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David Willey, England’s outstanding bowler in World Twenty20, could miss England’s one-day series against Sri Lanka next month with an abdominal strain.

David Hopps11-May-2016

David Willey, England’s outstanding bowler in World Twenty20, could miss England’s one-day series against Sri Lanka next month with an abdominal strain.Willey himself has not abandoned hope of recovering fitness, but he has been advised by Yorkshire’s medical staff not to bowl for six weeks, and the Royal London Series begins at Trent Bridge on June 21 – exactly that time frame.England’s medical staff is bound to want to monitor Willey’s progress closely. His recovery would have to be advanced by a week, so enabling him to have a fitness run out in at least one of two Yorkshire Royal London One-Day Cup matches against Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire at Headingley.Willey, 26, has begun to forge an international career since making his debut a year ago. He has been a regular limited-overs performer under England’s coach Trevor Bayliss, featuring in 24 of the 33 internationals.Willey suffered his injury on the opening day of Yorkshire’s Specsavers Championship match against Surrey at Headingley. He bowled 20 overs as Yorkshire bowled out Surrey for 330 on the opening day – a demanding but far from excessive workload. A scan revealed a Grade Two tear.”It’s obviously disappointing for me to pick up a niggle in my second match,” he said. “I felt the injury towards the end of the first day – a bit of fatigue and not used to bowling that many overs in a day but that is part and parcel of professional sport.”They seem to think six weeks at the moment but ever the optimist I hope to be back sooner. The priority is the get back to 100 per cent. I’ve had numerous injuries before but this is a new one for me.”Willey’s injury is also a considerable blow for Yorkshire. He was signed as an eventual replacement for Ryan Sidebottom in the Championship – and has been working closely with him in recent days – but also to supercharge Yorkshire’s T20 cricket.Yorkshire were convinced they had signed a player to sort out their bowling issues at the top and tail of the innings after Willey led England’s wickets tally as they reached the final of World Twenty20 in India last month.He could potentially miss Yorkshire’s first four matches, unless he was utilised as a specialist batsman, an unlikely occurrence because of the potential for causing further damage.”There would have to be a bit of recovery for that to happen,” he said, “especially with slogging – which is my style, isn’t it – there would have to be some pressure on the abs. We will reassess at the end of next week to see where I am at. If there was a position for me to play as a batter I would be happy to do that.”As debates rage over the future landscape of Twenty20 cricket – it is conceivable, if no more so at this stage, that Yorkshire will have to finish in the top four of the North Group to be assured of a place in a new Premier Division.Their prospects are further clouded by an injury to Matthew Fisher, the exciting pace prospect, who will also miss the start of the NatWest T20 Blast campaign after failing to recover from hamstring problems.Fisher, who has suffered two injuries to his left hamstring, was Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker in a dismal Blast campaign last season with 16 wickets from 13 games.Fisher initially suffered a tweak in Dubai in late March, restricting his participation in the pre-season tour of the Middle East. He suffered a more serious recurrence during a second-team game at Bristol in early April.With Tim Bresnan also laid low at the start of the season with a calf tear, it is a nervous time for Yorkshire who are desperate to revive their T20 cricket.

Glasgow Rangers have had their fair share of transfer failures in the previous 18 months. The Ibrox side have missed out on Joey Veerman and Danilho Doekhi in recent times under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, with the two Dutchman going on to shine for PSV Eindhoven and Union Berlin, respectively.

It hasn’t just been those two however, with numerous other failings since the Light Blues won the Premiership title in 2021 meaning the club failed to build on their achievement and create a new era that would dominate Scotland.

Rangers were perennially linked with former Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson under Gerrard, with the young Scot – who is the nephew of former Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson – impressing in the North East.

No move ever materialised and he eventually sealed a move to Serie A side Bologna last summer in order to continue his development, and it’s clear that the move has been a wise one.

What is Lewis Ferguson up to now?

The 23-year-old registered 60 goal contributions in 169 matches for Aberdeen and the Gers were crying out for a player who could add an attacking dynamic to their midfield alongside the likes of Joe Aribo and Ianis Hagi.

It appears as they though they have had a nightmare in missing out on the Scot, especially considering his form for Bologna this season.

In 22 matches for the Italian side, the Hamilton-born sensation has scored four goals in one of the continent’s most difficult leagues, proving that he can shine at the highest level.

Ferguson has received an average Sofascore rating of 6.82/10 and has made 0.5 key passes, 1.3 tackles and taken 1.4 shots per game, showcasing his all-round ability, while the former Aberdeen star has also won 64% of his duels.

He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the massive step-up in quality in Serie A and there is even talk that Juventus are seemingly interested in the midfielder this summer, while writer Kenny Millar has lavished praise on the 5 foot 11 gem recently, saying: “Class to see Lewis Ferguson more than hold his own as Bologna beat Inter Milan.

“Clear how highly thought of he is over here when you speak to staff and supporters.”

Ross Wilson had the chance to sign him in 2021 and last summer, yet he baulked at the £3m fee Aberdeen were demanding.

Judging by his latest displays, the Ibrox side had an absolute nightmare over the player and should have forked out the money, especially as he will soon be worth over three times that amount.

Newcastle United fans have been left buzzing over the prospect of signing Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in the summer.

The Lowdown: Diaby interest

As per 90min (via The Daily Express), Newcastle are interested in a move for Diaby this summer, and Eddie Howe is keen on the player.

Leverkusen have placed a £62m price tag over his head, while fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal are also thought to be interested in his signature.

The St. James’ Park outfit are also looking at left-back Mitchel Bakker as a potential alternative target to Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney.

The Latest: Newcastle fans buzzing

Taking to Twitter after the news was shared, these Magpies supporters were left buzzing at the prospect of signing Diaby in particular in the summer:

“If this is true, gonna be a lot of competition from some big European clubs but we gotta try sign him up. Would give us an edge going forward. Him and Isak would be deadly on the break. Even if we have to sell ASM if needs be to fund it” – @tynetakes

“Proper superstar in the making imo, from what I’ve seen of him I’d love him in out team. If we could sign him and Madders in the summer I’d be beaming :)” – @OneWingedAnge7

“Worth every penny” – @MrAliHenderson

“Bargain.” – @EastlakeIke

“Snap their hands off. £62m sign him up now on a summer pre-contract don’t wait for others to be involved.” – @Nick16014184

“Surely Diaby is a must get for NUFC? Brings everything they are lacking in the forward third, huge upgrade on ASM” – @cronnysworld

“No-brainer this if true. #nufc” – @TellingToon

“Pay it…Whap out the credit card and just pay it for both of them…Add Maddison, Tielemans and a few squad players and we’ll shape up nicely” @craiggrant1988

“Take them 2 in a heartbeat. Avoid Tierney like the plague” – @SamTooon

“Absolute bargain. Sign him now #NUFC” – @NUFC___NEWS

The Verdict: Get it done!

Diaby would certainly add fierce competition to the North East club’s frontline, with no fewer than 12 goals scored and a further seven assists made in 35 games in total over all competitions so far this season from out wide (Transfermarkt).

His goals in particular are unmatched by anyone in the Tynesiders’ squad, and so he is capable of displacing the likes of Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin in the starting line-up.

Nonetheless, the Toon will be looking for level-raisers as they go further into their long-term project, and Diaby would certainly be a statement signing.

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign a new attacking superstar from overseas, and a fresh report has shared details of where the two parties currently stand in negotiations.

What's the latest transfer news at Aston Villa?

Unai Emery had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in a total of five fresh faces, with Moussa Diaby joining permanently from Bayer Leverkusen, Pau Torres from Villarreal, Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet both signing on loan and Youri Tielemans on a free transfer from Leicester City.

In terms of outgoings, Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis, Ashley Young, Wesley, Philippe Coutinho, Morgan Sanson and Viljami Sinisalo all sealed exits on either a temporary or permanent basis, leaving room for the boss to bolster his ranks in January.

One of the players to have been linked with a move a number of times in the past is Sporting CP’s Pedro Goncalves, with the left-winger having previously been the subject of enquiries from the side in the Midlands.

Whilst reports suggested that the top-flight side walked away from a deal for the 25-year-old due to the €80m (£68m) release clause included in his contract, Correio Da Manha have since claimed that the club remain interested in a future swoop for the Portuguese sensation, with further details on the board’s pursuit having now emerged.

Are Aston Villa signing Pedro Goncalves?

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are “particularly” the club in pole position to sign Goncalves, despite him receiving other “approaches” from the Premier League.

NSWE, Monchi and Emery are in “ongoing” contact regarding a deal for the attacker.

Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also “attentive” to his situation, though having seen a bid turned down over the summer, the Villa Park outfit appear to be taking a second bite of the cherry.

How many goals has Pedro Goncalves scored?

During his time at Sporting CP, Goncalves has racked up a remarkable 93 contributions (59 goals and 34 assists) in 133 appearances for Ruben Amorim’s side, so should he put pen to paper at Aston Villa in the near future, it would be a massive coup for Emery.

The Jorge Pires client has continued his impressive form this season having so far whipped a total of 24 crosses into the opposition’s box which is more than any of his fellow teammates, alongside having 12 shots himself which is the second-highest tally at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, via FBRef.

The Vidago native, who has been nicknamed the “New Bruno Fernandes” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also flexible in where he plays having been deployed in six different positions since the start of his career, including three roles in the final third and three in the midfield, so his versatility would be another fantastic attribute for the boss to have at his disposal.

Finally, Goncalves knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won four trophies with his current club, not to mention the individual recognition he’s received on the international stage having been named Portugal’s Player of the Season in 2021.

The England quick, captain Imad Wasim and Shahid Afridi sliced through Quetta Gladiators’ batting line-up and mitigated Karachi Kings’ collapse of 6 for 13

The Report by Arun Venugopal23-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details In a nutshell
Karachi Kings’ decision to bat raised eyebrows twice – firstly, when they ambled to 60 for 2 in the first 10 overs, and secondly when they lost their six wickets for 13 runs. But what they did in between eventually proved enough at the end, as their bowling attack – led by captain Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Tymal Mills – ensured that a 150 chase was a bridge too far for Quetta Gladiators.Quetta had slumped to 15 for 3 inside the first five overs and never really recovered. There were spurts of spunk from Umar Amin (31) and Mohammad Nawaz, whose 30 off 20 balls kept his side in the hunt. But, with 37 required off 17 balls, Amir induced a faint inside edge to have Nawaz caught behind and quash the possibility of any late uprising. Earlier, with Shahid Afridi also having chipped in with an outstanding catch at the boundary to remove Amin, Quetta, which doesn’t possess the most robust middle order, entered the final phase in an even more depleted positionThat Karachi got to 149 was largely due to Colin Ingram, whose 21-ball 41 injected momentum into what had been a lethargic innings up to that point. Karachi’s troubles were mainly due to Shane Watson’s canny bowling, which saw him pick up three scalps to reach 200 wickets in T20 cricket. Along with Joffra Archer, the flavour of the season, and Anwar Ali, Watson choked the flow of runs. Ingram and Ravi Bopara, though, counterpunched their way through the middle overs with a 48-run stand in 4.3 overs and gave their team the insurance that mitigated their collapse later on.Where the match was won
At the half-way mark, Quetta might have fancied a relatively straightforward chase. Instead, Karachi unleashed their gun bowlers and effectively killed the chase in the Powerplay. Wasim took the new ball and conceded only three runs in the first over. Watson then attempted to run himself out twice in vain in the second over bowled by Amir before eventually succeeding off the penultimate delivery.In the next over, Asad Shafiq, probably torn between guilt for being partially responsible for Watson’s run-out and the need to ramp up the scoring rate, holed out to deep square leg. With Mills joining the party to prise out Kevin Pietersen, who departed after a couple of eye-catching strokes, Quetta found themselves at 26 for 3 in six overs. For good measure, Afridi bowled a tight spell to go for less than six runs an over and sustain the pressure.The men that won it
It can be rightly contended that but for Ingram and Bopara’s strong push Quetta might have struggled further. Further, Wasim’s tight-fisted bowling in the Powerplay cannot be overstated. However, with Quetta needing 43 off 24 balls and a dangerous Nawaz looking for a late twist, it was Amir and Mills that pinned the opposition down for good. They collectively conceded 25 runs from overs 16 to 19 and picked up two wickets during the phase to leave Quetta requiring 28 runs off the last over.Where they stand
Karachi have dislodged Multan Sultans from the top of the points table by virtue of having a better net run-rate, while Quetta are at the bottom. Quetta have an immediate shot at redemption as they take on Lahore Qalandars in the night game on Saturday. Karachi will next play defending champions Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday.

India’s spinners have taken 13 wickets in two matches. The alarm bells are ringing, but South Africa’s newly appointed stand-in captain is not ready to accept that in public yet

Sidharth Monga in Centurion04-Feb-20181:02

‘Kuldeep and I always look to bowl slow’ – Chahal

Aiden Markram knew what he was walking into when he accepted the captaincy of a depleted South Africa side in an ODI series against arguably the best team in the world. He is the second-youngest South Africa captain, his captaincy debut came in only his third ODI, and half way into the day he was sitting in a press conference trying to make sense of South Africa’s lowest score at home. Next to him sat the South Africa batting coach, Dale Benkenstein, as if to protect – where you can – the boy otherwise thrown to the wolves already.”Obviously, the guys are very upset and disappointed,” Markram said. “But the beauty of it is that everyone’s disappointed in themselves, and not in others in the team. That’s where the culture stands out, it stands strong. Each player will look to get better now going forward. It is a quick turnaround but it might fire the guys up going into the remaining four matches, which I think is a great thing for us.”India’s spinners have taken 13 South Africa wickets in two matches, with two of the remaining experienced batsmen in their middle order not looking good against spin. The alarm bells are ringing, but Markram is not ready to accept that in a press conference at least. Before the ODI, he said he saw no problem against spin, and after his side was bowled out for 118 he doesn’t call it a “danger”.”Look, obviously they are two quality bowlers in their own right,” Markram said of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who bagged a five-for and a three-wicket haul respectively. “I don’t think we played them particularly well, and that’s where our downfall was today. Having said that, you are never going to come across a bad attack in international cricket, and you’re never going to come across a bad batting line-up in international cricket either. It’s just one of those things. I don’t think we played spin incredibly well, it’s obviously something we need to work on, but it’s not a massive danger for us, I don’t think.”In an ideal world, Markram would have played out most of the spin without taking too many risks. He would have liked to have taken the innings deep but he pulled a short ball straight to deep midwicket, one ball after Quinton de Kock had done that.”My general game plan is to try and take it quite deep, bat through the innings and let our attacking batsmen sort of play around me,” Markram said. “I obviously didn’t do that today, that’s what happens in cricket. I try to keep it as low-risk as possible, and then as soon as we get partnerships building, we’ll chat between players and identify which bowler we’d like to put some pressure on and which guy we think we should just going low-risk. It all depends on the day as well.”Aiden Markram looks to play a shot•Getty Images

It could be argued some of the batsmen that followed him didn’t really have much of a game plan. Markram was asked if the problem was not in the execution, but, in fact, in the absence of plans. “Look, I don’t think there’s too much of a lack of a game plan,” Markram said. “If you speak to each individual in our top six, top seven, each person has got a clear plan. So it obviously comes down to execution on the day. Like I said, they are two quality wristspinners and we give them credit. But I still think we can execute better, and that’s the nice thing. It’s not that something that’s drastic that has to change. The plans are in place, now we’ve just got to keep working hard to execute, that’s all.”Benkenstein was happy with the team’s intent – “230-240 wouldn’t have been a winning total anyway” – but he was more realistic about the challenge of facing these spinners. South Africa don’t come across such wicket-taking spinners every day, and it is not going to be easy to formulate plans with only two days between all ODIs.”It’s very difficult,” Benkenstein admitted. “Unless we can call them [Kuldeep and Chahal] into our nets for the practice. That’s the beauty of international cricket, you know. You’ve got to come up with a plan obviously. I guess everybody’s got the ability to do it. We’ve had two games and there are no excuses. We’ve got a few net bowlers who are a little bit slow. We saw Justin Ontong come and bowl those offspinners off his knee [to replicate Kedar Jadhav]. So, as management, we try and do everything possible, obviously.”But at the end of the day, the batters have got to work it out. They’ve got to execute their own game plan and obviously got to do their job out in the middle. So there isn’t much more that you can do in the nets. You’re not going to get them to come and bowl at you. That’s the tough thing about international cricket.”Benkenstein didn’t want his batsmen to give up attacking the spinners. “I’d much rather them playing that way than being too scared to hit the ball,” he said. “We can learn a lot a from the way Indian batters play spin. Any loose ball that our spinners bowl, they are looking to hit it for four or six. There is a bit of learning to be done there. The other tough thing is you are playing against two wristspinners, that a not a lot of players have played against. It does take time to get used to their change-ups, their variations.”

Lionesses star Lauren Hemp cracked a joke at herself after falling face first during Manchester City's WSL clash against Liverpool.

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• Hemp poked fun at herself
• Shared faceplant photo on social media
• Man City thrashed Liverpool 5-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City came back from behind to thrash Liverpool 5-1 in an important Women's Super League clash on Sunday. Khadija Shaw netted a hat trick while Chloe Kelly scored from the penalty spot. After the match, English forward Lauren Hemp poked fun at herself on social media by sharing a photo of her, falling face-first on the ground following a challenge from Liverpool goalkeeper Teagan Micah.

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• WHAT LAUREN HEMP SAID

  Hemp shared the photograph on her X account with the caption, "In the wrong sport".

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It was an important win for Gareth Taylor's side as earlier in the day, league leaders Chelsea thrashed Manchester United 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. The Cityzens also increased their winning streak in the WSL to four games now.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  The club will be next seen in action on Wednesday in the Manchester derby as they take on their arch-rivals, United in an FA WSL Cup group stage clash.

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has been told to show "maturity" by announcing a transfer to Real Madrid "as soon as possible."

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• Mbappe linked intensely linked with Real again
• French forward denied rumours with a statement
• Dugarry believes Mbappe should embark on a fresh challenge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Conflicting reports have emerged in the past week from England and France about Mbappe's future. While claimed that the 2018 World Cup winner is weighing up a potential move to the Premier League, withLiverpool touted as having a concrete interest, French media outlet suggested that he has already agreed a deal with Real to shift base to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, after his contract expires at PSG. However, both reports were quashed by Mbappe's entourage, who insisted that the player is yet to reach an agreement with any club and denied any negotiations.

  Ex-France international Christophe Dugarry still believes that the forward has already made up his mind to leave PSG, though, and has urged him to make an official announcement as quickly as possible.

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  WHAT DUGARRY SAID

  Speaking to RMC Sport, Dugarry said: "I think he has served his time at PSG. Whether we like Mbappe or not, I have the impression that, on the pitch, he has not cheated, he gave what he had to give. In my opinion, he could have given even more because he is incredible. He is a remarkable player so we always expect more. He did not succeed for the moment in achieving the goal he set for himself when he arrived at PSG, but he did a lot, he brought a lot of pleasure, a lot of happiness.

  "To say as soon as possible that he will not stay at PSG, I would find that elegant. I find that it would be a form of elegance and a form of maturity. Honestly, I think he knows that he will not stay at PSG."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dugarry also took aim at Real Madrid, accusing the club of trying to be "too clever" with their approach to signing Mbappe. It has been reported that Madrid are offering an inferior financial package compared to the one they offered in 2022, and have also set a mid-January deadline for Mbappe to accept.

  "Their attitude deeply bothers me. I think they are a little too clever," the World Cup winner said. "If they want Mbappe, sooner or later they will have to reach for their wallet. I turn to the right and feel that they are there to get him, I turn to the left and feel that they are not ready to shell out money and that they will not wait for Mbappe. I find that Real Madrid managers talk about it a bit too much."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mbappe will continue to dominate the transfer headlines until there is an official resolution on his future. However, the transfer talks seem to have had little impact on his performance for PSG, as he scored a hat-trick against Revel in the French Cup in a 9-0 rout last time out, and will hope to repeat his heroics against Lens on Sunday in a Ligue 1 encounter.

Joe Leach’s Worcestershire team moved closer to the Division Two title despite Durham avoiding the follow on during a rain-affected third day at New Road

Paul Edwards at New Road27-Sep-20172:06

County Championship Round-up: Final-day drama awaits

Joe Leach’s walk back to his bowling mark is a fine enough thing, yet even his fondest relations do not judge it worthy of applause. We may live in a hyperbolic age but putting one foot in front of another does not justify hysterical ovations and hats-in-the-air jubilee. No, the reason the spectators at New Road broke into spontaneous clapping at 10.42am on this hazy late September morning was because, some 70 miles away, Northamptonshire’s Ben Sanderson had been bowled by Leicestershire’s Dieter Klein. One doubts this dismissal prompted unalloyed rejoicing even among the heaving thousands on the Grace Road terraces but at New Road it confirmed Worcestershire’s promotion to Division One of the County Championship.Some might have thought the rest of the day’s cricket would be wrapped in prolonged celebration and unreality following the achievement of the goal set by the Worcestershire coach, Steve Rhodes, last November. Yet it was not so. For one thing, Worcestershire want to go up as champions and that is not quite settled yet. Nottinghamshire may overtake them although their priority will be the achievement of a draw and their own promotion. Nevertheless, despite the entreaties of the lunchtime television people, Bradford-born Rhodes did not give any interviews until the end of the third day’s play. “I have a cricket match to win,” he said. You can take the lad out of Yorkshire etc, etc.Moreover, Durham’s cricketers have never been the drinks waiters at someone else’s party. It was entirely in character when Michael Richardson and Graham Onions added 30 for the last wicket to save the follow-on. Other teams might have folded on this third day but Onions does not want his last game for his beloved county to end in defeat. He even protested fairly plainly when Steve Gale judged him caught at second slip off the glove for 13. That ended Durham’s innings and it gave Worcestershire a 127-run lead. That had been extended to 284 for the loss of three wickets when bad light and rain arrived in mid-afternoon and only relented briefly. The destination of the title will therefore hang on the final day of the season here and even some home supporters were secretly pleased when Richardson pushed that crucial single. Every September afternoon is treasured.But this day had already offered other touching ovations and one of the warmest was for Leach and his players when they returned to the pavilion at the end of the Durham innings. The reason for this prolonged applause was very clear. Leach’s one wicket in the morning had taken his own total to 66 in the Championship but in addition to his impressive fast-medium bowling, he has been a fine skipper of some good young players. For example, Ed Barnard’s removal of Mark Wood and Chris Rushworth on the third morning took his own tally of wickets to 45, this in addition to nearly 600 runs. The hope is that cricketers like Barnard and George Rhodes will not be overawed by first division cricket. Worcestershire have won promotion five times in 12 season; all but one of those successes was followed by immediate relegation.Yet the most wholehearted applause of the day was reserved for Tom Fell, who returned to the pavilion having made 47, his highest score of what has been a thoroughly miserable season. Fell had offered signs that he was returning to something on the outskirts of form before he was leg-before when attempting to play Ryan Pringle’s sharply-spun offbreak to leg. It was a limp shot but that did not affect the spectators’ regard. Fell is one of the ten players in this Worcestershire side who came up through the county’s Academy and has recovered from serious illness. Even a half-century from him would have made the crowd’s day even more special.The evening session ambled towards a grey conclusion. Four overs were bowled but conditions were thoroughly miserable and Paul Collingwood saw no virtue in bowling his spinners to prolong the play. By the close it was clear that if Nottinghamshire avoid defeat at Hove they will be promoted while if Worcestershire avoid defeat here they will be champions. Any declaration offered by Leach will probably be tough in the extreme. That, though, may not matter to the home supporters at New Road. They hope simply that some sun will shine on a trophy their team has not won since 2003. And that will be it for another season. “Even the sun sets in paradise,” croons Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Perhaps so, but even the kaleidoscope of copper beeches, chestnuts and limes on the banks of the Severn does not make it easier to apprehend.

Manchester United have not given up on signing Harry Kane this summer it seems, with Football Transfers reporting that a fresh player plus cash bid could be lined up for the striker.

How many career goals does Harry Kane have?

There's no doubting that the Tottenham man is currently one of the most prolific forwards in the game, with the 29-year-old hitting one of his career best totals for goals in the Premier League last season. In 38 outings for his side in the top flight, he produced 30 goals and three assists – leading to a rate of 0.87 goal contributions per 90 on average.

It means that the Spurs attacker now has a total of 227 career league goals in just 373 games, with the majorityof those coming in the top flight. With the player still to enter his thirties too, it looks like he will continue to hit the back of the net for a good few years yet.

In fact, his league total of goals in the 2022/23 season actually saw him sit second in both the division's goal ranking and the Big Five European Leagues goal rankings too – only Erling Haaland had more for either category. Kane beat out the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen and Robert Lewandowski – which shows he is clearly still one of the best in his position in world football.

Are Man United signing Harry Kane?

It's no surprise then to hear that Man United remain eager to try and add him to their squad this summer. The Red Devils had been linked with a transfer for the star for most of the window, only for it to seem like a potential deal might be dead in the water.

Now, according to a report from Football Transfers, in what is a big twist from the interest in making Rasmus Hojlund their marquee number nine, the Premier League side also want to try and sort out an agreement for Kane this summer – and could use a player at their disposal to try and tempt Tottenham into doing business.

That's because Spurs are believed to be keen on snapping up Anthony Martial themselves – and now United can use that to their advantage. With United chiefs still holding out hope of a potential deal for Kane despite interest from Bayern Munich, they could be prepared to offer both the Frenchman and a fee for Kane in order to convince their rivals into allowing the England international to move to Old Trafford.

It also appears as though Kane himself wouldn't mind a move to the Red Devils – so that will be a welcome boost in their continued pursuit of the forward this summer.

It would certainly help solve their attacking issues if they did sign him. His goalscoring exploits have led to him being recognised as one of the best in the game right now. Even Pep Guardiola, Man City's treble-winning manager, has been quick to highlight how good Kane is in attack. The Catalan called the forward "exceptional" and had even bigger praise for the Spurs man, adding that he is "one of the best strikers" he has ever watched.

If Man United did manage to finally bring him to the club then, it would be a blow to their rivals but would also make the Red Devils a real force to be reckoned with next season.