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Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth reports that West Ham have had a second bid for Lille midfielder Amadou Onana rejected.

The Lowdown: Opening offer turned down

The 20-year-old still has four years remaining on his contract with the Ligue 1 outfit so certainly won’t be easy to prise away, but has been the subject of plenty of interest from the Premier League.

According to The Athletic, the Irons had an opening £19.4m offer rejected last week, with their efforts being frustrated even more by the news that Arsenal have already held talks over a potential move to the Emirates.

After taking a second bite at the cherry though, the Hammers have been dealt yet another setback in their pursuit.

The Latest: Second West Ham bid rejected

Taking to Twitter, Sheth revealed that yet another West Ham offer for Onana has been turned down, with the club now exploring elsewhere despite their interest. He wrote:

“Had it confirmed West Ham United have had a second bid rejected by Lille for midfielder Amadou Onana. The offer was believed to be around €30m. While West Ham haven’t closed the door on pursuing the player, it is thought they are looking at other options.”

The Verdict: Long-term partnership?

Onana was a significant player in Lille’s starting XI last season, making 32 Ligue 1 appearances and netting one goal during that time, via WhoScored.

His key strength though is in the defensive part of his game, having averaged 1.5 tackles per league 90 minutes, an attribute which David Moyes loves in seeing his players get stuck in.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the Belgian could also add Soucek-esque dimension to the midfield and has the ability to form a great long-term partnership alongside Declan Rice, but only if the Irons up their financial game to secure both Onana’s services and the long-term future of their talisman.

Rangers have been linked with signing free agent Tom Lawrence in recent weeks and the forward could be the ideal man to replace Joe Aribo at Ibrox.

The attacking midfielder is currently without a club after leaving Derby County upon the expiry of his contract at the Rams, with his excellent performances last season not quite enough to prevent the Midlands club from dropping into League One.

Rangers are one side said to be interested in signing the 28-year-old after his impressive 2021/22 campaign, and if he does join Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, it would be in a deal reminiscent to the one that saw Aribo arrive in 2019.

The Nigeria international also joined after seeing his contract with a lower league side expire, although Rangers were forced to pay £300,000 on that occasion due to his age.

The midfielders had also been the starring light in his side’s season, with his performances helping Charlton to promotion via the playoffs, with his ten goals and five assists attracting the interest of the Gers.

He has been a mainstay at Ibrox in the three years since and is now on the brink of a move back to England, with Southampton set to sign him in a deal worth around £10m, so van Bronckhorst will need a replacement.

Last season saw Lawrence manage 11 goals and five assists in the Championship for Derby, primarily featuring in an attacking midfield role, so he clearly performed very similarly to Aribo before his move to Ibrox.

Although he is three years older than the Nigerian, his experience in the Championship suggests that he could be an excellent addition by Ross Wilson this summer, especially if he can maintain his form from last season when playing for the Gers.

The Welshman has previously been described as a “fabulous talent” and shares a lot of similarities with Aribo, with WhoScored suggesting that both Aribo and Lawrence’s strengths include passing and dribbling, while both like to perform layoffs.

[freshpress-quiz id=“712674″]

Therefore, considering the fact that he is available on a free transfer, would be signing from an English club and is an attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, the similarities with the Aribo deal are clear to see, and Wilson should definitely look at bringing him in on a bargain deal.

And, in other news… David Ornstein drops big transfer update that’ll have Rangers supporters gutted

TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has delivered an update on West Ham United’s pursuit of Rennes centre-back Nayef Aguerd. 

The lowdown: West Ham interested in Aguerd

This comes following a report from Le Parisien (via Get French Football News) last week claiming that the Hammers were progressing in their chase to sign the 26-year-old.

It has since been claimed that David Moyes views the Moroccan as a priority this summer, as the Irons manager attempts to bolster a problem area in the London Stadium squad.

One informed onlooker has now provided the latest situation surrounding this potential deal…

The latest: Crook on Aguerd

Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer specialist Crook claimed that West Ham could tie up a move for Aguerd in the near future, whilst also ruling out a swoop for one Premier League defender who has been linked with the east Londoners.

He said: “I’m not convinced Michael Keane would be that attractive for West Ham if they’re trying to challenge for Europe again. I don’t think he had a brilliant season for Everton, maybe his best days are behind him.

“But Aguerd, they’re keen on him, they’ve scouted him quite a lot towards the back end of last season, they sent people over to France, so I’m expecting that one to happen.”

The verdict: Could be a good fit

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, Aguerd has been described as a ‘monster in the air’ by football consultant and writer Jonathan Fadugba, and would therefore fit the mould of what Moyes wants from a centre-back.

Last season, the 19-cap Morroco ace scored four times and provided three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions in France, highlighting his prowess in the attacking third. He also averaged an impressive 3.1 successful aerial duels and four clearances per game whilst helping his team to keep 10 clean sheets in Ligue 1 (Sofascore).

Closely indexed to Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk, Lille’s Sven Botman and Barcelona legend Gerard Pique in terms of playing style (FBRef), signing Aguerd this summer would appear to be a superb piece of business from GSB and Moyes.

In other news: Journalist says West Ham are ‘in talks’ to sign an ‘amazing’ forward, find out more here.

Will Moeen Ali earn a recall at the Ageas Bowl and can Sam Curran find a place in the XI?

Andrew McGlashan25-Aug-20182:08

‘Cook would do better at No. 3’ – Compton

Re-orderingThe injury to Jonny Bairstow may prevent him from keeping wicket in Southampton but he could play as a batsman. That would mean a likely move up to No. 4 and could be a harbinger of a future set-up for England’s top order alongside a shift of the gloves to Jos Buttler. Trevor Bayliss has admitted it could be a tricky decision and it might need some careful management, but England need to do everything they can to get the most out of an era of underwhelming top-order resources. The reshuffle would also allow Ollie Pope, if he is retained, to drop down a spot to No. 5 which would be a fairer position for a young batsman to try and settle into. There are other debates to have about the order as well, not least Joe Root’s position at No. 3, but England are unlikely to want a complete game of musical chairs before a crucial Test.Should Vince play anyway?When England named their squad, it was indicated that James Vince’s recall was purely as cover for Bairstow. However, Vince has been considered good enough to be brought back so should he be considered for a batting spot regardless? Pope is hugely talented but there is a feeling he may have been promoted too soon – although making a judgement on two Tests is, in itself, harsh – so one option would be for Vince to come in for Pope. A left-field option could be to have him open alongside Alastair Cook in place of Keaton Jennings. It would break up an all-left-hand opening combination which India’s bowlers have exploited. But while Vince opens in white-ball cricket, it is a very different ask to do so in a Test.Getty ImagesIn-form MoeenMoeen Ali has had a prolific few weeks with bat and ball. England aren’t short on allrounders, but Moeen has surely done enough to make the selectors think of finding a spot for him. Depending on what his main role is viewed as, it could just be a straight swap for Adil Rashid, although Rashid has done little wrong in this series. Moeen could also return as a batting-first option in place of Pope – and be part of a twin-spin attack – or if there are doubts over Ben Stokes’ bowling fitness as an allrounder (Bayliss has previously indicated he would consider Stokes as a batsman).Can Curran get back in?Sam Curran was unfortunate to lose his place for Trent Bridge and, though Stokes impressed with the bat on the fourth day, there’s a strong argument to say England got the selection wrong. But now that Curran is out, it’s tricky to see how he slots back in. The talk of rotating pace bowlers in this series has quietened (that could come in the winter) particularly with India’s fightback, so Curran may need an injury to create a gap. However, if Pope was replaced by Moeen and England only wanted one spinner, then Curran could replace Rashid. This may be an option if there is uncertainty about Stokes’ workload but otherwise five seamers would seem like overkill.Ageas a good omen for England?Four years ago, England came to the Ageas Bowl under huge pressure. On that occasion they were 1-0 down after a defeat at Lord’s and Cook was on the brink of quitting. This time England, for all the criticism of the past week, are still leading 2-1 but there are some similarities. Cook, for one, is in desperate need of a score. Four years ago he was dropped at slip on 15 and went onto a battling 95. This time there is no captaincy on the line for Cook, but it has reached the stage where it feels as though he needs a good score in the final two Tests to prolong his magnificent career. Another point to note from the 2014 Test is that Moeen was the second-innings match-winner with 6 for 67.

Suddenly Yorkshire are confident in white-ball cricket but it was not always that way. The change over the past few weeks has been dramatic

Paul Edwards19-Aug-2016Suddenly Yorkshire are the masters of white-ball cricket. Alex Lees and his players will arrive at Edgbaston for Finals Day in the NatWest Blast expecting to do well and, to add to their pleasure, there is also a 50-over semi-final against Surrey in prospect.But it was not always this way. Just two months ago Yorkshire’s best chance of getting points in the NatWest T20 Blast seemed to be an abandonment. So how has the team that was regularly beaten turned into the team to beat? What has changed?Having won five of 14 games and finished next to bottom of the North Group in 2015, Yorkshire had won none of their first five matches this year (although two were abandoned) and seemed to have little chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.Then they played Derbyshire at Headingley on June 19 and, when rain swept across the ground, their nine-over score gave them a grimy one-run Duckworth-Lewis victory. That was the first of seven wins Yorkshire were to record in this year’s Blast and, following last Thursday’s demolition of Glamorgan at Cardiff, they will arriving at Edgbaston on Saturday in confident mood.”I think most people were writing us off but we had that self-belief that if we got one win, we would get on a roll and do well,” said the T20 skipper, Lees. “As a team we’ve bought into the ideology of backing yourself and backing your team-mate. The key is to do the same thing when things are not going so well.”We sat down and had a couple of chats and said that we knew we were better than the way we had performed. We’ve been poor since 2012. We’ve done it as a team, as a collective, and that’s our blue print.”All of which is fine, of course, but rather similar things might have been said by any skipper whose county was playing pretty dismal short-form cricket. And yes, T20 is a game of frustratingly daft narrow margins. The key is to ensure that, far more often than not, you end up on the right side of them. The reasons go deeper than that.Let’s go back to that game against Derbyshire because it was important for more than just the result. The game saw the return to Yorkshire’s T20 team of Adam Lyth, whose confidence had received a fillip when he had hit successive 50-over hundreds against Northamptonshire and Lancashire a few days previously. Lyth blasted 30 off 16 balls, hitting three fours and a couple of sixes. Muck or nettles, he has carried on blasting ever since.But the match against Derbyshire also saw the return to Yorkshire’s T20 side of Azeem Rafiq, who had been released a couple of years earlier, yet whose form has been such since his re-engagement that he has been awarded his first-team cap. Rafiq is currently bowling his short-form overs at 6.9 runs apiece and he has taken 13 wickets, making him second only to Adil Rashid and Tim Bresnan in Yorkshire’s list of successful T20 bowlers this season.

“There’s never just one voice in our dressing room. There are 11 players who voice their opinion and that’s the Yorkshire way”Yorkshire’s T20 captain, Alex Lees

“Azeem was a revelation for us, particularly in those middle overs with Adil,” Lees said. “He gives you consistency. His bowling has made my job a lot easier. I was assured he’d be back at some point in the next few years but I didn’t know in what capacity and now he’s been rewarded with his first-team cap.”And the biggest thing for Adam is that he’s been backed. There is a carefree attitude that we’re going to go out and have a good time. The same thing can be said of David Willey, who didn’t get the runs he would have liked early in the season.”There is a sense in all this that Yorkshire’s cricketers have taken the brakes off in T20 cricket. Those brakes may not have been applied at all times in all games but they do not need to be. You only need to have four bad overs in the short-form stuff and it’s Goodnight, Vienna.Perhaps something of this approach was communicated to Lyth and his players by Kane Williamson, the New Zealand leader to whose team talks Rafiq has paid particular tribute.”There’s never just one voice in our dressing room,” said Lees. “There are 11 players who voice their opinion and that’s the Yorkshire way in all our cricket. Kane came in at the right time, he was a great character to have around the dressing room and he gave us a bit of direction as to the way we should go, particularly when we were unsure.”Kane give us that calmness as well as his own view. We got on a roll when no one believed we should be at a Finals Day and here we are.”The results of any change of attitude have been different with each player but they have been particularly evident with two cricketers at very different stages of their career. Jack Leaning has found that hitting sixes is something he can do on a regular basis while Bresnan is suddenly mixing up his deliveries like a drunken postman.”Jack’s gone from nudging and nurdling it around to whacking it out of the park,” said Lees. “He’s found his method in white-ball cricket and that can only come from confidence and he’s now very confident in that format.”Tim is experienced and he probably looked at how he went last year and just adapted things a little bit. May be he has mixed it up a little bit. This year it seems he’s bowling tight and he was exceptional in the game at Cardiff but in his own words his first ball was ‘a pie’ and he got a wicket with it. Last year, it would have gone out of the ground.”Liam Plunkett has been some rapid spells, proof that simple, searing pace has a home in Twenty20 and Lees himself, in his first season as a youthful captain, has worked on his own game well enough to enter Finals Day as Yorkshire’s leading run-scorer.Some would argue that Yorkshire are the form horses at this year’s Finals Day and they will be boosted by the availability of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow et al. Whatever else, they will play without fear and with a brio that was absent in the grim days of May and early June. It has been some transformation but at Edgbaston it will receive its most searching test.

With no weak links in the four-man bowling unit that took on the West Indies, the availability of Ryan Harris for the Ashes will give the Australian selectors much to ponder

Daniel Brettig15-Jun-20151:26

Hazlewood and Lyon star in Caribbean

9Josh Hazlewood
If Hazlewood and his mentor Craig McDermott tend to shy away from Glenn McGrath comparisons, by the end of the series they were in the minority. The coach Darren Lehmann and the selector on duty Mark Waugh were both happy to place the two New South Welshmen in the same sentence, and a series of displays as miserly as they were incisive boded exceptionally well for Hazlewood’s future. Other members of the Australia attack may be quicker or swing the ball further, but Hazlewood has a combination of height, bounce, accuracy and deviation that will make him fiendishly hard to face in England.Adam Voges
A decade in the making, Voges’ debut was the stuff of dreams, but more importantly it showcased a brand of sensible, mature batting that will be a source of great reassurance to others in the top six. Before this series, Voges would have been happy just to play one Test here or in England. Now he is a nailed on starter for Cardiff, and for who knows how long beyond?8Steven Smith
Now ranked the world’s No. 1 Test batsman, Smith atoned for a rare stumping in Dominica with an innings of consummate composure and game awareness at Sabina Park. He dropped into the No. 3 position like a coin into a slot, and it was evidence that his success had caused some other members of the team to re-evaluate their own approaches in search of more consistent runs. As for his discomfort in the nervous 190s, it’s a problem we’d all like to have.Mitchell Starc
Coming out of the IPL and no red-ball cricket since the Sydney Test in early January, Starc was perhaps understandably rusty in his first spell or two. But after that he found a confident groove and swinging rhythm that made him far too good for any West Indies batsman, and now more or less assured of taking the first over of the innings. The availability of Ryan Harris for England leaves the selectors with much to ponder, for right now there isn’t a batsman in world cricket who would fancy Starc with a new ball.Mitchell Starc took two wickets in the first over of the West Indies fourth innings chase at Sabina Park•Getty Images7Nathan Lyon
The Australians chanted “GOAT, GOAT, GOAT” in tribute to Lyon’s standing as the most successful offspinner in the history of Test cricket down under, and his was a largely undaunted display. Some minor issues finding the right pace for the pitch in Dominica were erased in Jamaica, and an England team stocked heavily with left-handers has already got Lyon looking confidently towards the Ashes.6Mitchell Johnson
While not the terrorising force of 2014, Johnson still had a more than useful series, bowling spells of several varieties and chipping in for key wickets like that of Marlon Samuels in the second innings in Dominica. He also contributed vital runs in the first Test, and carried himself with the sort of assured air he will hope to retain in England. The memories of 2009 will likely motivate him to get things right for this Ashes series.Michael Clarke
Started the series short of batting rhythm, and by the end he had gone some way towards finding it. Was annoyed to be out swishing at a wide one in Jamaica after being earlier reprieved by a Kemar Roach no-ball, but his stand with Smith had at least guided Australia out of trouble. Led the team with typical verve on the field, and his catching was a delight. Hamstring surgery has clearly agreed with his body, and he looks more than capable of withstanding the physical demands of England.Shaun Marsh
A middling series from Marsh, albeit in the unfamiliar post of opening batsman. Would have wanted to go on to a bigger score, and showed enough frailty against the new ball to suggest that Chris Rogers should be back at the top in England. Should Marsh find his way out of the team during the Ashes, it will be less because he has fallen short, and more because his state captain Voges has been so outstanding in recent times.Shaun Marsh made 69 in his second dig at Sabina Park, but could be the odd man out for the first Ashes Test in Cardiff•Getty Images5Brad Haddin
Kept well in challenging conditions, particularly to Lyon, and continued to operate as an influential senior pro in the team. However Haddin’s batting has fallen away since his heroics against England, as he maintains a most ambitious approach without his former luck. There will be times during the Ashes when he will be needed to stand up as a batsman, and he will require every bit of his resolve to win the urn in England to do so.David Warner
Self-consciously altering his approach both around the team and on the field of play, Warner was twice dismissed cheaply by sharply lifting deliveries and then struggling for fluency in his only substantial innings. Given a terse assessment by the coach Darren Lehmann, Warner will want runs in England, a place where he has much unfinished business after the travails of 2013.Shane Watson
A decent bowling spell on the final day of the series was Watson’s most effective contribution of the series, and he was as disappointed as anyone about failing to go on from a pair of starts. He batted in a fury in Dominica but was more circumspect in Jamaica, neither approach reaping a significant score. Mitchell Marsh is ready and waiting should Watson slip up further in England.

Graeme Swann claimed his best Ashes figures of 5 for 44 on the second day and felt his dismissal of Chris Rogers constituted one of the worst pieces of cricket in Test history

George Dobell19-Jul-2013When a bowler takes a wicket with a full toss as ugly as the one Graeme Swann delivered to Chris Rogers, he can be fairly confident it is going to be his day.Certainly Swann admitted to some “outrageous fortune” on his way to claiming his best Ashes figures of 5 for 44. He was even happy to float the suggestion that the dismissal of Rogers constituted the “worst piece of cricket in Test history.”It all helped to underline that Swann and his England colleagues were the beneficiaries of as inept a performance of Test batting as Australia has displayed on this famous old ground since the Second World War.On the ground where Don Bradman and Greg Chappell made Test centuries, where Steve Waugh lifted a World Cup, and where Keith Miller and Glenn McGrath ripped through England’s batting, Australia produced a performance unworthy of their proud heritage. England weren’t required to operate in anything above third gear.That is not to say that Swann and co bowled poorly. Far from it. But, on a pitch on which Swann England rated a par score at around 400-450, to dismiss Australia for just 128 was reflective not just of a solid bowling performance but of something rotten within the Australian batting.It sounds harsh, but the standard of cricket in this series has been oddly mediocre. While there have been outstanding individual performances – the batting of Ian Bell and the bowling of James Anderson stand out – the batting of both top-orders to date has been some way below that expected at this level. And on the second day of this game, England’s bowlers did not need to be anywhere near their best to dismantle an Australian batting line-up who are in danger of being remembered as the weakest to have represented their nation.At times, England were not even forced to earn wickets. Phil Hughes fell to a wild swing, Ashton Agar was run out in a style that might have been considered too slapstick for inclusion in a Laurel and Hardy film and Rogers should have hit the delivery that dismissed him into St John’s Wood High Street.Even Shane Watson, the man promoted to open the batting due to his superior technique, fell after attempting to play across a straight ball in the over before lunch. Rarely in Test cricket are wickets sold so cheaply.For that reason it is necessary to maintain some perspective while judging this England performance. Their top-order batting continues to under-perform, they missed two relatively straightforward chances in the field and they were obliged to use a succession of substitute fielders as several members of the team left the field to gain treatment for various aches and pains. On a flat pitch and under a hot sun, they should have faced a draining day.Instead they found life easy. Australia, showing the fight of a pacifist kitten, produced a display of batting so lacking in backbone or intelligence that it reduced a full house crowd to something approaching bewilderment.The issue of DRS typifies the contrast in professionalism between these two sides. While England have devised a largely successful formula that involves calm decision making, Australia continue to treat DRS as if it is a form of barely intelligible black magic.Brad Haddin’s pre-match comments that Australia “go on feel” and that the DRS “is not actually a big thing” sounded strangely fatalistic, even amateurish, in the modern game where analysis plays such a huge role. Leaving such an important area to chance is a dereliction of duty and is costing Australia dear.Swann is a fine cricketer and arguably England’s best spinner since Jim Laker. But he will never take a softer five-wicket haul in Test cricket than this. Although the pitch is dry and a few balls turned alarmingly from a largely unthreatening line outside the right-handers’ leg stump, Swann benefited most from some reckless batting.He claimed two wickets as first Usman Khawaja and then Ryan Harris tried to drive him over the top and skied catches. He gained another when Brad Haddin attempted to slog-sweep a delivery from outside off stump. The Rogers dismissal, described as “embarrassing” to batsman and bowler by Swann, will win mentions for years to come as a contender for ‘the worst delivery to take a Test wicket.’Only Steve Smith, brilliantly caught by Ian Bell at short leg off a delivery that spat off the pitch and took the batsman’s glove, could claim innocence for his downfall.”It was a mixture of good bowling and a bit of outrageous fortune,” Swann admitted afterwards. “The Rogers dismissal was very strange. I can’t put my finger on why it happened. I’m not sure there’s been a worse piece of cricket in Test history. I’m sure he’s as embarrassed about it as I was. It was one of those freaky things. It completely slipped out of my hand.”Swann certainly bowled better than he had at Trent Bridge. While he is yet to regain the remarkable accuracy that has typified his bowling in the past, he was noticeably tighter than he had been in the previous Test and, against such fragile opposition, it proved enough to make them buckle. He is the first England spinner to claim a five-wicket haul in an Ashes Test at Lord’s since Hedley Verity in 1934.Describing the performance as a “boyhood dream”, Swann said that his previous mention on the Lord’s honours board had been tarnished when the game became the focus of allegations about spot-fixing.”I’m on the honours board once before from a game against Pakistan,” Swann said, “But that was tainted. So to get it up there in an Ashes game is a boyhood dream. For a while I was thinking I might get on the batting board this morning, but agonisingly I fell 72 runs short.”England maintained the pressure well in the field. Stuart Broad, again bowling better than his figures suggest, executed England’s plan to dismiss Michael Clarke perfectly – a succession of bouncers left him reluctant to get forward and pinned on the foot by the full delivery that followed .Tim Bresnan, recalled in place of the enigmatic Steven Finn, justified the decision by providing few soft runs, James Anderson delivered eight maidens in his 14 overs and the ground fielding showed impressive commitment and athleticism. It was typified by Jonny Bairstow who, with England leading by almost 250 with Australia nine down, turned a four into a three following a long chase and diving stop on the long off boundary.England’s fortune extended into their second innings. Had Joe Root been caught on eight, a simple chance that passed between first slip and keeper, the scrutiny on his new role of opener would have increased and Australia might have scented an opportunity to clamber their way back into this game. Instead an opportunity to lift the mood was transformed into another dispiriting setback and Root went unpunished for his lapse.For those England supporters who grew up familiar with the ritual humiliation that characterised Ashes encounters in the 1990s, there will be some grim satisfaction in days like this. But for those who relish combative, good quality cricket, this was a bitterly disappointing experience.In years to come, this period may be remembered as the lowest ebbs in the history of Australian Test cricket. It would be unwise to read too much into England’s current ascendancy.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the third day of the lone Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare

Firdose Moonda in Harare06-Aug-2011 Celebration of the day
Zimbabwe had plenty to celebrate in the field and they were going to give every success its due, so when they had their biggest reason to make merry, they got the party started. When Shakib al Hasan edged a Chris Mpofu delivery to Tatenda Taibu, Zimbabwe had the major breakthrough they wanted and Ray Price and Mpofu unveiled the special jig they had planned for the occasion, the kind normally seen on a football field. They tapped feet, first right, then left, then right again and then embraced. The crowd was delighted and some of them even joined in every time another wicket fell.Quick change of the day
Brian Vitori started off bowling over the wicket and didn’t seem to be getting the same zip as he was on day two. He knew something needed to change. Without warning the umpire or the batsman, he switched tack to come around the wicket. A few paces after he started running in, he realised that he hadn’t gone through all the motions, turned around, went back to his mark, and gestured emphatically to the batman that he would be switching to around-the-wicket and started again. It turned out to be a good decision, because he got more movement and, eventually, his third wicket. Best buy of the day
With a bigger crowd coming in to the ground on the weekend, it was time for the entrepreneurs to show their wares. Apart from the usual culinary delights, with a wider than normal range of sweets for sale, there was everything from sunglasses to bunches of roses on offer. The best buy of the day belonged to the ZC stall which was selling shirts, caps, cricket balls and a ZC wallet.The no-go zone of the day
While Tinotenda Mawoyo and Vusi Sibanda were batting Zimbabwe into a comfortable position in the third session, 12th man Malcom Waller decided he would try to learn how to emulate them. He asked batting consultant and former opening batsmen Grant Flower to give him throw downs in the nets. The pair, together with the team’s fitness trainer, made their way to their training spot, only to find it cordoned off and the lines being painted. They asked the man who was doing the painting if they could interrupt him for a little while, but weren’t allowed to, and had to go around to the secondary nets on the far side of the ground for their practice.The noisiest fans of the day
Harare Sports ground only has a capacity of 10,000, and will be lucky to fill half of it on any given day in this Test match. What it did have today was some vociferous fans, who were causing quite a din. The open, uncovered stand, which was mostly deserted before today, had a group of supporters occupying a few rows in one of its corners. They had with them a few umbrellas, a couple of dance routines and some chants. As Zimbabwe batted, they became more and more enthusiastic, clapping their hands, doing pirouette-like turns and singing with all the melody they could muster. Most of the songs were in the local Shona language but the odd English word crept in.

Michael Hussey must be the most calculating batsman in the game

Ali Cook10-Oct-2008

Michael Hussey must be the most calculating batsman in the game. When he goes out he carries a protractor in his mind along with an unbending desire. He thinks in degrees for runs and has proved the method works all over the world.In Hussey’s autobiography he reveals he writes lots of lists. At the crease his duties are on a sheet in his brain.Anil Kumble is bowling mostly googlies

There’s an eight-metre gap between cover and mid-off

If he pitches up, hit it through 78 degrees

Full face, don’t try to smash it
So Hussey was prepared when Kumble skipped in and delivered a fuller ball around off stump. He took a big step, checked his drive and stroked it with such superb timing that he pierced fielders who could almost touch each other. The boundary moved him to 82. While most of his team-mates had to wrestle for their returns, Hussey had the ability to glide.One of the few times his precision left him was when Ishant Sharma forced an inside-edge that went for four and raised his ninth century in 26 Tests. It is an incredible record built on the adding-machine properties made famous by Bradman. Hussey now averages 70.60, sitting high above Graeme Pollock and near the feet of The Don.His driving on the off side was exact throughout, but he was not content waiting for the opportunities to play a big shot. With India unable to force the wickets that were expected initially on a pitch offering more uneven bounce, he toyed with them by varying his speed like an all-stops train. Accelerate with a four, slow for a well-placed single, stop, let out a deep breath, start again.After drinks in the second session Harbhajan Singh was operating, very briefly, without a man on the boundary in front of square leg, trying to force Hussey into a mistake. Only Hussey doesn’t take unnecessary risks. When he decides to do something he has already considered the dangers and deemed them too small. If his mind was a guide for race-horse punters none of them would be in debt.With the off side packed, he stepped back to the first vaguely short offering and pulled a boundary in front of square. Later in the over he slog-swept a six to long-on and quickly judged it time to slow down. His constant contributions eased the demands on his partners. He must be a fabulous man to bat with; solid and dependable yet always ticking things over.After the valuable stand of 91 with Brad Haddin ended he conducted a fruitful partnership of 59 with Brett Lee. One of the concerns for Australia heading into the series was that the lower order would collapse in the unfamiliar conditions and the handy runs usually expected of them would evaporate.Hussey was able to delay the fall until Zaheer Khan lined up Lee and Mitchell Johnson in a couple of overs after tea before focusing on the main man. Hussey knew time was running out when Lee departed, so he altered his thinking and embraced more unconventional means. A reverse-sweep was successful but soon he was facing the suddenly nasty swing of Khan. An inside-edge toppled his middle stump and, last man out, he scurried off with 146.It was an ugly end but it was not a stain on a consummate performance. Ponting is undoubtedly the best batsman in the team, but Hussey will be his greatest ally during this series. Nothing flusters or hurries him. Not the heat, or the noise, or the bowling.Only the sight of no more batsmen in the dressing room could force him into a lethal error. In such a taxing and distracting environment he is Australia’s most valuable player.

The striker was one of the last players cut before Mexico announced its final 23-man squad for Qatar 2022

• Mexico was eliminated in the group stage
• Martino opted for Rogelio Funes Mori instead
• Giménez hopes to make his World Cup debut in 2026

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Santiago Giménez has finally opened up about the painful experience of being left out of Mexico’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In an interview with YouTuber “El Escorpión Dorado,” the current AC Milan striker revealed that then-head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino had told him he was the starting striker – only to cut him at the last moment.

  "I honestly saw myself on the list," Giménez said. "The last time I was called up, Tata told me: ‘You’re my starting striker right now, and if you keep playing like this, you’ll go to the World Cup.’ I started scoring, I was doing well… and then he left me out.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Giménez’s exclusion caused backlash at the time, as the striker was enjoying a strong first season with Feyenoord, scoring consistently and impressing with his performances. Despite that, Martino left him off the final squad, arguing that Giménez lacked playing time – a rationale that was heavily questioned by both media and fans. Instead, the Argentine coach called up fellow countryman Rogelio Funes Mori, who was then playing for Monterrey. Funes Mori ended up playing just four minutes during the entire tournament, further fueling criticism toward Martino’s decision.

• AFP
  

  WHAT SANTIAGO GIMÉNEZ SAID

  Giménez also detailed how he learned about the decision and criticized the way it was handled. According to the forward, he was flown to Girona along with Diego Lainez under the impression they would train with the team ahead of the final roster announcement. Just a few hours after landing, however, both were informed – via phone call – that they had been cut.

  “They knew it would be a tough decision, so they wanted to get it over with quickly. But the way they did it was wrong – they told me over the phone. I flew to Girona because they said I’d be training in case something happened… like a backup option," Gimenez explained. "Lainez and I arrived, and two hours later, they told us we weren’t going. We got on a plane just to turn around and go back to Mexico.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  At just 24 years old, Giménez has yet to make the impact he would’ve hoped for with the Mexican national team. In 42 appearances for the AC Milan striker has scored only five goals.