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Guyana Amazon Warriors seized home advantage with a packed spin bowling line-up to restrict St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to 108 for 8, before chasing it down comfortably for a four-wicket win

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAdam Zampa and Martin Guptill had solid days with bat and ball respectively for Guyana Amazon Warriors•CPL/Sportsfile

Guyana Amazon Warriors seized home advantage with a packed spin bowling line-up to restrict St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to 108 for 8, before chasing it down comfortably for a four-wicket win. Patriots had trouble coping with the turn on a slow pitch and made the chase look more difficult with a late flurry of wickets, but Amazon Warriors cruised home with 22 balls to spare.Simmons bats with one pad

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots opener Lendl Simmons, who scored 50 against Guyana Amazon Warriors, made a bizarre change during his innings by taking off his right pad on a slow, turning pitch at the Providence Stadium. He took the back pad off at the end of the 12th over and continued to bat like that even against the fast bowlers, until he was dismissed in the last over.
“He’s batting with one leg guard. I have never seen this in any cricket apart from backyard,” Ian Bishop said on commentary at the start of the 13th over.

The pitch came under heavy criticism from the television broadcast commentators at the Providence Stadium, with a low and slow track producing likewise action from the Patriots line-up. The visitors opted to bat but three specialist spinners in the Amazon Warriors attack – Steven Jacobs, Adam Zampa and Veerasammy Permaul – exploited the favorable conditions superbly, none more so than offspinner Jacobs, who took the new ball and finished with 1 for 7 in four overs.Arriving in Guyana after a pair of blistering half-centuries in far friendlier batting conditions at Warner Park in St Kitts, Evin Lewis laboured through an 18-ball innings before a desperate shuffle across his stumps to flick Jacobs resulted in Lewis being trapped in front for 4 in the fourth over.Lewis’ opening partner Lendl Simmons exemplified the Patriots’ overall struggle with the conditions, lasting until the final over to score 50 off 60 balls before he was run-out by Martin Guptill. In between, Zampa wiped out the middle order, including the key scalp of captain Faf du Plessis for just 1.Guptill was the only batsman to look unencumbered by the nature of the track, scoring at nearly two runs a ball as he struck three fours and four sixes on his way to 43 off 22 balls and the Man-of-the-Match honours. Following the second-over departure of Dwayne Smith, Guptill and Chris Lynn produced a 60-run second-wicket stand across six overs before Guptill perished to left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi after an attempted drive went awry.Amazon Warriors reached the halfway stage needing just 24 runs to win with eight wickets in hand before a brief stumble was sparked by a leg-side stumping to remove Jason Mohammed off the bowling of Samuel Badree. It was the first of three wickets in the space of nine deliveries for just three runs as Badree had Christopher Barnwell lbw for a second-ball duck before Shamsi struck again to claim Anthony Bramble for 1.Lynn held firm though and remained until Amazon Warriors were within one shot of clinching the match when he was bowled for 34 by JJ Smuts, before Jacobs and Sohail Tanvir calmly knocked off the final six runs. While Amazon Warriors cemented their hold on top of the table, Patriots’ woeful start continued, having now lost four of their first five games.Patriots left-arm seamer Krishmar Santokie was fined 75% of his match fees after the game for breaching Level 2 of the CPL Code of Conduct. At the end of the 16th over, he threw a ball back at batsman Steven Jacobs, thereby in violation of Article 2.2.7 which relates to “Throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near a player, player support personnel, umpire, match referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during a CPL Match.” Santokie accepted the proposed sanction.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their plans to bolster their squad heading into the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Thierry Small to Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Ibrox outfit have made contact over a possible move for left-back Thierry Small.

The report claims that the Gers have registered an interest in the young defender as Michael Beale is pursuing a deal to add the prospect to his defensive options for next season.

It is stated that Tottenham Hotspur had a bid of £800k rejected by Southampton for the player in January as they held out for a fee in the region of £1.2m.

Who is Thierry Small?

He is an 18-year-old left-back – signed from Everton for £5m in 2021 – who is currently on loan at St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

With his positional ability in mind, he could well be the ideal heir to current first-team ace Borna Barisic.

The Croatian defender, who turns 31 later this year, is heading into the final year of his contract at Ibrox and Beale could bring Small in with a view to him replacing the full-back in the future.

Since arriving in Glasgow in 2018, the 30-year-old has scored nine goals and assisted 48 in 200 competitive appearances for the club in all competitions.

In the Premiership this season, Barisic has made 2.4 key passes and 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, showcasing his ability to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Small is not quite at that level yet, with 0.9 key passes and 1.4 tackles and interceptions per match for St. Mirren, but he has shown promise with his performances in the top flight at the age of just 18 by creating chances and making defensive interventions week-in-week-out.

The Englishman, who does not turn 19 until August, has played 13 matches in the league this season and this experience in Scotland could allow him to make a seamless transition should he move to Rangers as he now knows what it is like to perform at this level.

Small's form at youth level for Southampton and Everton also suggests that he has the potential to make a huge impact in the final third from a left-back position. He scored 11 goals and assisted four in 51 matches for the two academy sides combined and as a result, could grow into a Barisic-esque defender who can burst forward to be a difference-maker in attack.

The youngster has plenty of time left on his hands to grow and develop and the Light Blues could invest in his potential instead of signing a ready-made and established player in that position.

Once hailed as a "very enjoyable" player to watch by ex-boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, he could be a future star for Beale if he is able to kick on and translate his academy form over to first-team level.

Batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who had been appointed vice-captain for India’s tour of the West Indies in July-August, has said the new role will not affect his batting

PTI31-May-2016Batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who had been appointed vice-captain for India’s tour of the West Indies in July-August, has said the new role will not affect his batting.”As a vice-captain there will be responsibilities and I like to take responsibilities,” Rahane said. “When I toured Zimbabwe as a captain, I learned a lot from my team-mates, it was a good experience and we had won in Zimbabwe.”There is certainly a sense of responsibility when going to the West Indies. I enjoy taking responsibilities and I will learn new things from this team and it will be important how I go ahead step by step… I don’t think that captaincy and vice-captaincy make any difference on batting.”Rahane, who had toured the West Indies with the India A side in 2012, said that he was looking forward to the challenge of playing in different pitches.”I had toured the West Indies as part of India A around 3-4 years back, at that time the wickets were little slow,” Rahane said.”In international cricket, there will be different wickets. I have heard there is good bounce and pace in Barbados, Jamaica.”At the same time, I feel the wickets may be spin-friendly. We will get the idea of the wickets once we go there. But it is an exciting tour in the West Indies. We are going with a young Test team. We have done well recently and so we are looking forward to the tour.”Rahane also said that he would look to pick the brains of Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar before the tour.”Whenever they (Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar) are available, I try and converse with them about each tours,” Rahane said. “Before going to the West Indies, if I can meet them, I will ask them about their experience, conditions and what kind of cricket is played there. If they are available, I will like to speak to them.”

Manchester United are stepping up the chase for midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of the summer transfer window as Erik ten Hag continues his rebuild at the club.

What’s the latest on Joao Palhinha to Manchester United?

According to The Sun, Manchester United are monitoring Palhinha’s situation at Fulham, despite the player only arriving at the Cottagers last summer for a fee of £20m.

However, the London outfit are believed to be demanding three times as much for his signature this summer, £60m, as they look to maximise the profit on the Portuguese star.

Considering United spent more on Antony and splashed out roughly the same figure on Casemiro last summer, this fee is certainly within their budget and Ten Hag will be keeping a close eye on the player.

Could Joao Palhinha improve Manchester United?

Despite a strong start to life at the Red Devils, Ten Hag still has plenty to focus on and improve ahead of 2023/2024 and reinvigorating his midfield could be something that will need his attention before too long.

Of course, the likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have both been a breath of fresh air, however, with Fred and Scott McTominay looking as though they are approaching the end of their careers at the club, signing someone like Palhinha could only improve Ten Hag’s midfield.

Much was expected from the 27-year-old Palhinha when he arrived in the Premier League, and he hasn’t disappointed.

With a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, he is Fulham’s fourth highest-rated player this term, and he has scored three times, averaged 52 touches per game and has won a staggering 7.8 duels per match – at a success rate of 61% – suggesting his all-round abilities have improved Fulham, and it’s no wonder they are currently occupying 10th spot in the league table.

The Portuguese sensation has also made the most amount of tackles in the Premier League this term with 105 and the only United player in the top 20 is Casemiro, who has made a paltry 58 so far. Surprisingly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka finds himself down in 166th, though he has found minutes hard to come by in the top-flight.

This tackling ability could be vital for Ten Hag, allowing him to deploy Palhinha slightly deeper to make use of his talents and allow other players to push forward in order to assist the attacking players.

Sky Sports broadcaster Nubaid Haroon lavished praise on him earlier this year, saying: “Palhinha has 18 legs. Every time I’ve watched him this season, he does incredible things, some player.”

Considering he isn’t even at the end of his first full season in England yet and is performing as he has been clearly suggests that he could adapt rather easily into a team of United’s stature.

For £60m, it could well turn out to be a bargain.

Newcastle United are reportedly showing an interest in Nice midfielder, Khephren Thuram, ahead of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest on Thuram to Newcastle?

According to journalist Chris Waugh – speaking in a Q and A for The Athletic – the Magpies' head of recruitment Steve Nickson is said to be an admirer of the 22-year-old, with the young Frenchman potentially set to be an 'intriguing option' for the top-four hopefuls.

Waugh also noted that the Tynesiders' have 'asked to be kept informed' regarding the situation surrounding Thuram's older brother, Marcus, with the 25-year-old also attracting attention with just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal.

In the case of Khephren, the Italy-born starlet has seemingly been on the radar of those at St James' Park over an extended period of time, with the Daily Mail reporting back in January that the midfield maestro had been the subject of 'glowing reports' from the club's scouting department.

How would Khephren Thuram fit in at Newcastle?

As journalist Damien Spellman noted, it is seemingly 'glaringly obvious' that the centre of the park is one area that Eddie Howe and co will be looking to strengthen this summer, with the Englishman's options having been depleted following Jonjo Shelvey's departure to Nottingham Forest.

The signing of young Thuram would then help to provide both depth and quality competition to Howe's current options, with there a potential for the 6 foot 4 sensation to form a dream midfield partnership with another former star of Ligue 1, Bruno Guimaraes.

The latter man – who arrived from Lyon on a £40m deal back in January 2022 – has been a leading presence for the northeast side over the last year or so, having been hailed as "world-class" by teammate Dan Burn due to his stellar impact in English football thus far.

The Brazilian gem has notably averaged an impressive 2.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game from his 20 league outings this term as a marker of his midfield influence, with Thuram also able to provide a ball-winning presence as he has averaged 1.5 and one for the same two metrics, respectively, from 28 league appearances.

The two men would also be able to complement each other due to their differing strengths, with Guimaraes potentially offering a more forward-thinking approach due to his superior record with regard to progressive passes this season (127 to 94), as per FBref, although Thuram is far more adept at driving forward from deep, shown by his superior record with regard to progressive carries (66 to 21).

Such an elite duo would also be able to provide the benefit of their quality off the ball, with the current Newcastle man having been hailed by pundit Jamie Redknapp for his "work ethic", while the Nice ace has been described as "very hard-working" by manager, Didier Digard.

To have two standout, classy individuals who are also willing to do the dirty work is a rare commodity, with the signing of Thuram – who is valued at around £22m by CIES Football Observatory – set to be a notable solution to Howe's midfield problem.

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that both Ineos and the Qatari group are preparing new bids to buy Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Takeover talks rumble on

It seems as though the Man United takeover took a big step forward last week as the two prominent bidders – Ineos and the Qatari consortium – both made the journey over to Manchester and visited both Old Trafford and the Carrington training base.

Following those visits last week it was reported that the Qatari group were lining up an imminent second bid to try and at least get closer to the £6 billion valuation the Glazers have slapped on Man United.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been a long-time admirer of Man United as even in 2022 it was being mooted about him wanting to take the club off the Glazer’s hands, although he thought they were unwilling sellers at the time.

The Latest: Both groups set for second Man United bid

Romano has admitted on his YouTube channel that both Ineos and the Qatari consortium are now planning and getting set to lodge second bids respectively, which may well be a sign of yet another step in the right direction.

He said: (3:30) “We can say that both groups, Ineos with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatari group with, of course, Sheikh Al Thani both of them are preparing new bids for Manchester United.

“The Glazers want around £6-7 billion to sell Man United and both the Qatari group and Ineos group are really interested after talks last week and last few days were very positive.

“Now, it is time to make a new proposal and enter into a crucial moment of the process. So, keep an eye on the Manchester United situation in the next days and weeks because now we enter into crucial moments of  the conversation.”

The Verdict: Crucial period for Man United and the Glazers

It will be huge for Erik ten Hag to know who will be owning the club ahead of the summer transfer window as it’ll help him to determine how much money he’ll have to spend and thus, decide which targets are plausible to go out and sign.

Last week it was reported that everything was looking positive in terms of getting a sale done and dusted prior to the summer transfer window opening, although if these next bids don’t get near the £6 billion valuation, things could being to be drawn out.

The Glazers have indeed slapped a monster valuation on the club, however, they are said to still be willing sellers, as long as they get a fair price for the club, although it remains to be seen here or not the Qatari group of Ineos are open to meeting that valuation.

Journalist Jacob Tanswell has revealed that he can’t find anyone behind the scenes who speaks poorly of Southampton interim manager Ruben Selles.What’s the latest on Ruben Selles and Southampton?With Nathan Jones sacked earlier in February, the Saints’ board are still on the lookout for a full-time option to come in and take charge of the teams.For the time being, however, Selles has been promoted to caretaker manager and things have got pretty well immediately as he guided Southampton to a 1-0 away win at Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend.Interestingly enough, the 39-year-old Spaniard seems intent on making the job his own in the long term. By the sounds of it, he’s already won over plenty of people behind the scenes at the club too.Indeed, while speaking on Total Saints, Tanswell explained: “Everything about him, the way he’s spoken to players. He didn’t speak to players saying, ‘Right, I’m only here to Chelsea’ or this is a short-term fix. It was with months in mind, really.”So yeah, Selles, the way he’s conducted himself in press conferences, shook hands with every journalist, the cameraman, the way he dressed. He didn’t look like a guy that wanted to be a caretaker, I think. He’s extremely impressive, the way he’s talked.”I’ve tried to find people that don’t like him or people who have got a few words to say about him – just for balance, really. Like, surely people don’t like him this much. But honestly, I can’t find anyone.”From coaches in the first team, in the academy, to players, to agents. They all speak really highly of him. And it’s fantastic. And I just can’t find anyone [who talks badly of Selles].”What does the latest on Selles mean for Southampton?It seems as though that win at Stamford Bridge has boosted Selles’ hopes of becoming permanent manager as certain bookies now have him as the favourite for the job.And after a move for preferred candidate Jesse Marsch broke down last week, it remains unclear as to who else could come in and help guide the team amidst the very real threat of relegation.On top of that, not long after Selles arrived as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant in the summer, certain squad members were already keen for him to become the club’s manager (via The Athletic). While in the same article, a dressing-room source noted: “He has the ability to make players run through brick walls for him.”While Selles doesn’t have experience on his side – having never managed a senior team in his coaching career before – he is at least well-known and evidently well-liked within the club already.Taking it all into account, perhaps he is the best man for the job right now.

Tottenham Hotspur have quite an impressive academy set-up, with several players transitioning from young hopefuls to first-team stars over the years, and the north London hotbed is capable of producing many more talents in the near future…

Who is Spurs youngster Kallum Cesay?

Ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Chelsea, several U23 starlets were involved in the senior training session at Hotspur Way, one of which being versatile gem Kallum Cesay, according to football.london.

He was one of four academy prospects to receive a high-five from striker Harry Kane, who is no doubt the shining example of the path to stardom that they could take at the club.

Primarily a right-back, Cesay is also capable of playing in defensive and central midfield, which could surely be a valuable asset to manager Antonio Conte or whoever is in charge heading into next season.

The 20-year-old has also featured for his national side, Sierra Leone, at senior level and scored a match-winning brace on his debut to beat the Republic of Congo 2-1 in March 2021.

How is Cesay getting on at Hotspur Way?

Standing at 6 foot 2, the youngster is quite the composing figure, which leads to some belief that his future may well lie as an anchorman or ball-winning midfielder, rather than out on the flanks.

Last season, he racked up 22 appearances for Spurs’ U21 side in the Premier League 2 and has since maintained his place in Wayne Burnett’s side by featuring in 17 games across the same competition, as well as the EFL Trophy.

An outing against Brighton and Hove Albion’s youth side earlier this month even saw Cesay provide an assist from defensive midfield, which further highlights his multi-faceted game.

Whilst Kane is the pinnacle of success for any Spurs youngster, a player like the versatile 20-year-old could well follow in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp as someone that has been in and out of the side for the last few years, even going out on loan to Norwich City in 2020/21.

The 22-year-old is a fine case of what could happen if you’ve got the quality and show some loyalty in the progression system around N17.

Cesay’s ability to play in a multitude of positions will certainly aid his case, especially with Conte currently light on midfield options, owing to long-term injuries to Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, whilst the wing-back roles have always been contentious since the Italian took the helm.

The Newham-born prodigy has previously been lauded as a “really promising prospect” whose “prospects and development have gone through the roof” by Football Insider’s John Wenham.

As such, it could be Cesay who could emerge as the next Skipp at Tottenham, with signs of him being in first-team training a very positive step in him doing so.

AND in other news, Paratici eyeing 6 ft 4 “monster” in Spurs summer swoop, he’s a bargain Son successor…

Arsenal confirmed the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea on deadline day and his arrival could see Edu heal Mikel Arteta’s heartbreak from 2020.

The Italian midfielder made the switch across London on a deal until the summer of 2024, with an option for a further year, which sees the Gunners bolster their options in the middle of the park ahead of a crucial second half of the campaign.

Although he has made a combined 18 appearances in the Premier League this season under Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, his contract was set to expire in the summer of 2023, so Arsenal’s £12m offer was clearly deemed too good to turn down.

While Arteta is unlikely to break up the trio of Martin Odegaard, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, adding someone of Jorginho’s experience could be vital for squad depth, especially if one of the starting three picks up an injury.

The Spanish manager has long been in the market for a deep-lying playmaker of Jorginho’s mould, with the Gunners seeing a move for Thiago Alcantara fail in 2020, as he joined Liverpool instead.

He has gone on to make 92 appearances for the Reds, contributing three goals and six assists, establishing himself as a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield.

According to FBref, the former Bayern Munich man is the fourth-most similar player to Jorginho when compared to other midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

This season has seen the two maestros record extremely similar stats with regard to expected goals and assists per 90 (0.14 vs 0.12), final third passes (87 vs 86) and passes that led to a shot (29 vs 27).

WhoScored also suggests that both Jorginho and Thiago excel at passing, while they both also like to tackle, so they are clearly similar types of midfielders.

Although Jorginho is 31, so may be considered a short-term signing, it could prove to be a bargain for Arteta if he can live up to his “world-class” credentials, in the words of former Liverpool man Jose Enrique.

Therefore, with Arsenal having arguably lacked a pass-master in defensive midfield under Arteta’s reign, the Spaniard will no doubt be delighted that after missing out on Thiago three years ago the Gunners have put to bed that heartbreak by signing a similar player in Jorginho.

Everton are believed to have been given the green light from their expected new manager, Sean Dyche, to make a late move for the Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees are expected to announce Dyche as their new manager soon following Frank Lampard’s departure from Goodison Park last week.

And this comes amid the final hours of the January transfer window with the Merseyside club still searching for their first arrival of the month.

Everton’s struggles up top are there for everyone to see and with Tuesday’s deadline on the horizon, it seems as if Dyche may have already identified a potential option to bolster his side.

Writing in his latest column for GiveMeSport, insider Dean Jones has suggested the Swedish striker could be a player who they could look to bring in:

“Dyche is believed to be onside with the idea of an £18million offer for Viktor Gyokeres of Coventry City but other options were still being discussed, as of Saturday night,” said Jones.

Much-needed reinforcement

It has been a struggle for the Toffees so far this season with their main striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, having only provided a return of just one goal in his 10 league appearances.

This comes following a difficult start to his season through injury which saw him miss the first eight games through a knee issue (via Transfermarkt).

And these struggles up top were highlighted when they were forced to recall striker Ellis Simms from his loan with Sunderland in which he has since played just 15 minutes of league action.

But in Gyokeres, the expected new Everton manager could be bringing in one of the Championship’s most-potent strikers with 12 goals to his name thus far.

The 24-year-old – who’s been hailed as “unplayable” by his teammate Maxime Biamou – has made 28 appearances in the second tier this season and has impressed with a rich vein of form in front of goal as well as provided Coventry with four assists.

And it appears this form has attracted the attention of the Premier League strugglers, Everton, who feel as if he could be the man to potentially turn around their season.

The signs so far this season will provide Everton fans with little optimism for the remainder of the campaign, however, a new lease of energy up top could potentially provide the Toffees with enough to climb out of the drop zone over the coming months.