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Middlesex’s lead has been trimmed by Yorkshire to four points after a rain-affected round and James Franklin knows that there is still lots of good cricket to play if they are to end their title drought

Jon Culley03-Sep-2016Warwickshire 172 and 120 for 4 drew with Middlesex 242 and 267 for 7 dec (Robson 74, Eskinazi 53)
ScorecardSteven Finn has not played since a hamstring injury in the final Test•Getty ImagesMiddlesex remain the Division One leaders but by less of a margin than that with which they began after the weather ultimately left them frustrated at it did Yorkshire.As they seek to stay in front and win the County Championship title for the first time since 1993, Middlesex now lead Yorkshire by four points, down from five, this match called off as a draw after bad light forced the players off following just 56 minutes of action, the first two sessions having been lost to rain.The results mean that the likelihood of the final round of the season, in which Yorkshire have to go to Lord’s, being the deciding round is slightly greater, although if either side is to seize a clear advantage before then it is Yorkshire, with their next two matches at home, who look the more likely.Middlesex are away for their next two, against Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, although their chances there will be boosted by the return to their attack of Steven Finn from injury and fellow seamer Tim Murtagh from international duty. Finn has been out of action since suffering a hamstring injury on the final day of England’s fourth Test defeat to Pakistan three weeks ago.”Having Steven back will be a real boost,” Middlesex captain James Franklin said. “We all know what he can do if he is on song and he is champing at the bit to be back playing cricket and maybe helping us push for the title.”Franklin, who will be leader on the field for the remainder of the campaign with Adam Voges unable to return, admitted the possibility of winning the title is adding an extra buzz in the dressing room but stressed that keeping their advantage would be tough.”I’d be lying if I said there was not talk in the group about the title but we know there are still 72 points available and it is not only about ourselves and Yorkshire, with Somerset still hunting,” he said. “Twelve days is a lot of cricket to be played and every game in this division is tough whether you are playing teams at the bottom of the table or in contention at the top. We know we are going to have to play very good cricket in those 12 days if we are to come out on top.”At Edgbaston, it seemed unlikely any play would be possible as rain teemed down throughout the scheduled morning session, leaving puddles on the outfield. But a dry interlude allowed some intensive mopping up and had the light been good enough the minimum 36 overs left when play began at 3.45pm may well have been bowled, perhaps a few more with spin used at both ends.They had intended to give Warwickshire a burst of Toby Roland-Jones at the start but with the floodlights on they were obliged to bowl off-spinner Ollie Rayner and left-arm spinner Ravi Patel in tandem from the start or risk leaving the field earlier still.In the event, it was debatable whether Middlesex would have been able to claim six more wickets to win the match. Rayner managed to winkle out Chris Wright, the nightwatchman, with the last ball of his fourth over but Ian Bell and Sam Hain used their feet well against the turning ball and had kept their wickets intact for 11.4 overs more when umpires David Millns and Martin Saggers decided the floodlights were providing more illumination than the natural light.Asked whether Middlesex might have given themselves a better chance had they pushed on towards a declaration position more quickly on the third day, captain James Franklin admitted it was a tricky decision.”The overhead conditions made it more difficult on Friday and I think Warwickshire bowled pretty well at us,” he said. “We felt we had to get to a certain point before we could really kick on.”Before that, 240, 250, 260 was well within the realms of Warwickshire and had the weather not come it would have left them a lot of time to get that, so it was a balancing act. In the end the weather had the last word anyway.”Middlesex are the only side to have beaten Yorkshire in the Championship in the last three seasons but Franklin does not believe that record will have any bearing if the meeting at Lord’s on September 20 does turn out to be a winner-takes-all showdown.”I don’t think our record against Yorkshire gives us any kind of advantage,” he said. “They are such a good team and they have proven that in the last two years. Obviously we would back ourselves to beat them but we can’t look too far ahead.”Before that we have two games against Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, which will not be easy. We are in with a shout but we are going to have to play very well.”

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly interested in bringing Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Parfait Guiagon to Ibrox.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?

Michael Beale has made a start on his transfer business ahead of his first season in charge in regards to both incoming and outgoings.

The club recently confirmed that Scott Arfield, Filip Helander, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor and Alfredo Morelos will all leave the club when their contracts expire.

Meanwhile, the Gers also officially confirmed a move for attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell, who has agreed a three-year deal and will join on a free transfer from Norwich City.

However, it looks as if Dowell may not be the only attacking midfielder through the door this summer, with links emerging over a move for Guiagon.

According to Israeli outlet One, Rangers have been keeping a close eye on Guiagon throughout the current season. He is now wanted by those at Ibrox, with Maccabi Tel Aviv open to offers ahead of a possible transfer.

Who is Parfait Guiagon?

Guiagon is 22 years of age and has been on the books with Maccabi Tel Aviv since 2020. Primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the left wing, Guiagon has been out on loan with Beitar Tel Aviv Bat Yam and Maccabi Netanya in previous seasons.

The attacker has made 100 senior appearances at club level, 40 of which have come with Maccabi Tel Aviv, where he has completed 110 successful dribbles throughout the season from 189 attempts.

Guiagon appears to be at the top of his game with a €1.2m career-high Transfermarkt valuation and was hailed as a “talented” player by Maccabi’s Head of Football Department Barak Itzhaki after he signed a three-year deal last year.

“Parfait is a young talented player who joined the Club thanks to the good work of the scouting department.”

It looks as if a move to Rangers for the Ivorian will be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, and by the looks of it, it could be an extremely busy summer for Beale and co in the market, with up to 10 new players through the door.

Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff “won’t be involved” in the Premier League game vs Brighton and Hove Albion tonight, according to Eddie Howe.

What's the latest injury news on Sean Longstaff?

The Magpies academy graduate was involved in a heavy challenge during the 4-1 win against Everton last month which saw him sustain a foot injury and he therefore hasn’t featured since, missing the three matches against Southampton, Arsenal and Leeds United.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie confirmed that the 25-year-old was set to go for a follow-up scan to further assess the extent of his problem, and whilst ChronicleLive soon after revealed that he had suffered no broken bones, not to mention that the manager admitted last week that fans "could see him as early as next week if he improves quickly", he still isn’t ready to stage his comeback to the first-team.

Speaking during Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, Howe confirmed that Longstaff is ruled out of this evening’s fixture vs Brighton, whilst also providing an update on the fitness of Jacob Murphy. As quoted by Newcastle’s official website, he said:

“I think we’re quite clear on the injury but it’s just how long it takes to heal. He made good progress yesterday so let’s see how he feels today but he won’t be involved for this game. Jacob is probably the one doubt we’ll have for the game."

Will Longstaff's absence be a blow for Newcastle?

After Brighton, Newcastle only have two games of the 2022/23 season remaining against Leicester City and Chelsea, so Howe will be hoping to have Longstaff back at his disposal before the conclusion of the current campaign, but in the short-term, it’s definitely a blow for the central midfielder to be ruled out once again.

The St. James’ Park star, who pockets £50k-per-week, has posted seven goal contributions (four assists and three goals) across all competitions this season and has been a regular feature of the first-team having made 27 starts in the top-flight, so he’s clearly viewed as an important member of the squad.

The Magpies’ “superb” dominator, as once lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, also offers wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in five various positions over the pitch, including four in the midfield and even as a second striker, so the sooner he returns to action in the northeast to help try and nail down a place in the Champions League, the better as far as the manager is concerned.

James Anderson has apologised to both umpires for behaviour he admits was ‘petulant’ and ‘unacceptable’ on the second day of the third Investec Test at Edgbaston

George Dobell at Edgbaston04-Aug-2016James Anderson has apologised to both umpires for behaviour he admits was “petulant” and “unacceptable” on the second day of the third Investec Test at Edgbaston.Anderson, England’s record wicket-taker, clashed with umpire Bruce Oxenford after he was warned about running on the pitch after delivering the ball. Anderson received two official warnings meaning that, if he encroaches on the area again during Pakistan’s first innings, the umpires can withdraw him from the attack for the rest of the innings.It was a frustrating day for Anderson. As well as struggling to gain much assistance from a sluggish Edgbaston surface, he saw Joe Root, at second slip, put down Azhar Ali off his bowling when he had scored 38. Azhar went on to make a century as Pakistan reached stumps just 40 runs behind with seven wickets in hand.When Oxenford, who had been prompted to warn Anderson by the intervention of the TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena, repeatedly asked him to move away from the pitch in the immediate aftermath of delivery, Anderson appeared to remonstrate angrily.But, having seen a replay of himself remonstrating with Oxenford, Anderson accepted that such factors were no excuse and concluded that he had over-stepped the mark and took the decision to apologise.”It was a frustrating day,” Anderson said. “I had a bad half-hour where I let things get to me. I’ve apologised to both umpires as my behaviour wasn’t acceptable. It was a bit petulant.”I wasn’t convinced that I had [run on the pitch], but Bruce had the third or fourth umpire in his ear telling him I was.”Having seen my reactions on TV, it doesn’t look great when I’m pointing at the pitch. I don’t necessarily think it was what I said, it was just the way I behaved. I had a bad half-hour, I’ve apologised and hopefully that will be the end of it.”It is not the first time Anderson has succumbed to bouts of petulance. He was, for a long time, a persistent sledger of opposition batsmen and infamously clashed with Ravindra Jadeja during the 2014 Trent Bridge Test. Since that incident, however, he has appeared to rein in that side of his character but admitted he struggles to balance the “competitive edge” he feels he requires to succeed at this level with the standards of behaviour expected of an international player.”That competitive edge has helped me throughout my career,” Anderson said. “I know there are times I can get close to that line. I try to control it, but I don’t want to lose that competitive edge. It’s a balancing act.”The dropped catch probably added to the frustration, but you have to try and deal with things like that. There are going to be times when catches go down. There are going to be times when the opposition plays well, as they did today. They played really well.”The pitch has lost some pace. It didn’t have the zip it had on the first day. But we did a good job. We created chances and if that catch had stuck, who knows what might have happened. There was some good bowling and some average batting that got us into this situation.”Today I thought we bowled reasonably well. But we could have bowled slightly better. We had chances and we didn’t take them. At this level you get punished if you don’t take your chances.”Anderson will hope that his apology will appease the officials. But it will be no surprise if match referee Richie Richardson cites him for dissent.

Leeds United defender Junior Firpo has underperformed this season and made some high-profile errors that contributed to the Whites' plight and subsequent relegation fears and whoever ends up in the dugout at Elland Road could move to try and offload the 26-year-old in the forthcoming transfer window.

What's the latest news involving Junior Firpo?

Journalist Dean Jones has tipped Leeds to try and move Firpo on this summer regardless of what division they end up in next term due to his recent performances while speaking to Football FanCast, stating: "His errors have been high profile and costly and when the club is going through such troubled times it is difficult not to get emotional about him becoming a liability. I don’t know that he would want to play in the Championship, some might argue he should accept it, but I’m also not sure if he can remain part of the set-up if they stay up, given him performance levels. There would not be a huge queue of interested clubs but it’s definitely an uncertain time."

Firpo was sent off for Leeds last weekend in their 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last weekend, picking up a second yellow card following a foul on Anthony Gordon, as per BBC Sport.

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has hit out at the former Barcelona ace for his display against the Magpies at Elland Road where he also gifted the visitors a penalty. As per MOT Leeds News, the pundit said: “Firpo was the most guilty of it [rash tackles]. He was on a one-man self-destruct mission the whole game. He was lucky to stay on the pitch after the first tackle that he was yellow-carded for, then he gave away the penalty and then the free kick just outside the back.

The Santo Domingo De Guzman-born left-back has made 24 appearances for his current employers this season, registering two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Should Junior Firpo have a future at Leeds United going forward?

Irrespective of whether Leeds manage to stay in the Premier League or suffer relegation to the Sky Bet Championship, Firpo looks like someone who has run his race at Elland Road and they should let him go if a suitable offer arises.

WhoScored note that Firpo has recorded an average rating of 6.42/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking 19th out of a 29-strong squad, showing that the defender has left a lot to be desired at Leeds in 2022/23.

Firpo also ranks in the bottom 20% of full-backs across Europe's top five divisions for the amount of progressive carries he has completed over the last 365 days, managing just 1.26 per 90 minutes in total, according to FBRef.

Speaking on The Times’ The Game Football Podcast, pundit Gregor Robertson didn't mince his words surrounding Firpo's performances, stating: “They still have defenders who feel like they should have clown music playing over them sometimes. Junior Firpo, it’s a big boost that he is suspended; he’s calamitous defensively, he gives something going forwards, but he’s not someone to have in your team."

Earlier this year, Italian outlet Inter Live claimed that Inter Milan were monitoring Firpo's situation and could make a move for the £60k-a-week ace in the summer transfer window.

All things considered, scoping out interested parties in taking Firpo would be the best possible scenario for Leeds as they look to refresh their squad heading into 2023/24.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2016You can watch the ongoing Test series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand on television in New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka, and maybe several other places, but not in host country Zimbabwe. A source told ESPNcricinfo that public broadcaster ZBC has been offered the feed for free but is experiencing a technical fault, which has prevented it from broadcasting the ongoing first Test. Pay-television network SuperSport, which is South Africa-based and works throughout the continent, did not obtain the rights for this series.Instead, Ten Sports is providing the world feed, which explains why the broadcast is available in the subcontinent. SuperSport was negotiating for the rights until a few weeks ago but failed to come to an agreement, which means the matches are also not being aired in neighbouring South Africa. SuperSport went through similar discussions ahead of India’s limited-overs tour to Zimbabwe in June, and reached an agreement at the eleventh hour to broadcast the matches.Zimbabwean fans expressed their frustration on Twitter, even though they did not turn out in big numbers at Queens. Midway through the first day, there were only a few hundred people at the stadium. With school holidays beginning at the end of this week, better crowds are expected as the series goes on.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Is De Paul having a good season?

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a memorable season, although it is for his international achievements that he has been most famed for. He played a massive role in Argentina tasting World Cup glory late last year, proving to be an influential box-to-box presence throughout the tournament.

De Paul started all seven of his country's matches on their way to glory, providing legs and fight in the middle of the park, and almost acting as a perfect foil for superstar teammate Lionel Messi. The £94,000-a-week ace has also scored twice and registered five assists in La Liga for Atletico this season, however, showing that has been effective at club level, too.

His current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it could be that he leaves in the upcoming transfer window, having not always been a regular starter for Atletico this season, starting just 20 league games.

Could Newcastle sign De Paul this summer?

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], Newcastle are eyeing up a move for De Paul once the current campaign reaches its conclusion. The Magpies are thought to be willing to pay €40m (£35m) for his signature, making him a key part of their midfield in the process.

This could be a fantastic signing for Newcastle ahead of next season, with De Paul someone who shone so much at the World Cup, averaging 1.6 tackles and one key pass per game. He could be a brilliant midfield partner for Bruno Guimaraes at St James' Park, complimenting the Brazilian's more attack-minded, aesthetically-pleasing style and giving Eddie Howe's side even more meanness alongside Joelinton.

At 28, De Paul now has a wealth of experience, having won 53 caps for Argentina and made 273 appearances in Serie A and La Liga combined, but he is also still young enough to potentially be at his best for another four or five more years. He has been described as a "great player" by former player Ricardo Giusti and he is someone who has all the attributes to help take Newcastle to that next step.

It goes without saying that a top-four finish is vital if the Magpies want to sign him, however, with the Atletico man surely wanting Champions League football if he leaves his current club.

Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Mohammad Amir and legspinner Yasir Shah have been rested for Pakistan’s second warm-up match against Sussex ahead of the opening Test against England at Lord’s.Both bowlers impressed against Somerset at Taunton, Amir taking 3 for 36 in the first innings with some dangerous swing at good pace while Yasir enjoyed a lengthy bowl in the second innings as he finished with 4 for 107.Rahat Ali has also been left out as Pakistan bring in Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan and Zulfiqar Babar.The batting, though, remains unchanged which, barring injuries, confirms the top-order line-up for the opening Test. Most of the batsmen spent decent time in the middle against Somerset, although Mohammad Hafeez (20 and 10), captain Misbah-ul-Haq (0 and 19) and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed will hope for a more productive outing at Hove.”We had a pretty decent outing against Somerset. I would expect everyone shall maintain and improve on standards on display at Taunton in batting, bowling and fielding,” Mickey Arthur, the head coach, said. “We have to keep up with the benchmarks we have achieved so far, with the same intensity. Slacking off at any point would not be acceptable”.

Yorkshire’s Royal London Cup programme began with a thrashing from Worcestershire at Headingley as George Rhodes, son of the coach Steve, made an impressive debut and Joe Leach starred in an emergency pinch-hitting role

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2016
ScorecardJoe Leach took to an emergency pinch-hitting role with devastating effect•Getty ImagesYorkshire Vikings opened their Royal London One-Day Cup programme with a severe thrashing at the hands of Worcestershire Rapids at Headingley.Batting first after winning the toss, Yorkshire were bowled out for a listless 170 and Worcestershire charged to their target for the loss of three wickets with 24.3 overs remaining after openers Joe Leach and Tom Kohler-Cadmore hasd blasted 107 together off a mere 12.4 overs.Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, said: “We have just got to bat better, that is the bottom line. Our batsmen have not got that confidence at the moment. They are hoping rather than expecting and are not in their best form. There is a bit of fear of getting out as opposed to scoring runs.Moxon also confirmed that Jack Brooks could be out for up to a month. He sustained a leg injury while bowling in the T20 Roses match at Old Trafford.It was a doubly satisfying result for Royals’ Bradford-born director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, whose 23-year-old son, George, made his first team debut for the county and pegged Yorkshire back with ten overs of well-controlled off-spin that brought him two wickets.George’s grandfather, Billy, was a wicketkeeper-batsman with Nottinghamshire from 1961-64 which meant that George and his team-mate, Brett D’Oliveira, were each the third generation of county cricketers.Concerned about a nearby storm, Worcestershire sent in Leach to partner Kohler-Cadmore and, although it never materialised, there was no shortage of thunderous strokes on the field.Kohler-Cadmore took three boundaries in David Willey’s first over but Leach was immediately more severe on Tim Bresnan, following up a towering six with four consecutive boundaries.The 50 was reached in 4.5 overs and when Steve Patterson joined the attack Leach picked him up for six over square leg and cover drove his next ball for four.Leach dashed to his half-century from 25 balls with seven fours and three sixes, bringing up his 50 by driving Liam Plunkett over the rope at long on, but the carnage was halted when Kohler-Cadmore was lbw to Plunkett for a run-a-ball 42 with seven fours and a six.In the next over from Rashid, Leach was caught at long off for 63 from 35 deliveries with eight fours and three sixes and Daryl Mitchell and Joe Clarke added a further 37 before gave Rashid a return catch, Mitchell and Alexei Kervezee finishing the job for their side.Yorkshire had never got to grips with a pitch on which the ball tended to stick and although seven of their batsmen made it into the teens none of them managed to move beyond the 30 mark.Several got out to hesitant shots and Yorkshire remained pegged back in the middle overs by the accurate spin of Rhodes and D’Oliveira.Jack Shantry, bowled a mean opening spell of seven overs for ten runs and the wicket of Adam Lyth and he returned to end the innings with his second ball by getting Bresnan caught at short fine leg.Jack Leaning helped Alex Lees bring up the 50 in the 17th over but Yorkshire were unable to capitalise on their slow but solid start, Leaning then edging Ed Barnard to Ben Cox and Lees being trapped lbw to become Rhodes’ first scalp for his county.Worcestershire never relaxed their stranglehold and just when Gary Ballance was threatening to break loose he was lbw sweeping at D’Oliveira for 30 from 32 balls with three fours.D’Oliveira also accounted for Rashid who miscued to short extra cover and in the following over it became 109 for 6 when Will Rhodes drove his namesake to Daryl Mitchell who was stood almost next to the bowler at mid-off.Yorkshire’s situation would have been more critical had Mitchell not dropped Bresnan at short cover when he had made only a single and Bresnan and David Willey briefly cheered up the crowd with a six apiece off D’Oliveira and Mitchell respectively.A couple of balls after his big hit, however, Willey chipped back a catch to Mitchell and shortly afterwards Plunkett dragged Leach into his stumps, the last three wickets toppling for four runs.

Fans online have been left singing the praises of West Ham United captain Declan Rice after he showed his class when interacting with a young fan.

Why is Declan Rice getting plaudits?

It was a great outing for the England international on Sunday evening as he led his team to a Premier League win over rivals Manchester United.

In the end, it was a howler from goalkeeper David De Gea that allowed Said Benrahma to score the only goal of the game as the Hammers picked up a 1-0 victory.

The three points mean that West Ham are almost certainly set to avoid relegation at the end of the season and Rice played his part in the victory.

He was named the “star man” by Jonty Coleman in his football.london player ratings for his 8/10 display. The journalist wrote: “For however much West Ham get for Rice when he eventually leaves, he will be worth every penny, and probably many, many more.

“Showed he was the Premier League’s highest interception winner by winning several against a Man United side chasing Champions League football.

“Created chances with his quick feet and clever running and mopped up all sorts in the middle of the pitch. Probably deserved an assist for his second-half crosses, an outstanding display.”

What’s more, as per Squawka, Rice is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues with 30+ interceptions, 51 clearances, take-ons completed, aerial duels won, chances created, and shots this season while he’s also won possession more times than any other player (322).

With that in mind, it’s little wonder clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Liverpool are all monitoring the £60k-per-week midfielder.

But after footage emerged with the 24-year-old speaking to one starstruck fan at the London Stadium, love for the player seems to have gone up even higher.

As the video shows, Rice can be seen comforting the young supporter who seems a little overwhelmed after meeting one of his heroes. The Englishman then calms the child and gives him his shirt.

It’s a very wholesome exchange and people online really appreciated the kindness. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions…

And the praise kept coming…