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Andre Fletcher and Johnson Charles struck half-centuries for the second day in a row and combined for a 104-run opening stand to help St Lucia Zouks beat Jamaica Tallawahs

Peter Della Penna in Florida 01-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJohnson Charles thumped nine fours and two sixes during his 35-ball 64•Peter Della PennaAndre Fletcher and Johnson Charles struck half-centuries for the second day in a row, and combined for a 104-run opening partnership, to help St Lucia Zouks beat Jamaica Tallawahs by 17 runs. Zouks’ fifth win in their last six games concluded the Lauderhill leg of CPL 2016Charles kept up his scintillating form with 64 off 35 balls, his third half-century in his last four innings, and took over as the leading run-getter in the tournament with 410 runs at 45.55.Sunday’s rematch began after a 50-minute delay due to lightning in the area of the Central Broward Regional Park and despite the fact that Zouks posted the highest total of CPL 2016 after being sent in on Saturday, Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle opted to give Zouks first strike 24 hours later. The result was another dominant batting display spearheaded by the openers.Charles brought up his fifty in 25 balls off Timroy Allen in the ninth over, when he hit a six with the wind over midwicket to the northwest side of the ground. Allen nearly had Fletcher caught at long-on off the last ball of the over for 29, but the fielder came in several steps off the rope and with the ball taking off in a stiff breeze, a desperate leap only managed to parry the ball over for six.Tallawahs had added a third spinner to the line-up in Garey Mathurin and the left-armer eventually made the first breakthrough in the 12th over, forcing Charles to hit into the wind towards midwicket on the southeast side of the ground where Chadwick Walton took a good catch. Michael Hussey fell in similar fashion, hitting to Walton stationed at sweeper cover on off Rovman Powell at the start of the 16th over. Walton took his third catch in the same position when he combined with Powell again to nab Fletcher for 70 off 54 balls.The opener couldn’t power through the wind in the 18th and fell two overs short of making it through both Zouks innings in Lauderhill unbeaten.Kesrick Williams could have had Shane Watson caught off a paddle sweep at short fine leg on 22 if only he hadn’t overstepped. Watson went on to add 20, including two sixes in the final over off Powell to set a target of 195, just out of reach for Tallawahs.Tallawahs got off to a hot start in their chase with Gayle making 30 off 15 balls, in what eventually ended as his side’s top score, after being caught on the boundary off Watson. His innings typified the Tallawahs line-up, with everyone in the top seven getting into double-digits but no one able to carry on for a big score. His 43-run stand for the first wicket with Walton was also the best in the innings as wickets fell at regular intervals and stunted their momentum.Shane Shillingford claimed Walton and later Rovman Powell to finish with 2 for 30, his best figures on the season. Tallawahs had an outside chance of pulling off a win when they needed 43 off 18 balls with Alex Ross and Shakib Al Hasan at the crease, but Watson and Jerome Taylor virtually iced the game by conceding seven singles off the next 11 balls.After arriving in Lauderhill on July 21 in first place, Tallawahs leave in second and will face table-toppers Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first play-off match in St Kitts on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in snapping up Leicester City midfielder James Maddison this summer, with the appointment of former Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers potentially set to aid in that pursuit.

What's the latest on Maddison to Spurs?

According to Football Transfers, the Lilywhites' executive director Donna-Maria Cullen is believed to be pushing to give the permanent job to the Northern Irishman, with the belief being that the 50-year-old's arrival at N17 could also tempt Maddison to follow suit.

The latter man – who has just over a year left on his existing deal – is set to leave the King Power Stadium this summer regardless of whether the Midlands side are able to stave off relegation, while Rodgers is currently out of work after being dismissed by Leicester last month.

This latest report does suggest that while Cullen is fighting to land the ex-Liverpool and Celtic boss, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is said to be 'against' such an appointment, with it still somewhat up in the air as to just who will be the long-term successor to Antonio Conte.

Should Spurs move for Maddison?

If Rodgers is to ultimately get the nod, the one-time Swansea City coach would likely be keen to reunite with Maddison once again, having heaped praise on the 26-year-old earlier this season after suggesting that the playmaker "plays the game at the highest level".

The two-cap England international – who has been valued at around £60m – is clearly of interest to those in north London amid further recent claims that Levy and co are interested in a move, while reports as far back as 2018 suggested that the club were ready to prise the versatile midfielder from Norwich City.

Since then, Maddison has blossomed into a leading figure at his current side having contributed 96 goals and assists in 201 games in all competitions to date, while having also received praise from Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate in the past for his "world-class" delivery from set-pieces.

As for the current campaign, the £110k-per-week wizard has again been in fine form despite the Foxes' overall woes, having recorded "extraordinary numbers" – as per Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker – after chipping in with 19 goal involvements in just 28 league outings.

The Coventry-born ace is clearly a fan of the "genius" that is Rodgers – as described by journalist Sid Lowe – having offered an emotional tribute to his former boss after the latter man's Leicester exit, describing him as a "top manager" and a "a brilliant and caring man".

That relationship should indicate that Rodgers could well prove vital in Tottenham's bid to bring in Maddison this summer, with it potentially set to prove a fine double swoop as far as the Lilywhites are concerned.

Tottenham Hotspur could receive an offer from Aston Villa for midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer with the player set to return after his Villarreal loan spell.

What’s the latest Spurs transfer news?

Chaos is currently engulfing Spurs as chairman Daniel Levy keeps up the chase for a new permanent manager, nearly two months after parting company with Antonio Conte.

Reports suggest that the north Londoners are also after a new sporting director to replace Fabio Paratici, with the likes of Benfica chief Rui Pedro Braz in the frame.

On top of all this, the likes of star striker Harry Kane and long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris are entering the final 12 months of their deals, making this summer a potentially crucial one for Tottenham.

Spurs must also get to work on identifying summer transfer targets as the window’s opening is just around the corner, and there has been some progress in that regard according to reports.

The likes of James Maddison are firmly in Levy’s thinking, but to fund these potential moves, the Lilywhites must offload surplus-to-requirement members of their squad.

Lo Celso, who is currently on a temporary spell at Villarreal, looks set to return to Spurs this summer but the club could have an opportunity to offload him for good.

Villa and Unai Emery have apparently taken a keen interest and could make an offer for to Tottenham this summer, as they’re also in ongoing talks with the player’s camp.

That is according to journalist Gaston Edul, via news aggregator All About Argentina on Twitter:

Should Spurs sell Lo Celso?

Much could depend on who Spurs appoint as their next manager, given they might actually fancy Lo Celso in their starting eleven.

The South American has been called a “brilliant player” by former Tottenham goalkeeper and England international Paul Robinson, with Lo Celso arguably having the ability to resurrect his career at Spurs if given an opportunity.

He actually played a pivotal role under Emery on Villarreal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, with the 27-year-old impressing in parts this campaign too.

As per WhoScored, he’s even averaged more key passes per 90 than any other Villarreal player in La Liga, and at the very least he could fetch a fairly decent price tag if Spurs do opt to sell.

Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has admitted there are “big concerns” over the security of the team’s tour of Bangladesh later this year following last week’s terrorist attack in Dhaka

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2016Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has admitted there are “big concerns” over the security of the team’s tour to Bangladesh later this year following last week’s terrorist attack in Dhaka.The ECB has said they will follow government advice – and guidance from their highly regarded head of security Reg Dickason – to decide whether the tour will take place as planned. England are due to fly out on September 30.”I think it is quite a big concern at the moment,” Morgan said. “We’ve always left the big decisions to the ECB. They write reports, send guys out to see if it’s safe then come back to the players to see if they’re happy or unhappy. But certainly it’s a concern at the moment.”When asked about the potential of moving the tour to a neutral location, Morgan said: “I think that could be feasible if it came to that.”On Sunday, the BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he understood the reaction to the attack but hoped that the tour would still go ahead.”I have seen England’s reaction, which is quite normal. We would have done the same thing if we were in their position … England are coming after three months, by which time the situation in Bangladesh will get better. It is hard to say which place is safe now. Safety can be an issue in England after three months. We will strengthen our security. If we can ensure that, cricket should not be a problem.”Seven gunmen, armed with bombs and guns, had opened fire in a bakery before taking occupants hostage in Gulshan area in Dhaka on July 1. Twenty civilians were killed. Last year, Australia had postponed their tour of Bangladesh based on their government’s security advice. Earlier this year, Australia had pulled out of the Under-19 World Cup hosted by Bangladesh for the same reasons.

Manchester United may now be the only club who can afford to sign Napoli goal machine Victor Osimhen as a report links him with a move to the Premier League.

Are Manchester United favourites to sign Victor Osimhen?

Manchester United could be the favourites to sign Victor Osimhen this summer as Simon Jones reports for the Daily Mail that Erik ten Hag is "eyeing" a £130m deal for Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian forward has attracted huge interest from around Europe with his explosive performance in Napoli's title-winning season. From powerful headers to nuanced finishes and combining with the mercurial Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen has 28 goals and five assists to his name this term.

A transfer battle has emerged between United and Chelsea which involves Christian Pulisic – the American is being put up for sale this summer and a number of Italian teams are are eyeing him, with interest from Napoli very serious.

Jones writes that "Napoli's interest (in Pulisic) could add extra spice" in the race to sign Osimhen but the Serie A outfit are demanding a mouth-watering sum of money to sell the striker. "The consensus" at United and Chelsea is that he will cost around £130million.

That figure is reportedly already a problem for Bayern Munich and they have switched their focus to Randal Kolo Muani. Chelsea meanwhile are facing scrutiny from Financial Fair Play, and while the Blues will hope to reduce the cost by using Romelu Lukaku in a swap, United are the only named suitor without a financial issue.

The Glazers signing Osimhen would be financially more straightforward but it's still a tremendous amount of money to spend on a single player – it would restrict how they could spend on other players, but it would take their attack to an incredible point.

How could Manchester United set up if they signed VIctor Osimhen?

If ten Hag signed Osimhen this summer, he would have a very enviable attack. Marcus Rashford has come into his own this season and is dominating defenders in 1v1s by using his pace and agility to skip past fullbacks. Crucially, he has taken his overall game to a new level.

In total, the Englishman has 29 goals and 11 assists and with the hope that Antony could improve next season, United are an elite centre forward away from an extremely dangerous attack.

Osimhen could be that player for ten Hag especially as Bruno Fernandes would likely flourish with so many deadly options in front of him. Cagliari boss Walter Mazzarri praised the Nigerian forward after he scored to put Napoli 1-0 up in 2021, highlighting a characteristic that would be of vital use to United.

"Osimhen is phenomenal because he runs alone at five players and gets through," Mazzarri told DAZN as quoted by Football Italia.

"If you look at genuine scoring opportunities, compared to the number Napoli created lately, I didn’t see that many."

Osimhen is in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 97th percentile for shots on goal, according to Fbref. He's a master at creating goal scoring chances from nothing from making runs into dangerous areas and bombarding his way past defenders. If he joined United, it would spell major trouble for any sides aiming to win the 2023/24 Premier League title.

Jake Ball has clocked up nearly 600 miles switching from his Test call-up from England to a couple of days county cricket at the Ageas Bowl – and there might not even be a Test debut at the end of it

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl22-May-2016
ScorecardJake Ball joins an England fielding session after his call up at Headingley•Getty ImagesThe county summer is entering that period when players jump from one format to another, from one side of the country to another, via coach or carpool. Dubbed “silly season” by some, the next 30 days sees the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London Cup fight for schedule space with the County Championship which will take a two weeks hiatus at the beginning of June.Nottinghamshire, for example, played a Friday night T20 in Birmingham before coming down to the Ageas Bowl for their four-day tussle with Hampshire. Jake Ball, however, has notched a few more miles on the clock.Released from his maiden England squad after day two of the first Test, Ball was given permission to play in the first two days of this match, at which point he will make his way from Southampton to Durham (he is expected to be replaced in the Notts side for Brett Hutton). The roundtrip, from Test to Test, will be 576 miles.Even then, all that travelling might only result in a second “thanks but no thanks” in the space of a week. Still, as a Test hopeful, he is more than happy to do it all again and make The Proclaimers look like slackers in the process.On today’s evidence, it looked like he took plenty of breaks on the way down – maybe even a few dynamic stretches at Winchester Services to get going before the Ageas came in view.Bounding in from the Pavilion End like a returning hero charging back through the city gates, his opening delivery – the very first of the match – beat Michael Carberry’s outside edge. Two balls later, that same edge was found only for Chris Read to drop the chance, diving full stretch to his left. Only in hindsight can you say it could have been left to first slip, such was the movement of the ball in the last few feet before it clanged into Read’s gloves.Ball would eventually get his man, changing his angle from around the wicket and enticing a drive from Carberry, who had reeled himself in for 19 off 58 deliveries up until that point. He had the number of both of the hosts’ opening southpaws. One of the more noticeable aspects of Ball’s game is his ability to move the ball away and into a left-hander, from both around and over the wicket.Jimmy Adams in particular was caused a great deal of discomfort: when he wasn’t playing and missing on a spicy track, he was taking all sorts of blows to the glove and torso. His innings of 30 from 79 deliveries was reminiscent of the opening scene of Robocop.Hampshire, sitting bottom of Division One, have been ravaged by injuries and had to dip into the free agency and Kolpak markets. Two of their walking wounded, Reece Topley and Chris Wood, used the delay of the late afternoon downpour to check out the new media centre.They would be mistaken for thinking it was safer haven for staff up there: even the club’s press officer is facing a period on the sidelines having worn a yorker on the toe in a local league match. Somewhere beneath the Ageas Bowl sits an ancient Indian burial ground filled with deceased black cats.Sean Ervine, too, was sent limping to square leg after jabbing a Harry Gurney yorker onto the top of his foot. His pre-lunch walk to the crease was instigated by a fine spell by Luke Fletcher, who was rewarded by his persistence with the wickets of Adams (caught and bowled) and Liam Dawson (lbw, walking across his stumps) in successive balls.However, for all the feeling of an innings collapse, the rain delays – the first seeing no play at all in the afternoon session, the second breaking up a long evening – and an unbeaten partnership of 65 between Ervine and 20-year-old Tom Alsop sees Hampshire in a healthier state. Ervine got by on experience and, when dropped on 26 by Dan Christian at third slip off Gurney, compounded Notts’ misery by smashing a four through point the very next ball.By contrast, Alsop played with the freedom of a youngster coming in at number six: punching straight and square of the wicket for a relatively sprightly 32. Early on in his innings, he nearly rearranged Ball’s teeth with an uppish drive down the ground for two. As much as those at the ECB rate the Mansfield-born quick, he might have had trouble claiming a trip to the dentist as part of his fuel allowance.

West Ham endured a difficult evening in their last Premier League outing against Liverpool.

The Reds ran out as supremely dominant 2-1 winners and restricted the Hammers to only two shots on target throughout the game.

After Lucas Paqueta’s sublime strike gave the Irons an early lead, they rarely troubled the Reds and failed to construct any periods of sustained pressure.

With the Europa Conference semi-final looming next week and a London derby against Crystal Palace this weekend, David Moyes should shuffle the pack to make his side more threatening.

One way that this could be done would be to replace the underperforming Michail Antonio with Danny Ings, who offers a far more complete package as the focal point up top.

Should West Ham start Danny Ings over Michail Antonio?

Antonio has surprisingly risen above the Englishman in the pecking order but drastically struggled in the last encounter.

After registering an assist in the early stages against Liverpool due to some slick and intricate link-up with Paqueta, the Jamaican was anonymous for the rest of the proceedings and recorded the lowest Sofascore rating of any West Ham player (5.8).

In a miserable evening for the Hammers’ record Premier League goalscorer, he only managed one successful dribble, had zero shots on target, missed two big chances, and failed to produce any accurate crosses, as per Sofascore.

Meanwhile, Ings has netted double the amount of goals (eight) as his fellow striker (four) in the Premier League this campaign and is surely a more logical option on Saturday in terms of rotation and tactics.

Across the £125k-per-week striker's career, the former Liverpool man has forged a respectable reputation for his link-up play and eye for goal.

During his stint with Aston Villa, retired forward Noel Whelan commented on his style of play and partnership with Ollie Watkins.

He said: “He’s showing what a good player he is and how dangerous he can be when he drops between the lines to feed Ollie Watkins. He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with Watkins."

With top four yet to be secured and the Irons having only netted 34 goals in 32 games, the reintegration of the ex-Villa man could be the perfect antidote to bounce back against the Eagles this weekend.

Leeds United could only muster a 1-1 draw in their crucial relegation six-pointer with Leicester City on Tuesday night, to put Javi Gracia’s side in even more trouble at the bottom.

The Yorkshire outfit were perhaps fortunate to even earn a point as both Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans had goals ruled out for offside, although Patrick Bamford should have secured the win for the hosts when he inexplicably fired wide in the final moments.

Although Leeds were able to arrest their losing streak on Tuesday night, it was still a disappointing performance from Gracia’s side and with five tough fixtures to come, fans will recognise how difficult it will be to stay up now.

However, there was one silver lining from the game at Elland Road, and it was the strong performance of Jack Harrison, who has been a man possessed since Gracia took over as Leeds manager.

How did Jack Harrison play for Leeds against Leicester?

As per Sofascore, the former Manchester City man would earn a superb 7.7/10 rating for his performance, which ranked him as the second-best player on the pitch from both sides, with only James Maddison (8/10) rated higher.

It was the Englishman’s superb cross which led to Leeds’ only goal of the night, as Luis Sinisterra headed in at the back post, and he was a constant threat to Leicester’s backline throughout the game.

Although he would lose possession on 22 occasions on Tuesday night, the £90k-per-week winger was always looking to create something and contributed an impressive four key passes as a result, which is far better than his season average of 1.6 key passes per game in the Premier League.

He also created two big chances, completed four crosses and was fouled four times, which suggests that he really raised his game against Leicester, and the Foxes’ left-back Victor Kristiansen simply couldn’t deal with him, earning a shocking 5.8/10 rating for his display.

While Harrison was clearly Leeds’ most creative outlet, he also showed an extraordinary willingness to get back and help his team in defence, contributing two clearances, two interceptions and three tackles, again a big increase on his average of 0.5 clearances, 0.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game in the top flight.

If Leeds are to stay up this season, then the “outstanding” Harrison – as per Gracia – will certainly have been a big factor, as the 26-year-old now boasts three goals and three assists in 11 Premier League appearances since the Spaniard took over.

Arsenal's campaign has been near-faultless under Mikel Arteta, with the Spaniard having masterminded a turnaround that has seen last year's fifth-place finishers challenge for the title.

However, with Manchester City, the crucial part of the claim is that it has nearly been so. Unless a team attains perfection, Pep Guardiola will always be there waiting to strike, keeping his immense group of world-class players motivated until the final ball is kicked on the final day of the season.

It takes something truly special to topple this side; something which Liverpool could only manage on one occasion for all their talent and accolades.

Whether this season brings the trophy they so desperately desire back to the Emirates or not, to continue at this level the squad must be bolstered. The stars of this year cannot allow complacency to set in, and as such Edu must secure adequate back-ups to ensure they retain their levels.

Leandro Trossard already stands as an impressive addition to an already firing front line, but in Samuel Chukwueze, Bukayo Saka could truly have a test on his hands in keeping his spot in the side. Premier League full-backs wouldn't know what had hit them if they had to face one or both of these tricky customers.

Arsenal are reportedly 'going crazy' over his signature, however, Villarreal are allegedly holding out for a mouth-watering €80m (£71m) fee.

How has Samuel Chukwueze played this season?

Boasting a wicked left foot to cut off his right flank, already the Nigerian boasts keen similarities with Arsenal's number seven.

However, this trademark also draws comparisons to the legendary Arjen Robben, who he mentioned revering in an interview: "He’s the king, to me. He’s the perfect player. I watch so many YouTube clips of him, and there are so many things I can learn from watching him.

“On the way to games, even now, I will still stick on clips of Robben and watch his goals, his dribbling. He’s my inspiration, one of the greatest. I like to be me, and of course you have to be yourself, but you need to learn from people like him. What a player."

The Dutchman would certainly be proud to see how the 23-year-old is thriving under his phantom tutelage, as this season he boasts 13 goals and 11 assists for Villarreal.

Having recently scored twice to defeat Real Madrid, further outlining his pedigree, manager Quique Setien was quick to praise the winger: "He is a boy who is a great footballer. He is in a moment of fantastic inspiration. He has the desire to improve, is responsive and is a hard worker."

It is this fine form that likely has caught the attention of numerous clubs, with the Gunners headlining such a list.

Despite Saka having recorded similar numbers, with 14 goals and 11 assists from the same role, it seems like these two would offer a like-for-like solution should one be out of form.

However, if Chukwueze is to trade Spain for north London and continues his fine scoring record, Arteta will have quite the selection headache on his hands; a nice problem for someone seeking to do battle with the Cityzens for the foreseeable future.

Tottenham Hotspur have held 'positive' talks with the agents of former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique, and he is now happy to sit down with them.

Who could Spurs replace Conte with?

The north Londoners, over a month after parting ways with former boss Antonio Conte, are still very much on the look out for his permanent replacement. Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason have taken interim charge of the Premier League top four hopefuls in the meantime, with the aim of securing Champions League qualification.

The Lilywhites have reportedly drawn up their shortlist of managerial candidates to succeed Conte with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Enrique among their most high profile options as free agents.

Those in-work are also attracting attention from Tottenham, with perhaps most notably Arne Slot of Feyenoord and Oliver Glasner of Eintracht Frankfurt being the most heavily tipped to potentially join. Whoever chairman Daniel Levy chooses to appoint will be a crucial, crucial decision – especially as voices in the stands grow ever more restless with the ownership of ENIC.

Brendan Rodgers and Graham Potter have also been sporadically mentioned by members of the media, though the British duo don't appear to be as regularly talked about as the likes of Enrique. Going back to the Spaniard, after reports of Spurs planning to open talks with him, an update has come to light courtesy of 90min.

The outlet claims that Tottenham have held 'positive' talks Enrique's entourage, and after these optimistic discussions, Spurs are set to sit down with the 52-year-old. He is now apparently happy to talk with Spurs over their vacancy as both sides prepare for 'face-to-face' negotiations.

Should Spurs go for Enrique?

One big obstacle in Tottenham's way will be rivals Chelsea, who could surely be stepping up their pursuit of a new manager after they crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

They're apparently targeting Enrique as well, but if Spurs can somehow convince the tactician to move to their side of London, he could be an exciting appointment. Boasting multiple La Liga titles and a Champions League winner's medal on his CV, Enrique encourages an attack-minded 4-4-3 formation (Transfermarkt) – being called a 'genius' by members of the press.

Of course, his lack of Premier League experience could be seen as something which may count against him, but Enrique's status as a free agent opens the door for clubs like Spurs to make a risk-free move financially.

We believe he should, at the very least, be up there on Levy's list of serious options.