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With as many as 10 frontline players unavailable for selection due to IPL commitments, the squad for the tri-series included two new faces in fast bowler Seth Rance and allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2017Tom Latham will lead New Zealand for the first time in next month’s ODI tri-series against Ireland and Bangladesh. With ten players, including Kane Williamson, unavailable for selection due to IPL commitments, Latham will captain a new-look side that includes uncapped fast bowler Seth Rance and fast-bowling allrounder Scott Kuggeleijn.New Zealand squad for Ireland tri-series

Tom Latham (capt), Hamish Bennett, Neil Broom, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Jeetan Patel*, Seth Rance, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, George Worker
*Patel will join the squad for the fourth ODI
NZ players in the IPL: Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Lockie Ferguson, Corey Anderson, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme

Neil Wagner, who was recently named NZC’s Test player of the year, could be in line for his ODI debut, five years after his first international appearance. New Zealand have also recalled fast bowler Hamish Bennett, batsmen Henry Nicholls and Colin Munro, and allrounder George Worker. Jeetan Patel, who is an overseas player for Warwickshire, will join the team for the fourth ODI.NZC has said that players involved in the IPL will join the squad in Ireland on a case-by-case basis, once their involvement in the league ends, while fast bowlers Ed Nuttall, Doug Bracewell and Ben Wheeler were not considered due to injuries.Both Rance and Kuggeleijn have been rewarded for consistent performances in white-ball cricket in the 2016-17 domestic season. Rance, who plays for Central Districts, was the joint highest wicket-taker in the Super Smash T20 tournament, with 15 wickets from 11 matches. Kuggeleijn, who represents Northern Districts, topped the charts in the Ford Trophy, taking 17 wickets in nine List A matches at an average of 25, in addition to a handy 242 runs in eight innings. Kuggeleijn had also been called up to the Test squad in the home series against South Africa last month as cover after injuries to Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson. Bennett, who last played for New Zealand in 2014, was the second-highest wicket-taker in the Ford Trophy with 16 wickets in nine games at an average of 20.18.Worker, too, has returned consistent performances in the Ford Trophy. He was the highest run-getter, striking two centuries and four fifties in a tally of 659 runs, nearly 200 more than the next highest. In addition, he also picked up 12 wickets with his left-arm spin, the most for Central Districts in the tournament.New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said the absence of senior players was an opportunity to give new players a taste of international cricket.”This is a fantastic opportunity to give new players a taste of international cricket, as well as reward guys who have pushed their way back into contention,” Larsen said. “Neil is an example of someone whose bowling has gone from strength to strength. He’s performed well in the Ford Trophy when he’s had the chance and also brings considerable international experience to the side.”Scott and Seth have worked their way into the side following superb domestic form over an extended period of time, which is equally true for George and Hamish who have earned recalls.”Larsen also said the decision to appoint Latham as captain ahead of Ross Taylor was done with a view to give Latham a chance to develop as a leader.”Tom has been a leader within the side for a while now and this is a chance to continue his development in that area,” Larsen said. “At 25 years old Tom is still a youthful captain, but he’s performed the role well for Canterbury and New Zealand Under-19 in the past. With the likes of Ross and Luke in the squad, there also are some experienced players to help support him.”It’s a great learning opportunity for Tom and a chance for other squad members to take on a bigger leadership role too.”The tri-series begins on May 12, with New Zealand’s opening game scheduled on May 14 against Ireland.

Ben Foakes followed up a List A career-best with a match-winning partnership with Rory Burns as Surrey silenced their metropolitan rivals London

ECB Reporters Network05-May-2017
ScorecardBen Foakes continued his run-making streak•Getty ImagesAn unbroken fourth wicket stand of 117 in 19 overs between Rory Burns and Ben Foakes took Surrey to victory by seven wickets in their Royal London One-Day Cup match against Middlesex at the Oval. Middlesex, with just one victory in four matches, are now facing an uphill struggle to progress.Surrey were chasing a slightly under-par Middlesex total of 243 for 9. Middlesex made the urgent breakthrough they needed when Toby Roland-Jones bowled Mark Stoneman for ten in the fifth over.But Surrey responded well, as Scott Borthwick flicked Tom Helm over square-leg for six. And Kumar Sangakkara got into his stride when he hit Helm for successive fours, on-driving and then lofting over mid-on.This pair put Surrey firmly in control with a second wicket partnership of 91. But Borthwick then chipped Dawid Malan to long-off and Sangakkara, who had been untroubled throughout his innings, suddenly drove Malan straight to cover for a 68-ball 59 to leave the game in the balance at 127 for 3. But then Burns and Foakes took charge.When Middlesex batted they only looked capable of a formidable total when first Nick Gubbins and then John Simpson were at the wicket, but neither player survived to play the much-needed major innings.They were already depleted without their England and Ireland representatives, and then they decided to play Nick Compton ahead of the impressively in form Stevie Eskinazi.Tom Curran broke through for Surrey with the last ball of the ninth over when Malan pulled to Stoneman at deep square-leg for just 14.That brought Compton to the wicket but the former England batsman’s innings lasted just five deliveries. He was caught behind nibbling outside his off stump, and that meant Middlesex were 42 for 2 after ten overs.Gubbins kept swashbuckling away at one end but at the other Adam Voges soon perished when he was caught down the leg-side for nine. Gubbins, it seemed, would need to make a century, and he looked well capable of it until he swiped Ravi Rampaul to Stuart Meaker for an 86-ball 65.Simpson then took responsibility for the Middlesex innings. He was almost caught at long leg when he had made 51 but the missed half-chance didn’t cost Surrey too dearly because he was lbw to Gareth Batty for 75, attempting to shovel the ball to leg. Batty’s ten overs cost just 38 runs, while Rampaul took 4 for 40After Gubbins and Simpson the highest Middlesex scorer was James Franklin, with 35, and they needed ten wides from the Surrey bowlers to get as many as they did.

Newcastle United could still sign a new centre-back from the "top shelf" this summer but are considering someone "a bit cheaper" as well, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Newcastle United transfer news – What's the latest on the search for a new centreback?

It has been a strong start to the summer for the world's richest football club, with the Magpies signing AC Milan's talismanic young midfielder Sandro Tonali for a cool £55m this week.

The deal is the Toon's first signing of the window and will see the Italian international play his football at St James Park until 2028.

As brilliant a signing Tonali is, Newcastle haven't had everything go their way in the window thus far, with long-term target James Maddison opting to join Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur instead.

The disappointment over that saga, however, hasn't seemed to impact the club's transfer ambitions, as they now look to shift focus and search for defensive reinforcements in the shape of a new centre-back.

One of the names that have been touted for a move up north is Crystal Palace captain and full England international Marc Guéhi.

According to Football Insider, Eddie Howe is 'keen' on a move for the 22-year-old defender; however, to have even a remote chance of landing the former Chelsea man, the Toon would have to fork out around £60m.

Whilst that is ultimately a drop in the ocean for the Magpies' generous benefactors, they still have to be cognizant of the implications on FFP and the Premier League's own rules around profit and loss, leading to some in the club to instead prefer a "cheaper option", per Dean Jones.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Newcastle's search for a centre-back?

Jones was clear that whilst there is an option for the club to go and spend big on a new defender, that option is being counterbalanced by the desire to be sensible.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "There's still a chance they go and get one from the top shelf. That's tempered by the sensible option, which is to find someone a bit cheaper with big potential or an expiring contract, someone they can get good value from. So that's the scenario they're stuck in right now as they search for their centre-back".

Would Marc Guéhi be a good signing for Newcastle United?

While Howe managed to transform his team into the league's joint-best defensive side last season, a player of Guéhi's quality would undoubtedly propel the side further forward.

According to WhoScored, the "monster" centre-back achieved an average rating of 6.68 across his 37 Premier League appearances last season and maintained an impressive pass success rate of 85.5%.

It hasn't been a sudden rise for the youngster either, with football scout Jacek Kulig highlighting the 6 foot titan back in March of last year, describing him as "One of the best and most mature U-21 centre-backs in World football."

Considering he has played for a relatively limited team in Palace, his statistics still look impressive, with him putting in 1.2 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, and 3.6 clearances all per game via Sofascore.

With the young international passing the eye test with flying colours, possessing leadership qualities and showing a lot of promise for the future, Newcastle should certainly consider spending more to land Guéhi before someone else does.

Manchester United want to complete "everything on the player side" with Rasmus Hojlund before making an official bid, but the deal is "absolutely on", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Rasmus Hojlund joining Manchester United?

The good news keeps coming for the United faithful this summer. After completing the £55m deal for full England international Mason Mount and the news that a deal to sign Inter Milan's Andre Onana is nearly completed, the club could be turning their attention to a brand new number nine in the shape of Danish international, Hojlund.

The 6 foot 3 titan made his debut for Serie A side Atalanta last season and has already been attracting the attention of clubs from across Europe, including the Red Devils.

According to The Guardian, Erik ten Hag's side have now turned their attention towards the 20-year-old striker, for whom they will be asked to pay a fee of around €70m (£60m).

The three-times European champions might want to get a move on if they're keen on the player, as Ligue1 champions and French Giants Paris Saint-Germain are also looking to sign the player, per Fabrizio Romano.

However, the Italian transfers expert has revealed that United are on the right track to make a bid fairly soon. He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"After Onana, it's going to be time to focus on the striker. For Rasmus Hojlund, I told you Man United never made an official bid. They want to complete everything on the player side and then to attack the situation with Atalanta with official bids.

"They had some exchanges with Atalanta with the opportunity to offer some players into the deal, Atalanta said only money, something around €70m (£60m), this could be the realistic fee for Rasmus Hojlund.

"Let's see when Man United make the opening bid. At the moment, the idea of involving a player is not something Atalanta wants to do. They want real big money.

"Hojlund and Manchester United is absolutely on as a deal, but still not in an advanced stages."

How good is Rasmus Hojlund?

There has been an awful lot of hype and excitement around a player with only 32 appearances to his name in a top-five league, but is it warranted?

The first thing to say is that he had a brilliant debut season for Atalanta last year, scoring nine goals and assisting a further two in only 20 starts for the Bergamo outfit, averaging a match rating of 6.67, per WhoScored.

His underlying numbers help paint a complete picture of the player, showing that his good form is not in the slightest bit fortunate and that if given a chance, he would likely replicate his form for a top side.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Danish "monster" sits in the top 1% for progressive passes received, the top 7% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 16% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 17% for successful take-ons, and the top 25% for progressive carries, all per 90.

He has certainly impressed his captain, Rafael Toloi, who said (via GOAL):

"Hojlund is a great talent, physically strong and with great speed. He has everything he needs to be great and is working with the right coach and with the right team."

With the arrival of Onana looking more and more likely, the addition of Hojlund would make United one of the most intimidating sides in the league. Maybe Ten Hag is closer to bringing back the glory days than people first thought.

Australia have a young and rapid pace attack in the Champions Trophy, but they also have John Hastings, who has experience in England and offers something different

Melinda Farrell in Birmingham29-May-2017Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Pattinson.Youth and speed, the pace quartet of the future, together at last.Such is the buzz surrounding the prospect of an Australian pace combination that has long promised but not yet fulfilled, that it would perhaps be easy to overlook the strong claims of John Hastings.Just last year the burly allrounder was a regular in the Australian ODI squad and was the second-highest ODI wicket-taker overall for 2016 (29 wickets at 24.13) when, to the surprise of many observers, he was dropped ahead of a series against New Zealand. Shocked by the selectors’ decision, Hastings suffered a further blow when he injured his knee during a Sheffield Shield match.He feared his international career was finished.”I think the early diagnosis for my injury was quite bad and I thought that could have been it, no doubt,” Hastings said. “But once they got in there and had a look, it wasn’t so bad. Nine-ten months [out of the game] came down to about four months, so that the Champions Trophy was well in my mind.”Having a good 12 months and then missing out on that New Zealand series was tough to take, and then obviously I got injured and missed the rest of the summer. So I was in a pretty flat spot at times during the Big Bash, but once I had the operation and got into my rehab I got out of that and I got focused on what I needed to do to get here.”Hastings signed on for Worcestershire this season, extending the experience of English conditions he had gained playing for Durham, but when Australia selector Trevor Hohns called him last month, Hastings wasn’t sure if the news was good or bad. It turned out to be both.”I thought he might be ringing for one of two things; either to tell me I don’t have a Cricket Australia contract or tell me I was in [the squad],” Hastings said. “And it was both in one. So it wasn’t too bad, it was bittersweet. He’s been brilliant. Very good communication over those six months, working towards this tournament to try and be ready for it.”Over the past six months, everything I’ve been doing is to just be ready for this Champions Trophy. I gave myself a little tiny pat on the back on getting here, but now I really, really want to do well.”While he was disappointed that Australia’s final warm-up was washed out after just 10.2 overs, Hastings believes his recent experience in the Royal London One Day Cup – where he played seven matches, taking ten wickets at 37.60 – has ensured he is as well prepared as any of his team-mates should he be called into the XI against New Zealand on Friday.”I am 31-years-old now and like to think I have enough experience to know what is needed to get over these next couple of days at training to hit the ground running on Friday,” he said. “I think that’s probably one of the main reasons I am in the squad, because I have played in these conditions over the last three-and-a-half years. Every chance I get, I love playing for Australia and it will be no different in these three round games and hopefully the semis and the final.”The time spent in county cricket has also given Hastings a close-up view of the hosts, particularly former Durham team-mate, Ben Stokes, a player he rates as having few weak spots and who, he admitted, left him “in awe” even before he was selected in the England squad. And, despite England’s thrashing by South Africa in their final ODI before the start of the Champions Trophy, Hastings believes they are leading the pack heading into the tournament.”I think English cricket domestically in white ball is as good as any domestically around the world that I’ve played in. And I think they’ve got some great players and obviously they go quite hard. I saw a stat the other day that their last 10 innings batting first they’ve got over 330 [sic], so they’re an exciting outfit and I think they’re starting to find a combination that works well with the ball. So I think they’ve got to be the hot favourites and the ones that we’ve got to knock off.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in West Ham United defender Aaron Cresswell, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his squad this summer.

The Spaniard has focused solely on departures this window, however, is now turning his attention to recruiting reinforcements ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The signing of Matt Doherty added experience and skill to his back line, which he could further in capturing the West Ham veteran.

Could Wolves sign Aaron Cresswell?

As reported by The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas earlier this week, the Midlands outfit are eyeing Cresswell in a deal believed to be in the region of £5m.

Thomas added that the 33-year-old is ‘keen’ on the transfer, with him having just one year remaining on his contract with the Hammers.

The Englishman’s nine-year stint in east London could be nearing a close, with The Athletic relaying that he did not feature in the Irons’ pre-season match against Tottenham ‘amid the transfer speculation’.

How good is Aaron Cresswell?

A true servant to the Hammers, the 33-year-old has made a total of 331 competitive appearances for the club, netting 10 goals and recording 37 assists from left-back over the years.

Having been lauded as “reliable” by renowned journalist Henry Winter, the Liverpool-born dynamo has become part of the furniture in the Premier League, making positive contributions every year when called upon.

Despite the perception that he's fast approacjing a mature age in footballing career terms, Cresswell’s suitability to David Moyes’ set-up has not dried up, with him making 28 appearances for the Hammers in the league last season.

For Wolves, signing the Englishman could be a positive acquisition, considering the potential exit of Rayan Ait-Nouri who is expected to leave Molineux this summer.

The Athletic mentioned the Algerian alongside the links to Cresswell, claiming that the club are ‘exploring options’ for the 22-year-old who ‘may be loaned out’.

The 22-year-old made 21 appearances for Wolves last season, however fell out of favour to the likes of Toti Gomes and Hugo Bueno, sparking rumours of his departure this summer.

Cresswell could be a strong acquisition for Lopetegui to obtain to cover the depth potentially lost in Ait-Nouri’s absence.

As per FBref, the 33-year-old bettered the Algerian in terms of his progressive play, averaging 5.84 progressive passes per 90 to his 3.60, and defensively, with an average of 1.09 interceptions per 90 to the 22-year-old’s 0.75.

An area of Cresswell’s game that could bolster the left-flank at Molineux is his eye for a pass, registering an impressive 1.61 key passes per 90 in the Premier League last term to showcase his versatility as a full-back.

Also lauded as an “unsung hero” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, Lopetegui could add experience and quality to his side in place of Ait-Nouri, in a move that could add some stability to the defence at Molineux.

The Spaniard has already replenished his back line with the experience of Doherty, which could be mirrored to the left through the expertise of Cresswell, who could pose as a strong figure in the depth of the position to allow the talents of Bueno and Gomes to flourish.

Caribbean Premier League organisers have reaffirmed their faith in making annual visits to the USA as the 2017 edition approaches, with the opening weekend taking place in Lauderhill on August 5 and 6

Peter Della Penna30-Jun-2017Caribbean Premier League organisers have reaffirmed their faith in making annual visits to the USA as the 2017 edition approaches, with the opening weekend taking place in Lauderhill on August 5 and 6. CPL chief executive Damien O’Donohoe and chief operating officer Pete Russell have told ESPNcricinfo they plan to stay the course in Florida despite a “considerable” financial loss made in the first visit last year.”A lot of people in the Caribbean would say, ‘What’s the relevance to continually taking games back to the USA?'”, Russell said in an interview ahead of the upcoming season. “For us it is very much that we want a long-term partnership with US cricket or Canadian cricket.”The long-term play is to make sure that we get teams represented in USA or Canada. That would be ideal for everyone, I think, to obviously take part in the CPL because then you have some residents locally and I think for cricket in America it would make a big difference because they would have a team to support. We’re happy to go back every year if need be. I think the challenge for us is that last year, we lost a reasonably large sum of money. We don’t look at it like that. We look at it as more of an investment.”The CPL was the first overseas Twenty20 franchise league to stage games in the USA, with six games played from July 28 to 31 in Lauderhill. However, this year’s slate was trimmed from six to four matches, with a pair of weeknight matches axed compared to last year.The two opening games in Lauderhill in 2016 were the least attended – the stadium’s flexible capacity was capped at 10,000 but attendance was approximately 50% for the two weeknight games – and the majority of fans in Florida were not locals. Touring fans who flew in mainly from New York and Toronto helped make for sellout crowds on Saturday and Sunday, a major factor in the decision to only schedule weekend games this season.”70% of the audience were flying in for these games so it made sense that we base that around the weekend and do one big weekend of cricket as opposed to playing games during the week where there isn’t a huge audience in south Florida,” O’Donohoe said. “Obviously the cost of putting on these games are expensive so we felt the weekend is the best option for 2017.”Another reason to cut the weeknight games was the exorbitant costs of temporary support infrastructure. The floodlights at the Central Broward Regional Park are not approved to international standard and organisers had to pay for extra temporary floodlight fixtures to be brought in solely for the first two matches. Last year’s twin weekend double-headers also ended after sunset, with the first game starting at noon and the second at 4pm.This year, the weekend double-headers have been pushed to 11am to take advantage of more daylight and to cash in on the Indian TV market with the first match starting at 8.30pm IST.”It’s always a balancing act,” Russell said. “That’s a job for our operations team this year to make sure that the experience is a lot cooler, not that we can affect the weather but what we do at the stadium. The challenge that we had from an operations perspective last year was certainly in terms of lighting the stadium. That was a big challenge.”We’re hoping fans come out because there’s nothing like watching the event live and all we can do is try to make it as comfortable as possible for the fans.”The number one complaint from fans in 2016 was the lack of amenities to deal with the sweltering humidity at the stadium. As part of that commitment to improve, O’Donohoe and Russell said that there will be a temporary canopy or shaded overhang provided for fans on the grass embankment on the north side of the ground.The number one complaint from fans in 2016 was the lack of amenities to deal with the sweltering humidity at the stadium•Peter Della PennaEnhancements like that help justify the increased prices for this year – an over 50% hike on grandstand seats from $42 to $65 as well as a $5 increase on general admission tickets to $35. With the majority of gate revenue provided by out-of-towners who are already digging deep on flights and hotels to get to south Florida, organisers could easily have hiked prices even more – as was done by the BCCI when the cheapest seat for last year’s T20Is against West Indies was $100 and a grandstand seat $150.However, O’Donohoe said he felt that such a strategy was not in line with their mission to make the CPL a family entertainment experience. He also wanted to ensure prices are reasonable compared to other pro-sports teams in south Florida. CPL tickets are more expensive than a Miami Marlins baseball game – outfield bleacher seats are $12 for some games and a seat behind home plate as little as $20 for weeknights and $45 on weekends – but less than most tickets to watch the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. For the Dolphins, the cheapest field-level seat for most games in 2016 was $102 though an upper deck seat could be bought for $38 at some games and $72 for others.”From day one, we’ve always tried to make our tickets as reasonable as possible so that they were available to the ordinary man on the street,” O’Donohoe said. “I think that’s something that we’ve done very successfully, especially in the Caribbean. We went into America for the first time last year and we deemed the games a success but when we looked at the books and saw that we lost a considerable amount of money, the one area where we felt we could charge more was in relation to the ticket price because we thought it was very low.”What we wanted to do was still keep it reasonable and we don’t think reasonable is the price that the BCCI was charging and it’s not something we want to get to.”O’Donohoe had said before last year’s games that his number one goal was to sellout the event. That goal has not changed and he says even with the price increases for certain sections, the goal is still achievable.”When you’re going into a new market, filling stadiums is your number one priority. We’ve spoken to the NFL and NBA in terms of what they’re doing in the UK and for them, filling stadiums is their number one priority still. So I think that’s really important for us. There’s a slight ticket increase. We’re still very hopeful that the two days of cricket will sell out.”Organising events away from the games is also part of the CPL’s foray into Florida. For 2016, these included a series of youth clinics by Jamaica Tallawahs headlined by coach Paul Nixon and Kumar Sangakkara, a joint CPL-ICC coaching seminar run by Tom Moody and an ICC umpiring seminar. There was also an exhibition match between CPL Developmental XI and a USA XI while the USA players were invited to train daily with the CPL squads. Many of these activities are expected to be repeated and Russell hopes scheduling the USA slate at the start of the season will lead to more engagement from teams whose end-of-season itineraries last year were crammed.”We have a joint partnership with the ICC in terms of their development program so it made sense to have all the players from the four teams fly in so we get a good run-up with five days before the first game so we can do a lot of that work,” Russell said. “If we did it towards the middle or end of the tournament, we just wouldn’t have the time to do that so it just sort of works for everyone.”

Glamorgan set up a quarter-final against Leicestershire as two of the Blast’s surprise packets face a head-to-head in Cardiff

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2017Aneurin Donald ensured a Glamorgan home tie•Getty ImagesGlamorgan will play Leicestershire in Cardiff next Wednesday in the quarter-final of the NatWest T20 Blast after topping the South Group and beating Middlesex in Cardiff by seven wickets.Michael Hogan and Marchant de Lange took three wickets apiece as Glamorgan reduced Middlesex to 99 for 8 in 14 overs in a rain-affected contest, despite a knock of 58 not out from Adam Voges.Glamorgan won with an over to spare after Aneurin Donald set up the win with 33 from 22 balls. A partnership of 46 between Jacques Rudolph (22 not out) and Chris Cooke (25 not out) saw the Welshmen through to the win.Play eventually got underway at the apt time of 20.20 after a lengthy rain delay. Glamorgan would have been satisfied with the point to secure a home tie in the quarter-final, but Middlesex, starting the evening in fifth place, a point behind Kent, would have had an anxious wait.It took just four balls for Glamorgan to claim their first scalp, as Paul Stirling found Michael Hogan at third man off Marchant de Lange. Just five balls later, John Simpson was well caught at mid-on by Jacques Rudolph, who peddled backwards to claim the catch.Colin Ingram claimed an impressive catch at slip to remove Eoin Morgan from the first delivery of the third over, off de Lange, leaving them 7 for 3. Michael Hogan clean bowled Sean Eskinazi in the fourth over.After a brief delay, former Glamorgan all-rounder James Franklin was bowled by de Lange in the fifth over, as Middlesex were reduced to 24 for 5. Marchant de Lange took an impressive catch on the midwicket boundary from Craig Meschede’s bowling, tossing the ball in-field as he avoided overstepping the boundary.It wasn’t long before Ryan Higgins was on his way, when he drove to Donald at long-on from Graham Wagg’s bowling for 16 in the 11th over. Voges, Middlesex’s only saving grace, brought up his half-century in the 12th over from 24 balls, having struck seven fours.Tim Southee struck the biggest six of the innings when he dispatched Graham Wagg to the mid-wicket boundary in the penultimate over. However, Hogan found the batsman’s leading edge in the final over, and Wagg duly took the catch.Former Glamorgan loanee Tom Helm was lucky to survive when Aneurin Donald dropped him three balls later, but he was run out from the final delivery.Glamorgan started strongly, as Donald struck a couple of boundaries off Helm, and the Welshmen were already more than a quarter of the way to the target after four overs.Donald was caught by Eoin Morgan off Higgins for 33 before Sowter caught Nick Selman for 16 in the same over and followed up with a second catch to remove the dangerous Colin Ingram off Paul Stirling for three.The flurry of wickets appeared to slow Glamorgan’s scoring, as they still required 31 to win from the final 24 deliveries. Jacques Rudolph glanced a Helm delivery down the legside for four as Glamorgan required 22 runs from 18 balls. They reached the target with an over to spare as Rudolph and Cooke saw them through.

Nottingham Forest could pull off one of the coups of the summer, should reports be believed linking with to a true midfield destroyer…

Are Nottingham Forest signing Ibrahim Sangare?

Whilst this window has been dominated by the £105m Arsenal signing of Declan Rice, many of the smaller outfits have been working in the shadows to pry deals of that calibre without the huge fiscal burden that they often demand.

Especially those lower down the Premier League, who are so often hamstrung by FFP whilst the larger clubs are allowed to thrive.

However, that has not stopped Steve Cooper's talent ID, as they were linked just last week via reports in the Netherlands with a move for PSV Eindhoven enforcer Ibrahim Sangare.

Whilst his €37.5m (£32m) price tag might seem somewhat unattainable for a side that only avoided the drop late on last season, it is this kind of financial risk that could take them to the next level, to one day challenge alongside the free-spending Gunners.

How good is Ibrahim Sangare?

Placing the Ivorian powerhouse at the base of their midfield would immediately upgrade their engine room, not only offering defensive security to the backline but also a touch of quality that will see the ball progress with more finesse from deep.

In fact, the 25-year-old star boasts plenty of similarities with Rice, despite the huge disparity in their price tags.

The England international is famed for his ability to break up play and turn defence into attack in an instant. As such, last season in the league saw him post six goal contributions, one key pass and 2.1 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Such figures were closely emulated in the Eredivisie last term by Sangare too, who recorded six goal contributions too alongside 0.9. key passes and 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore. His 7.24 average rating would have made him Forest's best-performing player by some distance in the league last year.

Adding this shared quality with their mirrored physical frames, as they stand at 6 foot 1 and 6 foot 3 respectively, and there is precedent to assume that the PSV star will become a star under Cooper in no time at all.

Football analyst Aad de Mos sought to emphasise his skillset, as he spoke to Voetbal 4U about his touted move to Leicester City back in April: "Ibrahim Sangaré is better on one leg than Leicester’s midfield.

“He is extraordinary; this season, he has been the king of PSV. You only miss Sangeré when he’s not playing. You need someone like that, who picks up a ball and is always in between things with the point of his shoe. And lately he’s also been getting dangerous towards the opponent’s goal."

In fact, FBref serves to suggest that the Ivory Coast international is actually one of the best in his position on the continent, as when compared against midfielders across Europe he sits in the top 8% for non-penalty goals per 90, the top 9% for progressive passes per 90, the top 13% for successful take-ons per 90 and the top 18% for tackles per 90.

There truly is nothing that the midfield monster cannot do, and if he was to quickly translate that skillset into the Premier League, he would swiftly start to dominate English football and likely command a fee akin to the former West Ham United man he could well emulate.

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels have been picked in West Indies’ ODI squad for the series in England. Gayle last played an ODI in March 2015, and Samuels in October 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-20170:53

Quick Facts – Gayle makes ODI comeback

Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels are set to play ODI cricket for West Indies after a prolonged absence due to an impasse with the board. Gayle last played an ODI in March 2015, and Samuels in October 2016; both players were selected in West Indies’ squad for the ODI series in England.The West Indies ODI squad

Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder (capt), Kyle Hope, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Kesrick Williams
In: Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor
Out: Roston Chase

Gayle’s call-up follows a relaxation in Cricket West Indies’ criteria in order to be eligible for selection. Previously, in order to play a particular international format for West Indies, players needed to be available for the corresponding domestic tournament. CWI climbed down from that policy in July and offered an amnesty to its players.Darren Bravo was suspended in November 2016 and sent home from the tour of Zimbabwe following a Twitter condemnation of board president, Dave Cameron. Subsequently, both parties released statements of apology but he is yet to return for West Indies. Dwayne Bravo has spent all of 2017 till date recovering from a hamstring injury – for which he needed surgery – that he picked up during the Big Bash League in December last year.”With regards to the selection of the ODI squad, the panel welcomes back Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels, who will both add value to our batting and help with the nurturing of the young batsmen in the team,” chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said. “Both Sunil Narine and Darren Bravo have declined to be considered for ODIs in England. Narine has however confirmed his desire to play 50-over cricket again but has asked to play in our Regional Super50 before he is considered and Darren said he was not available for selection. Dwayne Bravo said he is still not 100% fit, but is looking at a possible return to international cricket next year.”Roston Chase was excluded from the squad that played the ODIs against India in June and July – West Indies’ previous 50-over assignment. Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, who last played an ODI in June 2016, was also picked in the squad, having played the one-off T20 international against India.West Indies begin the ODI leg of their tour after the third Test against England at Lord’s from September 7. They play an ODI against Ireland in Stormont on September 13, followed by five matches against England between September 19 and 29.