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As rain put a dampener on The Oval’s 100th Test celebrations, one England batsman was concerned not with marking the past but protecting his future

The Report by David Hopps29-Jul-20170:56

Temperament wins over technique for Jennings

As rain put a dampener on The Oval’s 100th Test celebrations, one England batsman was concerned not with marking the past but protecting his future.Keaton Jennings’ England place was under threat after making only 44 runs in his first five innings against South Africa, his hundred on Test debut against India in Mumbai in December now a distant memory.Jennings was 34 not out – his best score of a draining summer – when rain arrived shortly before 3pm and prevented further play. England, at 74 for 1, were building an impregnable position, leading by 252 with nine wickets remaining, but will fear more disruption from the weather over the last two days. As for Jennings, he was just relieved that one of those nine wickets remains his.Vernon Philander had been conditionally discharged from hospital, coming out to bat for South Africa at No. 11 as they were dismissed before lunch for 175 and then summoning what strength he had left for a few below-par overs.His viral infection had not yet departed and he was still vomiting and suffering from abdominal pain. But NHS nurses presumably got him back on his feet by whispering the words “Keaton Jennings” kindly into his ear because it has proved to be a pick-me-up all series.Jennings was chary against Philander from the outset and might have fallen twice in successive balls in his second over. He inside-edged past leg stump for his first boundary, looking round uncertainly as if he had stumbled over a paving slab. The next ball, on 6, he was dropped by Dean Elgar, head high at third slip. South Africa’s cordon was bunched and close and, on this occasion at least, suffered for it.Jennings routinely stands as straight as a sentry at the crease. Put him in a bearskin hat and he could easily double as a guardsman at Buckingham Palace where he would have the discipline to stand still for hours while tourists snapped away intrusively. But it was movement, not stillness, he hankered after and he danced around on the spot in an attempt to rid himself of the stilted footwork that has bedevilled him all series.Alastair Cook departed for 7, undone by a top-notch delivery from Morne Morkel which he straightened from around the wicket to crash into the top of off. Too good for Cook, one imagines it would have defeated Jennings, too, but he watched from the non-striker’s end, a batsman spared.Kagiso Rabada’s first over afforded a release. He had the poise to crash two short and wide deliveries through the off side. In the next over, he tucked Morkel off his pads for another boundary: 19 and vulnerable had become 32, a score to build on, in a matter of five minutes.Not that he suggested permanence. He needed a review to survive an lbw decision in Rabada’s favour on 33, replays suggesting the ball had both pitched outside leg and would have passed over the stumps.While Jennings struggled, Tom Westley again played with elan, six boundaries in his 28. The best of them as far as Jennings was concerned was the one that persuaded Philander to leave the field for another toilet break. Before too long, everybody followed him into the dressing room, never to re-emerge.Toby Roland-Jones leads the team off after his debut five-for•Associated Press

The morning belonged to Toby Roland-Jones, who completed a five-wicket haul on Test debut as South Africa were dismissed for 175 – a deficit of 178 . Eight down for spit overnight, with Philander carded at No. 11, South Africa might have folded in no time. Instead they added another 52 in 15.4 overs.Roland-Jones led England from the field, raising his cap slightly bashfully, after returning 5 for 57- the first English quick to take a five-for on debut since Graham Onions in 2009. His last wicket was a good one: Temba Bavuma pushing forward to a ball that left him to fall to a keeper’s catch after making 52 from 120 balls.Bavuma had been a serene figure even on the previous evening, as South Africa collapsed to 61 for 7 with the floodlights cutting through a grouchy south London evening, and he looked at ease again in what were initially more inviting batting conditions.The stumps were blue to mark Cricket United day, as were much of the crowd, an annual fund-raiser at The Oval for three charities. It is a pragmatic choice. If you are going to ask a fair proportion of blokes to dress up in a colour for charity, it’s best to choose blue. It’s all some have in their wardrobe.After his dream sequence on the second day, Roland-Jones found life had returned to normal as he began at the Vauxhall End. The comparison between him and the quick he replaced – Mark Wood – is instructional.Roland-Jones is a classic English seamer, hitting the seam at an average of 83mph. Wood is the sort of explosive quick needed on more benign surfaces. But Wood has only averaged 86mph in his two Tests against South Africa. Averages tell only half the story, of course, as the potential for an occasionally quick ball is also important, but explosive bowlers need to explode.Bavuma had attractive moments, particularly when driving through the off side, striking Stuart Broad to the extra cover boards to take South Africa past the follow-on and then stretching his diminutive frame to the utmost to plant Anderson in the same direction, although he was dropped off Broad on 40, Ben Stokes failing to cling to a rapid chance as he dived to his left in the gully. His half-century was also raised streakily when he edged Roland-Jones wide of the slips.Morkel also put up stubborn resistance, reaching 17 before he edged a back-of-a-length delivery from Anderson to Cook at first slip.Roland-Jones might have picked up Philander on 5, but his edge flew wide of third slip. A one-legged flat-bat then lobbed over mid-off. But Philander survived, albeit not particularly healthily. He, at least, would have welcomed the rest.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore has joined Yorkshire with immediate effect, bringing to an end a row with his previous club, Worcestershire

George Dobell08-Jun-2017
Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been released from his Worcestershire contract and will join Yorkshire immediately.ESPNcricinfo revealed a week ago that Kohler-Cadmore, who was out of contract at the end of the season, had agreed to join Yorkshire for 2018. When he informed Worcestershire of his plans, their director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, was furious and threatened not to select him in first- or second-team games for the rest of the season.Rhodes has now partially relented and allowed Kohler-Cadmore to move on. It is understood he will, initially at least, play in Yorkshire’s
second XI. He is thought unlikely to be selected in the Yorkshire side for the Royal London Cup play-off.”Worcestershire County Cricket Club have mutually agreed with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and his representative of the immediate release from his contract with the club,” Tom Scott, the Worcestershire CEO said. “We would like to thank Tom for the contribution he has made at New Road and wish him continued success in the future.”The timing of the news may unsettle Worcestershire supporters. The club is due to play in the semi-final of the Royal London Cup
(possibly against Yorkshire) in little more than a week – their first semi-final appearance for 13-years – and Kohler-Cadmore was an important part of their white-ball team.It is understood that neither the player or Yorkshire sought an early release from his contract. Indeed, Kohler-Cadmore is understood to be
distressed that a happy spell at New Road has ended in sour circumstances. There is no suggestion that Yorkshire in any way acted
inappropriately.While Kohler-Cadmore graduated through the Worcestershire academy – he was attracted to the area by a sixth-form cricket scholarship at nearby Malvern College – he had, until then, developed through the Yorkshire system and is understood to value a return to the north of England.Aged 22, he is a fine prospect. He scored the fastest century of the English domestic season, off 43 balls, in 2016 and made the only
century of the Worcestershire campaign – against Yorkshire – to help the county top the North Group in this season’s Royal London Cup. He also averaged 48.40 as the club won their first four Championship matches of the season.Since the news of his departure broke and he was dropped from the side, Worcestershire subsided to an innings defeat against Sussex.”Producing players who are qualified for England and could go on to play for England is what we’re all about,” Rhodes told ESPNcricinfo.
“That won’t change.”It’s a delight to watch guys you’ve seen from the age of 13 play first-team cricket and enjoy success together. We’ll carry on trying to produce players and our aim will be to keep them, too.”We’ve a semi-final coming up and everyone here is very excited by that. Hopefully it shows you can play here, enjoy success and further
your career.”

AB de Villiers will lead Royal Challengers Bangalore if Virat Kohli fails to recover, from his shoulder injury, in time for the start of the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2017AB de Villiers will lead Royal Challengers Bangalore if Virat Kohli fails to recover from a shoulder injury for the IPL opener next week against Sunrisers Hyderabad. According to Daniel Vettori, Royal Challengers’ head coach, Kohli will join the squad on April 2 and then reassess a date of return with the team’s medical staff.There has been no definitive update on Kohli’s right shoulder, which he hurt during the third Test of the series against Australia in Ranchi. After India won the series 2-1 in Dharamasala, Kohli had said he was not 100% fit yet, and was waiting for a final word from the Indian team physiotherapist.Vettori said there was no “clear picture” on Kohli’s return date. “He [Kohli] will come in on April 2. Between now and then, the BCCI doctors and physio will speak to us (on his condition) and our medical staff will get a clearer picture,” Vettori said as RCB assembled for the season’s first training session in Bangalore. ” Right now, we don’t have a clear picture on his availability. We’ll know in the next few days.”According to Vettori, de Villiers would be on standby if Kohli is unavailable. De Villiers, who will play for Titans in the Momentum One Day Cup final on Friday, will arrive in Bangalore on April 2. “The likely scenario is that de Villiers will take over the duties but we’ll answer that once we find out if Virat is out,” Vettori said.Kohli played a pivotal role in Royal Challengers reaching the final last year, but his absence would offer an opportunity for youngsters like Mandeep Singh and Sarfaraz Khan to take on more responsibility. “”Fortunately, we have a number of exceptional batsmen who haven’t got many playing chances like Sarfaraz Khan and Mandeep Singh. It’s a huge asset for us that someone else can fill in those gaps.”

Newcastle United appear set to make it a double raid on Serie A as they look to add to the imminent arrival of Sandro Tonali by bringing in Federico Dimarco.

Widespread reports on Wednesday suggested Newcastle are increasingly confident of bringing in Tonali for a fee in the region of £60m, but the ambitious Magpies are not likely to stop there.

Newcastle transfer news – Dimarco a target for Ashworth

According to NUFC Blog, Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth has not just flown to Italy to speak to AC Milan about a deal for Tonali, but also Inter Milan regarding a move for Dimarco.

It would be quite the coup for Newcastle should they pull off the transfer, as Dimarco is a player who has been touted as a €35m (£30m) target for Real Madrid and Manchester United this summer.

The ten-cap Italy international still has three years to run on his San Siro contract, so Inter will not feel obliged to sell unless their valuation is met in full.

Where would Federico Dimarco fit in at Newcastle United?

It is no secret that Eddie Howe is after a new left-back this window to rival – or more likely replace – Dan Burn for the 2023-24 season and beyond. While Burn largely did a good job there last season, the fan favourite is not expected to start there in the Champions League next season.

Kieran Tierney had been strongly linked with a switch from Arsenal to St James' Park, but news on that front has gone quiet of late and it now appears Dimarco is Howe's favoured option.

It is clear to see why, too, as Dimarco played a big part in Inter's run to last season's Champions League final, starting ten of their 13 games – including the full 90 minutes of the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in Istanbul.

Dimarco can play left-back and also left wing-back given his attacking nature, highlighted by his eight goals for Inter in all competitions last season. Indeed, The Analyst ranks the Italian in the top 2% of all defenders last term for goals scored across Europe's top five leagues last season.

No defender across Serie A, Ligue 1, LaLiga, Bundesliga and the Premier League performed better than Dimarco in terms of shots, touches in the opposition penalty box and chances created.

To put those figures into some perspective, Dimarco's 0.20 goals per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, compares to 0.05 for Burn, who was also occasionally used at centre-back.

Dimarco assisted ten goals last season, meanwhile, whereas Burn did not set up a single goal, while the Inter defender's 2.01 shots per 90 minutes compares to 0.67 for Burn.

The former Hellas Verona loanee is also a threat in terms of his deliveries, much like Kieran Trippier on the opposite flank, earning praise from European football expert Carlo Garganese for his "world-class" crosses and set-pieces.

That is not to say Burn does not have his own qualities in other areas, and the same is true of Dimarco in terms of his weaknesses.

For example, Burn wins 2.43 aerial duels per 90 minutes, compared to 0.23 for Dimarco, while the latter is also second best in terms of tackles won (0.98 v 1.07) and blocks (0.80 v 1.21).

Ultimately, Howe must decide whether he wants to be cautious on that side of the pitch or integrate a player into the team capable of getting even more out of the likes of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson. Should he go with the latter option, this move would no doubt be bad news for their current towering full-back.

In an exciting new era at St James' Park with Champions League football set to return, Dimarco is surely the man for Howe to go for.

Tottenham Hotspur are a side who have been mentioned in the expected pursuit to sign James Ward-Prowse this summer following Southampton's relegation.

How much is Ward-Prowse worth?

It was a season to forget for both Spurs and the Saints with both hugely underwhelming their fanbases, however, Southampton's will provide bigger consequences.

The Saints ended the campaign rock bottom of the Premier League table and, therefore, will play second-tier football next season and likely lose some of their star players.

Although Spurs will have to go into the new campaign without any European football to look forward to, it will provide Ange Postecoglou with an opportunity to instil his philosophy at the club.

And it will be intriguing to see what changes he brings over the coming months in the transfer window as he will likely be keen to stamp his influence on the starting XI.

One player who is expected to bring in big money for the south coast side is the Englishman, Ward-Prowse, with reports (via SportBible) suggesting the Saints will be looking for a bid in the region of £52m for his services.

Whether or not a team will be willing to part with that sum of money for him is another question, though.

However, it is apparent he will have a lot of potential suitors as insider Alex Crook explained when speaking about the 28-year-old on TalkSPORT:

"Newcastle have got him on their list, as I understand it. I don't believe he's at the top of that list. And again, Southampton I think are asking for quite a substantial fee.

"Tottenham have been mentioned as well and you could see him improving their midfield. Wolves would like to sign him, as I understand it, but they think he might go to a club higher up the food chain."

How much does Ward-Prowse earn?

The £100k-per-week England international has played a huge role in Southampton's side for a number of years now having started every single game in the Premier League this season (via Transfermarkt).

And during his time on the south coast, Ward-Prowse has established himself as one of the league's most fierce free-kick takers.

But it is not just free-kicks in which he scores with the 28-year-old chipping in a total of nine goals in the Premier League alone this season (via Transfermarkt).

Upon his arrival at Celtic, Postecoglou made some major changes in the Bhoys' midfield with the additions of Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley.

So it will be interesting to see if he also looks to do similar at Spurs when he has the chance to assess his options of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp.

However, if the Saints are holding out for in excess of £50m this summer, then perhaps this is a deal which Spurs may have to forget about considering they are reportedly in talks to sign the £60m-rated James Maddison.

But this is a player who has been hailed as a "machine" by some in the media despite the struggles Southampton endured over the course of the 2022/23 campaign.

Leeds United's abhorrent campaign came to a crashing close yesterday, as they could not even fulfil their end of the impossible escape, losing 4-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Their defeat, and wins for Leicester City and Everton elsewhere, meant that even a comprehensive victory would have not been enough for Sam Allardyce to keep them in the division, ending the Whites' three-year stay in the Premier League.

For someone who was enlisted to desperately secure safety with four games to go, the experienced manager could not live up to his impressive relegation-avoiding reputation, with his pragmatism backfiring on numerous occasions.

At the start of yesterday's final day, the Whites knew that nothing less than a three-goal win would be enough to potentially avoid the drop. However, the 68-year-old still opted to start conservatively.

His team for the clash consisted of two right-backs and four central defenders, opting to leave more offensive talents like Wilfried Gnonto and Georginio Rutter on the bench. Whilst fans will forever question this move, few would argue that Brenden Aaronson, another such option, had merited a place in the squad, let alone the starting XI.

His cameo against Spurs only served to support this and emphasise the need for him to be ditched in the summer.

How did Brenden Aaronson play vs Tottenham Hotspur?

Signed by Jesse Marsch, handing his old club a mouth-watering £24.7m fee to pry him from Austria, the American was expected to be a key cog in their new-look attacking force.

However, after a first full season at Elland Road, the 22-year-old has scored just once, having also been branded a "lightweight" by pundit Jon Newsome when speaking to BBC Radio Leeds back in February.

Although only handed the final 31 minutes to make an impact yesterday, just 18 touches once again outlined the anonymity that fans had become accustomed to with the diminutive midfielder.

Such a lack of influence was bred through an equal lack of quality, as he would muster just nine completed passes at a 69% success rate. Furthermore, he would not manage a single shot, and his sole cross missed the mark, via Sofascore.

Having been a true pupil of Marsch's, who favoured an all-action high-pressing brand of football, it was unsurprisingly expected that Aaronson might at least boast some hardworking steel that would endear him to fans. However, having also been dribbled past twice and lost 100% of the five duels he competed in, these suspicions were denied in depressing fashion.

He has truly been a woeful signing, and arguably a microcosm of the manager who initially propelled them into the mess that neither Javi Gracia nor Allardyce could pull them out of.

Whether it be through shocking transfers or questionable tactics, Marsch should forever be tainted with the mantle of having relegated this historic club. Aaronson's performances certainly did not aid in avoiding such an eventuality, with yesterday surely marking his final game in a Leeds shirt.

Manchester United's primary focus this summer is likely to be on acquiring a new centre-forward asset, with the Red Devils having been forced to rely on an underwhelming duo of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial in recent months.

The latter man seemingly appears set for a departure at the end of the season having routinely been dogged by injury so far this term, while January arrival, Weghorst, may not have done enough to warrant a permanent deal, with the on-loan Burnley man having scored just twice in all competitions to date.

The obvious candidate to ease those striking woes is Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Harry Kane, with Sky Sports only recently revealing that United would "absolutely explore a deal" for the England captain if possible, albeit with the north Londoners still seemingly adamant that the 29-year-old is not for sale.

That fact will no doubt ensure that the Red Devils are also contemplating alternative targets to potentially lead the attack next season, with Football Insider recently naming Inter Milan marksman, Lautaro Martinez as one such candidate for the role, with the Serie A side said to be willing to cash in on the Argentine this summer.

The report suggests that the 25-year-old is seen as the "perfect forward" by manager Erik ten Hag, with the Old Trafford outfit also not set to be forced to pay over the odds for the 48-cap menace, with Inter said to value him at around £70m.

How would Lautaro Martinez fit in at Man United?

It is evident to most that United are in need of a more reliable number nine to help lead the attack, with the aim no doubt to help ease the goalscoring burden on Marcus Rashford, with the 25-year-old having bagged 29 goals in all competitions so far this season.

While the Englishman has scored just two goals in his last seven Premier League outings, prior to that the £200k-per-week machine had been rather "unstoppable" following the World Cup break, as per his manager, after scoring ten goals in as many league games amid his return from Qatar.

That clinical form – as well as the woes of Martial and Weghorst – have seen the academy graduate moved into a central role on occasion this season, although it would appear that the in-form ace is at his brilliant best when operating from the left flank, having revealed his preference for that position earlier in the campaign.

The signing of Martinez, then, would allow Rashford to remain in that wide berth, with the World Cup-winning striker able to provide a ruthless and prolific presence in a centre-forward role.

The former Racing Club sensation would undoubtedly be able to ease the reliance on the current United talisman having been a reliable goalscoring presence in Italy in recent years, notably bagging 95 goals in 228 games in all competitions to date.

That includes a haul of 21 goals in 47 games across all fronts this term, with the "shot monster" – as hailed by presenter Joe Thomlinson – having been particularly lethal in the Italian top-flight with 17 league goals so far.

Having largely been deployed as part of a strike partnership during his time at San Siro – memorably scoring 41 league goals combined with Romelu Lukaku en route to the title in 2020/21 – Martinez could perhaps be able to dovetail nicely with Rashford as part of a fluid forward line.

That relatively youthful combination could go on to thrive together at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come, with it easy to see why the Inter man is looking like a possible option for Ten Hag and co.

Surrey can ease their relegation fears with victory against the bottom club Hampshire and Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley ensured that first-day runs were not in short supply

ECB Reporters Network17-Jul-2016
ScorecardRory Burns made his first century of the season•PA Photos

Rory Burns, the Surrey opening batsman, struck his first century of the season as the visitors made light work on a flat track at the Ageas Bowl.Burns, who became the 2,000th Surrey player to reach three figures in first-class cricket, looked at ease during his 144 ball stay before knocking his 17th boundary to take him to three figures.Hampshire, who toiled for nearly two thirds of the day, finally had something to cheer about in the evening as they pegged the away side back somewhat with a handful of wickets.The early stages of this match was always going to rely heavily on who won the toss, with the track looking impeccably hard and flat.
Gareth Batty, just as predictably, refused the offer of bowling first before winning the coin flip – the skipper has yet to lose a toss this season.Burns, with the equally unimpeachable Dominic Sibley, saw off the first session with ease – the pair already up to 72 in the opening hour, Hampshire already being forced to use all four seamers.Burns quickly moved past 4,500 runs for his first-class career, before reaching his 25th format fifty at an almost run a ball 54 deliveries.
He continued to cash in after lunch to climb to three figure, playing the aggressor to Sibley’s watchful style, in 144 balls.Sibley, who passed his half century in almost same amount of time it took Burns to reach a ton, 141 balls, was waiting patiently for the poor ball to come along.The partnership appeared impenetrable with seemingly every option exhausted – before Mason Crane produced a corker to see off Burns 10 balls before tea.The young leg spinner pitching one outside off stump and back of a length to the left hander to turn back to cramp Burns up for space – edging low to Sean Ervine at first slip.Crane continued his troubling turners to get Zafar Ansari before he had got going – tempting the al-rounder down the track before Lewis McManus smartly swivelled and stumped.Soon after the new ball was taken, which was the first thing to cause Sibley a sweat in his heavy cable knit jumper.Reaching 99, the only other time he has a Championship century was on his debut when he bagged a record 242, he was bowled by a Gareth Berg delivery which moved back off the seam to crunch into the off stump.Berg, who finished the day the pick of the bowlers with two for 47, then had a short and tempered battle with Jason Roy – the bowler, after missing the outside edge twice and having an lbw shout turned down, finally got his man leg before.Quietly, as the wickets tumbled around him, Australian international Aaron Finch teed off in entertaining fashion – pilfering a quick 50 before the close to stand overnight on 56, his team on top at 332 for 4.