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Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson believes his side are showing they can compete at the top end of League One after beating Peterborough 2-0 away from home.

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• Wrexham remain unbeaten in League One
• Have won three and drawn one of four games
• Currently sit second in the table

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham recorded an impressive away win on Saturday as they beat Peterborough 2-0, thanks to goals from Jack Marriott and Max Cleworth. The result leaves Parkinson's side second in the table, having won three and drawn one of their opening four games of the campaign, and the manager believes they are proving just how good they are.

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  Of course, the Welsh club, bankrolled by Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have already won back-to-back promotions, going from the National League to League One without breaking much of a sweat. And Parkinson has once again set his sights on competing at the top end of the table as they aim for a third successive ascension, this time into the Championship.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson told reporters:  “We have to show we’re serious contenders at this level and we’ve done it in really good style. We knew what we had to do today against a very good Peterborough side, the shape of the team out of possession was outstanding.

  “The first goal typified our quality and all in all it was good win for the team and the subs who came on. It was the shape of the team and the structure was really good, Peterborough found it difficult to play through us.

  “We were reasonably comfortable and the lads are on a high because of that. This was another test for us today.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Wrexham welcome Shrewsbury Town next weekend as they aim to extend their unbeaten record. Shrewsbury are currently 20th in League One.

Celtic have been blessed in the striker department in recent years as they have enjoyed a number of impressively prolific goalscorers at Parkhead.

From Gary Hooper through to Kyogo Furuhashi, and hopefully Adam Idah, the Hoops have not been short of number nines with a penchant for finding the back of the net on a regular basis.

Current Hoops head coach Brendan Rodgers played a big role in the signing of one such talent back in 2017 as Odsonne Edouard joined from Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan.

That move turned out to be a masterstroke from the club as the French marksman's value soared throughout his time with the Scottish giants.

Odsonne Edouard's market value when Celtic signed him

The 19-year-old dynamo was valued at €1.5m (£1.3m) by Transfermarkt at the time of his initial loan move to Parkhead ahead of the 2017/18 campaign.

He hit the ground running in his debut season in Scotland with a return of 11 goals and four assists in 29 appearances in all competitions for the club. This included nine goals in 22 Scottish Premiership matches for Rodgers.

That €1.5m (£1.3m) valuation on Transfermarkt remained the same during the summer of 2018 as Celtic decided to secure his services on a permanent basis.

They were richly rewarded for that decision, on and off the pitch, as Edouard went on to be a lethal scorer for the Hoops before making a big move to the Premier League in 2021.

How much Edouard was worth when he left Celtic in 2021

English side Crystal Palace swooped to secure his signature in the summer of 2021 and Transfermarkt valued him at a whopping €17m (£14.5m) at the time of that deal.

This means that his market value on Transfermarkt soared by a staggering 1,033% in three years from the €1.5m they valued him at in 2018 upon signing for Celtic on a permanent basis.

That soaring value also allowed the Hoops to make a big profit on the striker as Ange Postecoglou – who arrived as the manager that summer – sold him to the Eagles for a reported £18.5m, which was significantly more than the £9m Rodgers paid to sign him from PSG.

Edouard, who was once hailed as "prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, earned that big move to Palace and helped his market value to skyrocket by performing on the pitch for Celtic.

The former France youth international, as you can see in the table above, the impressive marksman was a reliable goalscorer for the Scottish giants over a significant period of time.

He averaged a goal every other match, or better, across his three-and-a-bit seasons in the top-flight after joining on a permanent deal in the summer of 2018.

This shows that Rodgers hit the jackpot by snapping him up from PSG, both on loan initially and then permanently the following year, as Edouard was a huge player for the club on the pitch, with his outstanding goalscoring, and his market value soared ahead of a big-money switch to Palace.

Liverpool made it three wins from three in the Arne Slot era with a convincing win over Manchester United.

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• Liverpool win 3-0 again Man Utd
• Slot emulates Eriksson record
• Reds & City only perfect teams

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Slot began his Liverpool campaign with two comfortable wins over Ipswich Town and Brentford. However, it was the Reds' 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday that is their most impressive win so far as they dominated their bitter rivals. Luis Diaz scored a brace and Mohamed Salah also got on the scoresheet to maintain their perfect start to the season.

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  With this latest clean sheet, Slot has now emulated a record of Sven-Goran Eriksson's. In 2007, the Swede won his first three Premier League games with Manchester City without conceding a single goal, per Opta. Slot becomes the first manager to do the same since Eriksson 14 years ago.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Slot also became the first Liverpool manager to win his first away league game against Manchester United in 88 years. The last Reds manager to do so was club legend George Kay, who won his first league match at United in 1936.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR SLOT?

  The Dutch manager will now have two weeks to work with the rest of his squad thanks to the international break. The Reds will return to action against Nottingham Forest on September 14.

Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Ashraful lead the tributes

Mohammad Isam06-Mar-2020Senior Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal has credited the team’s rise in limited-overs formats since 2015 to Mashrafe Mortaza, who stepped down from ODI captaincy on Thursday.”Nobody, no cricketer, cricket board and supporters, should ever forget what he has done for Bangladesh cricket,” Iqbal said. “We should always remember him. He guided us from 2015 to 2019. It was because to him that the world sees us differently in one-day cricket.”Mortaza’s first big success as captain was in 2015 when he led Bangladesh to the World Cup quarter-final, which they lost to India. That was followed by series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa. And then they made the 2017 Champions Trophy semi-final. In all, he won 49 out of 87 ODIs as captain with an overall win record of 56.32%. Bangladesh also won ten T20Is in 28 matches under him. They also won the only Test he captained in (2009), which also happened to be his final match in Bangladesh’s whites.Mushfiqur Rahim, from whom Mortaza took over the limited-overs’ captaincy in 2014, described him as “family” and said that playing under him was a great experience. “Nobody will ever replace Mashrafe ,” Rahim said. “He is part of our family. He is part of us, not just our elder brother. We will miss him as a captain.”His captaincy changed our team, on and off the field. Playing under him and with him is a different experience altogether. I wish to see him playing, and I hope he will continue to serve the country.”Former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar lauded Mortaza for managing the other senior players in the side as well.”Mashrafe is not like just another regular player,” Bashar told the . “He is different. His is a special case. Mashrafe playing in a game is a huge thing. It is also a huge news that he is stepping down as a captain. But if he is fit, he still has a lot to offer to Bangladesh team.Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza after Bangladesh’s victory•Bangladesh Cricket Board

“Look at our winning rate [under Mashrafe]; it is a lot. It is never easy to lead a side that boasts of a number of stars. It becomes easier to play matches with the stars but it is very tough to manage all the stars and play. Mashrafe did that very nicely over the years. He is however not retiring yet and is available for selection. I will definitely miss his captaincy. According to me, Mashrafe is one of the best captains ever.”Mohammad Ashraful, who led Bangladesh for a while before Mortaza took over for his first stint at the helm in 2009, said that while Mortaza led by example, it was his ability that kept him on top for so long.”I must salute Mashrafe,” Ashraful told . “He was the captain because he performed so well for so long. Only good performance keeps you in captaincy, and it is true for Habibul Bashar, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim. Bangladesh wasn’t winning when Mashrafe became captain in 2014. The following year was our best time in cricket. We reached the World Cup quarter-finals, played the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy in 2017 and although we finished eighth in the World Cup, we played well.”It wasn’t easy for him when he first became captain in 2009, as he had to lead by example. He had to be first at breakfast, first in the team bus and first to enter the ground. In those days he had the habit of being the last person in all cases. But he changed himself, and was ahead of everyone. But then he got injured multiple times, and couldn’t be captain for a long time. He played injury-free from 2014, and took the team under his wing, and moved forward. In one word – extraordinary.”

Leeds United have continued their restructuring under new ownership by snagging a Liverpool coach to improve their academy ranks, it has been revealed.

49ers take full control at Elland Road

Following the club's relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2022-23 season, 49ers Enterprises completed their purcahse of Leeds United from former owner Andrea Radrizzani, who had become increasingly unpopular at Elland Road as his side's top-flight fortunes waned.

At the time, CEO Angus Kinnear explained that '“49ers Enterprises is bringing fresh leadership, management, and a commitment to investment, which I’m confident will meet our ambition to compete for promotion and remain in the top flight as an established Premier League Club”, and that is something that has indeed transpired.

Daniel Farke was appointed as the club's new head coach, and has enjoyed a strong season as the Elland Road outfit bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. He has guided them to second place in the Championship as things stand, and it seems certain that Leeds will at the very least get a shot at promotion through the play-offs, though they remain firmly in the hunt for the second automatic promotion spot behind Leicester City, who they sit nine points behind before the pair face off on Friday.

That overhaul has continued to take place behind the scenes too. Scott Gardner was appointed U21 head coach last month, while Jordan Miles was also appointed as head of recruitment. The club are hoping that the new additions should help them avoid reckless spending and instead build organically from within, with the club still bearing the scars of a desperate attempt to remain in the Premier League.

The £36m shelled out on Georginio Rutter continues to look steep despite his Championship form (17 goals and assists in 32 appearances), while the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra have all been and gone at a loss for the club. They also have the likes of Maximilian Wober, Brendan Aaronson, Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen to deal with, all of whom are on loan.

Leeds poach Liverpool youth coach

As per Leeds Live's Beren Cross, the club have reached a deal with Liverpool coach Martin Diggle, who will take up a new role as academy manager at Elland Road.

A former Leeds Beckett University student, Diggle had been at Liverpool since 2019 after time spent with Bolton Wanderers and the FA, though it is unclear whether or not he will begin his work immediately or look to follow Jürgen Klopp out of Anfield this summer instead.

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With the academy both a massive source of pride for Leeds United as well as a good income generator, the Leeds faithful will be hoping to see more players in the mould of Archie Gray emerge from Thorp Arch, and investing in their youth could help them avoid excessive spending in the Premier League this time around.

Tottenham Hotspur are making progress under Ange Postecoglou but there is still much work to do before the club reaches the desired standard.

Postecoglou had caught the eye for his work in Scotland with Celtic but after acceding to the dugout in north London was faced with mountainous problems: no European football; no belief; no Harry Kane.

However, despite some stumbles along the way, Tottenham are heading into the business end of the campaign in a great position, fifth in the Premier League and nearing a fully fit and available squad.

This has scarcely been the case throughout the maiden months of the Australian's tenure, a blistering start to life severely affected by a damaging 4-1 home defeat against Chelsea, resulting in dismissals to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie and injuries to influential signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.

A tough period had been presaged, and indeed table-topping Spurs fell by the wayside – four defeats and a draw from five league matches – still fighting now to cement a spot in top four.

Losing the key components of his rearguard was particularly damaging for Postecoglou, and with a threadbare backline, 18-year-old centre-back Alfie Dorrington stepped up to the first-team.

Alfie Dorrington's season in numbers

It was the start of October and Postecoglou had stated that Dorrington and dynamic attacker Jamie Donley had "stood out" for the U21s and thus had been promoted to first-team training.

The latter has now made four appearances for the Lilywhites across recent weeks and while Dorrington has yet to make his senior debut, those aforementioned blows to Van de Ven and Romero had placed him in regular matchday contention.

Indeed, the teenager has been an unused substitute in the Premier League on ten occasions this term, capturing Postecoglou's attention after his stellar showings in the Premier League 2.

At youth level, Dorrington has played 11 times in the league this season as Wayne Burnett's development squad go from strength to strength, also making three appearances in the EFL Trophy, starring in a stunning 5-0 victoy over Colchester United.

Over his three outings in the EFL Trophy, the Enfield-born defender has completed 85% of his passes, averaged 5.3 ball recoveries and 4.7 clearances per game and succeeded with an incredible 83% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Lauded for his "terrific" ability by football.london's Alasdair Gold, the signs certainly point toward stardom, with Dorrington boasting all the traits to succeed at the apex of English football.

Alfie Dorrington's style of play

A ball-playing centre-back with a boldness in his progression, Dorrington is a defender and will likely remain in the defensive third, so impressive in his ball retention and dispossessing ability, but he has a elegance in possession that could quite easily set him up for success in the centre of the park.

According to club insider Superhotspur, Dorrington is dynamic and has been said to have a 'commanding style of defending as well as his positivity on the ball, and ability to go on long and skilful surging forward runs out of defence.'

With such glowing natural qualities, Dorrington might even bloom into the finest player from the productive Spurs academy, Superhotspur remarking that: 'Alfie is in my opinion one of the very best footballing centre-halves that I have ever seen in the Spurs Academy set-up.'

There sure is competition for that particular crown, with 18-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall signed for €10m (£8m) plus add-ons from Swedish side Djurgårdens IF on deadline day, hijacking Barcelona's approach for the ace.

Bergvall has been hailed for his "generational" quality by one scout and has earned comparisons to Real Madrid phenomenon Jude Bellingham for his high-class multi-functionality in midfield.

Still, he's not the only prodigy in Tottenham's formative fold – actually joining officially in the summer – and Dorrington's success in wedging into the first-team already speaks of his talent and the trust held in his skill set by Postecoglou.

Perfect for Postecoglou

Back when Postecoglou managed Celtic, he touched upon the importance of entrusting youth with chances to make their mark, saying: “I think it’s important having players who were brought up with this club. I mean, you just have to look at our captain. It’s not just for Callum McGregor it’s for our supporters to know that one of their own has gone from the terraces to on the pitch.”

This was reflected during his time at Celtic Park and has been discernible throughout the early phase of his Tottenham career, and while moves have been made to shore up the defence in January, Radu Dragusin signing from Genoa for around £27m, Eric Dier left for Bayern Munich and so there are still not options aplenty.

Dorrington making his debut before the summer is certainly a possibility, albeit hampered by the club's sole focus in the Premier League, and given that natural ball-playing ability and 'commanding' presence in defence, he could even be Romero's understudy.

Dragusin has an aggressive disposition that makes him a menace on the pitch but he is not a pass-proficient centre-half – he's competent, sure, but that is not where is finest attributes lie.

The same does not apply to Romero, who has been described as a "Rolls-Royce" of a player by pundit Martin Keown and has established himself as one of the Premier League's standout defenders since signing from Serie A club Atalanta for £42m back in 2021.

Moreover, he ranks among the top 11% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 5% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

For these reasons, Dorrington has the perfect mentor as he strives to take the next step in his development over these upcoming months, with Romero able to show him the many facets of the defensive trade.

Whether Postecoglou hands the teenage titan a starting berth this term remains to be seen; the gruelling nature of the fight for Champions League qualification in the Premier League could inhibit his chances.

Nonetheless, Dorrington is creeping ever closer to a prominent role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and in a matter of years he could be the biggest talent at the club, surpassing even the likes of Donley and new recruit Bergvall.

Pep Guardiola has got the man who can do everything back in his squad, but the serial-winning German's return only kicks another problem down the road

"What are they smoking?!" said Liverpool chief John Henry when he learned of Arsenal's derisory £40 million ($52m) plus £1 bid for Luis Suarez in 2013. But when analysing Manchester City's transfer business this summer, a more apt question would be: "What are they having for breakfast?"

City have managed to earn up to £82m ($107m) by selling Julian Alvarez and have managed to get Ilkay Gundogan back, just one year after he left for Barcelona. Alvarez was a useful and prolific forward who filled in admirably for Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland, but he was essentially a squad player who was on the fringes of the team at the business end of last season and in the season when City won the treble the year before.

Gundogan, however, was a key part of the treble-winning side, captaining the team when they hoisted all three trophies and scoring both goals in the FA Cup final. And just one year after City were unable to agree to a new contract for the midfielder, they have secured his return free of charge.

City, then, are reassembling the team that conquered all, bringing back Gundogan while keeping hold of other long-serving players such as Ederson, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. But there is just one problem with bringing Gundogan back: it threatens to delay a much-needed midfield rebuild.

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  Gundogan 'does everything'

  Although City still won a fourth-consecutive title without Gundogan and were not far from even repeating the treble, they were undoubtedly a worse team overall – lacking both the poise and control the German gave them deeper in midfield as well as his ability to arrive in the area on the end of cut-backs.

  City's executives had been reluctant to give him a longer contract at the end of June 2023 due to their policy with players beyond the age of 30, but Guardiola had campaigned for him to stay.

  After a stunning two-goal salvo against Everton which effectively sealed the title in May 2023, Guardiola said of the German: "He can do everything, and everything he does, he does well. He doesn’t talk much but when he talks everybody listens, this is the power of the leader.

  "He shows his leadership every training session, arriving on time, living 24 hours his job. Close to the box he has an incredible sense of goal, he can play as a holding midfielder defensively without a problem."

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  Delivering when it matters

  Gundogan was a hugely reliable player most of the time. On other occasions, he was utterly decisive. In the 2021-22 title race he settled City nerves to make it 2-0 against Burnley.

  On the final day of the season against Aston Villa, he pulled City back into contention from 2-0 down and then completed the comeback to snatch the title back from Liverpool.

  At the business end of the following season he scored twice in a 2-1 win over Leeds, the first and last goals in the 3-0 win at Everton and then both goals in the FA Cup final against Manchester United, the game that mattered most to many fans.

  In the 2020-21 season, which City played much of without a recognised striker, was their top scorer, with 13 strikes in the league and 17 overall. Across his final three seasons, he contributed to 39 goals in the Premier League alone. His 13 goal contributions per season is only marginally less than Alvarez's 14.5 and that is while playing in a much deeper position.

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  'Inspiration to many'

  Gundogan kept up his strike rate at Barcelona, contributing to 14 goals in La Liga, 18 overall. He also stayed relatively fit, appearing in all but two league games and all Champions League matches. He also brought his insatiable hunger for winning and high standards to Barca and it did not rub off well on his team-mates, who he flayed for not being angrier after defeat to Clasico rivals Real Madrid.

  He also criticised Ronald Araujo for an error in the Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain. Gundogan has the highest of standards and more than a decade of experience at the highest level, playing in three Champions League finals. No wonder Guardiola wanted him back.

  Sporting director Txiki Begiristain hailed Gundogan's qualities as the club confirmed his return on Friday. "Ilkay is one of the finest professionals I have ever worked with. His dedication to football and his approach to every single training session is something special," he said.

  "He is also an exceptional midfielder. His reading of the game, his football intelligence, his technical quality and his leadership make him an excellent addition to our squad. To be able to bring him back here is fantastic news for everyone. He will help us in our main objective, which is to win trophies, but he will also be an inspiration to so many."

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  Many elder statesmen

  One thing Alvarez had which Gundogan does not is time. The Argentine turned 24 in January and in October Gundogan will turn 34. He is a dream short-term solution but not one for the future. He will be the third-oldest player in the City squad behind Scott Carson and Walker, but his fellow midfielders are not far behind him.

  De Bruyne has just turned 33 and this is likely to be his final season at the club as his contract winds down. Bernardo is 30, as are Mateo Kovacic and hybrid midfielder John Stones. Rodri is 28 and still has at least four years left in him at the top but City will have to begin a succession plan soon.

  Because their recent efforts to rejuvenate the midfield have gone badly wrong; Kalvin Phillips was 26 when he joined from Leeds for £43m ($56m) but is now 28 and has been an utter failure. The England international is in his second spell on loan, at Ipswich, after starting just two Premier League games for City, neither of which were of any importance.

He’ll continue to bat at No.3 in the IPL, but is ready to grab his opportunities at No.6 for India

Sidharth Monga31-Jan-20202:37

‘Not easy batting at No.6’ – Pandey

When Manish Pandey first made a name in top-flight cricket, he was, in all the glorious irony, a top-order batsman in a team where Virat Kohli batted at No. 6. The year was 2009, and Pandey became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL. Eleven years on, Pandey is yet to find himself a safe stay in any Indian international side, and Kohli is a bona fide legend of the game.Pandey’s captain now, Kohli bats at 3, and has thrown Pandey’s international career a life line, choosing him ahead of Rishabh Pant, for a role at Nos 5 and 6. Pandey, who bats much higher in the IPL still, has been asked to adjust, and on Friday, he played a part in India’s march to a 4-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.With Shivam Dube being the only left-hand batsman in the side, it has inevitably meant that Pandey has had to bat at No. 6. In this game, he came in at 75 for 4, saw the situation worsen to 88 for 6, but kept picking up the ones and twos to stay in the game when the last four overs came. While the wisdom of not farming the strike with No. 10 Navdeep Saini is still questionable, Pandey kept the team alive instead of going for a low-percentage shot early on, which has been the team’s gripe with Pant.Manish Pandey plays an airborne slap through the covers•Getty Images

Pandey ended up with an unbeaten 50 off 36 balls, which gave India just about enough to win the game. Pandey spoke about the challenge of batting lower down the order where you either have to start hitting from ball one or rebuild an innings, which calls for a different temperament.”I have to start preparing my mind as a No.6 batsman because normally I bat up the order, No. 3 or No. 4,” Pandey said. “Here with the competition up top, you just have to wait for your chances, exactly how it used to happen before this. There were hardly six or 10 balls that I would play before. Today was the opportunity, and I’ve been preparing myself as to how to bat No.6 and what kind of shots I can play, what kind of bowlers, and how many overs are left. You’ve got to start preparing when you’re sitting outside. You need to calculate.”It’s not an easy position to bat at No.6, where you know you’re the last main batsman and you have to play with the bowlers if anything happens up top. That’s what happened today. I was pretty clear about my role. I thought I’ll probably be there at the crease by the end of the 20th over, and I thought I did that pretty well, and I’m happy with that.”Pandey said you have to curb yourself at that position. “I start thinking about percentage cricket,” he said. “I have to curb down on my shots a little bit. I can’t be very expressive as soon as I go in, even if the wicket is really flat. But I just have to play those twos, look to rotate the strike. I’ve been working on that and today I thought it came off really well. These are small things that I’ve to work on.”If you want to bat [at] 6, then you have to be pre-ready. The game is already set for you at No.6 and you just have to sometimes go and perform at the speed that the previous batsmen have set for you. But today was an opportunity, because we lost a couple of wickets early. Unluckily, Washy [Washington Sundar] got out early. We could have had a partnership there. Shardul [Thakur] batted well and [Navdeep] Saini gave me a little bit of a stand there. Batting was quite good today.”Despite this being a World Cup year, Pandey said he was not going to start at No. 6 for his IPL franchise just because that seems to be the only position available in the Indian line-up. “I would still bat No.3 when I go back to the IPL,” Pandey said. “It gives me more of an opportunity and more chance to spend time on the wicket. It gives me little more extra time when I bat, with the way I bat. Competition here is too tough, and I’ve got to make my place, have to squeeze in. So even if they give me No.6, I’m happy to take it. I’d love to keep contributing this way and helping my team win.”That’s the only way it works. The top three are over-crowded at this moment, and there is a tough competition for slots down the order too. “I have no choice [with the role given to me by India]. I have to be good with it.”

New Zealand put on an opening stand of 63 after dismissing the last five Australia batsmen for 44 runs

The Report by Daniel Brettig04-Jan-2020Better than Sir Donald Bradman, better than Steven Smith, better than Neil Harvey. Marnus Labuschagne’s astonishing home summer was crowned by a double-century at the SCG that vaulted him to 837 runs for the home Test summer, the highest tally for five matches by any Australian, bettering Harvey’s 834 more than 60 years ago.Australia, however, did not have day two of the New Year’s Test all their own way, as New Zealand conjured the capture of Australia’s last five wickets for 44 runs and then watched Tom Blundell and their stand-in captain, Tom Latham, put together a determined unbeaten opening stand of 63 in the day’s closing 29 overs.Labuschagne’s first Test double-century had helped him form the backbone of Australia’s first innings against a New Zealand side that was reduced to dressing up assistant coach Peter Fulton as a substitute fielder as illness stretched further across the squad.Matthew Wade and Travis Head were tempted into errors in the morning session, but Labuschagne was content to take his time as only 71 runs were compiled by the hosts before lunch. He then waited patiently in the 190s opposite the captain, Tim Paine, who made 35 in a sixth-wicket stand worth 79 runs.But from the moment of Paine’s dismissal, bowled between bat and pad by Colin de Grandhomme, New Zealand fought well to restrict the Australians to 454, with the wristspin of Todd Astle looking particularly dangerous on a pitch that is starting to take some turn for the slow bowlers.Latham and Blundell then weathered the new-ball bursts of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, before Nathan Lyon gained some disconcerting spin out of a wearing pitch. The tourists’ stocks had been thinned even further by the news that Jeet Raval was now struggling with flu-like symptoms, forcing Fulton into the whites to augment the touring team’s options for fielding and running drinks out to the middle.Their diligence in the field and with the ball was laudable in not allowing the Australians to get away, even as Labuschagne found the occasional boundary. There was one DRS referral by the tourists against Paine in the morning session, but Astle’s suspicion of some pad before bat was proven a long way from reality by replays.Wade had suggested on the first evening he might be the one to push the game forward, but the day was not yet an over old when he knelt down to sweep Will Somerville, misjudged the flight and was bowled. Once he heard the sound of the off stump knocked back, he angrily swatting his bat into the ground.Head was a little more patient, corralled steadily by New Zealand from around the wicket, but he had made only 10 from 42 balls by the time he tried to cut a Matt Henry cross-seam delivery that was too close to his body and offered a thin edge behind to BJ Watling.Labuschagne, though, was not deterred, cruising through to his third 150-plus score of the Test season, and looking good for plenty more. He had one nervous moment near lunch when he inside-edged Astle just past the off stump, but otherwise radiated an air of security that has been rare for Australian cricket in recent years.The scoring rate was lifted by Labuschagne and Paine in early afternoon, as the SCG avoided the worst of hot temperatures of more than 45-degree C in western Sydney. But with Astle gaining extra turn and Wagner and de Grandhomme offering tight spells, Labuschagne was forced to slow right down in the 190s, with Paine even facing boos from the SCG crowd when he was unable to rotate the strike.Eventually, Labuschagne was able to squirt an edge past Watling’s gloves for the first double-century of his Test career. The innings brought a standing ovation from those in attendance and underlined just how much he had grown as a batsman and a cricketer since he first batted at No. 3 for Australia in the corresponding Test at the SCG against India last year.Whatever hopes Paine may have had for extending the partnership were ended when he failed to cover a de Grandhomme offcutter, and Astle soon followed up a sharply bouncing googly by flighting a legbreak nicely enough to coax Labuschagne into offering a leaping return catch.Pattinson was bounced out by Wagner, and Cummins flicked another Astle googly to Glenn Philips at short leg, before some brief Starc entertainment was ended by Wagner. This meant Australia’s last five wickets had gone down for 44, a reminder that Labuschagne’s feats were not achieved in a vacuum.Australia’s fielders were given plenty of reasons to be interested when Cummins’ first ball kept low and beat Blundell, before his second jumped up to hit the opener on the arm from a good length. There was remarkably calm progress form there until closer to stumps when Blundell looked to drive a fuller ball from Cummins and a noise saw Paine use the DRS after Aleem Dar denied the caught-behind appeal. A mark on the HotSpot looked visible but escaped the attention of Nigel Llong, and New Zealand reached stumps unscathed.

Nazariy Rusyn's late strike would send the Sunderland away supporters into pandemonium away at Middlesbrough yesterday, the Ukrainian striker's wild effort somehow trickling into the back of the net to gift Michael Beale's men a share of the points.

In truth, the travelling Black Cats would have been happier with the 1-1 draw with many of the Sunderland attackers having an off-day in front of goal away from the heroics of Rusyn from off the bench.

In particular, Abdoullah Ba had a wretched afternoon against Michael Carrick's Boro despite starring for the Black Cats in recent Championship matches before this close contest.

This could result in Beale looking to freshen his side up for their next second-tier game against Plymouth Argyle this coming weekend, the ex-Rangers boss now tempted to gift Romaine Mundle his first chance to impress ahead of the lacklustre Sunderland number 17.

Abdoullah Ba's season in numbers

It's fair to say that the 20-year-old Frenchman must frustrate large patches of the Sunderland masses whenever he takes to the field, a world-beater one day and then completely wasteful the other.

In total for Beale's promotion chasers this season, Ba has notched up three goals and four assists from 29 games in all competitions with his display against Stoke City recently the main highlight of his up-and-down campaign to date.

The dynamic attacker would singlehandedly steer Sunderland to a confident 3-1 victory with a goal and two assists, despite only accumulating 37 touches against Steven Schumacher's visitors.

Yet, as much as Ba was impactful in this enthralling encounter versus Stoke, he was way off the pace against Boro to showcase the inconsistencies still present in his game as a youngster learning the ropes after shooting up to the senior side from the U21s.

Despite amassing four more touches versus Boro than his fruitful day at the office against the Potters, Ba was nullified by the hosts all game with Beale then having to resort to utilising Rusyn late on to gain something from the tight clash.

This below-par showing from the £4.4 per week winger – who was once described as "superb" by football journalist Philip West – could well open up the floor for Deadline Day signing Mundle to come in and strut his stuff.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur attacker will be eager to follow in the footsteps of Jack Clarke, who himself has excelled at the Stadium of Light after waving goodbye to north London.

Sunderland star who won 100% duels outshone Rusyn v Boro

Sunderland battled to win a share of the points away at Middlesbrough, with this star shining throughout.

By
Kelan Sarson

Feb 4, 2024

Why Mundle comes into the team

With question marks still present over Patrick Roberts' fitness and whether he can last a full 90 minutes currently, Mundle could be gifted a start against the Pilgrims as a result.

Adept at playing down both channels, Mundle's main joy playing for Spurs U21s came from down the right wing – helping himself to four goals and four assists playing there from 21 appearances.

Joining Standard Liege, after departing his boyhood club, Mundle showed glimpses of his quality whilst out in Belgium with one 24-minute display standing out against Club Brugge last year.

Despite only being on the pitch for a brief spell, Mundle successfully completed one dribble attempt and notched up one key pass.

Moreover, the former Spurs youngster's tenacity and aggression was evident in trying to help his team fight back in the contest Liege would eventually lose 2-0 – winning five ground duels in total, despite being on the pitch for barely 30 minutes.

Sunderland's approach in the transfer window didn't shy away from trying to unearth young and hungry gems once more, with the hope being that Mundle can become a star in the Black Cats first-team fold over time.

That could well come, however, at the expense of Ba if the 20-year-old continues to blow hot and cold for the Championship side.