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Australia captain Steven Smith is closer than ever before to matching Don Bradman as the top-rated batsman of all time, according to the ICC rankings for Test batsmen

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-20170:47

Steven Smith, the run machine

Australia captain Steven Smith is closer than ever before to matching Don Bradman as the top-rated batsman of all time, according to the ICC rankings for Test batsmen.Smith, who scored 239 to lead Australia to regaining the Ashes in Perth, increased his ratings points tally from 938 to 945 at No. 1, surpassing his previous best of 941 after the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.He is second on the all-time list along with former England batsman Len Hutton, and no one else apart from Bradman – who has 961 points – has ever achieved a higher tally.Smith earned seven points after his performance at the WACA led Australia to victory by an innings and 41 runs, overtaking the highest career tallies of Peter May, Ricky Ponting and Jack Hobbs. His Test batting average of 62.32 is only behind Bradman’s 99.94 on the list of best averages for batsmen who have played at least 20 innings. And he’s number one currently ahead of India captain Virat Kohli by 52 ratings points. By the time the Boxing Day Ashes Test begins, Smith would have been at the No. 1 ranking for two years.Reflecting on his double century, Smith said he had never felt better at the crease than the first part of his innings on the second day. “I think that first night I was on, as you say,” he told . “I was in the zone, and everything hit the middle of the bat. I felt incredibly good…that first night was probably as good as I’ve felt.”Smith currently has 426 runs at 142.00 in the Ashes which also included his unbeaten 141 which set up Australia’s opening victory in Brisbane. Darren Lehmann, Australia’s coach, said Smith has taken his game to new level.”He’s running pretty hot isn’t he? I’ve been lucky enough to see all of his Test hundreds. So for me, seeing him evolve from that first Test hundred at the Oval to now – he just changes his own plans to what the bowlers are doing and what the wicket’s doing, and what the game needs. He’s gone to another level, which is pleasing.”

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Sevilla defender Marcos Acuna, with news from Spain providing an update on the Premier League side’s chase for further reinforcements.

After an impressive spell of activity in the transfer window, Unai Emery was dealt a triple hammer blow coming in the form of extensive injuries to two key players and a harrowing opening day defeat.

With Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings out of action for the foreseeable future, the Spaniard will be forced to re-enter the market to bolster his side once more in areas beyond just covering for the absent duo.

Could Aston Villa sign Marcos Acuna?

Away from the injury blows Villa have been linked to LaLiga left-back, Acuna by journalist Matteo Moretto.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Moretto stated the interest, as well as claiming that there are ‘contacts between all parties involved’ regarding the potential move.

Valued around €11.5m (£10m) by FootballTransfers, Villa could land themselves a bargain for a defender with a host of experience in playing among Europe's elite.

How good is Marcos Acuna?

Having been lauded as “huge” by journalist Ignacio Raposo during Argentina’s crucial World Cup quarter-final win over the Netherlands, Acuna could be a strong name for Emery and president of football operations Monchi to chase this window.

At 31-years-old, the Argentine has secured almost 400 domestic appearances during his career, playing in his homeland, Portugal and Spain over the span of 12 years, via Transfermarkt.

With 53 caps for his country, the versatile defender made seven appearances on the road to claiming the World Cup in 2022, including playing 56 minutes in the final in a more advanced left midfielder position.

The versatility of the Sevilla gem’s game makes him a valuable asset to have in a squad, with the ability to play on both sides as a full-back and as a wide midfielder, contributing goals and assists as well as being defensively reliable.

Throughout his career, the 31-year-old has netted 34 goals and registered 63 assists, showcasing just what he could bring to Villa Park on the left side.

Deployed at left-back on the opening day was Lucas Digne, a full-back that was speculated to depart the Midlands this summer.

The Frenchman was blasted by writer Alex Berwick for “ball-watching” during their 5-1 thrashing to Newcastle United, making claims for his future at Villa Park even more dubious.

In hiring Acuna, Emery could find a perfect replacement for Digne, with the Argentine performing at a higher level on average to the 30-year-old in their respective 2022/23 league campaigns.

As per FBref, the Sevilla marvel averaged 2.68 tackles per 90 in LaLiga to the Frenchman’s 1.80 in the Premier League, as well as posing as a bigger threat progressively in areas that could benefit Emery’s style of play.

The reported target recorded an average of 4.80 progressive passes and 2.31 progressive carries per 90 for the Spanish side last season, as well as providing an impressive 1.79 key passes per 90.

Digne fell short in all decimals to Acuna last term, averaging 3.42 progressive passes, 1.74 progressive carries and 1.08 key passes per 90 in the Premier League, via FBref, communicating just how much of an upgrade Villa could acquire this summer.

It’s integral for the Villans to bounce back after such humiliation on the opening day, however, Monchi could take the heat away from Emery and co's first result of the season by securing the impressive and experienced talents of Acuna.

The Committee of Administrators had asked the board to fix a date for the Special General Meeting ahead of the ICC conference on December 8 and 9, but there has been little movement on the matter

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Nov-2017Even as the BCCI office bearers dither over announcing the date for a special general body meeting (SGM) to discuss the new Future Tours Programme, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) has given its nod to the broad plans devised by board chief executive officer Rahul Johri.The ICC has scheduled a workshop on December 7 and 8 in Singapore to discuss the minutiae of the new cricket schedule agreed in-principle by the Full Member nations at an ICC Board meeting in Auckland in October.At the workshop, the countries would chalk out a week-by-week plan for the FTP that will span the period between the 2019 and 2013 World Cups. Apart from the global events, the calendar would comprise the Test and ODI Leagues which start in two years’ time.The CoA, having received a request from the acting board secretary Amitabh Choudhary, had asked the BCCI to call for an emergency meeting to discuss the FTP along with the settlement of a dispute concerning Kochi Tuskers, the former IPL franchise, and revoking the suspension of the Rajasthan Cricket Association.In its e-mail sent to BCCI acting president CK Khanna on November 15, the CoA told him to finalise a date for the SGM and send a notice to all board members (state associations) within two days. However, an alert is yet to go out. Khanna told ESPNcricinfo a final decision would be taken in a meeting between the CoA and office bearers on Tuesday. He also said that he had tried to call an SGM on December 1, but Choudhary was unavailable on that day.On Tuesday, the COA chairman Vinod Rai recommended that the BCCI office bearers comprising Khanna, Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry (BCCI treasurer) fix the SGM before the ICC workshop. “I told them there is the ICC meeting in Singapore to finalise the FTP, so please convene your SGM before that. Till today they have not sent the notice.”It is understood that the three office bearers sat with Johri and set December 9 as the date for the SGM – the day after the ICC workshop – but the state associations have received no notice.This current episode of infighting is part of the prevailing power struggle between the COA and the office bearers, the latter a group that is deeply divided.After the COA asked Khanna to call the SGM last week, reported a strongly-worded e-mail sent by Chaudhry to Khanna and Choudhary in which he wondered how the state associations could be expected to take a call when proceedings were being “hustled through”.”It is absolutely shocking that a decision of this magnitude may be hustled through when all the members ought to have been given proper notice and time along with all relevant documents to study and deliberate on the item,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying in the letter.On Tuesday, though, Rai pointed out to the office bearers that Khanna was supposed to call the SGM on November 15, three weeks before the ICC workshop. Under the BCCI rules only the president can call an SGM with 10 days’ notice, and at the SGM, Johri was meant to talk about the FTP and explain to members the BCCI’s plans.A BCCI member claimed the infighting between the office bearers has been creating unnecessary hurdles. “Where is the question of hassling,” they said. “If BCCI cannot hold the SGM, you can’t hold the world to ransom.”

The South Africa coach will look to appoint four other support staff – an assistant coach, a batting coach, a fielding coach and a spin-bowling coach – over the next few weeks

Firdose Moonda30-Oct-2017Charl Langeveldt will not be retained as South Africa’s bowling coach with Ottis Gibson expected to take over the role alongside his duties as head coach. Although he did not confirm whom he has been scouting, Gibson is expected to appoint the rest of his support staff over the next few weeks, which will include an assistant coach, a batting coach, a fielding coach and a spin-bowling coach.ESPNcricinfo understands former Natal and Durham batsman Dale Benkenstein, who last held a coaching role with Hampshire, is frontrunner to become Gibson’s assistant with Adrian Birrell, the incumbent moving on from his role. While there is no clarity over the future of Claude Henderson, the current spin-bowling consultant, batting coach Neil McKenzie is likely to be retained. There is also the possibility of foreign consultants being employed as the need arises.”Obviously, Cricket South Africa have to make that happen. At the moment, there are just names of people that I think can do a good job with the team, some overseas, some local,” Gibson said. “I will do the bowling, then there will be a batting coach, a fielding coach, an assistant coach and a spin bowling coach – so four, plus myself. Having spoken to Charl, bowling has always been my specialism as a coach, fast bowling. He fully understands that.”Langeveldt has been South Africa’s bowling coach since Allan Donald left the post after the 2015 World Cup. Although he and the other assistants who served under Russell Domingo were kept on to work with Gibson in his first assignment against Bangladesh, a new panel will be put in place before South Africa’s four-day pink-ball Test against Zimbabwe, which begins on Boxing Day.Langeveldt, however, will not be lost to South African cricket. Gibson has also floated the idea of appointing elite bowling and batting coaches, who will work the domestic circuit to help feed players to the national side. “I am also in discussion with CSA about a few key positions that I think can make a difference in this country in terms of having elite coaches. So if there is an elite fast bowling coach for CSA, not just for the team, and an elite batting coach when we are on tour, and we have a couple of injuries and I want to know who is the next best fast bowler in the country, I have a person I can go to,” Gibson said. “At the moment, if I ask that question, I will be asking it to the selectors, and the selectors are doing a great job but the selectors are not coaches. Sometimes you want a coach.”While South Africa have a high performance set-up led by former national bowling coach Vincent Barnes and an academy coach in Shukri Conrad, Gibson appears to be in search of someone who can work with all the cricketers on a more consistent basis. For now, he is keen on establishing relationships with the six franchise coaches, with whom he met last Friday to discuss what sounds like a national coaching strategy, specifically designed for the 50-over game and the 2019 World Cup.”I had a really good discussion with the franchise coaches last week to get their input and tried to get a feeling and a message from them as to what I need from them and what they need from me as well,” Gibson said. “It was a really good chat. I really enjoyed meeting the guys and explaining my philosophy and how I want to take certainly the white-ball team forward towards 2019 and they are fully on board with a lot of the stuff that we discussed. Hopefully, over the next 2 months or so, we will continue to build those relationships.”Gibson will see plenty of the franchise coaches in that time as he plans to attend as much of the domestic T20 tournament as possible. “I am going to go around watching and try and see what there is.” Thereafter, he has extended an open invitation to the franchise whenever the national team is in their town. “For example, if we get to Port Elizabeth and there is no franchise cricket, then the two preparation days we have is an open invitation to the franchise coach to come and see how we do things,” Gibson said. “Wherever we go in the country, there is an open invitation to the franchise coaches to be a part of our preparations.”

Aston Villa officials have travelled to Istanbul in an attempt to complete a deal to sign Galatasaray midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo, and a new report has revealed an update on the Villans' bid for the Italy international.

If Unai Emery welcomed the 24-year-old through the door this summer, he would become the Spaniard's fourth arrival of the transfer window.

What's the latest on Nicolo Zaniolo to Aston Villa?

The Midlands club have sent officials to Istanbul in an attempt to get a deal done to sign Zaniolo this summer, according to Fanatik journalist Yakup Çınar, who reported that the Villans have seen their bid rejected for the midfielder.

It remains to be seen just how much Villa's bid for the Italian was, and how much Galatasaray will demand for their star this summer, but Transfermarkt's current valuation sits at €27m (£23m).

Whilst a deal is yet to be agreed between the two clubs, Emery has commented on Zaniolo, saying, via Fabrizio Romano: “He is one on the list and there are others.

“There could be one or more with the potential to come here. Right now it is not 100 per cent clear who they are."

As the transfer window continues, Zaniolo's future will certainly be one to keep an eye on.

Should Aston Villa sign Nicolo Zaniolo?

After losing Emi Buendia to an ACL injury in pre-season, Villa arguably need a midfielder capable of both creating and scoring goals. And Zaniolo certainly looks like he can tick that box – his output of seven goals and four assists last season is certainly impressive.

Meanwhile, the Italian offers a more complete skillset than Buendia, which could result in Emery changing his system ever so slightly, especially with the former Norwich City man facing an extended spell on the sidelines.

According to FBref, when compared last season, the Galatasaray man made more progressive carries, received more progressive passes, and had the same number of successful take-ons as Buendia, implying he is better carrying the ball but not quite as effective at creating chances.

With similar capabilities, Villa could instantly plug the hole left by Buendia's injury, whilst also forming a deadly partnership between the Argentine and Zaniolo upon his return.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Zaniolo's talent was clear from the start when at Roma, as he did enough to earn the praise of Italian legend Daniele De Rossi, who told the official club website back in 2019: "It’s another small milestone, perhaps not even a small one, that adds to what he is showing game after game and even training session after training session.

“He has an incredible natural physique for someone who is only 19 and also has great technical quality. In my opinion, as perhaps with everyone now, he is already a very good player – and can become a great one.”

With that said, it is clear that if Villa can complete the signing of the Italian this summer, then they'll have themselves a player ready to take the Premier League by storm.

As things stand, reports suggest that negotiations are yet to reach a breakthrough, but it's certainly one to keep an eye on.

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane is "quite relaxed" amid his transfer saga and will simply "get on with things" should a move fail to materialise, claims Sky Sports reporter Paul Gilmour.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer?

Transfer windows tend to be best remembered for the transfer sagas that dominated them, and without a doubt, this window has been dominated by Bayern Munich's relentless pursuit of Spurs superstar Kane.

The Bundesliga champions have already had two offers rejected by the Lilywhites, with the second being worth an estimated €80m (£69m), as Daniel Levy has made it abundantly clear that he will not be accepting any offers below £100m for his prized asset.

This has yet to deter the German behemoths, though, as they continue to press on with their single-minded objective to bring the 30-year-old to Bavaria this summer.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

It looked as if there could've been some kind of breakthrough over the last week as members from both sides met in London for the first in-person talks of the saga, only for it to be reported that the sides ended the discussions with the Germans still being around £20m short of Tottenham's valuation.

Whilst in the past, players at the centre of transfer sagas have kicked up a fuss to try and get things moving – as Kane did two years ago – the Walthamstow-born goal machine has kept remarkably quiet throughout this affair, and should a deal not simply is expected to "simply concentrate on his football", per Sky Sports reporter Paul Gilmour.

He explained the situation on the Sky Sports Transfer Talk podcast, saying:

"I think he's quite relaxed. If he is a Tottenham player at the start of the season or even beyond the window, I think he's simply going to get on with things. That's what we are being told, that he will simply concentrate on his football, knowing that he has got the one year left on his contract.

"And of course, if he is still a Tottenham player at the start of the season, then there is that chance, the small chance of Tottenham convincing him to sign a contract maybe later in the season.

"But I think all the signs at the moment are maybe pointing towards that deal being agreed."

Who have Tottenham Hotspur been linked to this summer?

With the Kane deal still in the air and nobody quite sure where he could end up, it would be incredibly negligent of Spurs not to have any attacking targets lined up for potential transfers. Luckily for fans of the club, it would appear that they do.

According to Football Insider, one of the players the north Londoners have been 'keeping tabs on' is Nottingham Forest's Welsh magician Brennan Johnson.

The 22-year-old has attracted a lot of attention following his brilliant campaign for the Tricky Trees last season and would represent a good signing for Spurs should they need attacking reinforcements next year – although he is expected to cost at least £40m.

Interestingly, another attacker that Tottenham are keen to sign is Bayern's young Frenchman Mathys Tel.

According to the Telegraph, Spurs have also been using the talks about their talismanic striker to discuss the possibility of including the 18-yer-old prospect in any potential deal, whether on loan or permanently.

Considering the youngster scored five goals in just 399 minutes of Bundesliga football last season – one every 0.88 games – it would be smart business from Levy and Co. However, whether FC Hollywood would accept it is another thing entirely.

Ultimately, even with the season officially starting next week, it looks like this is a transfer saga that could keep on rolling all the way to September 1.

Tom Curran is in line for a maiden ODI cap, after his impressive T20 debut earlier this year, while Chris Woakes is fit to return after missing most of the Champions Trophy with injury

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2017Tom Curran is in line for a maiden ODI cap, after his impressive T20 debut earlier this year, while Chris Woakes is fit to return after missing most of the Champions Trophy with injury but there was no room for Mark Wood in England’s limited-overs squads to take on West Indies this month.England T20 squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey

Wood was a member of the side that reached the Champions Trophy semi-finals, where England lost to eventual winners Pakistan, but has not played since suffering a heel injury during the Test series with South Africa.Sam Billings and Steven Finn, who replaced Woakes after he suffered a side strain in the opening match of the tournament, are the other members of the Champions Trophy squad to miss out for five ODIs against West Indies. Billings has been a regular in limited-overs squads over the last two years but has also dropped out of T20 contention – perhaps in part due to Dawid Malan’s performance on debut against South Africa in June.Malan was Man of the Match after scoring 78 in Cardiff as England won the series, during which Curran took five wickets at 11.00 and impressed with his pace and variations. Both are included for the one-off T20 against West Indies at Durham on September 16, but there was no room for Mason Crane or Liam Livingstone, who made their debuts in the same series.England ODI squad

Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes

Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali have also been rested from the 14-man T20 squad. That means Stokes will miss the opportunity to play for England on his home ground for the second year running, having missed last year’s Sri Lanka Test at Chester-le-Street through injury.The selection otherwise continues England’s greater commitment to fielding full-strength teams in limited-overs series, but does mean that Joe Root, the Test captain who is named in both squads, will not have any opportunity for rest ahead of the winter’s Ashes commitments.Curran was previously called up for England’s one-day squad in the Caribbean in March but did not play in the three-match series against West Indies.Despite their ODI success over recent times, England may have a decision to make at the top of the order. Jason Roy was dropped during the Champions Trophy, having scored 51 runs in eight innings, with Jonny Bairstow taking his place at opener for the semi-final, though Roy has subsequently rediscovered some form with Surrey.

Leeds United's Illan Meslier would be worth just "£8m" after his disastrous season last year, "especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it", claims One Leeds Fan Channel host Conor McGilligan.

Is Illan Meslier leaving Leeds this summer?

It feels like the start of a new era at Leeds this summer, albeit a very rocky start.

Daniel Farke has been appointed as the new manager, the 49ers group have finally taken control of the club, and, most significantly, the team find themselves back in the Championship after three seasons of Premier League football.

All of this change at the club has been accompanied by an exodus of first-team players, eight to be exact, and that could soon be more, as the Daily Mail have reported that the club are 'expecting offers for Illan Meslier.'

This expectation has forced the Peacocks into negotiating with Newcastle United over their 32-year-old keeper Karl Darlow as a potential replacement for the 23-year-old.

However, after a poor season between the sticks for the Whites – one that saw him dropped for the side's final four games – fans such as McGilligan have been left wondering if they'll be able to get much for him at all.

He explained his opinion on the One Leeds Fan Channel YouTube channel, saying:

"I don't think we'll sell Meslier, to be honest with you. Someone was asking me the valuation on Meslier, and I think you'd probably get £8m for him potentially this window. You know if I'm being completely realistic.

"I don't think teams are going to go to £15m or £20m for Meslier at all, especially after the season he had, especially after he was dropped towards the back end of it.

"Proper clubs would analyse Meslier's last 18 months and say 'Look, he needs a lot of work and people need keepers for the here and now. Premier League keepers need to be ready at his age."

How good is Illan Meslier?

It was an abysmal year for £30k-per-week Meslier last season, and while most of the squad struggled for some reason or another, the young Frenchman seemed to struggle that little bit more.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a match rating of just 6.42 across his 34 Premier League games, the third worst rating in the whole squad for a player that had played at least 1500 minutes.

His underlying numbers, while highlighting his strength as a sweeper keeper, are incredibly poor for someone who is supposed to be a top-flight shot-stopper.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, his best attributes are that he sits in the top 7% for defensive actions outside the penalty area, the top 13% for the percentage of crosses stopped, and the top 33% for the average distance of defensive actions from his penalty area, all per 90.

On the other hand, he sits in the bottom 20% for touches, the bottom 15% for clean sheet percentage, the bottom 7% for goals against, and worst of all, the bottom 2% for save percentage, all per 90.

Journalists seemingly tired of his performances towards the backend of last year, with Graham Smyth criticising the former Lorient man after a mistake cost the team against Bournemouth, calling it a "complete and utter disaster."

While there have been flashes of brilliance in Meslier's four years with the side, it might be best for all involved if he is moved on this summer.

Birmingham went top of North Group as Aaron Thomason held his nerve in the final over at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2017Aaron Thomason held his nerve to defend 13 from the final over as Birmingham beat Northamptonshire by just two runs at Wantage Road to go top of the North Group of the NatWest T20 Blast.20-year-old Thomason, playing just his 13th T20 match, was trusted with the final two overs of the game from the Wilson End when 27 were needed from 18 balls. He conceded only 7 and then Jeetan Patel presented the youngster with 13 to defend from the final six. Alex Wakely struck the second ball of the over for six down the ground but despite reducing the equation to 4 from 2 balls, Thomason held the game for the Bears.Aaron Thomason completes a last-ball run-out•Getty ImagesIan Bell, Warwickshire’s captain, said: “It was a great win to get over the line when we didn’t play our best, to come to Northampton is tough. Aaron didn’t shy away he wanted that last over so I’m really happy. He’s someone who works hard at his slower balls and yorkers and listens to the guys who have played around the world.”It was a chase that Northamptonshire were always well in touch with – and Wakely’s 52 from 34 balls appeared to be steering them home – but they could never kill the game and missed the chance to move to the top of the group themselves.Adam Rossington and Richard Levi took 78 from their previous Powerplay and here again got their side off to a flier with 51 from the first four overs. Rossington struck boundaries from the first three balls of the second over, two of them slapped wide of midwicket.Levi then flicked Colin de Grandhomme over square leg for the innings’ first six and drove four more past cover point. But having smashed Thomason for a huge six into a mobile bar over midwicket, the bowler exacted his revenge with a decent yorker.Patel then picked up Rossington, caught at deep midwicket for 43 from 30 balls, and Ben Duckett for 9 in successive balls to get Birmingham back into the innings. The wicket of Duckett was a beauty from round the wicket that turned and took the top of off stump.Richard Levi is at full stretch for Northants•Getty ImagesThe wicket of Duckett gave way to four cheap overs that left 64 needed from 42 balls only for Wakely to flick two fours off Boyd Rankin and cut another to ease the tension and when he skipped down the pitch to flick the first ball of Patel’s third over over midwicket for another boundaries, the hosts were back in charge of the chase.But de Grandhomme found a yorker to remove Rob Keogh for a run-a-ball 18 and Steven Crook holed out to mid-off second ball to leave 27 needed from 18 balls. Thomason and Patel then finished the game off.Birmingham’s 172 for 9 was a stop-start effort where they lost wickets regularly and four set batsman fell when set to cause greater damage.Having been sent in, they made 40 for 1 in a Powerplay that featured some seam movement on a fresh wicket and following afternoon rain. Ed Pollock played a remarkable flick over deep square for the night’s first six but, hurried by a Rory Kleinveldt back-of-a-length ball, was caught behind off a big top edge. Sam Hain slog swept Richard Gleeson for six over long leg and both he and Ian Bell, got inside edges for four to fine leg.Bell was notably scratchy, beaten outside off several times, and fell for 16 from 18 balls trying to reverse-sweep Keogh’s second ball and losing his off stump.Adam Hose, after 76 on his county debut on Sunday, shimmed down the wicket to slap Nathan Buck for four and then struck a might six that found the roof of the Lynn Wilson centre off Keogh. But when he clipped a low full-toss from Keogh to midwicket and Sam Hain was run out after a calamitous mix up with de Grandhomme, Birmingham had lose both set men and were 82 for 4 after 11 overs.De Grandhomme atoned for his part in the mix up by striking three fours and a six from the 14th over bowled by Sanderson that conceded 21 and an over later, Birmingham were well placed at 128 for 4 after 15 overs. But again, Northants picked up a useful wicket with de Grandhomme, after going dangerously to 37 from just 15 balls, picked out deep square. Patel struck a six in the final over to nudge his side to a score that proved enough.

Leeds United target Gustavo Hamer has refused the opportunity to sign a new contract at Coventry City amid interest from Elland Road, according to fresh reports.

Is Gustavo Hamer leaving Coventry?

Since joining from PEC Zwolle back in 2020, Hamer, whose natural role is defensive midfield, has become a regular feature of Mark Robins’ first team having made 42 Championship starts from 46 matches last season, but there’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move during the ongoing window.

The Dutchman’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that his side are now presented with their final opportunity to cash in for a decent fee, and should he depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors having established himself as their second best-performing player during the previous campaign with a WhoScored match rating of 7.26.

Back in May 2022, Sussex Live claimed that the Whites were keeping tabs on the 26-year-old so the hierarchy are clearly long-term admirers, and Football League World more recently suggested that Daniel Farke and the 49ers are preparing an ambitious raid this summer.

Speaking during a recent interview, Robins was asked about the future of his central talisman with regards to him putting pen to paper on fresh terms and hinted that the final decision will ultimately come down to the player. He said: “I have got nothing new to add on that or share with anybody. I think that will become clearer as we move forward, but that’s entirely down to Gus.”

Are Leeds signing Gustavo Hamer?

According to Voetbal Rotterdam (via MOT Leeds News), Coventry have offered Hamer a new contract but he "hasn't signed it" as a result of growing admiration from Leeds.

Fulham and newly-promoted Burnley also hold an "interest" in the midfielder, and the outlet states that the attention from the trio of clubs mentioned above "looks to be stopping" their target from committing his future in the Midlands.

Former Coventry goalkeeper Marko Marosi previously hailed Hamer an “unbelievable” player during his time at the club so the fact that the defensive midfielder is reluctant to extend his stay is a massive boost for Farke, because it shows that he could be tempted by the project at Leeds, albeit Fulham and Burnley are also two very attractive prospects.

The Sky Blues’ £6.5k-per-week earner racked up an impressive 19 goal contributions (ten assists and nine goals) in the second-tier last season, alongside whipping 174 crosses into the box which was higher than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, with this remarkable attacking form seeing him receive nine man-of-the-match awards.

The Whites could be handed a small advantage over the Cottagers and the Clarets in their pursuit of Hamer due to the fact that he shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling and Daniel James, so his representative will already have had previous dealings with Leeds chiefs, something which they can use to benefit them once again this time around.