All posts by h716a5.icu

Brain Evans, universally known as Ginger, a fast bowler for Glamorgan who went on to became a major force in Minor Counties cricket, has died at the age of 74

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2011Brain Evans, universally known as Ginger, a fast bowler for Glamorgan who went on to became a major force in Minor Counties cricket, died earlier this month at the age of 74.His 2nd XI debut for Glamorgan came as a 17-year-old in 1953 and he also made a name in South Wales club cricket, but he had to wait five years for his first county appearance. In 1960 and 1961 he took 82 and 87 wickets and briefly formed a dangerous new-ball pairing with Jeff Jones. But his career was blighted by injury issues which ultimately forced him to retire early in the 1964 season.Evans subsequently played for Lincolnshire, helping them win the Minor Counties Championship in 1966. He was a professional for Ross Sports Group in Grimsby until 1971.Even when he quit playing he retained his close links with the game as an umpire, a county official in Lincolnshire, and as groundsman at Ross Sports Group.In all he took 251 wickets at 27.04 in 88 matches, with a career best of 8 for 42 against Somerset in 1961. He also scored 1535 runs at 13.70.

It was, perhaps, the type of stubborn defiance that Leicestershire have required all season. Sadly, however, the performance came off the pitch as Neil Davidson, the club’s chairman, reacted to calls for his resignation

George Dobell at Grace Road24-Aug-2010
ScorecardThe Leicestershire players present a united front on the field despite the off-field difficulties•PA PhotosIt was, perhaps, the type of stubborn defiance that Leicestershire have required all season. Sadly, however, the performance came off the pitch as Neil Davidson, the club’s chairman, reacted to calls for his resignation from Leicestershire’s captain and coach, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Boon respectively, with a display of determination and resilience. If only Leicestershire could show as much fight on the pitch.”I’ve no intention of resigning,” Davidson said. “I don’t get paid for this job and, in the last few months, it’s been a hassle. I don’t particularly need it. But when principles are involved, I don’t back down.”Davidson does not dispute that many at Grace Road want him to resign. Nor does he dispute that he has received a letter, signed by Boon and Hoggard but sent on behalf of the entire playing and coaching staff, demanding he goes. But he does not accept that such a situation makes his position untenable.”They [the players and coaches] are employees,” he said. “It’s not my role to deal closely with these guys; that’s the role of the chief executive. I’m responsible for members. If the members felt I wasn’t representing their interests, then yes, I would resign. Now the board has to decide whether to back their chairman. I feel I have their full support.”One of the key criticisms aimed at Davidson by Hoggard and Boon is that he has interfered in cricketing matters at the club. It is a charge Davidson is now happy to accept.”I did intervene,” he said. “I’m chairman of the club and I’m elected by members. Our finances are under pressure because of poor performances on the pitch, so I see it as part of my fiduciary duty to intervene. Directors are required to act in the best interests of the company and the board only intervenes when they feel things are going off the rails.”The performances just aren’t good enough, and these are revenue-generating areas of the club. For a small county, we can’t afford to under-perform Our performances in the Twenty20 were poor: we lost seven of our home games and the other was rained off. The team has won only two of its ten CB 40 games and lost twice to Scotland; a team Afghanistan beat by nine wickets. We’ve been dreadful.”Despite the fact that both men signed the same letter, Davidson appears to have made a distinction between the actions of Boon and Hoggard. It suggests that while Hoggard’s future remains at Grace Road, the future of Boon is limited while Davidson remains.”The way the senior coach unfortunately got the captain into this is setting a very poor example to our fine young players,” said Davidson. “I like Matthew immensely but I don’t think he’s thought this one through. I think Matthew has found himself in a very difficultposition. I expect him to be here next year, and I hope he’s still captain.”Asked about Boon, however, Davidson replied simply: “clearly there’s an unsustainable position here.”While no-one has denied the main thrust of letter, Hoggard released a statement expressing his disappointment “that a private letter has been made public.” He also denied that the players had ever planned any sort of protest on the pitch.If he was hoping that the issue would be dealt with in private, however, he is sure to be disappointed. Members who saw their petition calling for a Special General Meeting declined on a technicality, have now gathered more than enough names to try again and it does seem inevitable that the meeting will be staged sooner or later. At it, members will call a vote of no confidence in Davidson and the Leicestershire CCC board.”The moment Davidson came on Sky TV this morning, I got 26 more signatures,” said petition organiser, Anna Stead. “If this petition is thrown out, we’ll be back next March trying again. Not one member at the ground today has disagreed with what we’re trying to do.”We’re united with the players, the coaches and the other staff at the club. We’re unanimous. But the chairman isn’t listening. If he loves Leicestershire CCC, he should listen to the players, the coaches and the members. He’s already shown disrespect to the 103 people who signed the first petition; I hope he shows more respect to the people who have singed this one.”Mark Ramprakash gave Leicestershire’s bowlers plenty of problems•PA PhotosStead’s efforts certainly have the support of former chief executive, Mike Turner. Turner, who first joined the club as a player in 1951 and went on to serve as chief executive for 33 years and as a director until 2007, says he is “very disappointed” that the original petition was rejected.”The fact is there is a wide division within the club between the staff, including the players and coaches, and the chairman,” Turner said. “Such a situation is not in the best interests of the club and it has to be resolved. This is a long-standing issue. It is absolutely essential that the right working environment is created for the players and the staff.”If Neil Davidson does not voluntarily resign, then the next step has to be a Special General Meeting of the club. I have been dedicated to the club for 60 years.In all those years, the present situation is without precedent.”There was little cheer for Leicestershire on the pitch, either Despite winning the toss and asking Surrey to bat in conditions favouring bowlers, the visitors finished the day in much the better position. On this pitch, offering movement and bounce, their total already appears daunting. They have great deal of power to add, too.That Surrey were able to build such a dominant position was largely due to the continuing excellence of Mark Ramprakash. Responding to the testing conditions with a batting masterclass, he recorded his fifth first-class century of the season and the 133th of his career. It was also his seventh first-class century against Leicestershire.Perhaps he enjoyed a little fortune initially. He played and missed a few times early on but, such his confidence these days, that he responded to one ball from Nadeem Malik flying past his outside edge, by thumping the next back over the bowler’s head for six. He didn’t give a chance until he had scored 115, when Greg Smith failed to cling on a sharp catch in the gully off the bowling of White.Leicestershire had started well. Hoggard, who was easily the peak of the seamers, nipped a couple back to dismiss the pair of left-handed openers within the same over, while Rory Hamilton-Brown obligingly turned Claude Henderson’s seventh delivery straight to short-leg. Steve Davies was smartly held at slip as he edged an attempted drive off one that turned sharply.Ramprakash remained unflappable, however. Driving beautifully, he passed 1,500 first-class runs for the season and has so far added 217 for the fifth-wicket with Gary Wilson. Wilson, the erstwhile Ireland wicketkeeper, has already recorded his highest first-class score and resumes within sight of a maiden century. There can be no higher praise than to say that, at times, he appeared indistinguishable from Ramprakash.

Even though Everton are once again in the midst of a search to appoint yet another permanent manager following the sacking of Rafael Benitez, it seems as though the Merseyside club still have eyes on potential player transfers this month.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Everton are joined by fellow Premier League club West Ham with an interest in signing Chelsea defender Malang Sarr this month.

Since joining the west London club in 2020 on a free transfer from French club Nice, the 22-year-old has gone on to make just nine appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side across all competitions.

Despite only making two Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season, the centre-back’s performances in those games have earned him an overall season rating of 7.52/10. That makes him the second-highest rated player in their squad this season according to WhoScored, showing that he is more than capable of playing at a decent level in the Premier League.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, with 34 goals conceded in 19 league games this season, it seems as though they could do with having a defender like Sarr – who has been described as being a “strong” and “reliable” player for Chelsea by Tuchel – in their squad to help them stop conceding so often.

Ferguson would love him

If the £5.4m-rated defender were to make a move to Everton this month and manages to hit the ground running, this would surely delight their current caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson and give him some peace of mind regarding their leaky defence.

Also, at just 22 years of age, and with current Toffees defender Yerry Mina being linked with a move away from Goodison Park in recent weeks and also struggling with injuries during his time at the club, Sarr could be a dream long-term replacement for the Colombian on Merseyside.

Moving forward, Everton should definitely make an approach to Chelsea this month to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal which would see Sarr make the move from Stamford Bridge and give the Toffees a better chance of ending the season without looking nervously over their shoulders.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

A thrilling encounter saw North Group leaders Nottinghamshire Outlaws held to a tie as Northamptonshire Steelbacks captain Andrew Hall produced the goods with bat and ball

22-Jun-2010
Scorecard
A thrilling encounter saw North Group leaders Nottinghamshire Outlaws held to a tie as Northamptonshire Steelbacks captain Andrew Hall produced the goods with bat and ball.After finishing unbeaten on 40 in the Northants innings of 121 for 7, with Alex Wakely top-scoring with 43, Hall showed all of his experience to deny the hosts with a nerveless final over.Needing only five runs from the last six balls, Hall had Notts’ top scorer Steven Mullaney caught on the boundary for 53 before conceding four thanks to Graeme White’s paddle sweep. But with the scores level the former South Africa international allrounder produced two perfect yorkers to finish, with Darren Pattinson and White run out attempting to scramble the winning runs.That ruined a memorable match for fast bowler Pattinson, who began the contest with a wicket maiden on his way to career-best figures of 4 for 19 as Notts restricted the visitors to just 10 boundaries throughout their innings.Only three Northants batsmen reached double figures in the face of disciplined and probing bowling from the Notts attack, with all but overseas quick Dirk Nannes conceding less than a run a ball. The Steelbacks’ total would have been far worse but for the final over, which saw Nannes hit for 15 runs, including three fours.Nevertheless, the total appeared an easy one for Notts, who had won six of their opening seven matches thanks in the main to the powerful strokeplay of Alex Hales, Ali Brown, Samit Patel and David Hussey.But with Chaminda Vaas removing the first three for a combined total of eight and Hall bowling Hussey for two off an inside edge, Notts were in deep trouble at the end of the powerplay overs on 23 for 4.Matt Wood batted with purpose in making 41 from 32 balls with five fours, adding 55 for the fifth wicket with Mullaney before being caught at deep cover off James Middlebrook. That put the pressure on the Notts tail and despite Mullaney’s pulled four off Vaas’ last over leaving the hosts requiring less than a run a ball, Hall had the final say in a gripping finish.

If the Indians thought they had hit rock bottom on the opening day, they were in for the most unbelievable of shocks as they crashed through that bottom and continued their free-fall

The Bulletin by George Binoy18-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
AB de Villiers was a man in a hurry, and scored South Africa’s fastest ever Test century•Getty ImagesSouth Africa’s powerful performance during the first half of the third day added so much ground to the territory captured on the previous two that the dominance of India’s openers for 29 overs, their half-centuries and three dropped catches made no dent in the home team’s ironclad prospects of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.If India thought they had already hit rock bottom, they were in for the most unbelievable shock as they crashed through that and continued to free-fall. Their bowling was toothless, and South Africa infinitely more ruthless. Under blue skies in Centurion, AB de Villiers pulverised the featherweight attack like a heavyweight might, and scored a hundred in under two hours. South Africa’s lead swelled by 225 runs in 36 overs before lunch and Jacques Kallis reached his maiden double-century soon after the break. Graeme Smith declared shortly after on 620 for 4 – when de Villiers fell – with a monstrous lead of 484.In cloudier weather, Virender Sehwag and Gambhir gave India a modicum of respite by surviving the new ball and scoring briskly. Their partnership was worth 137, but the battle was for longevity and both batsmen lost it. Their dismissals left India with eight wickets in hand and two days to survive. They’ll need a batting performance without precedent, and perhaps substantial rain as well.That India were attempting to avoid an innings defeat so early was because their bowlers were helpless in the morning: unable to make a breakthrough, unable to control the run-rate, unable to do anything to help their cause. Ishant Sharma was gifted a wicket but de Villiers seamlessly picked up where Hashim Amla left off. His 76-ball century was the quickest by a South African. Kallis, who until today averaged about 14 after resuming on an overnight century, added plenty more.The maiden over de Villiers played out against Jaidev Unadkat soon after he came in – on 396 for 3 – was the lull before the hurricane. His first forceful shot was the straightest of drives, bisecting the gap between Ishant on his follow-through and the stumps. de Villiers then executed the plan to target Harbhajan Singh to perfection. He stepped out to the offspinner’s first delivery, but had to readjust to a fuller length and squirt it through point. In Harbhajan’s next over, de Villiers nimbly got down on one knee and launched the ball over deep square leg. Soon he was reverse-sweeping and his aggression rubbed off on Kallis, who had been restrained for the first hour.The century partnership came when de Villiers danced towards Suresh Raina and caused some of the fans on the grass banks at wide long-on to rush to catch the ball. Two more consecutive sixes off Raina, a muscular pull and a slog-sweep, took de Villiers to his century. Kallis helped himself against Raina’s long-hops as well and also dismissed Sachin Tendulkar over deep midwicket.Smart Stats

South Africa’s total of 620 for 4 is their sixth-best in Tests, and their highest against India.

South Africa’s first-innings lead of 484 is their second-highest in Tests. The only occasion they managed a higher lead was against England at Lord’s in 2003, when they took a lead of 509 and eventually won by an innings and 92 runs.

For India too, it’s their second-highest first-innings deficit: they’d fallen behind by 490 runs against West Indies at Eden Gardens in 1958-59.

AB de Villiers’ 75-ball century is the tenth-fastest in all Tests, and the quickest by a South African.

Jacques Kallis’ unbeaten 201 lifts his overall average against India to 67.78, with four centuries in 14 Tests. At home, he averages 88 against India.

The 224-run stand between Kallis and de Villiers is South Africa’s second-highest for the fourth wicket, and their best against India.

Kallis’ 230-run partnership with Hashim Amla is the second time they’d added more than 200 against India in 2010: in February, they’d put together 340 in Nagpur.

The Amla-Kallis and Kallis-de Villiers pairs are among the top five pairs in terms of runs scored for South Africa.

India were using part-timers because the form of the specialists left MS Dhoni with few options. After the battering on the second day, India were desperate for a stronger start, and Sreesanth began with a no-ball, complementing his first-ball wide yesterday. Ishant was better but one of his fielding efforts was indicative of India’s morale. Sreesanth had delivered a short ball, Amla had pulled, and Ishant, having just completed an over, jogged along the boundary and made no effort to save the four. Some Indians glared at him, but no one’s performances lifted.Smith might have declared at lunch but Kallis was 18 short of a double-hundred. He got there by glancing Jaidev Unadkat to fine leg to spark off tumultuous applause at SuperSport Park. de Villiers was celebrating for his partner with arms aloft, and the South Africans in the dressing room clapped vigorously. Kallis took off his helmet, revealing his flushed face and full shock of hair, and raised his arms aloft. He had flung that monkey off his back after 142 Tests and his fans cheered for longer than usual.The pitch had certainly eased for even Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were unable to extract as much assistance from it on the third day. Their pace and bounce made a difference though. Gambhir was hit on his glove and thigh off successive short balls from Morkel, but grew more assured once he survived that period.Sehwag, bristling after his first-innings duck, slashed and drove repeatedly square on the off side, even though several fielders were waiting for the catch. Smith brought Tsotsobe into the attack in the eighth over and Sehwag blazed his second ball over wide long-on for six and the fourth over point. He continued to attack Tsotsobe but one powerful but airy drive was dropped by Amla at short cover. The chance was extremely difficult and Sehwag was on 34.With few men protecting the boundary on a fast outfield, Sehwag and Gambhir got terrific value for their shots and scored at around six an over. On 43 and 62, Gambhir was put down by Alviro Petersen at point. Sehwag, however, skied Paul Harris to Smith at deep cover, and Gambhir was lbw to one that kept low from Steyn. Those blows before the light faded in Centurion tightened South Africa’s vice-like grip on the Test.

Leeds United are surely in line for a summer of change as manager Jesse Marsch looks to stamp down his mark at Elland Road following four largely joyous years under Marcelo Bielsa.

The Yorkshire giants moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a hard-fought point down at Crystal Palace on Monday night, keeping safety in the Premier League firmly in their own grasp.

Despite it being so early in his tenure, the American head coach hasn’t been afraid to trust youth at times, as evident this week as he turned to Sam Greenwood once again – the 20-year-old academy gem came on after just an hour with the Whites in need of an attacking spark.

Perhaps Marsch could find another interesting solution from the U23s set up in the form of Sean McGurk, 19.

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Heading into the off-season, Leeds have been linked with renewed interest in RB Salzburg dynamo Brenden Aaronson, who was seemingly a target prior to the 48-year-old’s arrival in the dugout but given he has managed the USMNT international before, those rumours will only increase further.

But he could well already have a player capable of filling such a role in the Liverpool-born teenager.

Primarily a left-winger, McGurk is more than adept at playing on the right and through the middle as a no.10, just like Aaronson under Marsch – 17 of his 25 appearances came on the left, with the other eight being spread across the middle and right, as per Transfermarkt.

Whilst the Leeds gem is yet to taste action in the first-team squad, he has been a regular for the U23s in the Premier League 2 this campaign, where he has delivered three direct goal contributions from 17 appearances.

McGurk’s ability to press from the front with relentless energy will surely catch Marsch’s eye sooner or later and that’s exactly what you’d expect from his former Salzburg star, who ranks amongst the top 1% of his positional peers for pressures (27.23 per 90).

His performances at youth level for Wigan Athletic is what caught Leeds’ interest, whilst his U18s coach Peter Murphy has waxed lyrical about his potential, too. He told the club’s official website:

“Sean was brilliant, he’s been amazing. He had a slow start to his scholarship with an injury in the summer, but since he’s been fit, he’s got himself into the team and stayed there. He’s so effective in games, he sets things up, he scores goals and he’ll always do that because of his ability.”

Meanwhile, McGurk’s efforts in west Yorkshire haven’t gone completely unnoticed either – The Athletic’s Phil Hay deemed him “a cracking wee player”, whilst the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Lee Sobot dubbed the teen “a bag of tricks.”

On the above evidence, Marsch could well already have an Aaronson-like starlet within his ranks. The former Latics sensation ought to get a look in heading into next season.

AND in other news, Forget Meslier: Leeds titan who won 81% duels was Marsch’s one shining light at Palace…

The captains of Ireland, Canada and Netherlands admitted there is plenty at stake for their sides as the ICC World Cricket League gets underway in Netherlands on July 1

Cricinfo staff30-Jun-2010The captains of Ireland, Canada and Netherlands admitted there is plenty at stake for their sides as the ICC World Cricket League gets underway in Netherlands on July 1. Ireland launch their title defence on the opening day against former champions Kenya, while last year’s runners-up Canada face Afghanistan; the hosts clash with Scotland.Ireland captain Trent Johnston believed the tournament was a good opportunity to launch his side’s World Cup preparations. “I think Phil Simmons and the selectors are pretty happy with the side we have here. I think it is a good opportunity for the players to put themselves forward for a place in next year’s World Cup squad,” Johnston said.”We have probably got five or six of the regulars here and rest of the guys are trying to put themselves up for further selection. We are in sort of a rebuilding stage, I suppose, before the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”Johnston also saw the event as a stepping stone for the younger generation of cricketers in his squad. “We have a couple of guys who will be making their debuts, hopefully at some stage during the tournament. Craig Young, Andrew Bilbirnie, George Dockwell and Paul Stirling played in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year. They are now in the senior squad and it is a fantastic achievement for Irish cricket to see these guys developing and making into the senior ranks,” he said.Johnston was eager for Ireland to retain their status as the top Associate side and challenge the top teams. “I just want to keep Ireland at top of the Associate tree and keep knocking at the door of the big boys above us. We were close to beating Australia a couple of weeks ago and if we can take that sort of commitment and ability on the field and put three disciplines together, we have got a very good chance of lifting the trophy again,” he added.Canada captain Ashish Bagai said his side was brimming with confidence ahead of this year’s event. “The 2009 tournament was very important for us as the pressure was obviously higher. We did well and what we can take away from that tournament is the confidence which we can use in this tournament. All the six teams are evenly matched so it is going to be a tough tournament but we believe we have enough gas in our tanks to finish at the top,” Bagai said.Bagai believed the tournament would give him a good idea of his side’s progress in cricket’s pecking order. “This is a very important tournament for us. It’s a milestone and a good checkpoint which we can use to see where we stand and what we need to do in future. It gives us a good time to try out a few youngsters and identify our strengths and weaknesses seven months away from World Cup 2011,” he said.Peter Borren also had the World Cup lead-up in his sights, but nothing short of victory in the WCL Division One would do for the hosts. “It is a home tournament and obviously, at the back of our minds is the World Cup but at this stage the most important thing is to win the tournament,” Borren said.”We have to win games of cricket and let’s try to put 100 overs of quality cricket together. It’s always a challenge and it will be the same for all the teams here. I have no doubt that at times during this tournament we’ll see some fantastic innings played by the Netherlands top six or seven batsmen. I also have no doubts that at times our bowling will be sharp.”It’s very often in cricket that you bat very well but let yourself down a little bit with bowling or fielding or the other way round. It has been a challenge for all the Associate sides to put it together for the whole match and our challenge in this tournament will be to be competitive and consistent match after match,” Borren said.

Leeds United would be wise to complete the signing of Blackburn Rovers midfielder John Buckley, according to former England striker Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Buckley shining at Blackburn

The 22-year-old has been an impressive performer at Ewood Park this season, playing a key role in Tony Mowbray’s side mounting a genuine Premier League promotion push.

Buckley has scored once and registered six assists in 24 Championship starts in 2021/22, and the midfielder has been linked with a move to Leeds (as per Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, 14 January, 11:24am) as Marcelo Bielsa continues to look at possible January signings.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds urged to seal move for Buckley

Phillips believes that Buckley would be an excellent addition for Leeds, telling Football Insider about the Blackburn gem’s quality despite playing in the Championship. The 48-year-old gushed:

“Blackburn have been in great form this season and he’s been a big part of that. If you get a good player from a club that is flying in the Championship midway through the season you’ve done well.

“He’s a centre-midfielder which is a position Leeds desperately need to strengthen in. He’s versatile as well which is a bonus, so it’s a big signing if they can do it.

“At the end of the day though, it’s always a gamble signing a player from the Championship. It’s a jump to the Premier League. It could be a signing that pays off though.

“From Blackburn’s point of view, there is no way [Tony] Mowbray will let any of those players go on the cheap.”

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The Verdict: Is he good enough?

There is a potential snobbery surrounding bringing in players from the Championship, but much like fellow Leeds target Lewis O’Brien at Huddersfield, Buckley looks capable of making the step up to the Premier League, given the quality he has shown this season.

The 22-year-old has been described as ‘wonderful’ by his manager Mowbray, who also claimed that the player possesses ‘snake hips’, which suggests that Buckley would add guile in the middle of the park at Elland Road.

A tenacious presence in the middle of the park, he has won 2.5 tackles per game this season (second only to Stuart Dallas among Leeds’ squad), while just four Whites players can better his match average of 1.2 key passes. These figures show that the Blackburn ace has plenty of string to his midfield bow.

With Kalvin Phillips out injured and Adam Forshaw also picking up a minor hamstring issue, Buckley could be someone who helps fill the void this month, preferably with another midfield signing on top of that.

In other news, a journalist has talked up a potential Leeds reunion with one player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham have had a club-record bid rejected for Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Preparing for Rice’s departure?

West Ham have received vast interest surrounding the possibility of a transfer for Declan Rice. According to SofaScore, Rice has been the Hammers’ best player of the current league campaign by some distance, averaging a phenomenal 7.25 match rating, illustrating his importance to David Moyes’ side.

This season the 22-year-old became the youngest player to reach 150 top flight appearances for West Ham. Currently, he is on track to beat the record of club-legend Mark Noble, who has made 407 Premier League appearances for the club to date.

However, with his impressive form for club and country, having already secured 27 caps for England, Rice has received numerous interest from teams across Europe, the most prominent of which has been from the Premier League.

West Ham have valued the defensive-midfielder at £100 million and it is said that Manchester United are keen on signing the player in the summer, with further interest coming from Chelsea and Manchester City.

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The Latest: Leeds reject Irons’ club-record bid

Phil Hay of The Athletic stated previously that Leeds are ‘not open to offers’ and Phillips ‘won’t be leaving before the deadline’, and the latest news seems to have confirmed his claims.

According to a report by The Telegraph, the Hammers have had a club record £50million bid for Phillips officially rejected by Leeds.

The Verdict: Highly unlikely this month

As Phillips is arguably one of Leeds’ most important players, having been described as a ‘rock’ in the midfield by Italian legend Andrea Pirlo, it seems highly unlikely that West Ham will sign the 26-year-old before the 11pm deadline – the Whites cannot afford to lose him in the midst of a relegation fight.

However, this activity could indicate that Rice may be off in the summer for an extortionate fee, as recruitment chief Rob Newman is willing to break the club-record bid for a very similar player.

As much as Irons fans would love to keep Rice forever, it feels extremely unlikely Newman would be going in for Phillips if the Hammers hero is planning to stay long-term.

Therefore, it could be possible that the Irons reprise their interest in Phillips in the summer window, when the West Ham man’s future at the club becomes clearer.

In other news: Irons interested in Christian Benteke

A round-up of the seventh round of games in South Africa’s domestic SuperSport Series, with a win for the Warriors and a record partnership between Neil McKenzie and Zander de Bruyn

Firdose Moonda16-Jan-2011The only result of the weekend came from the contest involving the fifth and last places teams in the SuperSport Series, with the other two fixtures ending in draws. The bottom of the table clash between the Knights and the Warriors finished in three days in Kimberley. The Warriors earned their first win of the competition, but they remain rooted to the bottom of the table.It was uncharacteristically low-scoring match on the usually flat De Beers Diamond Oval. The Knights put up a respectable 301 in their first innings. Rilee Rossouw and Dean Elgar were the rocks on which that total was built. Rossouw scored 122 and Elgar an unbeaten 70, the pair sharing a second-wicket partnership of 157. The rest of the scorecard was the property of Andrew Birch and South Africa seamer Rusty Theron. They took 4 for 68 and 4 for 55 respectively.The Warriors, who have looked inept with the bat all season, continued in that fashion, and were bowled out for 210. Johan van der Wath sliced his way through them with 6 for 66, claiming wickets all through the order. Bevan Bennett was the only batsman to show any fight, top scoring with 41.Birch and Theron were not finished and shared eight wickets between them again in the Knights second innings. Birch claiming a five-for and Theron three for 42 as the Knights were bundle out for 120, setting the Warriors a target of 212 to win. It was an exciting chase, which started with van der Wath capturing Michael Price’s wicket with the score on 11. Jon-Jon Smuts 86 held the innings together, while van der Wath’s 3 for 42 and Victor Mpitsang’s 3 for 38 almost gave the Knights victory. Birch was there at the end with Basheer Walters and the Warriors won by two wickets.Rain had a major say in the Titans clash with the Dolphins in Benoni. The Dolphins opted to bat first in bowler friendly conditions and found themselves in big trouble at 95 for six. Albie Morkel, who ended with five for 73, did the bulk of the early damage. Jon Kent’s 66 and Kyle Abbott’s 80 put them back on the right path. Glen Addicott’s unbeaten 43, batting at No.9 was vital and the Dolphins were bowled out for 301.They were expected to struggle in the field without their ace Imran Tahir, who is on national duty, but bowled the Titans out for 193. Abbott ended with a five-for as none of the Titans batsmen made it over the half-century mark. The Dolphins second innings only just managed to get underway, they had scored one run, a no-ball from Ethy Mbhalati when rain stopped play on day three. There was no play on day four and the spoils were shared. The Titans stay top of the table after the result.The Lions have moved into second place after a high scoring draw against the Cobras in Paarl. The Cobras opted to field first and spent a difficult day chasing the ball. After the Lions were under some pressure at 97 for 3, Neil McKenzie and Zander de Bruyn demoralised the Cobras bowlers with a century apiece. Their fourth wicket partnership of 258 is a new first-class record for that wicket. Claude Henderson’s five for 90 went almost unnoticed as the Lions were bowled out for 458.It was then the Cobras turn to inflict suffering on the Lions bowlers. Owais Shah played his most notable innings since becoming the Cobras overseas professional with 151 and Ryan Canning chipped in with 121. The two innings were almost identical as the Lions spinner, Dale Deeb, took five for 131 and the Cobras were bowled out for 485.The length of time taken meant that only a draw was possible and the Lions reached 113 for two in their second knock. Alviro Petersen, who is under pressure for his Test place was out for 44 and two in the either innings.Bowler of the week: Two national discards made sure they got noticed. Rusty Theron took seven wickets for the Warriors and Albie Morkel an economical five-for for the Titans. Both are bidding for limited overs places but to show their ability in the longer version of the game is never a bad thing.Batsman of the week: Neil McKenzie has been in rock solid form for the Lions all season. He continues to top the run charts with 771 runs and scored his third century this weekend. Perhaps a national recall is on the cards.