All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways yesterday in a game that will hardly live long in the memory.

Enjoying a quiet and unassuming 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, Ryan Mason has finally claimed that all-important victory that recent performances had suggested they were building towards.

It was a quiet and well-fought affair, in which the Lilywhites were simply the only side to claim that all-important goal. It tends to be the way in clashes such as this, that boasting quality akin to Harry Kane proved to be the difference-maker. It was his finish that separated the sides.

Despite the England captain once again starring, there was actually a host of other fine performers who have earned praise for the manner of their turnaround.

Naturally, amidst their struggles of late, many within this squad had come under intense criticism from fans and sections of the media.

One such name who might not have been their most recent target, but certainly has been a victim in the past, is Emerson Royal.

Just last year saw pundit Jamie O’Hara claim: “He’s a complete liability. Every week we play him, he makes mistakes.”

Yet watching the Brazilian yesterday, the former Spurs midfielder must have been amazed. The defender was composed, comfortable, and most importantly, solid.

How did Emerson Royal play vs Palace?

Earning a 7.0 Sofascore rating for the match, this perhaps underplays just how important the right back was in quelling the threat of the Eagles. Before yesterday they had won four of their last six league games, scoring 13, yet in north London, they were silenced.

This was in no small part due to the £40k-per-week ace, who recorded three clearances, two interceptions and two tackles, even winning seven duels in the process too.

Although his competence on the ball has seldom been a point of contention, it was still refreshing to see the former Real Betis star so confident in possession. Enjoying 80 touches, he would maintain an 89% pass accuracy and was successful in two of the three dribbles he attempted.

Mason was vocal in his praise for the defender after such a showing, claiming: “Emerson was outstanding. I thought the whole team worked so hard without the ball. He’s had a while out and he worked hard.”

To think that this season the defender had been averaging a 6.86 rating, yesterday could now mark a turning point in reviving a career that had seemingly drifted out of focus.

With just three league games left now to play, Emerson will be keen on maintaining his place in the side and such form, to endear himself to whoever the new manager might be.

India’s attempts to host a day-night Test has gained further ground with Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first pink-ball multi-day cricket match in June

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2016India’s attempts to host a day-night Test has gained further ground with Eden Gardens set to host the country’s first pink-ball multi-day cricket match.The final of the Super League, a local tournament in Bengal to help identify players for the state’s Ranji Trophy team, is expected to be played under lights from June 18 to 21. Sourav Ganguly, the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, hoped the “experiment” would help India host a day-night Test “in the near future”.”Pink-ball cricket indeed is the way forward,” he told the . “Test cricket’s popularity has been steadily declining and we must do something to arrest the slide. The pink-ball Test in Australia last year received an overwhelmingly positive response and we must embrace the change. The Super League final under lights is an experiment with an eye to hosting day-night Tests in the near future. I think it would be a very good experience.”Ganguly is also the head of the BCCI technical committee that recommended the Duleep Trophy, an inter-zonal first-class tournament, be played with pink balls soon after then board secretary and current board president, Anurag Thakur, had announced plans to play a floodlit Test against New Zealand later this year. NZC, however, said a number of factors needed to be finalised before going through with the match.Though cricket in India is usually played with the SG ball, the Super League final will be played with a pink Kookaburra, which requires a specific set of conditions to last.There had been complaints that it deteriorated quickly and became difficult to pick up, from both batsmen and fielders, when it was trialled in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s first-class tournament, before it was approved for the day-night Test in Adelaide in November 2015. The pitch for that game had to have a more-than-normal coating of grass to help delay the wear and tear of the ball, and it resulted in exaggerated lateral movement. Another concern with hosting a floodlit match, especially in India, is dew.”Certain conditions are required for the pink ball to hold up for a substantial period,” CAB secretary Abhishek Dalmiya said. “We have spoken to Kookaburra’s subcontinent head and will follow the advice.”

Michael Beale could be getting close to signing defender Dujon Sterling for Glasgow Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Dujon Sterling to Glasgow Rangers?

According to the Evening Standard (via the Daily Record), Sterling is close to a move to the Ibrox side as Chelsea have given him the green light for the deal.

His current Chelsea deal expires at the end of the season and the Gers could be set to secure the player on a free transfer, and it appears that the potential of Champions League football and the chance to win silverware has sealed the deal, with a few other clubs interested.

Could Dujon Sterling replace James Tavernier at Rangers?

In the short term, the answer is probably no. However, there could be potential over the coming seasons for the Englishman to replace the captain at right-back.

Tavernier has been an excellent club stalwart, recently earning his place in the Hall of Fame following a Rangers career which has seen the defender make 398 appearances and score a staggering 100 goals – an outstanding tally for a full-back.

He will turn 32 in the first few months of 2023/24 and the supporters may not have long left to appreciate his talents, while Sterling could certainly be a solid alternative.

The 23-year-old has spent this season on loan at Stoke City and demonstrated his talents during a solid campaign. Sterling has made 28 appearances in all competitions for the club so far, and although he doesn’t quite have the same attacking qualities as Tavernier, registering zero goals or assists, there surely has to be an acceptance that the current Gers defender is one of a kind.

Sterling, meanwhile, is at the opposite end of his career, and Rangers have unearthed defensive gems from south of the border in recent years, with the likes of Calvin Bassey and Connor Goldson just a couple of their recent successes in this regard.

Another reason why Sterling could be keen on a move to Rangers is due to the fact he has already worked with Beale before, when the current Rangers' manager was a youth coach at Chelsea, and he will be well aware of his potential.

Indeed, he was dubbed a “fantastic talent” by his U23 Adi Viveash coach previously and if he can find his feet at the Ibrox side, Beale could seal a bargain deal for one of his former proteges.

Jamie Overton turned Hampshire’s day on its head with a devastating five-wicket haul at the Ageas Bowl

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2016
ScorecardJamie Overton finished with 5 for 42•Getty ImagesJamie Overton turned Hampshire’s day on its head with a devastating five-wicket haul at the Ageas Bowl. Overton ended with season’s-best figures of 5 for 42 as he tore through the Hampshire middle order, after Jimmy Adams’ fifty had given them the perfect start.Somerset continued to strengthen their position by reaching the close 66 for 1 – with Marcus Trescothick and Johann Myburgh sensibly seeing out the day.Hampshire, after winning the toss and batting, got off to a fine start with their highest first-wicket partnership of the season. Captain Will Smith elevated himself to the top of the order and put on 89 with Adams in a chanceless stand. Smith was the only casualty of a positive morning when he edged to second slip for 32.Adams, who had passed fifty in 85-balls brought up with a delicious cut shot, fell for 61 a few overs after lunch but Tom Alsop and Michael Carberry added another 48 runs as danger looked a long way off.But then Jim Allenby sprung into life, having Alsop leg before and then bowling Liam Dawson. Jamie Overton got his first thanks mainly to a good midwicket catch by Chris Rogers, a ball which left Carberry’s bat and never seemed to get more than a few centimetres off the grass.Sean Ervine and Lewis McManus continued the procession – the former edging behind before wicketkeeper McManus had his middle stump pointing towards fine leg. Gareth Berg and Mason Crane did not hang around either as Overton, who is in the England performance squad this summer, completed his first five-for of the season, and second in his career, both wickets lbw.At that stage Hampshire had lost six wickets for 11 runs to dramatically collapse, admittedly with the ball swinging.Tino Best and Ryan McLaren temporarily paused the wicket flow with a 24 run partnership, the first pair to get to grips with the conditions. But that was short lived as Jamie’s brother Craig Overton found Best skying to Rogers at mid-on. The hosts had been bowled out for 219, after collapsed from 166 for 2 soon after lunch.Somerset’s reply started poorly as Rogers tamely edged his first delivery – a ball on his legs – to McManus. Best attempted to bowl at ferocious speed but could not find the wicket he wanted, despite a close leg before shout to Trescothick – soon after he was warned by the umpire for his follow through.Former England international Trescothick reached close on 33 with Myburgh 29, the duo watchfully playing out the day to trail by 153 runs.Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein said: “The wicket looked very dry and I think we got the decision with the toss right and I got my hopes up in the first session. It was probably the best I have seen Jimmy bat for a long while and then another partnership but we keep making fundamental mistakes. We are about 250 short. We are playing weak cricket and giving the same again. Jamie Overton has international ability and can bowl sides out. He took advantage of our mistakes.”Adam Wheater was left out. We want to give Lewis a good run. We have given away 251 bye extras and three points docked for slow over rates and we need more energy, which Lewis can give. Every time Lewis has come into the first team he has given character and energy.”I feel we have given Adam a long run. He is batting well but we have had a conversation with him where I think he should be pushing the top order batters and he doesn’t see himself as a batter. With the gloves he is not what we need right now.”

Stevie Eskinazi’s career-best 157 patiently earned Middlesex a first innings lead over Yorkshire as he batted throughout most of the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Scarborough

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2016
ScorecardSteve Eskinazi drives during his career-best innings•Getty ImagesStevie Eskinazi patiently earned Middlesex a first innings lead over Yorkshire by batting throughout most of the third day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Scarborough.The 22-year-old South African hit a career-best 157 and although a flurry of wickets went down in the closing overs, Middlesex were still able to end on 470 for eight which put them 64 in front.Eskinazi said: “”To score my maiden century against Lancashire last week and now to score 157 today is really pleasing after serving my apprenticeship in the second team and learning the trade.”I nicked the four that brought me my century and the two other strokes that took me to 50 and 150 and on another day they could have gone to hand but I rode my luck a little. The pitch has been swinging and seaming all game and if we can hit a few more runs tomorrow I think we can put them under pressure.”Eskinazi’s circumstances were in complete contrast to when he made his debut for Middlesex against Yorkshire at Lord’s last September.On that occasion he came in at 0 for 3 after Ryan Sidebottom had struck three times in the game’s opening over and he contributed only four before becoming the left arm paceman’s fourth victim.His next appearance in the competition was not until last week when he scored his maiden century in Middlesex’s victory over Lancashire at Lord’s and yesterday he showed further relish for Roses opponents in his very next knock.The early wickets which Yorkshire wanted on the third morning never materialised as Eskinazi and George Bailey built steadily on their third wicket partnership, Middlesex having resumed on 130 for 2.Although Bailey survived a sharp return chance to Tim Bresnan on 36, the pair were in charge for most of the time and after Bailey had straight driven Azeem Rafiq over the sightscreen for six he completed his 50 from 83 balls with seven other boundaries.The partnership moved into three figures before Eskinazi arrived at his own half-century with his eighth boundary and the day’s play was 95 minutes old when Bailey was out for 62 with the stand worth 121. He aimed a cut at a ball from Rhodes which had more bounce than he expected and Bresnan took the catch at point. It was a well-merited wicket for Rhodes whose 11 over stint cost him only 36 runs.Bresnan was again in the action after lunch as he held on to John Simpson’s edge to third slip off Jack Brooks and he would have claimed a wicket himself in the next over if Eskinazi had not been dropped by Kane Williamson in the same spot while on 84.Franklin eased himself in gradually, taking 30 balls to get off the mark, but he then went from first gear into top by picking up Rhodes for a big six.Eskinazi also spent 30 balls marooned in the 90s before arriving at his century from 224 deliveries with 17 fours, an innings which was succeeding in blunting Yorkshire’s attack.Yorkshire experimented with the off-spin of Adam Lyth before tea but to no avail and after the interval Franklin pulled Bresnan savagely for six as he neared his first half-century of the season from 100 balls with five fours and two sixes.Middlesex were 342 for 4 at the 110-over stage, which meant they took five bonus points out of the game to Yorkshire’s four, and the fifth wicket stand went into three figures at 356 for 4.The partnership had ploughed on to 172 before Eskinazi finally succumbed at 5.26pm by pulling Brooks to Williamson on the mid-wicket boundary, having batted for six-and-a-half hours while facing 316 balls and stroking 23 fours.His departure brought a rash of wickets, most of them to Brooks who suddenly found himself with a five-wicket haul. He had Paul Stirling caught in the slips before Williamson dismissed Ollie Rayner without scoring, but Brooks’ biggest prize was the scalp of Franklin who fell for 99, top-edging a pull to cover. He had received 167 deliveries and hit ten fours and two sixes.Brooks finished the day with figures of five for 89 from his 33 overs, 12 of which were maidens.

Ange Postecoglou's Celtic side have already wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title for the 2022/23 campaign, following their success last term, but still have four matches left to play.

The Hoops know that their job is already done in the top-flight but they do have an opportunity to pour salt into the wound this weekend as they travel to Ibrox this afternoon.

Celtic could extend their lead at the top of the table to 16 points with a win over their rivals and increasing the gap between the two teams in the final weeks of the campaign could be their motivation after securing the title.

Postecoglou's men beat Hearts 2-0 last time out and the Australian coach could look to make some changes to his side to offer other players a chance to impress, given that their main goal has already been achieved.

Will Aaron Mooy start against Rangers?

Central midfielder Aaron Mooy should be named in the starting XI for today's clash with Michael Beale's team and come in for Danish gem Matt O'Riley.

The ex-MK Dons man lost seven of his eight duels and completed 76% of his attempted passes as he recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.8.

Postecoglou could now ditch the £1.5m fan-favourite, who has started 29 Premiership matches this term, in order to give Mooy a chance to catch the eye after the Dane's less-than-impressive display last time out.

Mooy has only started 13 times in the Scottish top-flight but has consistently produced excellent performances with an average Sofascore rating of 7.13 across his 29 appearances.

The £23k-per-week maestro, who was once hailed as "immense" by journalist Josh Bunting, has racked up four goals and ten assists in the division, whilst completing 85% of his passes and winning 48% of his duels.

He has been able to make a huge impact in the final third in spite of his lack of starts and is a reliable force on and off the ball, with his quality in possession and his strength out of it.

The Australian "leader" – as he was dubbed by his national team coach Graham Arnold – can be a creative presence in the middle of the park and take up O'Riley's position, with the Danish gem having produced 11 assists in the league, by using his ability to create big opportunities for the forwards.

Therefore, Postecoglou could ditch, or rest, O'Riley by finally unleashing Mooy from the start – for the first time since the 8th of April – in the clash against the second-placed side this afternoon.

Chelsea's long-running striker problem has been well-documented, emphasised most recently through the lucrative acquisition of Romelu Lukaku.

Of those who came before him, the thought process was that bringing the hulking Belgian back for a mouth-watering £97.5m fee would rewrite their past failures that included Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao, Fernando Torres and more.

However, the 30-year-old would spend just a sole season back in England before returning to the club that sold him, joining Inter Milan for the 2022/23 campaign.

Just eight league goals in that year meant he would hardly be missed, but yet again Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and currently Frank Lampard have all suffered from a lack of a focal point this season. This summer marks a time when they simply have to get it right, or else continue their thankless cycle.

Perhaps, with Mauricio Pochettino set to join, the Argentine could look to find a forward akin to Harry Kane, who is as equally exceptional at linking the play as he is at finding the net. His 27 league goals and 1.5 key passes per game outline this succinctly, via Sofascore.

Perhaps by acquiring someone to facilitate the immense quality that would surround them, it could get the best out of the entire squad, that has currently only managed to score 36 goals in 35 league games.

With reports emerging linking the Blues with a move for Lautaro Martinez, perhaps their prayers are set to be answered.

How good is Lautaro Martinez?

It is expected that a fee of around £70m could be enough to allow the Argentina international to leave this summer, proving that this will not be a cheap deal for owner Todd Boehly.

However, the 25-year-old boasts all the assets needed to thrive within a Pochettino team, which could make this move invaluable.

This season, as the focal point of a side that is on track to finish in the top four alongside their upcoming Champions League final, Martinez has scored 25 goals and assisted a further ten in all competitions.

The wily marksman stands at just 5 foot 9 but retains that warrior-like spirit synonymous with South Americans. He battles just as hard as his strike partner 6 foot 3 Lukaku, yet surpasses him in many other ways technically too.

This is no better exemplified than through his underlying statistics, where the diminutive powerhouse boasts 1.2 key passes per game, whilst ranking in the top 3% when compared to other forwards across Europe for interceptions per 90.

Such a tireless work rate aligns him perfectly with Pochettino, who will gladly welcome an "animal" such as him to spearhead his attack, as branded so by pundit Pablo Marino.

Lukaku's own strengths are showcased when compared against the same aforementioned group, as he instead excels in progressive passes received, ranking in the top 7%. As a classic target man who can also spin in behind, willing to accept the ball with his back to goal, instead Martinez would drop deep and allow others to claim the offensive limelight.

Even Lionel Messi has outlined his love for playing with the forward, praising his compatriot:

"He’s spectacular. He has impressive qualities. You could tell he was going to be a great player and he is showing that. He’s very strong, really good one-on-one, scores a lot of goals and in the area he fights with anyone, holds it up, he can turn, scrap to win it all on his own.

“He has a lot of quality. He’s very complete."

This selflessness makes him the perfect man to join up with his compatriot and lead them into a brighter future under Pochettino, one that is unlikely to contain the former Manchester United flop.

Matt Quinn took seven wickets – including six in one spell – to give Essex control on the opening day against Gloucestershire

Paul Edwards at Cheltenham13-Jul-2016
ScorecardMatt Quinn burst through Gloucestershire’s middle order•Getty ImagesEven on a milk-sun morning the College Ground retains its grandeur. There is Prothero’s famous chapel, of course, its proportions unsullied by the angular excrescence beyond it; there is also that long pavilion where, in 1992, the Marquess of Reading won the Cheltenham Gold Racquet; and there are the marquees, 10 of them this year, plus assorted gazebos and even the odd tent.Prime Ministers resign and Prime Ministers are appointed but Cheltenham smiles indulgently on such occasional changes. Gladstone was in charge when Gloucestershire played their first county match here and it is to be hoped that the ground sees off several dozen more First Lords of the Treasury before it is done. Never mind Brexit, old boy, on afternoons such as this it was difficult to believe we’d ever lost India.Matt Quinn’s recollections of Cheltenham will be equally fond but rather fresher. For after play had been interrupted for over two hours by ferocious westerly showers the New Zealand-born seamer took six wickets in a ten-over spell from the Chapel End which may go a long way towards determining the shape of this game.In 75 minutes Quinn tore out the heart of the Gloucestershire batting, sending the home side spinning from 99 for 1 to 140 for 7, at one stage taking four wickets for seven runs for 17 balls. He had never taken more than four wickets in a completed innings before. In 1930 Agatha Christie published ; Gloucestershire certainly found the eponymous sleuth’s near-namesake a puzzle on a pitch freshened by the stoppage and warmed under the covers.What was particularly impressive about Quinn’s bowling was the number of good batsmen he got out when they were playing defensively. Rather like say, Stuart Broad or Kyle Jarvis, he is not lightning-fast but he gets it down at a tidy old lick. And while he does not swing the ball vast distances, he hoops it enough. Graeme van Buuren being pinned on the back foot with the third ball after the resumption was mundane enough but six overs later Quinn snaked one back between bat and pad to bowl Michael Klinger for 5.  And, rather like the glass-in-hand brigade enjoying corporate hospitality at the College Lawn End, he was only warming up.Twenty minutes later Gareth Roderick prodded forward but only his pad made contact with the ball. Umpire Billy Taylor assessed the justice of the appeal and, slightly echoing the famous line in decided he could not reprieve Roderick. Two overs after Gloucestershire skipper had departed for a pleasant 61, Hamish Marshall joined him when his tentative push gave a catch to Tom Westley at second slip.Kieran Noema-Barnett played on and was much more culpable. His rather wild cover-drive was a gin-and-tonic stroke where mineral water was required. And when Jack Taylor was bowled next over for 3, Quinn’s excellent afternoon’s work was done. He received a standing ovation when he came in for tea, Gloucestershire’s not-out batsmen, Craig Miles and David Payne, courteously waiting for him to make his way in.Miles and Payne then batted with simple good sense to add 65 for the eighth wicket by blocking straight balls and giving half-volleys a rare malleting. Still, though, Quinn was not finished. After a brief break for rain and bad light, he had Payne brilliantly caught in the gully, Jaik Mickleburgh diving to his right to complete a one-handed catch. Quinn trooped off to more applause with 7 for 61; his best analysis for a match is 8 for 107.  Gloucestershire had a batting bonus point they may not have expected and Miles is 45 not out but Essex have the advantage in this game.”The wicket didn’t offer much but it swung a bit all day,” said Quinn. “We put it down to the overhead conditions after it rained. The ball was shaping nicely and if you bowl on off stump and it swings, it’s always going to difficult to play. I don’t think we bowled very well early on but the margin of error is quite small on that wicket. The rain break made us regroup as a team and think about our plans.”The piquant thing is that Quinn has not been an automatic pick this season, for Essex are decently placed for seamers. Jamie Porter and Graham Napier are bowling well and the visitors could afford to rest David Masters for this game. One wondered how they would get on without their venerable linchpin. Essex had certainly shown more disregard for Masters than would be permitted in this place during term-time.And all this drama followed a morning in which Gloucestershire’s batsmen had made Ryan ten Doeschate’s decision to bowl first look unwise at best. Batting on a surface they knew they could trust, Roderick and Chris Dent had driven confidently in the wide arc between extra cover at midwicket, adding 77 in 80 minutes before Dent edged Porter to Westley.It made good watching for the chattering schoolchildren, who, still in uniform, sat patiently in the stand opposite the great pavilion. Arranged in rows of scarlet, navy blue and cyan, they offered a colour-chart of innocence and promise. More adult matters were being discussed in the pavilion: a chap was spotted carrying an early glass of fortifying cordial. “It’s a bit early for Holy Communion, isn’t it?” asked a friend.Less than ten minutes before lunch the rain swept in and sent spectators scurrying. Scorecards gusted across the outfield. Cleeve Hill was shrouded in mist, and before long its ancient companion, Nottingham Hill, disappeared completely. A couple of hours later Gloucestershire’s middle order did so as well.

South Africa are a happy team again. Not just because they beat New Zealand but because they’ve rediscovered their reason

Firdose Moonda in Centurion30-Aug-20162:47

‘Happy with the way we batted’ – Du Plessis

South Africa are a happy team again. Not just because they beat New Zealand but because they’ve rediscovered their reason.”We’ve found our passion again and why we want to win games,” Faf du Plessis said. “The team space is good and that reflects directly on our performances.”The reason did not get lost in the retirements of great players like Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher. It did not get lost in the complex off-field affairs that dominate every sphere of life in a country still coming to terms with its past as it lurches into the future. It did not get lost in the five Tests they lost last summer across two series. It got lost before that, at the 2015 World Cup.”After the World Cup, we just stopped,” Dale Steyn admitted.Literally. On the night of the semi-final, the core of the South African squad was on the floor. Steyn, du Plessis and Morne Morkel were among those that had to be helped up. Something broke that night and, as we are now discovering, it was the South African spirit. “We didn’t know why we wanted to win games. We needed something to happen,” Steyn said.The something was the season of discontent that followed and the honest discussion that took place after that about exactly what was needed to heal, in all formats. “We felt we needed to improve again. We couldn’t rest on our laurels as the previous Test team did because with this team we are not good enough to do that yet,” du Plessis said.The previous team – the one of Smith, Kallis and Boucher – had become so good that they managed to win, or not lose, pretty much everywhere. The current team lost to India and England and in so doing, slipped from the No. 1 they had worked so hard to earn, to No. 7. “It was very disappointing. I can’t say what it was like because I wasn’t part of the teams that lost but it is disappointing to go from 1 to 7,” Steyn, who missed six of eight Tests last season through injury, said.The current team also knew that unless they changed their attitudes, they would not be able to change their ranking. “We had some really good discussions between ourselves. The guys took it on board. They were real mature,” du Plessis said.They decided to work harder and work smarter. They also knew they would have their two biggest weapons back. Steyn and Philander spent the rest of last summer recovering and the winter getting ready to show they still have it.”It will be tough for us to be at the top without the two of them,” he said. “It’s amazing to throw them the ball and know the run rate’s going to be under three and they are going to be taking wickets as well. To control the game of Test cricket, you need bowlers like them.”But you also need back-up and South Africa have the best they could ask for in Kagiso Rabada. You also need batsmen and with du Plessis and JP Duminy returning to form, South Africa need them as well. With AB de Villiers now out injured, the line-up has proved to themselves, they can be good enough again.”We’ve got the capabilities of transforming our team into a good team again,” du Plessis said. “We don’t rely completely on those guys – AB and Morne.”Du Plessis knows that any more progress will be difficult without de Villiers, who should return from an elbow injury in time for the Australia ODIs at home and Tests away, and Morkel, who is nursing a back niggle and will also be back soon. “We would need them to be No. 1. If they are not there, it’s going to be a challenge,” he said.He is even happy to hand the captaincy reins back to de Villiers, despite thriving in the role. “AB is the Test captain and I will support him fully and we can’t wait to have him back. He is a massive leader in our team. We have missed him this series,” du Plessis said.What South Africa have not missed is the chance to start rebuilding. Even though they were weary of a one-off Test to decide the series and unsure what to expect from a winter wicket, they accepted their challenges and more importantly, they overcame them. “We almost played the perfect Test. If I could write a script to write it the way I would like, that’s the way I would have scripted it,” du Plessis said.A first-innings total over 400, a century from one batsman, and bowlers who consistently applied pressure created what du Plessis called “a proper Test” on a pitch that kept interested. It also gave South Africa a proper restart to what they hope will be a successful few summers. “What a wonderful story it will be in two years’ time when we go to No. 1 again,” Steyn said.If you were wondering what the reason was, that’s it.

Chelsea could finally be set to sign a long-time target of theirs after a monumental past effort, capitalising on the uncertainty at Barcelona.

What's the latest with Jules Kounde to Chelsea?

The summer of 2022 was largely dominated by the Jules Kounde transfer saga for the Blues, as they constantly made efforts to tempt Sevilla's star man to west London to no avail.

In the end, Xavi's outfit would pull some questionable economic levers to instead tempt him to Camp Nou, where he has enjoyed title success in his debut season.

However, as per Spanish outlet Sport, the centre-back is reportedly frustrated with his head coach due to broken promises and is willing to force a move over the dispute. Coincidentally, the Blues are noted as the outstanding club who will move for the 24-year-old, 'willing to pay' even more than the €55m (£48m) Barcelona initially paid.

How good is Jules Kounde?

Although he may have grievances regarding his role at full-back, perhaps the chance to play in the Premier League could bypass his desire to star at the heart of defence.

After all, according to FBref, another converted centre back in Ben White sits atop his similar players' list as someone who has shone for the title-chasing Arsenal.

Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino could seek to emulate such success upon his arrival, introducing a physically imposing and no-nonsense full-back who will dominate that right flank.

Despite both of their preference for their old role, their ball-playing skill still sees them thrive when compared to other full-backs across Europe. After all, the France international sits in the top 7% for passes attempted and the top 5% for pass completion and progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

For comparison, White too ranks in the top 11% for passes attempted and pass completion, but stands out as part of the top 2% for progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

Despite what many would assume to be a defence-first mentality, their shared creativity has instead shone through amidst two surprisingly impressive seasons for their respective clubs.

What makes Kounde an even more attractive proposition for Pochettino is this versatility, as it would allow the Argentine to switch between a back four and a back three with minimal substitutions. The £55m-rated monster boasts such tactical nouse, yet remains a tough-tackling "warrior", as noted by former Blues defender Frank Leboeuf.

Given how important White has been to Mikel Arteta this campaign, Barcelona's 5 foot 11 fighter could have a similarly transformative effect on Chelsea, helping them return to where they will feel they belong.

A tumultuous campaign for Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and now Frank Lampard has brought about many issues that need solving this summer.

With Reece James' struggling fitness once again sparking questions over his reliability, and his versatility also allowing him to play central defence or even step into midfield when available, perhaps Kounde's arrival could add another level of solidity to this side and allow their goalscoring woes to be solved later in the window.