injuries limiting him to just six starts in the Premier League this term.

Despite his limited game time, the £250k-per-week star has still managed to score seven goals and provide three assists in all competitions, showing glimpses of his quality.

martial-man-united-premier-league-transfers-west-ham

Still, spread across his last three seasons in the Premier League, he has just nine goals in 32 outings – so it's not as if he's been doing enough to make himself a regular in the starting team.

And even with Rashford out, it seems as though manager Erik ten Hag doesn't feel as though he can rely on Martial to play the full 90 minutes in games, either.

He told the press ahead of this weekend's clash against Nottingham Forest (via Manchester Evening News): "Maybe he can but it's a risk and we can't take that risk in this moment," the manager said of Martial starting and finishing a match.

"Because we don't have so many options in the frontline with Rashford injured and [Alejandro] Garnacho injured, so we don't have so many options there.

"We have to be careful and also in the individual prospect we know when there's a lot of load he gets injured. So we have to build it, especially when the games come quick after each other, the recovery time is less, we have to take that in mind, manage that [well] and very carefully."

As a result, it is plain to see why Martial continues to frustrate at Old Trafford.

Wood, Stokes named in England one-day squad

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Mark Wood, the Durham fast bowler, has been recalled by England for the one-day series against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2016Durham fast bowler Mark Wood has been recalled by England for the one-day series against Pakistan. His county team-mate Ben Stokes has also been included in the 15-man squad after a calf injury curtailed his Test series against Pakistan, following a knee problem earlier in the season against Sri Lanka which had required surgery. James Vince, however, has been dropped.This is the first squad Wood has been included in since injury ended his tour of the UAE last year, after which he underwent ankle surgery which kept him out of action until last month. He takes the place of Steven Finn, who picked up a hamstring injury on the fourth day at The Oval and has been ruled out for four weeks.Both captain Eoin Morgan (chipped bone in finger) and Jos Buttler (fractured thumb) are expected to be able to start the series following their recent injuries. However, while Stokes has been included, he is likely to start the series playing as a batsman only, before gradually being re-introduced as a bowler.England ODI squad v Pakistan

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

“Ben’s made really significant progress over the last three weeks and our medical team are pleased,” James Whitaker, the national selector said. “He’s progressing nicely towards bowling over the next week or so, and while we hope that initially he might just play as a batter he will lead into the series as an allrounder eventually.”He’s worked really hard on his rehab and it’s given everyone a lot of confidence. To have him around again will be a huge bonus for Eoin Morgan and his team.”Mark Wood has had a couple of operations, and with his hard work and advice from our medical team he’s now able to take part in this series. Just over the last month he’s progressed very well and we’re very happy for him. We got him back into the Lions initially, he’d just played a couple of games for Durham before, and he played really well for the Lions and he’s continued that form since.”Vince’s omission means he can return to four-day cricket with Hampshire in a bid to regain form and push for a touring spot to Bangladesh and India. He finished the Test series against Pakistan with 1 and 0 at The Oval and in seven Tests this season did not manage to pass fifty, while the familiarity of his dismissals – edging behind to the keeper or slips – became a concern.There is better news for another Hampshire player, however, with Liam Dawson handed an ODI call-up. Dawson, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, took 3 for 27 on his T20I debut earlier in the season against Sri Lanka and he provides a third spin option alongside Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.”He came into the squad for that one-off game and really impressed,” Whitaker said. “He’d previously impressed the coaches on the Performance Programme in the winter, and over the last two years he’s been very consistent for Hampshire. So it’s good for him and I’m really pleased he might get a go.”The selectors have resisted resting any players after the Test series meaning that Chris Woakes, who was Man of the Series, and Joe Root are both included. That also means there are no places for the batsmen who impressed recently for England Lions in the triangular series against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A.Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire left-hander, had been tipped for a maiden call-up after making unbeaten scores of 220 and 163 in the tri-series while Sam Billings, the Kent wicketkeeper-batsman who has already featured for the full side, plunder 175 against Pakistan ADawid Malan, who captained the Lions, was another to impress with an unbeaten 185 against Sri Lanka A. He was part of England’s T20 squad against Sri Lanka earlier in the season and along with Duckett and Billings has a good chance of being involved for the T20 against Pakistan next month. The squad for that will be named towards the end of August.”Players like Ben Duckett, Sam Billings and Dawid Malan have all been performing very well in the Lions – and James Vince, although he’s not in this squad, remains in our plans. So there’s three or four players there pushing for batting spots – I think that’s incredibly healthy for English cricket,” Whitaker said. “We’ve had a lot of confidence come out of our one-day team over the last 18 months, and this selection just emphasises how well they’ve done.”

Arsenal: Arteta Can Make Big Call Vs Brighton

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Arsenal will hope to keep their Premier League title dreams alive when they welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

By the time kick-off swings around, Mikel Arteta's side could be four points adrift of their rivals Manchester City, who play relegation candidates Everton earlier in the day and today's task will be no easy one as the Seagulls will be wanting to get their own European push back on track.

The visitors have slipped to eighth in the standings following a shock 5-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Aston Villa's red-hot form under Unai Emery another factor.

Arteta is left with plenty to consider in terms of team selection as his squad continues to be affected by injuries, but will the Spaniard make any big decisions today?

Will Bukayo Saka start vs Brighton?

A leading star for club and country, it's been one phenomenal season for Gunners winger Bukayo Saka.

The 21-year-old dynamo leads the goal contribution charts in north London and ranks fifth overall in the English top-flight this campaign, with 13 goals and 11 assists to his name.

But it has been a quiet couple of weeks for the England superstar, having failed to register a goal or assist in each of Arsenal's last three league outings, whilst his two contributions against relegated Southampton have been the Hale End prospect's only two returns in his last seven matches, via WhoScored.

Saka has also struggled to see out 90 minutes in the trio of games against Newcastle United, Chelsea and Man City and has arguably looked a little jaded, so perhaps his place against the Seagulls can be questioned.

It would be a huge surprise and one hell of a ruthless call from the Spaniard but with a viable alternative in Leandro Trossard, who will be keen to punish his former club, the decision to put Saka on the bench is surely made a little easier.

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka in action with Newcastle United's Dan Burn

Gunners legend Ian Wright has also called for the England winger to be dropped, having endured a long and physical campaign, one that was interrupted with a mid-season World Cup.

"Maybe Saka should get a little bit of a rest," claimed Wright (via the Metro). "I think a little rest. Maybe my mouth is going too quickly for my brain, in this situation we can’t afford to lose anymore games. We need everybody out there, but I just worry, I worry for him."

Having also been hailed as "phenomenal" by West Ham star Jarrod Bowen this week, there is no denying that the £76m-rated machine is one of the team's brightest and best players on his day, though it's also evident that he is suffering the effects from his continuous involvement for both Arsenal and England.

Only two other Gunners players have registered more minutes than Saka in the Premier League this term, with the £70k-per-week star playing nearly 200 minutes more than his wide counterpart Gabriel Martinelli, by comparison.

Brighton will likely be preparing for the threat of Saka down the right flank too, where the match-up with Pervis Estupinan is certainly one to watch, so Arteta could even spring a surprise on Roberto De Zerbi by opting for Trossard instead.

As such, the Arsenal boss must make a major call on his star man heading into kick-off. Perhaps it's time for Saka to come out of the starting XI for just one game.

Australia seal nervy chase after Chandimal ton

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Australia sealed a nervy chase to beat Sri Lanka by two wickets in the third ODI in Dambulla, where they took a 2-1 series lead with two to play

The Report by Brydon Coverdale28-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:48

By the Numbers

There were reasons for Sri Lankan fans to cheer at the third ODI in Dambulla. But the result wasn’t one of them. On a day when Tillakaratne Dilshan was farewelled from one-day international cricket, and Dinesh Chandimal scored his fourth ODI hundred, Australia held on for a tense victory that gave them a 2-1 series lead with two to play – and gave David Warner a 100% success rate as an international captain.Not that it was all smooth sailing. Chasing 227, Australia relatively cruised most of the way. At 187 for 4 they needed only 40 more runs, with George Bailey and Matthew Wade both well set, but suddenly Sri Lanka’s spinners came into the game. Four wickets fell in quick time and it was beginning to look like Australia might find a way to throw it away. It was Adam Zampa who struck the winning runs, a boundary behind point off Amila Aponso, and a single five balls later.It wasn’t any old single – it was cut in the air towards extra cover, where Dilruwan Perera hurled himself into the air to try for a one-handed catch. The ball didn’t stick, and the result was sealed: a two-wicket win, though with four overs remaining. That Sri Lanka came that close to pulling the rug out from under Australia was a fine effort, given the solid way the chase unfolded through two key partnerships.In the absence of captain Steven Smith, who had flown home for a rest, Australia needed a leader to steer the chase. It would not be Warner, who fell in the fifth over to a terrific diving catch from Dilshan at point off Mathews. Nor would it be Aaron Finch, lbw to Aponso for a brisk 30, nor Shaun Marsh, caught by a diving Chandimal at mid-off off Mathews for 1.The man was Bailey, the most experienced ODI player in the side. He set about building a 62-run partnership with Travis Head, and then an 81-run stand with Wade that took Australia to within sight of their victory. It wasn’t always easy; Sri Lanka’s spinners were always a threat, but they needed more runs to defend, their own batting having been disappointing earlier in the day.Head played a mature innings of 36 that ended when he went back to cut Dilruwan, only to see the ball skid on to his stumps. And Wade, a consistent performer this series, contributed 42 before he missed a sweep and was stumped off the same bowler. That was the wicket that precipitated Australia’s collapse, though as it happened they were by then just close enough to get over the line.The Sri Lankan crowd came alive as the spinners crowded Australia’s batsmen. Bailey simply missed a legbreak from Seekkuge Prasanna and was bowled for 70, then in the next over James Faulkner holed out to deep square leg off Aponso. The Finisher was finished, but Australia weren’t quite yet. Mitchell Starc sent Prasanna over long-on for six but was caught in the next over trying for another off Dhananjaya de Silva. Zampa walked to the crease with five runs still needed, and he got them, with John Hastings unbeaten at the other end.Sri Lanka’s own innings – all out for 226 in the 50th over – never quite looked like enough. Wickets fell regularly throughout the innings, the only half-century partnership a 73-run combination between Chandimal and Dilshan. Zampa was again a key weapon, collecting 3 for 38 from his 10 overs, and there were two victims each for Starc, Faulkner and Hastings.The innings was built around Chandimal’s fourth ODI hundred. Of late in one-day cricket, Chandimal has been batting like he’s Keanu Reeves in , afraid something terrible will happen if he drops below 50. He did so, marginally, in the second ODI in Colombo, where his 48 ended his hopes of becoming the first Sri Lankan to make six consecutive one-day international fifties. But in Dambulla he was back. His last seven ODI innings now read: 52, 62, 63, 53, 80*, 48 and 102.Chandimal’s approach was simple: push the ball into the gaps and rotate the strike. Repeat, and repeat. That method brought him 56 singles, although he managed seven boundaries as well, driving when the fast men overpitched or punishing them for bowling too straight. His half-century came up with a deft dab for four wide of the wicketkeeper off Hastings from his 66th ball.His primary support came from Dilshan, the retiring hero who struck five fours on his way to an enterprising 42. But the dream of a big farewell innings ended when Dilshan whacked a Zampa full toss to midwicket and was well caught by Bailey. To the applause of players and fans, Dilshan walked off with a bow fitting for the entertainer that he was, the owner of 10,290 ODI runs, the 11th-highest tally in history.Sri Lanka’s other batsmen were disappointing. For the second time in the series Starc struck in the first over of the innings, bowling Danushka Gunathilaka, and the total wobbled to 23 for 2 when Kusal Mendis edged Josh Hazlewood to slip for 4. The wickets fell with regularity again after Dilshan departed.Mathews was lbw for 2 to Zampa, who had pitched the ball on leg and straightened it just enough. Marsh ran and jumped to his left at mid-on to snare de Silva for 12 off Faulkner, and also held one in the deep when Thisara Perera holed out off Hastings for 9. In between those takes, Starc’s brutal inswinging yorker accounted for Kusal Perera, who kept one out but could not manage two and saw his stumps rattled on 11.Prasanna picked out deep midwicket off Zampa and Dilruwan added 17 before chipping a catch to midwicket off Hastings, which left Chandimal nervously hoping the No.11 Aponso could help him reach triple figures. He did so, and the Sri Lankan fans roared. The final result was not so pleasing for them.

South Africa extend support to two-tier Test system

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Cricket South Africa chief executive Haroon Lorgat has declared his board’s support for the introduction of two divisions in Test cricket, as debate intensifies about the future of the game.”Test cricket is already fading and will die if nothing is done,” Lorgat said. “South Africa would support a two-tier Test system in order to create meaningful context for Test match cricket. Currently there is little or no meaning when countries play against each other in bilateral Test matches, save for the Ashes.”The model of two division Test cricket devised by the ICC would feature seven teams in division one and five in division two, with each team playing a series either home or away against the others in their divisions over a two-year cycle. The standings would then be used to determine the overall winner of the Test league, and promotion and relegation between the two divisions. The winners of the Intercontinental Cup, the first-class competition for Associate nations, would also be able to win promotion to division two.”A two-tier system with promotion and relegation will allow for a much better narrative plus two more teams will have the opportunity to play Test match cricket,” Lorgat said. “The Test league can also link down to the Intercontinental Cup where again promotion and relegation will create context and opportunity for other countries.”The news that South Africa endorse the two division plan follows officials from Australia, England and New Zealand supporting the proposals, which are favoured by ICC chief executive David Richardson.Although Anurag Thakur, the president of the BCCI, recently voiced his opposition to two divisions, some other Full Members remain hopeful that the plans could yet pass. Any change would need the vote of seven of the ten Full Members on the ICC board, and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have also expressed their opposition to two divisions. One insider said that they believed that Pakistan lean towards supporting two divisions, but Zimbabwe are believed to be reluctant.West Indies have still not decided on their stance. “At this point in time the West Indies Cricket Board does not have enough information to make an informed decision,” Dave Cameron, the president of the WICB, said. “However in world football there are no divisions with over 200 nations participation, and so off the bat we cannot see the need for divisions if we have 12 teams participating in Test cricket.”While Thakur said that the BCCI was worried that “the smaller countries will lose out” under the proposals, Lorgat does not think this would be the case. As well as Associate nations benefiting from the introduction of promotion and relegation, he also said that lower-ranked Full Members, like Bangladesh, could stand to gain from the reforms. “In the proposed system they will have certainty of Test fixtures compared to now when they are at the mercy of countries playing against them.” Sides in division two would also be free to organise extra matches against division one teams.The ICC is due to meet in Dubai next month for a special meeting to discuss comprehensive reforms to the structure of cricket, including the introduction of two divisions in Tests, a 13-team ODI league and ratifying bringing the World T20 back to a once-in-two-years event.

Man United Want "Complete" £150k-p/w Machine Next Season

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Manchester United are keen on signing Adrien Rabiot this summer as Erik ten Hag aims to bolster his midfield options ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Adrien Rabiot to Manchester United?

According to RMC Sport (via the Daily Mail), United have reportedly offered a contract to Rabiot ahead of a potential switch this summer.

It comes after the Old Trafford side missed out on the Frenchman a year ago despite a fee being arranged, with the deal falling through due to wage demands. He is out of contract at the end of this season and Ten Hag is going for a second bite of the cherry hoping another move is successful.

Could Man United sign Rabiot this summer?

With Rabiot's deal at Juventus coming to an end, United won't have to worry about a transfer fee and could perhaps offer more in terms of wages to safely negotiate a move for the midfielder.

Convincing the Frenchman that United is the best move for him could spell bad news for Fred, who may be moved on before next term as a result.

There is no doubt the Brazilian has improved under the Dutchman, enjoying a new lease of life while partnered alongside a genuinely world-class operator in Casemiro, and despite starting just 11 Premier League games this term to date, he has chipped in with three goal contributions, created three big chances and made 1.3 tackles per game, proving that when he is called upon, he is contributing.

The 30-year-old has just one year on his current contract and this could give Ten Hag licence to move him on for a fee this summer in order to free up room for Rabiot.

The Juve star has enjoyed something of a career renaissance this season with club and country. The 28-year-old is ranked as the best midfielder in the Juventus squad for his Serie A performances this term, with an overall rating of 7.06/10 from Sofascore, while he has also chipped in with eight goals and one assist, demonstrating how effective he can be going forward, which could be a big bonus to Ten Hag.

Adrien Rabiot

For France, the £150k-per-week machine was in wonderful form during their run to the World Cup final in Qatar last year. Across six matches, he registered two goal contributions and averaged 61.5 touches per game, controlling the game from the midfield as France came so close to retaining their title.

It’s no wonder national coach Didier Deschamps described him as a “complete midfielder”, and there is no doubt that he could bolster United's ranks ahead of Ten Hag’s second season in charge.

Chelsea Could Replace Mount With Incredible Teenager

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Mason Mount is looking increasingly likely to depart Chelsea this summer amid an ongoing contract dispute at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues likely to cash in on the midfielder before his deal expires in 2024.

Could Chelsea sell Mount this summer?

The academy graduate has struggled to replicate his form from last season, when he notched an impressive 11 goals and ten assists in the Premier League, with just three goals and two assists to his name so far this campaign.

The influx of attacking signings under Todd Boehly clearly hasn't paid off for the Blues, as they boast just 30 goals in 31 top-flight fixtures, with Mount one of several forward players who could be accused of underperforming under both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

As a result, it seems as if Chelsea are not willing to give the England international what he wants at Stamford Bridge, as concerns over the salary and contract length have meant that he has stalled on signing that new deal.

According to The Athletic, the Blues won't allow negotiations to run into next season and will look to sell the 24-year-old this summer if necessary, with a number of elite-level clubs including Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich among his suitors.

Although fans might be disappointed if Mount does depart, the club arguably has a ready-made replacement in 19-year-old starlet, Carney Chukwuemeka.

Could Chukwuemeka replace Mount at Chelsea?

Chelsea would sign the attacking midfielder for £20m from Aston Villa during the summer of 2022 but he has struggled for regular game time this season, managing just 12 appearances totalling 241 minutes so far this campaign.

However, in a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O'Rourke has suggested that the teenager could be the man to step up should Mount leave.

He said: "I think ideally Chelsea want to keep Mason Mount but if they can't agree this new contract I think they will look to sell the England international this summer rather than letting his contract run down.

"There's obviously a number of players in that Chelsea squad who are ready to step up and become first-team regulars as well. It's a big, bloated squad right now. Carney Chukwuemeka was an interesting signing from Aston Villa, who really wanted to keep him.

"He's a young player with huge potential and that might open the door for him to become more of a regular in his Chelsea side, who look like they're going to have a new manager next season as well.

"It'll be a clean slate for everyone starting next season and I'm sure Chukwuemeka will be among a number of players hoping to impress and become regulars in that 11."

Chukwuemeka's reputation before joining was certainly a big one, given he had ten goals and eight assists in just 26 appearances for Villa's U18s, and perhaps he could be the ideal heir for Mount at Chelsea next season.

Bowlers give Netherlands crushing win

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Timm van der Gugten and Michael Rippon led the demolition job as Netherlands crushed Nepal by seven wickets in their World Cricket League Championship match

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2016
ScorecardFile photo: Michael Rippon wrecked Nepal with 3 for 21 as Netherlands crushed Nepal by seven wickets in their WCL Championship clash•IDI/Getty

Pace bowler Timm van der Gugten and chinaman bowler Michael Rippon led a demolition job to help Netherlands crush Nepal by seven wickets in their World Cricket League Championship match on Saturday.Van der Gugten and Rippon returned identical figures of 3 for 21 as Netherlands shot Nepal out for 94 after electing to field at the VRA Ground in Amstelveen. Stephan Myburgh then guided Netherlands’ small chase with an unbeaten 33, and along with wicketkeeper Wesley Barresi, who slammed 37 off 33 balls, completed the win in 16.5 overs.Apart from Nepal’s top three – Gyanendra Malla, Anil Mandal and Sharad Vesawkar – only Sompal Kami managed to get into double figures. Malla and Mandal’s 23-run opening stand was the highest Nepal could manage as they were dismissed in 38.1 overs.Van der Gugten and Rippon found support from left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe, who took 2 for 12, while Mudassar Bukhari and Paul van Meekeren took a wicket apiece.Netherlands lost Rippon in the fourth over with just 13 on the board but Myburgh and Barresi then came together for a second-wicket stand worth 57 that shut out any early advantage Nepal may have hoped to attain. Both batsmen struck five boundaries each, before Basant Regmi had Barresi bowled with Netherlands 25 away from a win. Ben Cooper could not hang around for long, but van der Merwe and Myburgh saw the team through to the finish line.Both teams face off again on Monday at the same venue. Netherlands are perched on top of the table with 12 points, while Nepal are sixth with four points after seven games.

'This will go down as a great Test victory' – Williamson

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Kane Williamson has said the fourth victory of his captaincy will go down as “one of the great” Test wins, after New Zealand claimed nine wickets in the final session to seal a 138-run win

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton29-Nov-20162:00

Plan was always to get the asking rate up – Hesson

Kane Williamson said the fourth victory of his captaincy will go down as “one of the great” Test wins, after New Zealand claimed nine wickets in the final session to seal a 138-run win. A draw had appeared the most likely result for most of day five, and although New Zealand had gone wicketless with the first new ball, they claimed six scalps with the second – Pakistan losing the last four wickets for one run, in the space of 14 balls.Pakistan had also lost Sarfraz Ahmed to a run out shortly before the second new ball was due. “The wicket of Sarfraz was a big moment, but I guess when you take nine wickets in a session, they are all pretty big moments,” Williamson said. “It all happens pretty quickly. With the new ball around the corner, we thought if we could open up an end, and get a new batsman out to face the new ball, we would be in with a slim sniff. The feeling at tea time and now is pretty contrasting. This will go down as a great Test victory. For it to completely flip-turn was something pretty sudden, certainly.”Williamson suggested Pakistan’s collapse had not been spurred by any cataclysmic shifts on strategy on New Zealand’s part. With the visitors having batted the first four hours of the day without losing a wicket, it was assumed that the Hamilton pitch had lost its sting.”That surface was pretty good for batting,” Williamson said. “That certainly showed when first new ball didn’t do a huge amount. They batted very well and we weren’t able pick up those early wickets. Only thing we could do was stick with it and try and control the game. To get that breakthrough – which took a long time – we did have to stay patient.”New Zealand had given themselves 101 overs to bowl Pakistan out, after declaring late on the fourth day. With 369 needed for victory in the fourth innings, Pakistan had also had incentive to attempt the chase, as they were trailing in the series.”If you look back to yesterday and discussions around declaration in terms of giving the opposition an opportunity to track down the total and play a few shots – that perhaps worked in our favour,” Williamson said. “It was a big target. To chase it down, you have to play very well. They were getting themselves into a position – nowadays, with T20 cricket, you give yourselves 30 overs and think about what you can chase. That seemed to be how they were taking down the total.”Where we were really good in those first two sessions is keeping the run rate down below two. It kept pushing the required rate up a bit higher, and made them go hard a bit earlier. That presented us with a few opportunities. Pakistan are a very good side who know how to bat time, so perhaps we were fortunate to get nine in the last session.”The 2-0 victory means New Zealand will now move into the remainder of their seven-Test home summer with some confidence. They had suffered four consecutive Test losses before this series had begun.”It was going to be a big challenge coming home from India and a tough series against South Africa. The guys picked themselves up,” Williamson said. “I suppose we went back to the drawing board with how we’d like to play our cricket at home. Sometimes the baggage from previous results can be tough to get past, but the guys were fantastic. They had a couple of days off and they came back fresh, raring to go. They’re all looking forward to a big home summer.”

Arsenal Could Secure £90m "Monster" Rice Partner

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Arsenal remain firmly in the race to bring a key component of one of the Premier League's feel-good stories of the season to the Emirates.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who offered an update on the Moises Caicedo saga on his YouTube channel. The Gunners were once again name-checked, thus reinforcing their continued efforts to tempt the Ecuador international to north London.

The Italian claimed: "Brighton hope for a bidding war for Caicedo; so they hope that other clubs like Arsenal, who really wanted him in January, but also Manchester United, can jump into the race.

"The Caicedo situation remains open."

The £90m price tag that Brighton and Hove Albion have reportedly slapped on him remains.

Would Moises Caicedo improve Arsenal?

Given their shared interest in Declan Rice too, all signs do seem to be pointing towards a remarkable double swoop to revolutionise Mikel Arteta's engine room.

Should Arsenal pull this off, the combination they would surely strike up would them even stronger title challengers for next term, boasting two of the division's top central midfielders and backed up by the experienced Thomas Partey.

Also, not only are both enjoying rich veins of form, but their attributes complement one another perfectly. Young and full of defensive steel, their creativity still manages to shine through despite the varied respective levels of their teams.

For example, for a side that has just secured their spot in the Europa League for next campaign, Caicedo has had his 7.09 average rating maintained through 1.2 key passes, 1.5 interceptions and 2.8 tackles per game, via Sofascore. However, at 5 foot 10, he is hardly the most imposing star, even though performance analyst and sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar suggests he is still a "monster".

declan-rice-arsenal-transfer-moises-caicedo-gossip-arteta-vieira-fabregas

Therefore, one would probably say that his perfect partner would need to act as more of a hulking dictator, enforcing their will on the game by quietly breaking up play and keeping the tempo ticking. That way, the 21-year-old can be free to be his usual workmanlike self.

This arguably describes Rice perfectly, who stands at 6 foot 1 and has adorned such a role in east London for many years now. However, just this season he has started to add creativity from deep that is making him the perfect all-around midfield general.

His 7.20 rating makes him comfortably the best performer at his club, and his six goal contributions are supplemented by an 88% pass accuracy and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Having both enjoyed standout years down south, a relocation to north London could see them immediately strike up one of the league's best midfield pairings. Their physicalities complement one another, and their attributes are perfectly aligned to make them both a creative force and an unstoppable defensive unit. Manchester City should be fearful if these moves come to fruition.