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Jordan Tunnicliffe admits that phone apps are an unwelcome distraction for Wrexham, with it difficult to keep eyes off the League Two table.

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Red Dragons have wobbled of lateStill in the hunt for top-three finishEager to avoid unwelcome distractionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons would prefer to keep collective focus locked on a “tough” promotion bid, with a difficult run of late seeing Phil Parkinson’s side pick up just two wins from their last eight games in all competitions and now locked in a battle for top-three finishes.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TUNNICLIFFE SAID ABOUT WREXHAM

Tunnicliffe has said of efforts to avoid spending too much time looking at the fourth-tier standings: “League Two is a tough league. Notts County came up with us (via the play-offs) and neither of us have blown it away like we did last season. There are some good teams who you have to respect. You try and focus on yourselves, but there’s all these apps out there now on your phone, so it is easy to look at the table and the form of all the teams. You just have to be really disciplined and focus on yourself and each game as it comes. I know that’s boring and a cliche, but it is true. If you start looking ahead, then you’re not focusing on what you need to focus on. We need to focus on Tuesday and build from there.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham know what it takes to get over a promotion line, having claimed the National League title in record-breaking style last season, and Tunnicliffe hopes that will stand them in good stead. He added: “It is all to play for. We need to repeat what we did last season and that is show a killer instinct away from home. We were good on the road last season and we need to get back to that. Gillingham is gone now. What matters is how we respond. We have two more games this week and how we respond on Tuesday (at Forest Green) and Saturday (at home to Accrington Stanley) is what matters. Pick up maximum points from those two games and the table looks good again.”

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

The Red Dragons suffered a 1-0 defeat at Gillingham last time out, as their patchy away form continued, and will remain on the road for a meeting with Forest Green Rovers. They have 13 games left in which to collect enough points that will secure automatic promotion and avoid having to pick up another ticket for the play-off lottery.

Rajan Nayar pleads guilty to approaching Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer with intent to improperly influence the course of an international match

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-20185:25

Graeme Cremer describes how he was approached to match-fix

Rajan Nayar, a domestic cricket official in Zimbabwe, has been suspended from all cricketing activities for 20 years by the ICC for attempting to improperly influence an international match.The incident had taken place in October last year when Nayar approached Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer and offered USD 30,000 to engage in corrupt activity. Cremer “immediately” reported to the approach to the ICC, which began an investigation into the matter.Nayar, serving as treasurer and marketing director of Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA) at the time, accepted all the charges against him. The suspension will be backdated to the start of his provisional suspension on 16 January, 2018.Alex Marshall, general manager with the ICC”s Anti-Corruption Unit, said: “I welcome the result of the investigation and the substantial sanction imposed upon Mr. Nayer. It is important that the seriousness of his offences was reflected in the length of the ban.”I would like to place on record my thanks to Graeme Cremer, who has acted with the utmost professionalism throughout this process. Immediately after he received the approach from Mr. Nayar he reported it to the ICC and we were able to get an investigation underway swiftly. Graeme has been involved and updated throughout the investigation and has played a critical role in ensuring that corruption has no place in our sport.”Cremer himself expressed surprise that a well-known official had acted in such a manner. “I was appalled to be approached by someone so closely connected to the game and there was no doubt in my mind that I had to report it as soon as I could. We receive education around this which you never expect to have to use, but it certainly helped when it came to knowing what to do.”

The former India offspinner replaces Venkatesh Prasad, who has now taken up a coaching role with Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2018Aashish Kapoor, the former India offspinner, has replaced Venkatesh Prasad as the chairman of India’s junior selection committee. Kapoor joins Gyanendra Pandey and Rakesh Parekh in the committee.Prasad quit the role in March and joined Kings XI Punjab for the ongoing IPL season. During his tenure, India reached the Under-19 World Cup final twice, and won the title earlier this year. Keeping both positions would have left Prasad on the wrong side of the conflict of interest rules as advocated by the Lodha panel.Kapoor played four Tests and 17 ODIs for India between 1994 and 2000. He was part of the World Cup squad in 1996 and the XI for the semi-final against Sri Lanka. Kapoor had a successful domestic career, taking 398 wickets in 128 first-class matches in addition to scoring 3449 runs.

An expert lip-reader claims to be “97 per cent confident” that allegations of Jude Bellingham branding Mason Greenwood a “rapist” are correct.

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Local rivals in La Liga actionEngland internationals crossed pathsIncident reported by the home sideWHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid midfielder lined up against the Manchester United-owned winger when facing Getafe in La Liga action on Thursday. The England internationals crossed paths throughout that contest, with one challenge in particular causing a stir.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bellingham was caught on camera aiming a supposed slur in Greenwood’s direction, with Getafe reportedly requesting that the incident be included in the post-game match report pieced together by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea.

WHAT LIP-READER SAID ABOUT BELLINGHAM

Without audio, any case against Bellingham will be difficult to prove. Forensic lip-reader Jeremy Freeman has, however, told the when offering his opinion on what was said: “After carefully analysing the clip, I am 97 per cent confident that the spoken word is ‘rapist’, particularly when considering the context in which it was used. The visual cues of the lips indicate the presence of the 'R' and 'P' sounds, and the word appears to end sharply. Additionally, the speaker seems to have a pronounced Brummie accent, which I factored into my interpretation. Given the clarity of these visual markers and the absence of any viable alternative interpretation, I am quite certain of this conclusion.”

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It remains to be seen whether Bellingham could be punished for the alleged slur. Greenwood is spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan in Spain from Premier League giants United. He saw allegations of attempted rape, assault, and coercive behaviour dropped in February 2023 – freeing him to resume his professional career.

Martin Williamson reviews the latest Ashes books offerings

Martin Williamson and Will Luke19-Nov-2006In his foreword to Cricket’s Burning Passion (see below), Michael Atherton writes: “In the aftermath of the wondrous 2005 Ashes series, a raft of cricket books appeared on the bookshelves. There were the usual gruesome mix of ghosted autobiographies, ghosted diaries and rushed, ill-considered reviews …”. Ahead of the 2006-07 series a number of books have been issued, as expected, but the quality is far superior than those Atherton refers to. In 2005, the writers were all up against tight deadlines as publishers sought to cash in. The current offering shows that the authors have had the advantage of having time to prepare, and the result in a much more enjoyable and readable selection

Stiff Upper Lips and Baggy Green Caps Simon Briggs (Quercus, 280pp)

So much has been written about the Ashes, especially since September 2005, that finding a fresh angle on such a well-documented history would seem to present an almost insurmountable challenge. However, Simon Briggs has managed to rise to the occasion, and the end result is a delightful offering which should appeal to both seasoned fan and relative newcomer. The strength of the book is that it eschews the worthy-but-dull statistics which often form the bedrock of such histories and, by concentrating on the colourful characters and events the result is an easy read but a far from unfulfilling one. If you want a potted history of Test cricket’s oldest continuous rivalry – and you want to be entertained into the bargain – then look no further.The Ashes Miscellany Clive Batty (VSP 146pp)

The problem with books of miscellany is that the originals have spawned some dreadful offspring with little merit aimed at nothing more than cashing in on the sales boom. In the last couple of months there have been two such dire offerings, so it was a delight to find that The Ashes Miscellany is a return to the well-researched and entertaining kind of book that made the genre so popular in the first place. The contents will appeal to both those who consider themselves well versed in Ashes history and casual cricket fans who want trivia to impress their friends in the pub. It would have been too easy to pad the book with well-worn anecdotes and page-filling statistics, but Clive Batty has avoided that short cut and produced a genuinely good publication.The Book of Ashes Anecdotes Gideon Haigh (Mainstream 376pp)

The delight of setting out on a review of anything by Gideon Haigh is that you know it will be a quality read, and this collection of quotes and book extracts is no exception. He has produced a similar offering before – his 1997 Australian Cricket Anecdotes is well worth snuffling out – and this follows a similar format. Some of the entries are familiar but many are not, and it is those that shed a new light on many events in Ashes history. What really makes this, however, is that Haigh has not gone down the route of reproducing pithy one-liners but has opted for longer extracts, and this allows the flavour of the writers and characters to come through and make a more lasting effect. I found the Bodyline section the most interesting, especially Douglas Jardine’s reflection on it and Bradman some years later. “You know, we nearly didn’t do it,” he said. “The little man was bloody good.” That last sentiment also applies to Haigh’s book.

Cricket’s Burning Passion Scyld Berry and Rupert Peploe (Methuen 206pp)

In his introduction, Michael Atherton notes that amid all the Ashes brouhaha in 2005, few actually knew much about the urn at the heart of all the fuss. The challenge for Berry and Peploe (the great grandson of Ivo Bligh, the man who regained the Ashes lost in 1882) was to bring alive a tour which took place 124 years ago. That they have done, and the end result is a remarkable story and a compelling read. Bligh is one of the game’s more colourful characters and those who toured with him – and almost all of them died young – are a fascinating rabble. And as for the urn? Well, there remains some uncertainty about its contents. Some say it is a burnt bail, others a burnt piece of leather from a ball. Most likely, however, it is ash from fires at Bligh’s run-down stately home – more than one tale exists of the urn being knocked over and the contents spilled and replaced from the fireplace by clumsy servants. The Ashes are possibly sports’ least intrinsically valuable trophy. This book helps to explain why they are priceless.Match of My Life Sam Pilger and Rob Wightman (Know the Score books, 240pp)

It requires something really unique for a new Ashes book to poke itshead above the masses. And though Sam Pilger and Rob Wightman’s lacks a certain gravitas, the 12 namesfeatured provide enough interesting and amusing anecdotes to hold thereader’s attention span. The premise is simple: 12 famous Ashes namesrecount their stories. The usual and the modern are all there: AshleyGiles, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer – but far too much has alreadybeen said about 2005, the series which apparently beats all that precede it.Fortunately there are others to address the balance and Neil Harveyopens the book’s innings. Written in his own words Harvey recounts hisfirst Ashes Test (he made 112in the first innings scored the winning run in Australia’s chaseof 404). It is written with candour with amusing stories of the tours -meeting King George VI and Keith Miller’s friendship with the currentqueen, Elizabeth – which comes as a relief. Langer’s, on the otherhand, is too misty-eyed; a syrupy tone is best left for the biography.And writing in the third person, which he does once or twice, is aninstant mood-killer too. Talking of killing the mood, Geoffrey Boycott- an inevitable name to appear in such a collection – ischaracteristically candid, although offers a little too much on hisown achievements. It’s Geoffrey, though, and therefore requiredreading. Overall, it is a crisp, brisk and enjoyable view intoplayers’ experiences of playing in the Ashes. It’s a little different,too, and therefore worth a look.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has dropped a hugely significant piece of Newcastle United news regarding one specific player.

Who have Newcastle signed recently?

The Magpies have spent vast chunks of recent times languishing somewhere near the bottom of the Premier League table or even being relegated to the Championship, which has been unacceptable for such a huge club.

Thankfully, the good times have returned to St James' Park, however, with finances no longer an issue in the slightest, and Eddie Howe building a side that finished fourth in the league last season, qualifying for the Champions League in the process.

Not only has the manager created a strong unit, but he has also acquired the services of some top players, many of whom have become new heroes at Newcastle. The likes of new signings in recent years Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak have all made a big impression, among others, and you'd expect they will continue to be vital figures moving forward.

There is always going to be interest in some of those players from other big clubs, so tying down their future is absolutely essential. A new update suggests that that is very much the case with one individual.

Which Newcastle player could sign a new deal?

Taking to X, Romano claimed that Bruno Guimaraes has agreed a contract extension with Newcastle – one that will keep him at the club for the foreseeable future and includes a release clause of approximately £100m:

"EXCLUSIVE: Newcastle agree new deal with Bruno Guimaraes, here we go! It’s done — contract until June 2028. Key detail: understand the new deal will include release clause and it will be in the region of £100m. Bruno, so happy to extend as he loves the club."

This is fantastic news for Newcastle, considering what a huge impact Guimaraes has made at St James' ever since arriving from Lyon in January 2022. His arrival coincided with the Magpies becoming a force again, and his influence in the middle of the park has arguably been unrivalled at times.

At 25, the Brazilian is heading into his peak years, so to tie him down to a new contract that will see him remain at Newcastle into his 30s feels every bit as important as any new signing that comes along in the approaching transfer windows.

Magpies legend Alan Shearer is clearly a big fan of Guimaraes, calling him "absolutely magnificent" in the past. Granted, he is arguably yet to hit top form so far this season, but he has still averaged 1.8 tackles per game in the Premier League and enjoyed a 92.3% pass completion rate in the Champions League.

There is always the threat that one of Europe's biggest teams could trigger his release clause one day, following reported interest from Chelsea, assuming he keeps improving as a player and doesn't drop off, and while losing him would be an enormous blow, it is at least nice to know that he would only be allowed to leave for a massive transfer fee.

Chelsea have had a summer to remember when it comes to signing players and it looks like fans could be treated to yet more spending, following a key update from journalist Simon Johnson.

Do Chelsea need more signings?

The Blues have made a disappointing start to life under Mauricio Pochettino, with their Premier League campaign flattering to deceive in the opening two matches.

While the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend was an adequate result, Sunday's 3-1 defeat away to West Ham was a shock to the system. Chelsea may have dominated chunks of proceedings, but they didn't create enough opportunities and their finishing wasn't good enough when chances did arrive.

The west Londoners may have spent big this summer, most notably signing the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Nicolas Jackson, but they still look short of elite quality currently, especially in attacking areas.

There is now less than two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining and failure to bring in one more wide option in the final third could ultimately prove costly.

Will Chelsea sign another attacker?

According to The Athletic's Johnson, Chelsea are still eyeing up another attacking signing this summer, although a new No.9 is out of the question, despite Christopher Nkunku's long-term injury after arriving from Borussia Dortmund:

"With the transfer window closing on September 1, there is still time for the chequebook to be used again. Chelsea have been looking at signing another attacking player anyway, but not a tried and tested No 9 as such.

"A move for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise broke down last week, while Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson was put on the wish list last month."

While rival fans may balk at Chelsea's need to bring in another attacker, given the money they have already spent since the end of last season, there is no question that they look short of reliable options in that area of the pitch.

Raheem Sterling was superb in a losing cause against West Ham, arguably producing his best performance yet in a Blues shirt, but he has been a disappointing signing so far, and his very best days could possibly be behind him.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk continues to experience a torrid time of things, failing to score in 19 Chelsea appearances and missing a glorious opportunity late in the day at West Ham, while Noni Madueke also hasn't had the desired impact.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

A move for Michael Olise has fallen through after he signed a new deal with Crystal Palace, so signing him is out of the question, but someone of a similar ilk could be ideal, in terms of a young wide talent who can combine pace, trickery and a steady flow of end product.

It looks as though Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is a possible option to come in and ease the Blues' woes, and the Belgium international could be a brilliant addition, having scored 12 goals and chipped in with a further ten assists for the Ligue 1 side to date.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been rocked by another injury concern as he struggles to get his side to consistently string results and performances together on the pitch.

What's the latest news involving Aston Villa?

On Wednesday night, Aston Villa fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Everton in the third round of the Carabao Cup, exiting the competition at the first hurdle.

Nevertheless, Aston Villa boss Emery is making no excuses for his side, as he stated in his post-match press conference via BBC Sport: "It's not [about being] tired. I don't want to use all our effort with the players each match. We are trying to keep a balance with some different players but trying to be competitive. We're disappointed with the start and mistakes we made but we are trying to go forward and build the team. We made the second mistake quickly [in the second half] and it was difficult to come back."

Football Insider meanwhile report that several clubs are hot on the tail of Aston Villa star man Ollie Watkins as his contract situation continues to rumble on at Villa Park. The England international's present terms are set to run until the summer of 2025 and Aston Villa remain 'confident' of being able to keep him at the club; however, negotiations are not at an advanced stage, which has alerted numerous unnamed sides, according to the outlet.

Aston Villa defender Alex Moreno may be out for slightly longer than expected as the Spaniard continues to recover from a hamstring problem that has kept him out for the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Jamaica international Leon Bailey was then taken off in the defeat to Everton during the week and could also be set to miss out some first-team action, as per Birmingham Live.

Who has joined Leon Bailey on the treatment table?

Cited by Birmingham World, Aston Villa boss Emery has confirmed that midfielder Jacob Ramsey was also unavailable for the Everton cup clash due to sustaining a fresh injury concern.

Detailing the extent of Ramsey's injury, Emery stated in his post-match press conference: "Jacob is not a hard injury. He has a small injury. Hopefully, he can come back quick. I don’t know if Saturday [against Brighton & Hove Albion] he is going to be ready, but it’s not bad news the injury he has now."

Ramsey had only just returned from a broken metatarsal that kept him out for the best part of ten weeks and it will come as a frustration to the 22-year-old to be on the sidelines once again, as per The Athletic.

Despite his young age, Ramsey has amassed 103 appearances for Aston Villa in all competitions, registering 12 goals and ten assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Once labelled "sensational" by reporter Gregg Evans, Ramsey has become a valued graduate from Aston Villa's youth academy and has excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive carries, averaging around 3.55 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days, putting him in the 97th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

His latest setback will no doubt come as a blow to Emery, who will hope the midfielder can recover as soon as possible and return to being available for selection.

A review of Lord’s in the 21st Century

Edward Craig04-Sep-2006

MCC is an important and worthy organisation, no doubt, and many people may be unaware of this, picturing it as a stuffy old boys’ club. That the club feels it is misunderstood is as much to do with its history as its future. So why produce a lengthy corporate video that bangs on about the (extraordinary and eccentric) past while trying to claim it is a club for the future? And why, please why, make it 97 minutes long?The first flaw of the DVD is to base all its various chapters around last year’s Ashes Test which, apart from that first morning, does not make for happy watching to an England fan and, for the objective viewer, is not nearly as gripping as what followed.From this base it launches into a preachy explanation of what exactly MCC does and why it is great. And there are many interesting elements. The history of the club is rich and mysterious, Lord’s itself is a constant source of wonder whether architecturally or from a cricket perspective and interviews with the groundsman Mick Hunt and head of cricket John Stephenson are illuminating, if you are into the gritty side of cricket administration.But the DVD does not really know what it is. A highlights package for the Ashes Test (please, no)? An extended MCC advertisement? A history of Lord’s and MCC? A Lord’s love-in? In truth, it is all of these things and none of them. It might have been stronger had it settled on one tone.MCC still does fantastic work, especially developing cricket abroad, but it seems increasingly irrelevant to cricket “in the 21st century” – an image this DVD does little to shake.

Leicester City have enjoyed a strong start to the 2023/24 campaign as some of their new signings have helped them to win all three of their Championship fixtures so far.

Who have Leicester signed this summer?

Enzo Maresca has been able to bolster his playing squad with six additions since his appointment as head coach after a spell with Manchester City's coaching staff.

Stephy Mavididi, Harry Winks, Mads Hermansen, and Conor Coady have all come through the door on permanent deals, whilst Callum Doyle and Cesare Casadei have joined on loan.

That may not be the end of their business, though, as they were recently touted with an interest in Newell's Old Boys winger Brian Aguirre, who has reportedly been valued at $10m (£7.9m).

How good is Brian Aguirre?

The 20-year-old whiz is a talented young prospect who should not be brought in with the expectation of being able to make an immediate and significant impact on the pitch.

Instead, he should be viewed as a long-term project who could be the eventual heir to Mavididi's position on the left flank as he is five years younger than the summer signing from Montpellier.

Aguirre has only played 42 senior club career games and is yet to play outside of his home country, Argentina, which means that it could take him time to adapt to football and life in England.

Therefore, the exciting gem could be ideally suited to be a back-up to Mavididi initially as it would afford him time to adjust to his new surroundings without the pressure of being required to hit the ground running on the pitch.

The English forward has enjoyed a terrific start to life at the King Power and his performances suggest that there will be no immediate need for Aguirre to step up.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 across three Championship matches this season and produced one goal and one assist, to go along with 1.7 key passes per game for his teammates.

Only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (8.23) has averaged a higher Sofascore rating for Leicester so far and this shows that the former Arsenal prospect has been one of Maresca's outstanding performers.

This could also make him the dream mentor for Aguirre as Mavididi is proving himself to be a fantastic winger at this level who could impart his wisdom to the 20-year-old ace to help him develop his own skills over the coming years.

The Old Boys forward, who scout Antonio Mango described as "compelling viewing", showcased his potential during the U20 World Cup earlier this year as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 and contributed with one goal and two 'big chances' created in three appearances for Argentina.

Aguirre, who has assisted five goals in 42 games for his club, seemingly has the capability to score and create chances from a left wing position but would need to translate that over to first-team football in England on a regular basis in order to be a huge success at the King Power.

Training alongside and learning from Mavididi could play a crucial role in his development, given how impressive the 25-year-old hotshot has been this season, and allow him to become the long-term heir to that position in the team if Maresca can secure his services.