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Chelsea may have already brought in Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson so far this summer, but Mauricio Pochettino's side appear to be homing in on another attacking player.

Who have Chelsea signed this summer?

Nkunku and Jackson arrived for a combined £81.5m earlier in the window, while a host of others have since been linked as part of a huge overhaul at Stamford Bridge.

Montpellier's Elye Wahi recently emerged as a possible option for Chelsea, and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims the Blues have now pressed on with their initial interest.

"Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi – agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier," the Italian journalist tweeted. "Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season. Chelsea want to accelerate [this] week as there's competition."

With a number of other clubs also circling, including Chelsea's Premier League rivals Arsenal, Foot Mercato previously reported that Wahi is valued by Montpellier at around €35m (£30m).

Is Elye Wahi a good option for Chelsea?

Having hit double figures for Montpellier in 2021/22, Wahi's career truly took off last season – his third as a senior member of the French club – when scoring 19 goals in 33 Ligue 1 appearances and setting up a further five.

Those 24 direct goal involvements put Wahi on a par with Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar.

Indeed, the France U21 international ranked in the top 11% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of goals scored last season, according to The Analyst.

There are strong parallels to be drawn with another young player who made a name for himself in France before making the switch to Chelsea, a certain Eden Hazard.

Hazard was just a year older than Wahi when joining the Blues from Lille, with whom he won the league title in 2011 – something he would repeat twice with both Chelsea and Real Madrid.

The Belgium international scored 20 goals in his final season with Lille, having netted 12 combined in the two seasons prior. Wahi scored 19 goals for Montpellier last season, having scored 13 in the two seasons prior.

While Hazard assisted 10 goals more in his final season with Lille than Wahi managed last season, he played 694 minutes more – the equivalent of nearly eight additional matches – in what was a stronger side.

The pair also showed similarities across those respective seasons in terms of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.71 for Hazard, 1.29 for Wahi) and fouls per 90 minutes (1.24 v 1.15), as per FBref, with the latter metric showing the pair are – or were in the case of Hazard – willing to get stuck in.

Comparing Wahi to Hazard is not entirely fair, given the latter would go on to become a major hit in west London, but there is no reason why the French jewel – who talent scout Jacek Kulig described as having an "incredible" season with Montpellier last time out – cannot have a similar impact.

In a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, the most exciting signing may have not yet arrived.

PSV Eindhoven boss Peter Bosz said USMNT star Malik Tillman put in a near "scarily good" display in their 1-1 Champions League draw against Arsenal.

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PSV Eindhoven draw 1-1 with ArsenalBoth teams into UCL knockout stagesUSMNT ace Tillman praised for displayGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

A much-changed Arsenal side were held to a 1-1 draw with PSV on Tuesday night as Yorbe Vertessen cancelled out Eddie Nketiah's opener. The Dutch side held their own against Mikel Arteta's men and Bayern Munich loanee Tillman was one such player who particularly impressed on the night. After the match, manager Bosz heaped praise on the attacking midfielder.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT PETER BOSZ SAID

"I almost found Tillman scary, so good," said Bosz during his post-match press conference. "I really enjoyed that sitting on the bench. I really enjoyed playing that. That's just beautiful to watch."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tillman, 21, is seen as one of the next big hopes for the United States. He impressed last season on loan to Rangers and now he is shining in the Dutch top-flight – after proving to be too good for the club's reserve side. He is yet to make his breakthrough for parent club Bayern but performances like this are likely to help towards that ultimate goal.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BOTH TEAMS?

Eredivisie's runaway leaders PSV travel to AZ Alkmaar on Sunday whereas Arsenal host Brighton in the Premier League on the same day.

Luke Ronchi returned to Edgbaston in style to help preserve Leicestershire’s unbroken record

ECB Reporters Network16-Jul-2017
ScorecardLuke Ronchi’s return to Edgbaston was painful for Birmingham•ICC

Leicestershire Foxes continued their 100 per cent start to the NatWestT20Blast campaign with a nine-run win over Birmingham Bears at Edgbaston.Put in, the Foxes raced to 50 in the fifth over thanks to Luke Ronchi’s 23-ball 46, but went on to total only 147 for 9. At 72 for one in the eighth over, they seemed set for a tall score but the last 12 overs brought 75 for 8.It was a modest total but one they defended with great skill, restricting the Bears to 138 for 8. Clint McKay, fresh from a Foxes T20-best 5 for 11 against Worcestershire Rapids on Friday, denied the Bears a flying start with two overs for 11 runs and then the pressure was maintained by Colin Ackermann (4-0-21-3) , Cameron Delport (3-0-14-1) and Mathew Pillans (4-0-23-1).Against a Bears bowling attack missing Rikki Clarke due to a bruised thumb, the Foxes were given a blistering start by Ronchi. The Black Caps star, who played for the Bears in last year’s Blast, smashed six fours and three sixes before another intended big hit, off Boyd Rankin, lobbed up to mid-wicket.Mark Cosgrove soon edged Grant Elliott’s fifth ball to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose and the innings went into decline. Only Delport stayed long against an attack led by paceman Rankin, leg-spinner Josh Poysden and medium-pacer Elliott.Elliott’s second wicket arrived when Delport skied a catch and only Tom Wells and Pillans offered anything from the lower order.Colin Ackermann had missed out with the bat but soon struck twice with his off-spin when the Bears replied, having Ian Bell caught at short fine leg and Sam Hain taken at deep mid-wicket.When Tim Ambrose was stumped off Delport, Birmingham were 64 for 3 at the halfway stage, needing to find 84 from the second half of the innings.That was far from easy against Delport’s skilful slow-medium and the accurate Ackermann and, as the required rate rose, the pressure told. William Porterfield and Elliott charged and missed and were bowled by Callum Parkinson and Ackermann respectively.The Bears needed 44 from the last four overs and, after Colin de Grandhomme edged Pillans behind in the penultimate over, it came down to 16 off the last, delivered by McKay. The Foxes captain closed the game out with predictable efficiency.

Arsenal have held talks with the representatives of RB Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs as manager Mikel Arteta eyes a new backup target.

Who are Arsenal signing this summer?

The Gunners have been moving swiftly in one of their most hectic transfer windows of the last decade, having already signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a deal worth £65 million.

Havertz will inject some much-needed versatility and quality into Arsenal’s attacking areas, with Arteta expressing his delight at the Germany international’s signing.

“Kai is a player of top quality,” explained the Arsenal boss.

“We welcome Kai and his family to Arsenal Football Club and we are all excited to start working with him when we start pre-season training soon.”

The north Londoners, meanwhile, are thought to be nearing the captures of both Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and West Ham United star Declan Rice, having agreed a total £105m fee for the latter player after weeks of negotiations.

Full-back is an area Arsenal will look to bolster as well, with reports out of Germany suggesting that Man City star Joao Cancelo and Galatasary’s Sacha Boey among the candidates.

Henrichs is also linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, as now backed by Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who says Arsenal talks have been held with his entourage.

Arteta is personally a big fan of the Germany international, with Plettenberg describing Henrichs as an “important” player for Leipzig.

Who is Benjamin Henrichs?

The 26-year-old has been given rave reviews in past seasons, with the Bundesliga’s official website even once likening him to Bayern Munich superstar Joshua Kimmich.

They wrote:

“With his ability to play at both full-back and in defensive midfield, the similarities with Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich make for an obvious comparison. Yet the players share more than just positional versatility: both are quick, aggressive in the tackle, able to spray diagonal passes into the feet of a teammate on the other side of the pitch, or curl pinpoint crosses into the box on regular forays forward.”

Meanwhile, Henrichs has also been called exceptional by former Bayer Leverkusen head coach Roger Schmidt, who said it’s “unbelievably difficult” to get past him.

Schmidt branded the defender “absolutely top class” in a glowing endorsement which will surely entice Arsenal supporters.

“He’s got exceptional defensive qualities,” said Schmidt.

“It’s unbelievably difficult to get past him. He’s absolutely top-class. We all know how hard it is to defend against players like Heung-Min Son and Ousmane Dembele…but it’s just very hard to get the better of Benny.”

The PCB had charged the former Pakistan opener with two violations of their Anti-Corruption Code, for obstructing and not cooperating with their investigation, in relation to allegations of corruption in PSL 2017

Umar Farooq14-Apr-20170:52

Completely ready to cooperate with the PCB – Jamshed

Nasir Jamshed is willing to cooperate with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) inquiry into the PSL corruption investigation. But he wants the board to wait until an ongoing investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) emanating from the same case comes to an end. Earlier this week the PCB charged Jamshed with two violations of their Anti-Corruption Code, for obstructing and not cooperating with their investigation. Jamshed has been given 14 days to respond.Jamshed and another man were arrested by the NCA in February and were later released on bail. Those arrests were made in connection with offences as part of an investigation into spot-fixing. That arrest came on the same day that he was first provisionally suspended by the PCB.The PCB believes Jamshed to be a central figure in its investigations into attempts to corrupt the second edition of the PSL, in which several other Pakistani players have been charged. But charges were laid against him after the board claimed it had been unable to speak to Jamshed – a PCB official was in the UK recently but was unable to meet him.Jamshed, who is based in Birmingham, had informed the PCB through his lawyer about his inability to travel to Pakistan because his passport has been confiscated by the NCA. In a video message circulated in Pakistan, Jamshed said that once the NCA investigation ends, he will present himself as and when required by the PCB.”I have no control over what is being said in the media,” said Jamshed in Urdu from his England residence. “I have neither changed residences, nor am I hiding from anyone. I am completely ready to cooperate with the PCB. My only request is to let the NCA inquiry being conducted to reach its conclusion first.”This is something the PCB had stated itself, when they stopped an FIA inquiry. I believe that too. First the NCA inquiry should be completed. The PCB has stated itself that they are in regular contact with the NCA, and are fully aware of the inquiry. Once it ends, I will present myself as and when the PCB requires me to.”Parallel to the PCB’s investigation, Pakistan’s Federal Investigative Agency has also launched an inquiry against the players charged by the Pakistan board. The country’s interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, has placed the four players provisionally suspended by the PCB – Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irfan and Shahzaib Hasan – on an exit control list, preventing them from leaving the country.The FIA began their own inquiry after the Pakistan board asked for the agency’s assistance in obtaining forensic evidence from mobile phones in connection to the investigation. And though the PCB initially distanced itself from the FIA investigation, Najam Sethi, chairman of the PSL, has sought to clarify that he was not against the FIA’s probe and had never asked agency to stop its investigation.”I want FIA, which has taken suo motu [notice] of the case, to continue with its probe in this matter and should go after bookies like British Crime Agency does,” Sethi said. “Since there has been no law to deal with the spot-fixing here in Pakistan, this matter comes under the domain of PCB’s discipline and conduct and the Board can award exemplary punishment to the guilty players. The FIA deals with the criminal side of this case and if any such findings come up during the PCB tribunal probe, the FIA will be asked to take action. However, the FIA should better go after bookies and let the PCB deal with the players’ wrongdoings.”

Lionel Messi did not figure for Inter Miami against the Chicago Fire because he “is not healthy enough to play”, says head coach Tata Martino.

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• Argentine icon misses fourth game in a row
• Struggles being endured in his absence
• Play-offs may now be out of reach

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar sat out a fourth consecutive game on Wednesday evening, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner having picked up an unfortunate injury during the last round of international fixtures in September. With Messi stuck on the sidelines, Inter Miami’s MLS play-off hopes are beginning to fade.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  They suffered a 4-1 defeat at Soldier Field in Chicago in front of a sell-out crowd, with Martino telling reporters afterwards of why the biggest show in town did not make an appearance: “I understand the expectations of the fans, but we can’t bring him if he is not healthy enough to play. These are the things only we must live with. I find it very strange that a coach has to explain to the rival fans why the best player in the world can’t play. It’s only because it’s him and we’re in the United States. Everywhere else, rival fans would be relieved that the best player in the world was not there.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Inter Miami are crying out for inspiration at a crucial stage of the season, with Messi’s enforced absence coming at the worst possible time for them. Martino added: “I am disappointed because our team has declined in the past 15 days, and now we must win three games and rely on what the rivals do.” Another former Barcelona star, Jordi Alba, also was missing for the third game in a row.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi did inspire Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory within weeks of his arrival in the United States, but he missed the U.S. Open Cup final and may now fall short in a bid to make the MLS play-offs. Miami remain five points adrift of a place in the post-season with just three fixtures left to take in.

Hege Riise's squad is packed with top-tier talents, but they are yet to score Down Under and facing an embarrassing group-stage failure

Ada Hegerberg is a Ballon d'Or winner and six-time European champion. Caroline Graham Hansen has won 23 major trophies in three countries, which includes two Champions League triumphs. Maren Mjelde and Guro Reiten are both in double figures for titles won at Chelsea. Ingrid Engen has won the league in three different countries and recently lifted her first Champions League trophy. Emilie Haavi was just named Serie A's Most Valuable Player as Roma won the competition for the first time. Frida Maanum was nominated for the Women's Super League's Player of the Season award.

All of these names are in Norway's 2023 Women's World Cup squad and yet, the Scandinavian nation is on the brink of crashing out in the group stages – only 12 months after suffering the exact same fate at the European Championship.

Individuals don't make a team, that's for sure. There's a reason why so many nations see 'golden generations' pass by without living up to the success that many anticipate them achieving. But even knowing that, it seems remarkable that Norway could be about to succumb to another dramatically underwhelming tournament so soon after the last – and under a different coach, too.

There have been positive signs for the 1995 World Cup winners in recent years, such as Lise Klaveness' applaudable representation of the federation as its president and Hegerberg’s decision to end her five-year absence from the national team after seeing improvements at home with regards to women’s football.

But as this tournament has shown, the nation is still a way off success on the pitch. In fact, it’s not even achieving what should be the bare minimum.

GettyThe Law of Jante

When the team news came out for Norway’s crucial match with Switzerland on Tuesday, it was shocking. Following a disappointing defeat to New Zealand in the first game, head coach Hege Riise dropped Graham Hansen to the bench.

This is one of the best players in the world, a game-changer and a galvaniser, someone who played a huge role when Barcelona won the Champions League just last month – and this was an incredibly important game. It was a huge decision.

Graham Hansen would spend less than an hour on the sidelines before, at 0-0, being thrown on to try and get Norway the goal they desired. The winger was very lively and came close on a few occasions, but the game would end goalless.

“There's a lot I want to say, but you might have to bite your tongue,” she told after the final whistle. “I feel like I've been trampled on for a year. You talk about standing together as a team and as a nation. I feel that over the past year I've just taken it on the chin. I thought I had earned a certain amount of respect.”

Asked if she believed there were other reasons for her being on the bench, Graham Hansen replied: “I think I'll leave it until after the championship. I think that in Norway we have a tradition of putting everyone in the same box. The Law of Jante is strong”, she added, referring to an attitude of disapproval towards standing out and expressing individuality.

Riise stood by her decision after the game and praised Graham Hansen’s impact from the bench. The following day, the player apologised for her comments in a press conference. “My emotions got the better of me,” she said.

AdvertisementGettyHard to brush under the carpet

You can’t ignore what happened though, right? After all, frustrations have boiled over before. Indeed, Graham Hansen took a break from the national team after the Euros last summer, while Hegerberg didn’t play for Norway for five years.

And the decision not to play Graham Hansen was certainly a big shock. In Riise’s press conference after the match, one journalist raised their hand and put the following to the coach: “Our football expert says that if you have one of the best players in her position, if you cannot find a space for her on the team, then you fail as a coach. What's your opinion?”

“Well, that's his opinion,” Riise responded. “I reached this decision based on what I find to be best for the team. That was my starting point and that's what I do today. I stick by that decision and that assessment. The opinions of others? Well, it's difficult for me to influence other people's opinion, but I stick to what I did.”

GettyUnderperforming

That it is players like Graham Hansen and Hegerberg that have been vocal about their frustrations at the national team, and gone against that Law of Jante, is no surprise. After all, these are two supremely-talented footballers who play for two of the biggest and best-supported clubs in the game, at Barcelona and Lyon, respectively. They want to be successful and their desire to be so with the national team is at the heart of any outspokenness.

And this team should be doing better. After the defeat to New Zealand, Graham Hansen told : "We go from championship to championship and underperform."

When we talk about ‘golden generations’ not living up to the hype, it’s often that the team has fallen in the knockout rounds too many times or just not got over the hurdle in the final. But after failing to get out of the group stage at Euro 2022, losing 8-0 to England in the process, Norway could be about to exit at the same stage at this 2023 Women’s World Cup, despite being the favourites to top a group that features New Zealand, Switzerland and the Philippines. That’s quite a dramatic underperformance.

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GettyMore than one problem

And these problems don’t just stem from benching Graham Hansen. First of all, this is a team that lacks defensive depth. They have a couple of top-level players in these areas, but are otherwise fragile. Yet it feels like the team is not set-up in a way that best masks that or protects the weakness from being exposed, either in the formation or the players in midfield that can offer support.

That would be fine if they scored lots and lots of goals, which they are capable of given how top-heavy the squad is. Hegerberg, Graham Hansen, Reiten, Haavi, Maanum – these are all attack-minded players, but Norway haven’t found the back of the net yet at the World Cup.

Again, there is team selection that can be questioned here. For example, why is Reiten, who just put up the highest number of assists in the WSL from a left-wing position, playing in midfield? Her ability to isolate a defender one-on-one and whip in a dangerous cross is one of her biggest strengths. In midfield, she has been crowded out and stifled, unable to be at her creative best.

Of course, more is expected from the individuals, too. They can create more, finish better, defend more effectively – and they’ve acknowledged that throughout the tournament. But it does also feel like Riise can get more out of them than she currently is.

Thomas Tuchel desperately wants to sign the England international, and the defender showed why in Wednesday's friendly between the two clubs

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to pre-season with a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in Tokyo on Wednesday, with Aymeric Laporte netting a late winner.

Pep Guardiola's side were second best during the first half, but led at the break thanks to James McAtee, who was on hand to follow-up a shot from Julian Alvarez that had been well-saved by Yann Sommer.

Bayern looked to have earned a draw when Mathys Tel scored a tap-in from another rebound with just nine minutes remaining, but Laporte – who has been linked with a move away from the Etihad before the close of the summer transfer window – nicked it for City right at the death, when he turned in a cut-back from Phil Foden.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at a sold-out Japan National Stadium…

• Rico Lewis has an important role to play

  McAtee may have broken the deadlock in Tokyo, but the opener was all about fellow young gun Rico Lewis, who also had the far more impressive first half. The 18-year-old excelled in a fluid role that saw him sit in midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic when City were defending, while at the same time affording him the freedom to get forward when in possession. Indeed, it was Lewis who burst into the area before squaring the ball for Alvarez, whose shot was spilled by Sommer into the path of McAtee.

  With serious doubt surrounding the future of Kyle Walker, don't be surprised if the versatile Lewis sees plenty of game time this season, given he can also operate as a right-back. He made 14 Premier League appearances last season – but he could feature even more regularly in the coming campaign.

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• Walker's enduring excellence

  On the eve of the game in Japan, Guardiola said of Walker, "He is incredibly important for us. He has specific qualities that are so difficult to find out wide. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Both clubs are in touch. We will fight for him like I'm sure Bayern will too."

  There's absolutely no doubt about that, because while the England international may have only played for 45 minutes, he rather effortlessly underlined why he's so highly rated. His famed pace was once again there for all to see as he repeatedly snuffed out any threats posed by Bayern's fast forwards, while Walker also played the pin-point pass from inside his own half that released Lewis into space in the build-up to McAtee's goal.

  Guardiola has admitted that he has no idea how the tug-of-war for Walker's services will finish, but he'll be praying that the defender remains on the City side. A player of the 33-year-old's quality and experience is truly invaluable to any squad.

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  Ederson's incredible importance

  Given City dominate possession in nearly every game they play, Ederson doesn't often have much to do in between the sticks. However, as he so memorably and crucially underlined in the Champions League final win over Inter, he usually steps up to the mark when called upon.

  The Brazilian did so again here, making a couple of big saves when Bayern were piling on the pressure in the first half. He also very nearly kept a clean sheet, denying Paul Wanner from close range with a wonderful reaction stop, only to see Tel took away the rebound.

  And City will need Ederson to maintain his level of excellence, given Stefan Ortega does not inspire anything like the same level of confidence. The German played all 90 minutes of City's previous pre-season fixture, against Yokohoma F. Marinos, and was arguably at fault for at least two goals.

  Consequently, one really would wonder what would happen to City's defence – and Guardiola's game plan – if, heaven forbid, Ederson were to be sidelined by an injury in between transfer windows. He really is one of the few irreplaceable players in the starting XI.

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• Inter's interest in Sommer is strange

  Inter's precarious financial position means that they are forced to sell at least one key player every year, and Andre Onana was the man to be sacrificed this summer, which made sense of course, given he had arrived on a free transfer from Ajax at the start of the season, meaning his sale to Manchester United represented pure profit.

  However, that left the Nerazzurri needing a couple of goalkeepers, with veteran shot-stopper Samir Handanovic having also left San Siro during the current transfer window, and the ongoing attempt to fill one of those voids with Sommer has raised some eyebrows in Italy, given the Bayern Munich man is nowhere near the same level as Onana, particularly with the ball at his feet.

  Indeed, the Switzerland international was blessed to get away with an awful error just before the break, when he lost possession inside his own area after coming under pressure from Bernardo Silva. Sommer got away with it, but if any representatives of Inter were watching, the not-unusual lapse in concentration from the 34-year-old may have convinced them to redouble their efforts to also sign Anatoliy Trubin from Shakhtar Donetsk. After all, there's a reason why Bayern are willing to let Sommer go…

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.”

James Anderson has been reprimanded by the ICC for showing disrespect to umpire S Ravi on the third day of the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka.Anderson was found to have breached Level 1 Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.” Anderson admitted the charged and accepted the sanction from the match referee Andy Pycroft so there was no need for a hearing.The incident occurred during Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket stand between Kusal Perera and Rangana Herath when Ravi told Anderson, who was becoming frustrated, not to sledge Herath. The umpire was seen talking with Joe Root who was captaining England at the time due to Alastair Cook being absent from the field after the blow to the knee which forced him to hospital for an x-ray.The charge was laid by the on-field umpires, Ravi and Rod Tucker, as well as third umpire Aleem Dar and fourth umpire Michael Gough.All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of a warning/reprimand and/or the imposition of a fine of up to 50% of the applicable match fee.