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da dobrowin： Since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over at Chelsea, their transfer strategy has been heavily scrutinised in the media. However, in recent months, many have begun to change their tune, with things starting to gel for the Blues, the young investments beginning to fully show their quality, and the wage bill in a much healthier place.

da bet sport： One window that can still be heavily criticised though, is the first window under the new ownership, before any sporting directors were hired, and before the new recruitment strategy was in place. This saw Chelsea spend €300.75m (£249.2m) on eight permanent signings, all of whom joined on high wages.

Chelsea 2022/23 summer incomings

Player

Fee (£)

Wesley Fofana

£66.8m

Marc Cucurella

£54.3m

Raheem Sterling

£46.7m

Kalidou Koulibaly

£34.8m

Carney Chukwuemeka

£14.9m

Cesare Casadei

£12.3m

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

£9.9m

Gabriel Slonina

£7.5m

According to Transfermarkt

Of these signings, Marc Cucurella is probably the one resounding success, with Wesley Fofana having immense ability, but being hampered by injuries, which makes his fee and wages look suspect in comparison to others in the squad.

However, one other player still at the club from this window, who hasn’t been given the opportunities required for him to show his true talent, could leave the club in January, and it may be the time for Chelsea to cash in, and part ways.

The Chelsea star who needs to be sold

Chelsea made the signing of Carney Chukwuemeka from Aston Villa during the 2022/23 summer transfer window, joining for a fee of around £20m. The excitement around the youngster was high at the time, with Boehly even stating:

However, the 21-year-old has struggled for consistent minutes since joining, suffering from multiple injury setbacks, and now finds himself out of favour under new manager, Enzo Maresca.

Chukwuemeka has made 32 appearances for the Blues since joining, scoring two goals, providing one assist, and totalling just 746 minutes.

It is now being reported by Ben Jacobs that Chukwuemeka will be available for a January exit, but the club will not consider a cut-price sale. A permanent transfer will reportedly cost interested parties the £40m release clause in the midfielder’s contract.

Chukwuemeka vs Dewsbury-Hall comparison

One man who many believe was an unnecessary summer signing in the 2024/25 window, who has taken the rotation minutes in Chukwuemeka’s position, is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who signed from Leicester for a fee of around £30m.

Since his arrival, Dewsbury-Hall has made 15 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring two goals, providing one assist and totalling 857 minutes played. Chukwuemeka, on the other hand, has only managed five appearances this season, totalling 130 minutes played.

Chukwuemeka (23/24) vs Dewsbury-Hall (24/25) comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Chukwuemeka

Dewsbury-Hall

Goals

0.69

0.27

Assists

0.34

0.00

Progressive Carries

1.60

2.71

Progressive Passes

4.80

8.31

Shots Total

1.72

2.13

Key Passes

1.60

2.37

Shot-Creating Actions

3.60

5.76

Successful Take-Ons

0.80

1.36

Tackles + Interceptions

2.00

1.50

Stats taken from FBref

In the 2023/24 season, Chukwuemeka found himself getting these rotation minutes when he was fit, even starting multiple games at the start of the season under Mauricio Pochettino.

This showed the ability of Chukwuemeka, offering output with goals and assists, being combative, winning his duels (tackles + interceptions), and helping to progress play with his ability to carry and pass the ball.

Dewsbury-Hall’s metrics are slightly inflated, due to the majority of his minutes coming in the UEFA Conference League this season, against inferior opposition, allowing some of his metrics to appear extremely high, such as shot-creating actions (5.76) and progressive passes (8.31).

The key difference in the players is their wages relative to their role in the squad, with Chukwuemeka earning £100k-per-week, whilst Dewsbury-Hall earns just £80k-per-week, and doesn’t have the same track record with injuries as Chukwuemeka.

It’s for these reasons that Chelsea must move the young midfielder on.

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Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Dec 28, 2024

Paul Pogba has, amid his search for a new club, enjoyed an “unforgettable” birthday party alongside wife Zulay and tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz.

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Doping suspension has been completedWorld Cup winner available as a free agentRelaxing with friends in search for new clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Manchester United midfielder is currently a free agent. He has completed an 18-month doping ban, with the 32-year-old now cleared to resume his professional career. Pogba was released by Serie A giants Juventus while serving a worldwide suspension.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

He has been linked with clubs around the world, from Saudi Arabia to the Premier League, but is yet to decide where his next port of call will be. Plenty of time is being spent in the United States, which is considered by some to be a nod towards landing a deal in MLS.

THE GOSSIP

Pogba has been in Florida celebrating his latest birthday, with a star-studded bash organised by his partner Zulay. Said event was attended by Spanish tennis sensation Alcaraz, who recently took part in the Miami Open.

WHAT NEXT FOR PAUL POGBA?

Pogba has said on social media: “Surprised by love. Thank you to my amazing wife and friends for this unforgettable birthday celebration. Truly blessed!” The World Cup winner is now free to focus on kick-starting a career that stalled back in September 2023.

India put up a fight thanks to some big hitting from Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, but a chase of 189 proved just beyond them

Ashish Pant17-Dec-2022

Ellyse Perry hit back-to-back half-centuries•BCCI

If her swashbuckling 47-ball 75 on Wednesday wasn’t proof enough that she is well and truly back, Ellyse Perry kicked it up a notch with a classy 72 not out as Australia beat India by seven runs and took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match T20I series being played in Mumbai. This, despite a late flourish from Richa Ghosh, who caused a few flutters in the Australia camp in the end.After losing Alyssa Healy to a calf injury and Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath falling cheaply, Australia seemed to be losing their way in the first half of their innings, managing only 73 in their first 11 overs. However, Perry, supported in equal measure by Ashleigh Gardner and Grace Harris, changed all that and Australia went to the break 188 for 3, their last nine overs yielding an incredible 115 runs.Related

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India's bowlers try and step up in the absence of a bowling coach

India then lost wickets at regular intervals to slip in the chase. However, Harmanpreet Kaur and later Richa provided the hosts with a semblance of chance. Needing 38 to win off the last two overs, Richa smashed two sixes and a four to get the equation down to 20 off six. Deepti Sharma hit a couple more fours, but 189 was too steep a mountain to climb.An injury and two strikes
The final total notwithstanding, Australia seemed to be in a spot of bother mid-way through their innings. While Healy started in fifth gear, Mooney struggled with her timing. She only managed a mere 2 off 8 balls before mis-hitting Deepti to mid-on. Healy though remained unfussed. She struck six fours in her 21-ball 30, and just when it seemed to be her night, she sprained her calf muscle and had to retire hurt at the end of the sixth over. McGrath fell soon after and despite Perry smashing the first ball she faced for a six, the India bowlers seemed to be all over the visitors. Australia only managed three boundaries between the seventh and the 11th over, and faced 29 dot balls in the first 11 overs with the run rate less than seven.Perry, Gardner and Harris run riot
Soon enough, Australia realised they needed a bit of impetus, and they got it through a Renuka Singh over. Tied down by spin, a change to pace brought about a change in the scoring rate. Perry and Gardner smashed Renuka for three fours in the 12th over, and there was no turning back. Australia collected a boundary at least once every over thereon, with only the 17th going for less than 10 runs.Perry and Gardner added 94 runs off 59 balls for the third wicket. Gardner fell for a 27-ball 42 and her departure summoned even more power in the middle. Harris continued her stellar form smashing four fours and a six in her 12-ball 27 not out. Perry was equally adept in finding the ropes, her innings laced with seven fours and four sixes. Australia tonked 66 runs in the last five overs to reach a more-than-par total.Gardner weaves her magic; Richa makes Australia sweat
If India had any shot of overhauling the target, they needed Smriti Mandhana to get going. She started the chase with a four first ball and hit two more in her next five balls as India raced to 21 in the first two overs. McGrath, standing in as captain for the injured Healy, then turned to who else but Gardner. And, the offspinner did not disappoint. She got one to dip and turn on Mandhana outside off, who could only edge it behind to Mooney. Later, she returned to get rid of set Devika Vaidya to finish with excellent figures of 2 for 20.Australia picked up wickets regularly all through. Shafali Verma fell for 20, while Jemimah Rodrigues came and went. Harmanpreet did smoke a few lusty blows during her 30-ball 46, adding 72 runs with Vaidya for the fourth wicket, but once she fell, the target seemed a fair distance away. Richa did manage to make it interesting, though. The 19-year-old walking in with the asking rate in excess of 11, smashed her first two balls for fours. She had a slice of luck when McGrath dropped her on 17, and went about finding the ropes for fun. However, her unbeaten 19-ball 40 proved insufficient on the day.

da pinup bet： The Leicester City board now have their eye on a 4-3-3 manager as they continue their search for a replacement for Steve Cooper, according to a new report.

da aviator aposta： The Foxes have made a stuttering start to life back in the Premier League, as they have won just two of their opening 12 games and have collected just 10 points altogether, leaving them a point above the relegation zone.

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A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Saturday lunchtime was the final straw for the club’s board, as they made the decision to sack Cooper, after he only joined the club in the summer as Enzo Maresca’s replacement. Cooper struggled to make a good impact at the King Power Stadium, as the Foxes conceded the third-highest number of goals in the league, behind just Southampton and Wolves, and they also conceded the opening goal in 10 of their 12 league games.

Now that Leicester have sacked Cooper, their search for a replacement has begun, and one manager who has been linked with the role for a while now is Graham Potter. The Englishman has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in 2023 and has been rumoured to be interested in the Leicester job.

However, BBC Sport reports that Potter is not currently under consideration to replace Cooper. Potter and the Leicester board have not spoken since the summer, when he held advanced talks over joining the club but was unable to agree to a deal. At this time, Potter isn’t under consideration, as Leicester have their eye on another manager who is out of work.

Leicester City now eyeing move for new 4-3-3 manager as Potter alternative

According to Football Insider, Ruud van Nistelrooy is on Leicester City’s managerial shortlist. The Foxes are back in action on Saturday, as they travel to London to face Brentford, and they will hope this week there can be significant movement in their search for a new manager.

Van Nistelrooy has just become unemployed, as he left Manchester United two weeks ago after joining the Red Devils in the summer as Erik ten Hag’s assistant and then taking over as caretaker manager when he was sacked. The Dutchman took interim charge of four United games, overseeing three wins and one draw, but Ruben Amorim made the decision to let Van Nistelrooy leave and not have him as part of his backroom team.

Now this report states that van Nistelrooy, who likes to operate a 4-3-3 as manager, is considered a “wildcard candidate” by Leicester, as he impressed in his short time in charge at United. As well as his spell at United, Nistelrooy also did very well in his time at PSV, where he won the Dutch Cup in his first season.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s managerial record

Games

152

Won

79

Drawn

34

Lost

39

The 48-year-old faced the Foxes twice during his time in charge of the Red Devils and came out on top in a 5-2 win in the Carabao Cup, as well as a 3-0 win in the Premier League, in his last game in charge before his departure. Those results may have now put him on the Foxes’ radar, as unrest in the dressing room led to the departure of Cooper.

Manchester United have held talks with a “genius” manager to replace Erik ten Hag and have had an instant reply, according to a report.

Man Utd hold meeting over Ten Hag future

The Red Devils have made their worst start to a Premier League season under Ten Hag, eclipsing the unwelcome record broken during the 2023/24 campaign after seven games. Just two victories have come United’s way during that time, an opening day win against Fulham and a 3-0 win at Southampton, with defeats to Brighton, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Man Utd’s next five fixtures	Date
Man Utd vs Brentford	October 19
Fenerbahce vs Man Utd	October 24
West Ham vs Man Utd	October 27
Man Utd vs Leicester City	October 30
Man Utd vs Chelsea	November 3

As a result, pressure has been building on Ten Hag, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe was questioned on Ten Hag’s future recently, telling the BBC: “I don’t want to answer that question. I like Erik. I think he’s a very good coach but at the end of the day, it’s not my call, it’s the management team that’s running Manchester United that have to decide how best we run the team in many different respects.

“They’ve not been there a long time, so they need to take stock and make some sensible decisions. Our objective is very clear – we want to take Manchester United back to where it should be, and it’s not there yet, obviously – that’s very clear.”

Man Utd believe they'll sign £10m-a-year target even if they sack Ten Hag

Man Utd have their eye on a player they would like to sign whether Ten Hag stays or leaves.

By
Brett Worthington

Oct 9, 2024

During the international break, Man Utd chiefs held a meeting to discuss Ten Hag’s future among other Old Trafford topics. The Times say that after six hours, the Dutchman avoided the sack and will continue as boss for the time being.

However, a new report has shared contact between Man Utd and a serious target who seemingly could have replaced Ten Hag.

Man Utd hold talks with Inter Milan's Simone Inzaghi

One manager who has been linked with Man Utd is Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi. Reports in recent weeks and months have claimed that he is a firm target and was liked by Ratcliffe as a possible Ten Hag successor.

Now, according to reports from FC Inter News, Man Utd held talks with Inzaghi just last month, although the 3-5-2 style manager declined the approach from the Red Devils.

The report states that Inzaghi has had interest from Chelsea and Liverpool earlier in the year and has now had a phone call with Man Utd but he is looking ‘to continue to win trophies in Italy, aiming to do well in the Champions League’.

Inzaghi, dubbed a “genius” by Thierry Henry, politely said “no thank you” to Man Utd, according to the report, who said it would have been crazy to swap jobs so early into the season. Whether or not Man Utd return for Inzaghi in. the future remains to be seen, but for now, Ten Hag survives.

The No. 11 of India’s order did something the No. 1 of England’s order can only dream of at the moment: score a Test fifty

Jarrod Kimber at Trent Bridge10-Jul-2014A young boy gets on a motorbike for the first time. The instructions are given to him. He looks on quietly. People expect him to struggle. Instead he takes to it fairly well. Muddy dirt tracks are handled with ease. He jumps off little ramps and holds on. He mostly works out the brakes and how to turn and tries, but fails, to pull off a wheelie. Eventually he stops, and the next boy gets on. A boy who has ridden a motorbike for years: yet he makes a simple mistake and rides straight into a BBQ._________________Alastair Cook’s first ball catches him by surprise. He has more Test hundreds than any other England batsman but he reacts late to the movement into him and an inside edge ends up at backward square leg. It is not a stunning show of confidence as he wanders to the other end confused.Mohammed Shami’s first ball is a length ball, India’s No. 11 rocked forward and defends with the sort of certainty a man with a Test Average of 3.33 really shouldn’t have. He’s not overawed by his first moment in England. He’s not overawed by facing Stuart Broad. He’s not even overawed by the sudden collapse that has led to him being in. He’s just playing a forward defensive shot.Cook handles the next few balls fine. A yorker is dug out. He pushes to the legside looking for runs. He is handling the pitch with no demons like it’s a pitch with no demons. The ball is not swinging or seaming.Shami also handles his first few balls well. They bowl short, and he defends well and misses when trying to attack. He cracks one to point. And turns a ball into the leg side to get off the mark.Shami’s first boundary is a heave over the legside against a confused James Anderson. Shami is full of confidence having survived for a while and is now flexing a bit of muscle. He also whips a ball off his pads so well that he beats a man in the deep. He smacks Moeen Ali long and deep with a dance down the pitch. He cracks a short ball to the point boundary and no fielders move. And then to finally get to his 50 he hits a Test bowler with 358 Test wickets over the sightscreen.Cook gets a ball on his hip and turns it to the rope.Shami’s innings is not all grace and beauty. He tries to upper cut one to third man. He mistimes one so badly he can’t even find a fielder. Almost loses his off stump. Almost loses his toe. And is actually caught behind, despite the fact England didn’t hear it. It was a quality innings for a No. 11, but not a quality innings.Cook’s innings isn’t quality.Cook faces nine of his ten balls from Shami, including the last one. Getting bowled around your legs can look unlucky. Bowlers don’t plan for it very often. And even when they do, it rarely works. This is the sort of ball that Cook could have literally flicked to the leg side with a blindfold on, handcuffed upside down in a tank of water. Now his head leads away from the ball, his body tumbles after it.Cook has never been pretty, but now he’s ungainly and needlessly mobile. He can’t stand up properly and exposes the leg stump. The ball flicks his pads and instead of rolling away safely for a leg bye it slams into legs tump. Cook has lost his way so much he can almost see the ball hitting the stumps._________________Mohammed Shami had made a 50 before today, for Bengal U-22s four years ago. Alastair Cook has made 35 fifties at Test Level. Not forgetting 19 fifties in ODIs. There are also a few hundreds. And he once made 294. But Cook hasn’t scored more than 51 in his last five Tests.Today the bunny with no batting pedigree scored more runs than the man with 8,130 runs.Today two men batted: one with little expectation or hope, the other with fear and uncertainty. One made an unbeaten. The other hit the BBQ.

South Africa will remain cautious with Vernon Philander’s hamstring complaint, are not worried about Quinton de Kock’s form and are looking forward to Rilee Roussouw becoming a permanent spot in the XI

Firdose Moonda in Auckland05-Mar-20151:51

Duminy back in squad after fitness test

Should JP Duminy pass his fitness test on Thursday afternoon, he will likely slot back into South Africa’s XI for their Saturday clash against Pakistan in Auckland. But that may not be the case for Vernon Philander, whose hamstring strain will need to be more conservatively managed and may result in his returning only later in the tournament.”A guy like JP will definitely get back in the mix. He has been one of our best players over a period of time,” coach Russell Domingo said. “We need to make sure Vernon is 100 percent ready to go because we need to be careful with a hamstring strain with the important stage of the competition still to come.”South Africa have all but secured a spot in the knockouts and early calculations see them traveling back to Australia to play a quarter-final Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide and they see Philander as key when the competition reaches that stage. Domingo was keen to use him on pitches he has a proven liking for, but if they need to hold him back from their remaining fixtures in New Zealand to ensure he is available later on, they will.”If there is something in the wicket, there are few better bowlers than Vernon Philander. He is able to extract whatever movement there is,” Domingo said. “If there is something in the wicket and particularly at this venue there might be. We’ve had two low scores in the games here, then. Vernon is a handful, he hits that area consistently and finds a little bit of nip, swing.”Although Philander’s experience in New Zealand has been limited to four ODIs, he has taken six wickets at 15.83 and has an economy of 4.22. His skills would be a handy against Pakistan and the UAE, but his chances of making the XI will depend on how well his hamstring has healed.Someone whose place is not in in doubt is Quinton De Kock. The opener has got into double-figures only once in five ODIs since returning from an ankle ligament tear but Domingo said neither the injury nor the lack of game time has hampered de Kock.”The ankle is fine. All batters go through periods when they are looking for runs. It was four games ago in a warm-up game when he got a good 60 against Sri Lanka,” Domingo reminded.That innings came amid de Kock’s lean patch, his first since establishing himself with three successive centuries against India. De Kock followed that run with another ton in Sri Lanka, where he had appeared out of his depth in 2013, and became Hashim Amla’s third-most successful partner in runs terms after Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers. Naturally, a bubble built around de Kock.”The expectation from a lot of people is that every time he bats, he is going to get runs and cricket does not work like that,” Domingo said.”It’s a good time for a young player who has had a great start to his international career and this will be a good test for him to find the form he is capable of. I’m sure it will be challenging for him because he has always been such a successful young player and a lot has been said and written about him for a young player. But players like that need a bit of love and attention and affection.”So who is providing the hugs? “I’m hoping his girlfriend,” Domingo joked. “I am giving him a lot of attention at the moment. Love is not the word. He is an important player for us and we need to get him going in the right direction so we are giving him as much attention as we possibly can.”With de Kock’s spot safe and Duminy likely to come back, that leaves Rilee Rossouw in limbo but all indications are that he has a big future with the ODI side, perhaps even in this tournament. He may yet displace Farhaan Behardien, especially because of the depth Rossouw provides to the batting line-up.”Even though Rilee wasn’t getting runs at the start of his career, he really looked like a guy who could dominate in international cricket. He has always looked good in the nets, in the warm-up games, the way he has gone about his preparation and when he has gone back to domestic cricket, he has always looked like a man amongst boy,” Domingo said. “He has always shown the attributes that we like. Its a big x-factor for him that he is able to dominate against opposition and he has always played with the mantra that he is able to take the game forward. A little bit of luck has gone his way, a little bit of confidence, coming in at the right times has been important for him and he has grown his game nicely.”Nicely enough to be among a World Cup starting XI? Saturday may tell.

Dan Friedkin is reportedly eyeing a 4-2-3-1 manager to bring in on an interim basis before hiring Jose Mourinho, should Sean Dyche be sacked by Everton.

Everton manager latest

The Blues’ current boss is still battling to save his job at Goodison Park, although four points from the last two Premier League matches at home to Crystal Palace and Newcastle United have undoubtedly eased the pressure on him.

Despite this, constant names continue to emerge as a potential replacement for Dyche, with Mourinho arguably the most high-profile manager mentioned in recent weeks. The Portuguese is currently in charge at Fenerbahce, but the fact that The Friedkin Group had him as boss at Roma means they already know him extremely well.

Meanwhile, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has also emerged as a rumoured option for Everton, with the Dutchman currently the manager of Besiktas up against Mourinho in Turkey.

A sensational return for David Moyes has been mooted for the Blues, too, with former Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa and West Ham scout Mick Brown saying the Scot would be “interested” in taking the job. Now, a fresh managerial update has dropped – one that could be intriguing to supporters.

Friedkin eyeing interim manager at Everton

According to The Boot Room, Moyes is now “in line” to become interim manager at Everton, should they decide to part ways with Dyche in the near future. It is said by journalist Graeme Bailey Moyes “would be targeted if Dyche loses his job before the end of the current campaign.”

It is stated that Friedkin is “keen to bring Mourinho back to the Premier League”, but will have to wait to bring him in, meaning Moyes could arrive on a temporary basis to fill in before he arrives.

Whether Moyes would be happy to take an interim role remains to be seen – he may only want the job permanently or not at all – but it could be a shrewd move by Friedkin.

The 61-year-old did such a fantastic job during his first spell at Goodison, even finishing fourth in the Premier League back in 2004/05, and he has gone on to impress elsewhere, not least winning the UEFA Europa Conference League with West Ham in 2022/23.

The 4-2-3-1-playing Moyes has the know-how to steer Everton away from the relegation zone, and if he knew that he was only in charge until the end of the season, he would be a perfect stop-gap between Dyche and Mourinho.

The latter would be such an eye-catching appointment, given his league title and Champions League triumphs throughout his career, and his aforementioned relationship with The Friedkin Group means that it would also make perfect sense.

West Ham

230

1.53

West Ham

31

1.19

Sunderland

43

0.72

Real Sociedad

42

1.21

Man Utd

51

1.73

Everton

518

1.54

Preston North End

211

1.72

This is all assuming that Dyche is relieved of his duties at some point, of course, but there is still a chance that the Englishman will turn things around, especially given the last couple of games. Should results continue to be poor after the international break, however, a short-term Moyes deal would be clever thinking.

There are any number of vacancies to be filled at the top of English cricket right now – captain, coach, director of cricket, head of paperclips*. But with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Olly Stone all at various stages in recovering from injuries, a genuinely fast bowler hitting their straps during the opening weeks of the County Championship has every chance of vaulting into the mix for the Test team.If that fast bowler happens to be named Jamie Overton, now 28 but long tipped to play at international level, then the anticipation sharpens. His maiden five-wicket haul for Surrey since moving to London from the west country in 2020, followed up with three more in the second innings for career-best figures in an innings win, will have had the selectors scribbling in their notepads. Or would have, if there were currently any in post.Never mind, the word will get out. Overton cranked up the intensity and cracked open the game for Surrey on day three at the Kia Oval, Hampshire brusquely swept aside as if caught up in the bank holiday weekend rush. Having picked up two wickets on the second afternoon, as the visitors struggled in reply to Surrey’s 467, Overton returned to quell a minor uprising by the eighth-wicket pair of Keith Barker and James Fuller, then bombed out the tail with enough alacrity that Rory Burns was happy to enforce the follow-on despite being a bowler down.Each of Overton’s five first-innings wickets was a capsule RF bowler’s dismissal. The left-handed Nick Gubbins was drawn into edging one angled across him; Liam Dawson beaten by a peach of an outswinger that hit the top of off. And after a tranquil start to the third morning, Overton came bullocking back into the fray to end a partnership worth 90, and the innings in the space of four balls: Barker bounced out from round the wicket, Kyle Abbott fending another bumper to short leg, Fuller’s resistance ended by a yorker that crashed into middle and leg.Overton was left out of the XI in Surrey’s opening fixture at Edgbaston – a tactical decision, according to the head coach, Gareth Batty – but showed the benefit of some technical changes made over the winter. “I don’t like singling people out but I think we’ve all seen Jamie Overton do something pretty special there,” Batty said. “Particularly that first innings, the bowling was electric, and that’s some hard work that he’s done. It’s nice that first outing he gets the rewards in wickets.”With Kemar Roach missing from the attack due to a hamstring injury, Overton carried straight on into a spell with the new ball. James Taylor made the breakthrough, straightening one a fraction to find the outside edge of Ian Holland’s bat, Ollie Pope taking a brilliant diving catch at slip – but it was perhaps no coincidence that the lapse came after Holland had been struck a blow on the hand in the previous over from Overton.The game again settled down for a period, despite Hampshire losing Gubbins before lunch. Joe Weatherley had weathered the initial storm, surviving a top-edged swipe at Overton that cleared Ben Foakes running back, and seemed to be progressing steadily towards a second hundred in consecutive Championship fixtures. But the return of Overton, this time menacing the middle of the pitch from the Vauxhall End, shook up the innings. His second ball, rearing past the gloves, brought a sustained appeal for caught behind, and although Weatherley slashed the next through backward point for four, he was immediately defeated by a short-pitched ball that stayed low and arrowed back at him, even as he tried to keep the hands down; Foakes’ leaping, one-handed take ended a century stand between Weatherley and James Vince.Overton removed Dawson for the second time in the match, this time flinching a pull to long leg, and Vince’s dismissal after a typically mellifluous half-century, tickling Taylor down the leg side shortly before tea, raised Surrey’s hopes of finishing the contest inside three days. Burns again turned to Overton, who claimed his eighth wicket when Felix Organ jabbed a sharp chance to gully, enabling him to better the 8 for 143 claimed for Somerset at New Road in 2018. With Taylor and Jordan Clark picking off the last four, Surrey secured victory well before the scheduled close.Overton has been on the England radar ever since he and twin brother, Craig, stomped out of Barnstaple and on to the county scene with Somerset as teenagers. But while Craig has been capped in eight Tests and four ODIs, and was involved on their most recent tour of the Caribbean, the closest Jamie has come is twice being called into white-ball squads without being picked.Related

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His performances at Surrey to date have not encouraged thoughts of a recall – remarkably, this haul more than doubled his first-class wicket tally for the club, after nine appearances in which he had averaged 87.33. Nevertheless, his pace and hit-the-deck approach remain coveted by England. And with Craig taking a career-best 13-wicket bag in Somerset’s one-wicket defeat at home to Essex – at one point, the brothers simultaneously took two in an over 150 miles apart – it raised the prospect that both could be involved in the summer, becoming the first twins to represent England in the process.Hashim Amla had suggested after the first day that this was “not a 300 for 3 pitch”, and that assessment was borne out. Resuming on 152 for 7, Hampshire had already shipped their best chance of getting something from this game – but losing by an innings still represented a mighty comedown after they had dished out a similar mauling of Somerset. Vince suggested after victory in the opening round that there wasn’t much room for improvement, but after seeing his side succumb twice in far-from-treacherous conditions, that position will have to be reassessed.

The batter sustained the injury during Knight Riders’ last game against Sunrisers

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2022

Ajinkya Rahane in pain upon picking up an injury during the game against Sunrisers•BCCI

Ajinkya Rahane will play no further part in IPL 2022, a hamstring injury he picked up during Kolkata Knight Riders’ previous match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, putting him out of action for the time being.The injury also puts him in doubt for the Ranji Trophy knockouts, starting June 4 in Bengaluru.Rahane had one of his brighter starts in the game against Sunrisers, scoring 28 in 24 balls with three sixes, but looked in discomfort while taking singles. He was seen clutching his hamstring and the team physio also went out to tend to him at the end of the powerplay overs. He continued to hobble, though, before being dismissed in the eighth over by Umran Malik.Related

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On the whole, it hasn’t been a particularly happy IPL 2022 for Rahane, who finished with 133 runs from seven innings at an average of 19.00 and strike rate of 103.90.His best innings came in Knight Riders’ first game, the tournament-opener against Chennai Super Kings, when he scored 44 in 34 balls in a six-wicket win for his team. He played the next four matches, but returns of 9, 12, 7 and 8 meant a month-long layoff, as Knight Riders shuffled through their opening options, before returning to the Rahane-Venkatesh Iyer combination against Mumbai Indians on May 9.Venkatesh (43) and Rahane (25) put together a 60-run first-wicket partnership to help Knight Riders win by 52 runs. The win over Sunrisers in the next match, the last Knight Riders have played so far, have kept them in the race for the playoffs, but only just.In Rahane’s absence, Knight Riders have options in Aaron Finch, B Indrajith, Sam Billings and Sunil Narine, all of whom opened during the period Rahane was dropped, to partner Venkatesh at the top.Knight Riders had earlier lost the services of Pat Cummins, who flew back home to Australia before their last game because of a hip injury. Around the start of the tournament, Alex Hales had opted out citing bubble fatigue, which led to Knight Riders roping in Finch as a replacement.Knight Riders’ next game, their last in the IPL 2022 league stage, will be against Lucknow Super Giants on Wednesday at DY Patil Stadium.